Search Console Shows Unexplained Click Spikes for Some Sites, Possibly a Bug
TLDR
Some sites are seeing an unusually large jump in clicks in Google Search Console's performance report over the past couple of days, and it may be a reporting bug.
Optimixed Overview
Optimixed's original report on this story.
Some websites are reporting a sudden, unusually large increase in clicks in the performance report of Google Search Console over the past couple of days, as SERoundtable reports. The spike is not affecting every site, and the outlet notes it might be a bug in the reported data.
How we got here: earlier coverage
On August 17, Search Console's performance reports were showing widespread drops in impressions and clicks starting in mid-August, and Google confirmed a logging bug in the Generative AI in Search performance report that had caused artificially low impression counts since August 13. Then, on October 11, the performance reports were lagging more than 64 hours behind normal, an anomaly that emerged alongside Google's recent spam update. Now, some sites are seeing an unusually large jump in clicks in the performance report over the past couple of days, and it may be a reporting bug.
Summary of earlier coverage
- Oct 16Spike in Google Search ranking volatility and industry chatter reported
SEO professionals report a spike in search ranking volatility and industry discussion over the past 24 hours.
- Oct 11Google Search Console Performance Reports Over 64 Hours Behind
Google Search Console's performance reports are lagging more than 64 hours behind normal, an anomaly that emerged following Google's recent spam update.
- Aug 17Google Confirms Data Logging Bug in Generative AI Performance Report
Google confirmed a logging bug in Search Console's Generative AI in Search performance report causing artificially low impression counts since August 13.
- Aug 17Google Performance Reports Showing Drops in Impressions and Clicks Since August 12
Google Search Console's performance reports are showing widespread drops in impressions and clicks starting mid-August, likely due to a bug.