What's Behind the Ranking Movement in Your Dashboard
Hi H Client!
Two GEO and SEO updates for you this week.
1. AI search is changing where your next client finds you, and on Wednesday, June 17 at 1:30PM ET, we're walking through exactly what that shift means and what we have been doing about it. Reserve your spot here.
2. Separately, if you've noticed any movement in your keyword rankings lately, there's a reason, two actually, and here's what each one is and what it means.
Google launched a broad core algorithm update on May 21. These updates typically take a couple of weeks to fully roll out, and ranking fluctuations in the meantime are completely normal. Think of it like turbulence: movement while the update is in progress, stabilization once it wraps. We're monitoring your results closely and will flag and act on anything that looks like a lasting shift rather than temporary volatility. These Algorithm updates happen at least once a year and are completely normal.
The second reason ties back to a move we made months ago. Well before this update rolled out, in preparation for it, Iwe'd already shifted away from overly specific geo-modified keywords like "landscaping company Naperville IL" toward the terms that reflect how customers now search, things like "luxury landscaping Naperville" or "outdoor living design near me." That earlier work is a big part of why a change like this doesn't catch your site off guard.
So you may notice some older keyword combinations to possibly decline in your keyword rankings reporting, and that's exactly what we'd expect for these now-lower-search-volume keywords. Those terms came from an earlier way of measuring search, one that's shifted as customer behavior has changed. The keywords tied to real demand are the ones growing. We're wrapping up finishing the dashboard cleanup for that section, that goes with that shift, swapping outdated tracking terms for the ones that reflect how performance actually now shows up. What you're seeing is a Google update mid-rollout meeting a strategy we already had in place. The update will stabilize. The strategy is already doing its job. And of course, you will also notice new keyword combinations that are already ranking well!
If you have questions about specific numbers in your dashboard, reach out to your Project Manager. We'll walk you through exactly what you're looking at.
Until Next Friday,
Lauren Cullnan
Senior Director of Client Experience & Operations
