Did your Google rankings drop? Your rank tracker might be the problem

What’s actually happening

Rank trackers, such as AgencyAnalytics, Semrush and Ahrefs, work by running automated Google searches for your keywords and recording where your website appears. They do this every day, for thousands of businesses, so you can see how your rankings move over time.

Recently, Google appears to have stepped up its defences against automated searches. The most likely explanation is that it’s trying to stop AI companies collecting its results in bulk to power their own products. Rank trackers collect results in a similar way, so they’re getting caught in the crossfire.

The tricky part is how Google is responding. Rather than simply blocking these automated checks, it sometimes returns a normal-looking results page where many of the usual websites have been swapped out. Nothing on the page signals that anything is wrong. So when a rank tracker records that page, your website appears to have dropped. Meanwhile, real people searching on Google still see you right where you were.

When it started and how widespread it is

This current incident began in late September 2026 and, at the time of writing, we’re still seeing problems. It happened to overlap with a separate Google spam update, which finished rolling out on 8 October. That update caused genuine ranking changes for some sites, so not every movement in this period is a tracking error.

It’s not just one tool

It isn’t limited to one platform. If you’re using more than one rank tracker, you’ll likely see the same inconsistencies across them. Semrush has confirmed it’s an industry-wide issue and has its own checks to catch and re-collect suspect results.

We’re keeping up to date with AgencyAnalytics, which is publishing regular updates on its status page, including what it has done to remove false drops from its reports.

We’ve also been here before

Last year, Google removed the “&num=100” setting, which had let rank trackers see the top 100 results for a search in one go. Overnight, tracking tools around the world lost sight of anything past page one. Rankings looked like they’d vanished, but they hadn’t. It was a reporting problem, not a performance one, and the tools adapted. (Our director, Rob, wrote about it at the time: No, your rankings haven’t vanished.)

Why it’s likely to happen again 

Disruptions like this are becoming more common. Search Engine Journal has noted more frequent outages in third-party SEO tools, and more frequent delays in Google Search Console’s own data.

So what does this mean for you? For one, it’s a good reminder not to put all your trust in a single tool. Every rank tracker is only as good as the data Google gives it, and right now that data isn’t always reliable. We’ll walk through how to tell a real drop from a tracking glitch below.

But before we get into that, it’s worth stepping back and looking at the bigger picture. Rankings matter, of course, but what really matters is whether people are finding you, visiting your site and getting in touch. If your traffic, enquiries and sales are steady, that’s a far better sign of how your SEO is going than any single ranking number.

How to tell a real drop from a tracking glitch

This is the million-dollar question. Some ranking changes right now are genuine and some aren’t, and from the report alone they can look exactly the same. The good news is that a few quick checks will usually give you the answer.

Signs it’s probably a tracking issue

• Many keywords drop sharply at the same time, often overnight
• Keywords suddenly show as “not found” when they've ranked consistently for months
• The pages now “outranking” you don’t match the search, or are mostly social media and forum posts
• Your branded keywords are holding steady while other keywords have dropped
• Your website traffic, enquiries and sales are holding steady
• The drop disappears or changes again at the next check

How to check 

Google Search Console

Search Console shows data from real Google searches, not automated checks. Look at clicks, impressions and average position for the same keywords and dates. If those are steady, your visibility almost certainly is too.

A second tool

Compare your main rank tracker against another one for your most important keywords. Keep in mind the second tool may also be affected, so treat it as a cross-check rather than the final word.

A manual search

Search for the keyword yourself in a private or incognito browser window, from the location your customers search from. Take a dated screenshot if you need a record. Results vary a little by device, location and search history, so look for the general position rather than an exact match.

Give it time

A genuine drop tends to persist. A drop that appears once and recovers at the next check is much more likely to be a tracking glitch. Rank tracking providers are also already adjusting, just as they did after Google’s last big change, so the data should settle as their fixes roll out.

How we’re keeping our reports accurate

Search is changing fast, and AI is a big part of why. Every business is feeling it, us included. 

Before any ranking data goes into our reports, we run the checks above across our platforms and Google Search Console. If a drop hasn’t been confirmed, we don’t report it as a loss.

Where the data disagrees, we flag it clearly in our report commentary and explain what we found. If a drop is genuine, we say so, along with what we’re doing about it.

If your current SEO reports don’t separate genuine drops from tracking glitches, it’s worth asking whoever prepares them how they’re handling it.

The bottom line

If your rankings look like they’ve dropped recently, take a breath. It’s most likely the measurement that’s wobbly, not your performance. Check Search Console, look at your traffic and enquiries, and give any sudden drop time to settle before you act on it.

If you're a Dilate client and something in your report doesn't look right, talk to your Digital Strategist. We're happy to walk you through what we've checked.

Not a client yet? Get in touch and we'll help you make sense of your SEO data.

FAQs

Why have my Google rankings suddenly dropped?

It may not be your rankings at all. Since late September 2026, Google has been returning altered results to automated tools, which has caused rank trackers to record drops that real searchers don’t see. Check Google Search Console and your traffic before assuming you’ve lost ground.

Is my rank tracker wrong?

Possibly, for now. Most rank tracking tools across the industry are affected, so your tracker may show drops or “not found” results while your site is still ranking. Many providers are already filtering out false drops and improving their checks.

Is this caused by a Google algorithm update?

No, it’s a separate issue. Google did complete a spam update on 8 October 2026, which caused genuine ranking changes for some sites. The tracking issue is about how Google responds to automated checks, and it has continued well after the spam update finished.

How can I check my real rankings?

Start with Google Search Console, which uses data from real searches rather than automated checks. You can also search for your keywords in a private browser window and compare a second rank tracking tool. Steady traffic and enquiries are the clearest sign your visibility is intact.

How long will this last?

There’s no confirmed end date. Rank tracking providers are adjusting, as they did after Google’s last major change, but Google’s defences against automated searches are likely to keep evolving.

Should I be worried about my SEO?

Not if your traffic, enquiries and sales are holding steady. Those tell you far more about your SEO than any single ranking number. If they’ve dropped too, that’s worth looking into with your SEO team.