Over the past few weeks, I’ve been seeing a consistent and noticeable drop in impressions across nearly all the websites I manage.
We’re not talking about a minor fluctuation or a slow decline. This is a sharp, widespread decrease that began almost exactly around September 10th. The timing is striking. Across clients, industries, and countries, the pattern is nearly identical.
What’s even more interesting is that average rankings haven’t dropped. In fact, in many cases, they’ve slightly improved. The sites are healthy, nothing broke, and no algorithm updates were officially announced. Yet impressions are sliding down.
So what’s going on? Are fewer people using Google?
Looking at the data
Here’s a snapshot from one client’s Search Console performance:
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Impressions dropped by nearly 50 percent starting around September 10
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Average ranking position is stable or slightly better
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No crawling issues, penalties, or major site changes
And this same trend appears across other accounts too.
This doesn’t look like a technical problem or a result of SEO mismanagement. It feels like something broader is changing — either in how people search, or in how Google presents results.
Some possible explanations
Google’s AI answers are taking up space
With the ongoing rollout of SGE (Search Generative Experience), users are seeing AI-generated summaries at the top of many search results. These take up a lot of space and often answer the query immediately. That could mean fewer people scroll down to see traditional organic listings. Your site might still rank, but it might not even get seen.
People are searching differently
There’s a growing trend, especially among younger users, to search on platforms like TikTok, YouTube, Reddit, and even ChatGPT. For certain types of questions, Google may no longer be the go-to. If this shift is expanding, it could explain the sudden drop in impressions.
A general decline in demand
Some might argue that September is a transitional month and search volumes can vary. But when the decline is this sharp, and happens almost simultaneously across unrelated sectors, it’s hard to attribute it to seasonality alone.
What you can do right now
Start by looking at your own data. Compare September 2025 not just to August, but also to the same period in previous years. Watch for drops in impressions and clicks, but also check whether branded searches are holding up.
If your brand name isn’t part of the user’s search, you’re going to have a harder time getting seen. Now is the time to invest in awareness and loyalty, not just rankings.
It’s also worth diversifying your traffic sources. Organic search is still important, but it’s no longer the only path.
Invest some time in AIO (other names, GEO, AEO etc.) Strengthen your email marketing, build an audience on social platforms, explore paid campaigns, and consider community-based platforms where users are asking questions and looking for solutions.
A final thought
This may turn out to be a temporary glitch but it could also be an early signal that we’re entering a new stage in how people interact with search and information online.
If you’re seeing something similar in your own data, let me know. I’d be curious to compare notes and see if the pattern holds.
Ran Magal
Founder, Magal Global
Strategist, data watcher, and generally calm – but watching this one closely
