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A possible unconfirmed Google search ranking update might have taken place between October 15th and October 18th, with the most noticeable fluctuations occurring on Thursday, October 16th.
The last significant volatility was noted around October 7th and 8th. Since Google disabled the display of 100 search results per page and updated the tools used for tracking rankings, there’s been less chatter. However, experienced SEO professionals have observed signs of a major ranking shift around mid-October, beyond what the tools currently show.
Meanwhile, expectations for a major core update have been delayed. Despite promises of more frequent core updates in 2025, only two have been confirmed so far, with October nearly ending. There’s a possibility Google might deploy a couple more before the year concludes, but it’s unlikely this would substantially increase the total number of core updates for 2025.
Discussion is lively on SEO forums, with notable activity on platforms like WebmasterWorld and Local Search Forum, along with some commentary on industry sites.
### SEO Activity and Observations
One site owner reported a severe drop in traffic, claiming Google wasn’t updating news feeds properly and only displaying articles from weeks prior. Organic search traffic had plummeted, with only major publishers’ sites gaining significant visibility. They expressed frustration, feeling the internet might be losing its effectiveness.
Another person mentioned a potential rollback earlier in the week that temporarily improved traffic, only for it to drop sharply again midweek, as bots once more flooded their site.
Some businesses haven’t received inquiries from the real world but are experiencing consistent traffic levels until recently, when one noted suspicious URL visits from many IP addresses originating from Singapore. Those IPs have since been blocked.
A recurring theme is the inconsistency in search rankings, with updates happening daily and rankings fluctuating unpredictably. One SEO team observed substantial visibility losses across multiple clients, with rankings dropping from the top three for numerous keywords to fewer within just a couple of days. They noted their Google sensor score was high but not alarming.
### Tracking Data and Tools
Various third-party tools tracking Google search rankings show notable spikes around October 16th, indicating increased volatility:
– Semrush
– Mozcast
– Wincher
– Advanced Web Rankings
– Accuranker
– SimilarWeb
– Mangools
– DataForSEO
– SERPstat
– Sistrix
– CognitiveSEO
– Algoroo
All these tools displayed a surge in ranking fluctuations during that period, with aggregated insights from several tools combined into a comprehensive volatility chart.
What trends or changes have others observed? Ongoing discussions on SEO forums are exploring these ranking shifts and their potential causes.
ChatGPT
Perplexity
Gemini AI
Grok AI
