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Google Search Console may have a bug with the average position metric

If your metrics have gone awry since July 13, don't panic. It may just be a bug.

Barry Schwartz on July 18, 2017 at 9:55 am

The Google Search Console seems to have a bug in their Search Analytics report, specifically with the average position metric.

Many webmasters are claiming the average position metric in the search analytics report has taken a sharp dive since July 13. I have seen dozens of screen shots from webmasters showing proof of this decline, and I am able to personally replicate this in most of the Google Search Console profiles I have access to.

Here is a screen shot of the green line significantly dropping down; the green line represents the average position data:

So do not panic, many are seeing the same issue. We are trying to get confirmation from Google about this possible bug in the Google Search Console.

Postscript: This was not a bug, but rather a reporting change. For more details, see our updated story.

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About The Author

Barry Schwartz

Barry Schwartz a Contributing Editor to Search Engine Land and a member of the programming team for SMX events. He owns RustyBrick, a NY based web consulting firm. He also runs Search Engine Roundtable, a popular search blog on very advanced SEM topics. Barry can be followed on Twitter here.