Google has acknowledged a significant issue affecting search rankings across a large number of results. This problem, which began on August 15, 2024, at 17:15 PDT, is separate from the Google August core update announced the previous day.

Key Points of the Incident

1. Timing: The issue started on August 15, 2024, at 17:15 PDT.

2. Scope: A large number of search results are being affected by this ranking issue.

3. Cause: Google has identified the root cause but has not disclosed specific details.

4. Relation to Core Update: The company explicitly stated that this issue is unrelated to the ongoing core update rollout.

5. Resolution Status: As of the last update (August 15, 2024, at 22:48 PDT), Google was actively working on a fix.

6. Next Update: Google has committed to providing another update within 12 hours of their last communication.

Potential Impact

• Search Engine Optimization (SEO) professionals and website owners may notice unexpected fluctuations in their search rankings.
• Users might experience inconsistent or unusual search results during this period.
• The issue could potentially affect organic traffic to websites relying on Google Search for visibility.

What to Expect

1. Google is prioritizing the resolution of this issue.
2. Regular updates from Google are expected as they work on the fix.
3. Once resolved, there may be a period of ranking readjustment as the fix is implemented.

Recommendations

• SEO professionals and website owners should monitor the issue and their ranking closely.
• Avoid making major changes to SEO strategies based on current rankings until the issue is resolved.
• Stay tuned to official Google channels for further updates on the situation.

This incident underscores the complex nature of search algorithms and the potential for unexpected issues even with major search engines like Google. The swift acknowledgment and ongoing work to resolve the problem demonstrate Google's commitment to maintaining the integrity of its search results.

Update 16 Aug 2024 09:29 PDT: Google is still working on fixing the issue with ranking. Next update will be within 72 hours.

Update 19 Aug 2024 03:21 PDT: Google is still working on fixing the issue with ranking. Next update will be within 48 hours.

Update 20 Aug 2024 05:10 PDT: Google fixed the issue with ranking. There will be no more updates.