What to do after a keyword based 99% loss in traffic?

[Sgt_Kickaxe]

I just noticed that my site fell off the radar for one of its best pages, a page that is linked sitewide in a sort of "the best of" manner.

- Pages are all well interlinked even without this "best of" section.
- Other pages linked in this section have all been there for years too and are still doing well.

I'm fairly certain my site simply can no longer rank well for this particular keyword so what should I do?

- Improve the page further and hope the traffic returns? current rank is 500+ when it had been top 3 for 3 years.
- Take Google's hint and allocate that sitewide "best of" link spot to another page, or remove it altogether?

I know that sitewide links probably do not help but it hasn't hurt the pages getting linked to in the past. If that page doesn't rank anymore the sitewide is a drain without benefit. What other options do I have? It's a really good page and will stay on site regardless.

[tedster]

If the other pages in the "best of" section are still doing well, I'm not clear why you think this link is the ranking problem. Or maybe I'm misreading you, and you don't think that.

At any rate, if you think your visitors appreciate this pages a "best" page, then I assume it helps them and your site, no matter how Google treats it - right? So the issue is whether to send that link equity to another page. Have I understood your thinking?