Semrush Confirms Inaccurate Results

Semrush confirmed that Google is returning inaccurate search results to some automated ranking tools. It joins other SEO platforms reporting so-called “poisoned” search results.

Catch Up Quick

Semrush called the problem industry-wide in its statement. Ahrefs, AccuRanker, BrightLocal, and other rank trackers have reported similar issues since September. Search Engine Land’s Barry Schwartz first reported on this issue Sept. 15.

Why We Care

Sudden ranking changes in third-party tools may reflect inaccurate search results rather than actual changes in Google rankings. Check Google Search Console and historical rankings before acting on unexpected drops or gains.

Semrush Confirms Inaccurate Results

Semrush described two types of poisoned search engine results pages (SERPs):

  • Irrelevant results: Pages contain results that don’t match the search query, sometimes on page one.
  • Partially inaccurate results: Pages initially look normal but contain loosely related results further down.

What’s Happening

Semrush cited a search in Brazil for a specific baby stroller model that returned a dental supply store’s equipment page. Both products shared the Portuguese word “carrinho.”

  • Semrush said it adjusted its data sources and added checks to detect and exclude invalid results. It also now collects potentially inaccurate results again.
  • The company advised customers who notice unusual ranking changes, particularly for unrelated keywords, to compare their reports with Google Search Console and contact support.

Widespread SEO Impact

In an Oct. 22 update, Ahrefs said 5% to 20% of search results were affected, depending on the data provider. Ahrefs said it uses filters to reject abnormal results and requests replacement data. It is also cleaning up historical results that may have been affected.

Other providers reported similar problems:

  • DemandSphere: Flagged 6.7% of collected SERPs as suspected poisoning on Oct. 23.
  • SEOmonitor: Reported that about 8% of its daily results were inaccurate or incomplete. Incorrect data affected roughly 10% of tracked keywords from Oct. 9 to 13.
  • SISTRIX: Confirmed receiving results that differed from expected rankings. Additional quality checks have delayed some keyword updates. It disabled on-demand updates in September.

Nozzle Analysis of Millions of SERPs

A Nozzle analysis examined 56.1 million Google SERPs across 53 countries from Aug. 20 through Oct. 21. Nozzle compared current results with websites that regularly ranked for each keyword during its Aug. 20 to Sept. 9 baseline period. Since Sept. 13, Nozzle flagged 22.6% of SERPs checked on both Page 1 and 2 as poisoned, up from 0.28% during the baseline period.

Among its other findings:

  • 43.5%: The highest daily rate recorded on Sept. 30.
  • 17.9%: The share of evaluated SERPs with suspected poisoning on Page 2, compared to 12.2% on Page 1.
  • 67.9%: The share of affected SERPs that returned to their usual results within three days.

The study also found that Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Quora appeared more often in suspected poisoned results than in other results for the same keywords.

First-Page Rankings Also Affected

BrightLocal said the problem primarily affected rankings below position 10. However, Semrush, AccuRanker, and Nozzle also documented inaccurate results on Page 1.

  • AccuRanker reported that 40% of its initial desktop requests on Oct. 24 returned suspected poisoned first-page results. After its checks, 3.2% of sampled desktop rankings still failed its test. That figure fell below 1% the next day after AccuRanker adjusted its collection methods.
  • AccuRanker compares results with historical rankings. When most of the usual websites disappear, it requests another collection.
  • DemandSphere and SEOmonitor have added similar checks.

Google Has Not Commented

Google has not confirmed that it deliberately serves altered results to automated ranking tools.

  • Semrush and other providers have suggested Google’s efforts to restrict large-scale automated data collection may explain the changes. Google has not confirmed that explanation.
  • AccuRanker reported further changes on Oct. 20 and 23 affecting desktop and mobile results. After Oct. 23, between 4% and 6.5% of initial requests continued to return suspected poisoned results, up from 1.6% to 3.3% beforehand.
  • AccuRanker said its additional checks reduced the number of inaccurate results reaching customer reports but had not eliminated the problem.