Google seems to have implemented a ranking algorithm change over the weekend, resulting in a significant shift in the rankings of many websites. As of now, Google has neither confirmed nor commented on this update or the speculation surrounding it.
Constant Changes
Google’s search results are in a state of perpetual change. New pages are introduced into the index, signals are refreshed, and Google makes thousands of adjustments annually. While these changes are routine, it is uncommon to witness a substantial spike both in SEO community discussions and in rank-checking tools.
Rank Checking Tools
Here are some insights from popular rank-checking tools. The providers of these tools assert they do not incorporate user interface changes or the featured snippet deduplication change in their rank calculations. Therefore, speculation that recent rank fluctuations are due to these factors may not be accurate.
Here is what the tools indicate regarding changes in tracked URLs for specific Google queries on a day-by-day basis:
- Mozcast has reported spikes in ranking fluctuations in recent days.
- SEMRush indicates "very high" recent volatility in rankings.
- Advanced Web Rankings showed a significant spike on February 10.
- SERPMetrics’ top100 sites have shown considerable movement recently.
- Accuranker reports large changes across the top 100 results per keyword.
- RankRanger shows significant SERP fluctuations for over 10,000 domains and keywords it tracks.
- Cognitive SEO presents changes based on the over 170,000 keywords the tool monitors.
- Algoroo also shows significant changes based on its sample query data.
Most of these tracking tools indicate significant changes. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean your site was positively or negatively impacted. Nevertheless, a considerable number of sites were affected according to these tools.
SEO Industry Discussion
There has been substantial discussion in the SEO community, with various experts sharing observations on social media. Here are a few notable points:
- Hourly trending often shows sites dropping at specific times only to recover completely after about 22-24 hours, indicating that Google might be testing something.
- Sites in particular niches, such as crypto, have reported considerable volatility, with rankings dropping heavily before returning to normal.
- Observations are still in flux as of this morning, suggesting the update is ongoing.
Still in Flux
The current update appears to be still rolling out. Sites affected on Saturday are continuing to see changes. It’s advised to monitor your analytics, especially your organic Google traffic, for any significant changes. For now, patience is required as the update continues to settle.
Why We Care
While Google often states there is "no fix" for many updates, especially core updates, they do provide general advice on improving your site. Following this guidance can help improve the quality of your website.
For now, with this unconfirmed update, it’s best to wait and watch how things unfold and if Google decides to provide more information. Stay tuned for further updates.
