If your keyword rankings or SEMrush reports suddenly dropped in September, you weren’t alone. Across the SEO world, marketers, businesses, and agencies saw their data go haywire — but it wasn’t because of penalties or poor performance. It was because of a major technical glitch triggered by Google’s recent changes.
At ASTOUNDZ, we keep a close eye on these industry shifts to ensure our clients never get blindsided by inaccurate reporting. Here’s what really happened — and how we make sure your data (and your SEO strategy) stays strong no matter what Google throws our way.
What Happened: SEMrush’s September 2025 Glitch
In mid-September 2025, SEO professionals around the world started seeing massive keyword drops and ranking fluctuations in SEMrush data. The problem? Google quietly discontinued the $num=100 parameter, which tools like SEMrush used to collect search results data from 100 positions per page.
When that parameter was disabled, SEMrush and other tracking tools could only pull limited results — usually the top 10. That meant thousands of tracked keywords appeared to vanish or drop to zero, even when actual traffic was steady.
At the same time, Google also made updates to Search Console reporting, filtering out impressions from bots and scrapers. The combination of both changes caused panic — but the truth is, most sites didn’t lose traffic at all. It was a data visibility issue, not a performance problem.
The Technical Breakdown
Here’s what went wrong under the hood:
- Missing keyword rankings: SEMrush temporarily lost the ability to track rankings beyond page one, causing many keywords to falsely appear unranked.
- Fluctuating data: Rankings jumped wildly because of the restricted data scope.
- Impression drops: Google’s cleanup of inflated bot data caused visible declines in impressions — even when human traffic stayed consistent.
By September 15, SEMrush confirmed the issue and rolled out a temporary fix. Data gradually stabilized over the following days, and by the end of the month, reporting accuracy improved significantly.
How to Verify If You Were Affected
If your reports have looked off, it’s important to cross-check your metrics using first-party data sources, including:
- Google Search Console (GSC): The most reliable view of your organic performance. If clicks and impressions stayed consistent, you didn’t lose rankings — SEMrush just couldn’t see them.
- Google Analytics 4 (GA4): Check your organic sessions, conversions, and leads. If those numbers remained stable, your actual performance wasn’t impacted.
At ASTOUNDZ, we always validate third-party tool data against verified Google sources to make sure our clients get the full story, not false alarms.
How ASTOUNDZ Keeps You Protected
These glitches are a good reminder that SEO isn’t about reacting — it’s about understanding.
At ASTOUNDZ, we:
- Monitor algorithm updates and data anomalies in real-time.
- Use multiple analytics platforms to cross-verify results.
- Communicate clearly with clients when industry-wide disruptions happen.
- Focus on long-term growth and measurable conversions — not just rankings.
When other agencies panic, we dig deeper. Our goal is simple: keep your online visibility strong, stable, and built to withstand whatever changes Google rolls out next.
The Takeaway
If your SEMrush data looked scary last month, don’t worry — your website likely didn’t take a hit. The September 2025 glitch was a reporting issue, not a ranking disaster.
Still, it’s a perfect example of why working with a data-driven digital partner like ASTOUNDZ matters. We track, analyze, and adapt faster — so your business keeps showing up when and where it counts.
Stay visible. Stay verified. Stay ASTOUNDZ.
Learn more about our SEO and digital marketing services at astoundz.com
