Some traffic and keyword numbers in Ubersuggest may look lower than usual, even if your website's real performance hasn't changed. This is caused by a recent change in how Google responds to tools that collect search data, known as "poisoned SERPs." It affects many SEO tools across the industry, including Ubersuggest.
This article explains what changed, which reports are affected, and how to check your real performance in the meantime.
Quick Answer
Google has started sending altered search results to tools that collect ranking data automatically. We're handling this to keep inaccurate data out of your reports. In some cases, this means you'll see older data, so some numbers may look different than usual. Your real rankings and traffic on Google are not affected. Your reports will update automatically once fresh, verified data is available.
What Are Poisoned SERPs?
SERP stands for Search Engine Results Page, the page Google shows after a search. To build reports like Traffic Overview and Keyword Coverage, Ubersuggest regularly collects Google results to see which pages rank for each keyword.
In the past, when Google limited automated requests, it blocked them or showed a CAPTCHA. This was easy to detect, so the request could simply be retried later.
A poisoned SERP works differently. Google returns a complete, normal-looking results page, but many of the usual results are replaced with unrelated ones. There is no error message, so the altered page can be saved as if it were real data.
Poisoned pages usually show these signs:
- Sites that normally rank for a keyword disappear, often replaced by social media or forum pages.
- The second page of results is affected more often than the first.
- Ads and shopping results look normal, which makes the change harder to spot.
For example, if you track the keyword "running shoes for flat feet," a poisoned page could replace the usual stores and review sites with an unrelated forum thread. Your site would seem to drop out of the top 10, while real searchers still see it in the same position.
Why Is This Happening?
Google has not commented publicly. The most common explanation in the SEO industry is that Google is limiting large-scale collection of its results by AI tools, and SEO tools were affected because they collect data in a similar way.
This is an industry-wide issue affecting many SEO tools, as Search Engine Roundtable has reported.
This change only affects how tools collect data. What people see when they search on Google has not changed.
Which Reports Are Affected
Ubersuggest estimates a website's traffic based on where its pages rank on Google. These estimates use results collected over the last several weeks. When fewer reliable results are available, these estimates can look lower, even when real traffic stays the same.
| Report | What you may notice |
|---|---|
| Traffic Overview, Top Pages by Traffic, Competitor Analysis, Dashboard, and Site Audit | Traffic and organic keyword estimates may look lower than they really are |
| Keyword Coverage and Keyword Ideas (search by website) | Organic keyword lists may include irrelevant keywords or miss relevant ones |
| AI Keyword Overview and Keyword Breakdown | SEO Difficulty (SD), SERP based metrics (Top Backlinks, Top Domain Authority), and the SERP list may be less reliable. In rare cases, updated search results may come from a different keyword |
| Rank Tracking | More "Not Ranked" results than usual |
What Stays the Same
These features and metrics are not affected:
- Search Volume
- Backlinks
- AI Search Visibility
- Local SEO
- Content Creation
- Site Audit Issues
All historical data remains intact.
What We're Doing
Our goal is to keep your reports useful without adding inaccurate data. To do that:
- We process incoming search data to prevent inaccurate results from reaching Ubersuggest.
- When we're sure a new result is inaccurate, we may show the most recent accurate data instead.
- We continue working to refine and improve these checks as Google's behavior changes.
How to Check Your Real Performance
While we work on this, these steps help you avoid wrong conclusions:
- Check Google Search Console. It shows your real clicks and impressions from Google.
- Look at trends over several months. Comparing only September and October will make the drop look bigger than it is.
- Compare your site with competitors. Their data is affected the same way, so your relative position is more reliable than the absolute numbers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did my website lose traffic?
Probably not. Lower numbers in October are most likely related to this issue. Google Search Console shows whether your real traffic changed.
Why do my Rank Tracking keywords show "Not Ranked" when I can see my site on Google?
This issue can make Rank Tracking show more "Not Ranked" results than usual. If Google Search Console still shows your site getting impressions for that keyword, your real position hasn't changed.
Are my competitors' numbers affected too?
Yes. Their data is affected the same way as yours, so comparing your site with competitors is more reliable than looking at the absolute numbers on their own.
Is Ubersuggest the only SEO tool affected?
No. This is an industry-wide issue, and other SEO platforms have also published updates about it.
When will this be fully resolved?
We don't have a date yet. We continue refining our checks, and we'll update this article as things change.
Will my reports go blank?
No. Your reports will keep showing the most reliable data available.
Do I need to do anything to get updated data?
No. Once fresh, verified data is available, your reports will update automatically.
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