Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) are vital for the online visibility and success of any website. Simply put, the more often your website appears in the top search results, the greater your organic traffic, brand visibility, and ultimately, conversions.
In a perfect world, once you occupy the first place for a specific search, you would remain there forever. However, the world (and the internet) is far from perfect, so there’s no guarantee you won’t be twenty tomorrow.
This occurrence is referred to as SERP volatility, and it’s completely normal.
What Is SERP Volatility?
SERP volatility refers to how often and how drastically search rankings shift for specific keywords/topics. There’s so many websites competing for the top spot… and it’s possible that the top spot changes occasionally.
However, that doesn’t mean SERP volatility in general is random. In fact, search engines are constantly on the hunt for the best user experience possible. Optimizing one’s algorithm usually among the core reasons for SERP dynamics. But we’ll get into these later on in the article.
Keywords with high search volume and intense competition have greater volatility. The shift is inevitable and you need to be ready to adapt. But before we get into how, let’s talk why and further delve into what.
Why You need to pay attention to SERP volatility
Recent Data and Reports
- Semrush Sensor scored April 27 at 6.2/10 (“high” category), matching a spike earlier in the month at 6.4/10 on April 5.
- May 2025 volatility hit record highs: Advanced Web Ranking, SimilarWeb, Mozcast, Mangools, and CognitiveSEO all reported notably higher-than-usual SERP fluctuations throughout the month.
- AI Overviews are especially unstable: Authoritas’ Feb 2025 study found AI Overview rankings exhibit ~70% volatility over 2–3 months – way higher than the usual ~49-55% for organic results.
What do these numbers mean for your organic performance?
- SERP Features – AI Overviews, People Also Ask, Video, Sitelinks… all elements outside your regular blue links, ultimately affecting your traffic.
- You may have the number one position with a blue link. But this also means you’re likely behind an AI overview, a rich result and paid ads. In April alone, brands noticed a 30-50% traffic dip during volatility peaks.
- Unprecedented rankings – SERP volatility turns SEO into a reactive game – what works today may vanish tomorrow… alongside your good results… and never return. That’s why it’s so important to monitor your rankings so you can take action before your traffic suffers.
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What Causes SERP Volatility? 7 Main Factors
- Mixed User Search Intent
- Google Algorithm Updates
- User Behavior Signals
- Competitive Keywords with High Difficulty
- Technical SEO Mistakes
- Trending Topics
- Google A/B Testing
1. Mixed User Search Intent
Google puts a lot of emphasis on matching user search intent outcome. A keyword can have lots of interpretations.
Let’s take a simple example: the term “apple” can refer to the tech giant or the fruit. So rankings fluctuate as Google’s algorithm tried to determine user intent in real-time.
Ultimately, without the user clarifying what they are looking for, Google cannot decide which of the three is relevant to their search.
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2. Google Algorithm Updates
Google has changed a lot in the last 25 years. Naturally, it is all for the sake of delivering the best possible user experience. Although Google Search changes constantly, you probably have also heard of algorithm (core) updates. Let’s break these down further and their SEPR impact:
Frequent & unconfirmed updates
The March 2025 Core Update (Mar 13–27) triggered waves of SERP fluctuations; volatility levels matched those from December 2024.
AI-generated SERPs
Google is continuously expanding AI Overview s and generative features. Love it or hate it, the feature will likely remain and continue to shift layout and ranking dynamics.
Tech Tests & Feature Shifts
Google runs 500000+ tests per year to test new features, and every tweak contributes to visible instability even without named algorithm updates.
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3. User Behavior Signals
Pages with positive user engagement tend to have better rankings. Search engines use UX signals to prioritize content users find valuable.
Think:
- high click-through rates
- long session duration
- low bounce rates
As these are also a clear indication that these pages are preferred by users, they should therefore be ranked higher due to relevancy.
4. Competitive Keywords with High Difficulty
As already discussed, difficult keywords with lots of competition are another common reason for SERP volatility.
Ranking for broad, popular terms (“digital marketing”, “cloud services”) can be challenging due to high competition and frequent updates by competitors with huge budgets.
Instead, you’d want to target a more descriptive keyword with a lower difficulty. For instance, if you want to sell sports accessories, the term has a keyword difficulty of 47, and a volume of 720, so you’re more likely to rank higher for it.
This is because there are millions of pages trying to rank for the same search terms and any newer, or fresher content that appears, can lead to a change in the ranking positions. Sometimes on a weekly, or even daily basis.
5. Technical SEO Mistakes
Sometimes, a volatile organic performance could simply be based on something you did (or didn’t do). Keep in mind the following technical errors that cause SERP volatility:
- URL changes. Slugs are a vital part of SEO. You must always consider your rankings when updating your URLs since a change in the URL means that Google will have to re-crawl, and re-index the page.
- Keyword cannibalization. Having lots of pages with similar content to target the same keyword leads to keyword cannibalization. And it’s something you should avoid at all costs. Google will try to rank all such pages, leading to them fighting each other and ultimately, no one will win.
- Migrating your website. Moving to a new domain means Google has to crawl and index your content all over again. The best way to avoid this is to optimize your pages, and set redirects from your old pages to new ones.
- Slow loading website. If your pages are taking too long to load, two things happen: people stop interacting with them and it takes Google forever to crawl your site.
6. Trending Topics
Trending topics can change everything within minutes. A very good example of this would be “King Charles”. Before the death of Queen Elizabeth and the coronation of Charles, the results were mainly about the King Charles Spaniel dog breed.
Therefore, any websites ranking high for the term “king charles” (Spaniel) would have received a sudden drop in ranking.
Additionally, this could lead to SERP feature volatility, since features like People Also Ask will rank different pages.
How to Track SERP Volatility
You have to be strategic when it comes to ranking changes by making quick and informed, data-driven decisions. That’s ultimately key to effectively dealing with SERP volatility.
3 Best Practices to Following SERP Changes
- Do it often. Daily/Weekly checks based on your industry’s volatility levels.
- Do it a lot. Cross-reference insights across your martech stack to confirm if said changes are industry-wide or it’s just you.
- Do it in real time. Set up alerts for changes in key keywords, allowing you to respond quickly.
4 Tips to Adapt to SERP Changes
- Content Updates. Ongoing blog updates with recent information to enhance relevance and align with user intent.
- Technical Updates. In-depth SEO audits to identify and correct technical issues timely.
- Keyword Updates. Target a balanced mix of high-volume, competitive terms and easier-to-rank, long-tail keywords to maintain steady traffic.
- Strategy Updates. Adjust your SEO strategies in response to updates and observed ranking shifts, focusing on high-impact areas.
4 Recommended tools to get you started
- Semrush Sensor: Provides daily volatility scores across various niches, helping you quickly identify industry-wide ranking shifts.
- MozCast: Reports daily “weather” scores indicating overall SERP volatility, making it easier to recognize patterns and anticipate potential impacts.
- Similarweb‘s Rank Risk Index: Tracks fluctuations in Google’s search results, clearly indicating volatility levels across multiple industries.
- Mangools‘ SERP Volatility Insights: Offers detailed volatility tracking combined with actionable insights to mitigate negative impacts swiftly.
SERP volatility isn’t something to fear. In fact, it’s something you should embrace and take advantage of. Consider the fluctuations as an opportunity to grow, evolve and stay ahead.
And keep in mind – it may not always be up to you. In such cases, stay calm and don’t panic, try analyzing the situation, and adapting your strategy, so you can rule the SERPs once again. You can do it!
Team DevriX
This article is crafted by DevriX's seasoned marketing team, boasting over four decades of collective expertise in crafting sophisticated marketing funnels, devising comprehensive content frameworks and pillars, implementing engaging email campaigns, and creating impactful social media content designed for scalability.
Our marketing experts specialize in the complete spectrum of inbound marketing strategies. As an accredited HubSpot Agency Partner and a Semrush Partner, we engage in meticulous research, blending our extensive experience with the unique insights of our highly skilled team.
We set benchmarks in content creation by incorporating cutting-edge marketing trends, leveraging in-depth industry research, and utilizing state-of-the-art AI tools for data segmentation and captivating content hooks. Our proficiency extends across a diverse range of sectors, including working with SMEs, Fortune 1000 companies, global B2B brands, major publishing entities, WooCommerce platforms, business directories, and affiliate networks.
