Algorithm update trackers, also called SERP volatility tools, measure how strongly Google’s search results change over time. SEOs use them to see whether ranking movements on their site coincide with changes across many other sites.
At a glance
- Type
- third-party measurement, not a Google product
- Affects
- assessing ranking movement across many queries
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How do they work?
Most trackers monitor a fixed set of keywords and compare search results from one day to the next. cognitiveSEO Signals, for example, states that it monitors over 170,000 randomly selected keywords and compares each day’s results with the previous day, with volatility rated Normal, Medium or High. According to reports, MozCast presents volatility as a weather report. OMR lists Semrush Sensor, the Sistrix Google Update Radar, AccuRanker Google Grump, Mangools SERP Volatility and others as free options.
Official source
Google lists confirmed ranking updates, such as core updates and spam updates, with start date and duration on the Google Search Status Dashboard.
How should a spike be read?
A high value shows that results changed a lot on that day. It does not show which update caused it, or whether Google released one at all. Comparing it with the status dashboard and with your own data in Search Console helps narrow down the cause.
Sources
- Google Search Status Dashboard – Rankingstatus.search.google.com
- Google SERP Volatility Tools – OMR (secondary)omr.com
- cognitiveSEO Signalscognitiveseo.com
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