By ALM Corp
Publication Date: 2026-11-02 18:37:00
Semrush have confirmed that Google is returning incorrect search results to certain automated rank tools. They join several other SEO tools which have had similar problems with what they call “poisoned search results”. Semrush said that this issue affects the whole industry.
Ahrefs, AccuRanker, BrightLocal and many other rank tools have seen similar issues since September. Barry Schwartz at Search Engine Land initially highlighted the issue on Sept 15th when he wrote “Chaos reigns in Google Search rankings”
If you are using a third party rank report then it’s worth noting that any sudden drop or increase in your rank tool could be down to incorrect data. It would be best practice to look at Google Search Console and historical ranks before doing anything.
Catching Up On The Reports
This problem is not a new issue. There have been reports of incorrect results coming back from Google in September and October by rank trackers. It’s important that Semrush have…
