If rankings have felt erratic since January, that’s because they have. This hasn’t been a short spike. Volatility moved into the high range from 21st January, then into the very high range from 10th February, where it stayed for most of the last 30 days at around 9.5. On 20th March it dropped to 8, which may point to some cooling, but it’s still well above normal.
Clients are seeing it first-hand. Rankings are shifting, traffic patterns are changing, and pages that had been stable for months are moving without any clear site-side cause. This is happening across most industries at the same time.
What the data actually shows
This period stands out because of how sustained it’s been.
Volatility didn’t spike and disappear. It built through late January, intensified through February, and remained consistently high into March. SEMrush Sensor, which tracks daily ranking movement on a scale from 0 to 10, has recorded scores above 9 for weeks, peaking at 9.5 across both desktop and mobile. Category-level data shows this is affecting everything from finance and law to travel, jobs, and ecommerce.
This isn’t a niche issue or a technical fault on individual sites. It’s a broader recalibration of how Google is ranking results.
Why this period feels different
The structure of updates has changed.
Instead of one clear rollout followed by stability, we’re seeing overlapping adjustments. The February 2026 Discover update ran alongside wider ranking shifts in core search, while smaller, unannounced changes continue in the background.
That creates a moving baseline. Rankings don’t drop and recover in a clean cycle. They move, get tested, and shift again before settling.
How Google has responded
Google hasn’t confirmed a specific update tied to the ongoing volatility. When questioned, their response has been that there are “no insights to share”.
That doesn’t mean nothing is happening. It reflects how search now operates. Smaller, continuous updates are part of the system, and not every change is formally announced.
For businesses, that creates a disconnect. Rankings are clearly moving, but there isn’t a single update name or timeline to point to.
Why rankings feel harder to read right now
The usual approach of checking rankings and reacting to a drop is less reliable in a period like this.
What we’re seeing is continuous re-evaluation rather than a single update event. Rankings can move daily, even when nothing has changed on the site. That makes short-term data harder to interpret and increases the risk of overreacting.
What’s happening in the SERPs
Across the board, a few patterns are showing up.
Page types are rotating more than usual. A category page ranks, then a service page, then a blog. In some cases, desktop and mobile don’t move in the same direction. High-intent terms are also seeing stronger fluctuations where competition is tight.
A few key observations from this period:
-
volatility has been sustained rather than a short spike
-
most industries are affected, not just one sector
-
rankings are shifting across both desktop and mobile
-
the drop on 20th March may indicate a pause, not full stability
What this means for rankings and traffic
The main shift is that rankings are less stable by default.
Short-term drops don’t always mean long-term loss, and daily tracking can give a distorted view. At the same time, previous traffic levels aren’t guaranteed to return without improvement.
This also explains why clients are seeing changes without making updates. Google is re-evaluating results independently of site activity.
What to do during high volatility
This is where most mistakes happen.
Reacting too quickly or making large changes can make things worse. When rankings are already unstable, adding more variables makes it harder to understand what’s actually working.
The better approach is controlled and deliberate. Focus on longer-term trends, not daily movement. Identify which pages have genuinely declined, then review whether they still match search intent and whether competitors now offer something stronger.
A few priorities still make sense:
-
improve pages that were already underperforming
-
strengthen coverage around your core topics
-
avoid large structural changes without a clear reason
-
continue publishing useful content rather than pausing activity
Strong sites tend to hold position better in volatile periods. Clear intent, useful content, and consistent topical depth still win, even when rankings are shifting.
What we’re telling clients
This level of volatility isn’t normal, but it isn’t random either.
Google is tightening how it evaluates relevance, intent, and authority. That creates short-term instability, but it also means stronger sites tend to come out ahead once things settle.
The drop from 9.5 to around 8 on 20th March could signal the start of stabilisation, but the wider picture still points to an unsettled search environment.
The key is staying measured. No panic changes, no rushed decisions. Just clear analysis and steady improvement.
FAQs around search volatility
Why are rankings dropping if nothing changed on my website?
Because Google’s results have been unusually volatile across the board. Rankings can shift even when no site changes have been made.
Is serp volatility affecting all industries?
Not every sector in exactly the same way, but the volatility data suggests this is widespread rather than limited to one niche.
Does a drop from 9.5 to 8 mean it’s over?
Partially. The February 2026 Discover update was confirmed, but the wider search volatility hasn’t been formally announced.
Should businesses pause SEO activity during this period?
No. It’s better to avoid drastic changes, but steady improvements and careful analysis should continue.
Should we pause SEO activity while serp voltility is high?
No. It’s better to avoid drastic changes, but steady improvements and careful analysis should continue.
Is this a confirmed Google update?
No. It’s better to avoid drastic changes, but steady improvements and careful analysis should continue.
Refine your approach with an SEO agency
If your rankings have shifted and you want to make sense of what’s changed, now’s the time to step back and refine the approach. Speak to a specialist SEO agency in London to understand what’s driving performance and how to future-proof your visibility as search continues to evolve.
