Google continues its “Ask Googlebot” video series with a new section explaining why Search Console graphs fluctuate when no changes have been made to the site.
In the video, Google Search Advocate John Mueller says that regardless of site updates, Search Console graphs will go up and down to some extent.
Volatility is not an immediate cause for concern, although there are factors to watch out for that could indicate problems.
Here’s why graphs in Google Search Console fluctuate when your site isn’t updating, and how to tell when there’s a problem to fix.
Why are graphs fluctuating in Google Search Console
If your Search Console data is moving up and down and you haven’t updated your site in a while, then what you’re seeing is probably normal.
Even if one component changes from one day to another, all the moving parts in Google Search can result in slightly different data.
If Google crawls your site from a different data center today than it was yesterday, this can have a significant impact on Search Console, even if nothing changes on your side.
Mueller said:
“Google Search contains many extremely complex and interconnected systems. Even small changes on one side can have a surprisingly noticeable effect. The changes tend to be balanced overall. But they are still evident when looking at the parts.
For example, if crawling from a data center is a minute faster than usual, this may cause a change in what we have available for indexing. In turn, what is shown in the search results. “
It’s also possible that your site suddenly gets traffic from sources other than Google. This may affect some datasets in Search Console.
Mueller added:
“Or maybe you wrote an insightful social media post that suddenly became important, and our system pays more attention to that. Either way, any of that can cause the graph to fluctuate.”
When to take action on Search Console data fluctuations
Small changes in the data are not a cause for concern, Mueller said.
What you should pay attention to are trends, such as continuous changes in the direction of the graph. Note also the very unusual large spikes.
Mueller continued:
“What can you do when you see the graph fluctuate like this? First of all, don’t worry about small changes. These are normal for any website. A little bit up, a bit down, it’s fine.
Second, pay attention to trends. Has the chart been trending in one direction for a few weeks? Well that’s usually a sign of a broader change overall.
When the chart changes significantly in a short period of time, watch out for large spikes, which can be a sign of serious change. This might be a good change, but I suggest you double-check it. “
In short – small fluctuations over time are normal.
Unless the change turns into a megatrend, or there is a sharp rise or fall, there may not be any issues to fix.
See the full video from Google below:
Featured image: Screenshot from YouTube.com/GoogleSearchCentral, May 2022.
