Edited Tuesday, August 20, 2024, 5:10 p.m.: Without further details, Google announces in its Search Status Dashboard that “the problem with the ranking is resolved,” adding that there will be “no further updates.”
Since August 15, 2024, Google has been facing a delicate situation with a major bug that disrupts the ranking of search results. This anomaly, which is not linked to the Core Update currently being deployed, has caused significant fluctuations in the visibility of websites, directly impacting the organic traffic of many professionals. Despite Google's efforts to resolve the problem, no solution has yet been announced as of August 19, leaving uncertainty growing.
Google Search Results Bug: Core Update Exonerated?
On August 15, 2024, an unexpected bug began affecting Google search rankings. The incident created significant disruptions in website visibility. Many owners saw an unpredictable drop in the ranking of some of their pages, leading to a significant drop in organic traffic. For the past three days, they have been subject to fluctuations and instability that make any prediction uncertain.
There is an ongoing issue with Google Search rankings that is affecting a large number of search results. We have identified the root cause and this issue is not related to the ongoing core update rollout that was announced (Thursday, August 15).
It was on this same Thursday, August 15, that Google deployed its second Core Update of the year, a major update of its algorithms. The culprit therefore seemed to be found, but the Mountain View firm quickly communicated on the subject, through the voice of its Search Advocate, John Mueller: “Sometimes we have issues in our systems (like everyone else), and we want to be transparent about it to users and site owners. This issue is not related to the Core Update that is currently rolling out.” According to Google, this bug therefore has independent causes and is in no way linked to this update.
Google has been working on resolving the issue for several days.
While Google quickly acknowledged the existence of this bug and committed to fixing it, the response has been slow. As of August 16, 2024, an update on the Google Search Status Dashboard confirmed that the issue persisted and that technical teams were actively working on resolving it. The ticket also stated that new information on the progress of the incident would be available within 72 hours.
We'll update the State of Research dashboard as things evolve, Mueller promised.
This Monday, August 19, a new entry was visible on the Google Search Status Dashboard, while the announced three-day deadline was ending at the end of this day. It indicated that Google teams needed an additional 48 hours to deal with the problem, showing the company's concerns about resolving it. More information should therefore be transmitted by Wednesday, August 21, at the end of the day.
Until the issue is resolved, Google recommends that site owners and SEO professionals exercise patience and not make hasty decisions regarding their SEO strategies. Indeed, any hasty action could lead to undesirable consequences, especially given the current volatility in rankings. Patience is still required, although some professionals are already concerned that this bug could have lasting effects, even after it is resolved.
