Recently, Google made a significant change to its system that is impacting several SEO tools. Over the past 48 hours, many users have reported missing or delayed data from SEO tools such as SimilarWeb, Rank Ranger, SE Ranking, ZipTie.dev, and AlsoAsked. This disruption is due to a change Google implemented on January 15th, blocking many scraping tools and APIs.
What Happened?
Shay Harel, Senior Director of SimilarWeb, confirmed that Google introduced significant changes to how its system handles automated interactions. These updates temporarily disrupted rank tracking and SERP data solutions across the SEO industry, including SimilarWeb. Many existing configurations used by SEO tools were rendered non-functional due to these changes.
The key update involved new interaction protocol requirements, which invalidated previously reliable methods of data collection, causing widespread service interruptions. As a result, tools like SimilarWeb have worked quickly to adapt, identifying the issue and deploying updates within 18 hours to restore full functionality.
Another notable change involved the deprecation of certain configurations like ads_mode: ON, which SEO tools used to analyze paid results. This shift to requiring more dynamic session handling has raised concerns about the potential depersonalization of search results.
Why This Affects You
If you rely on SEO tools to track your website’s performance, understand your rankings, and gauge the effectiveness of your SEO strategies, these disruptions can cause delays or inaccuracies in your data. SEO insights drive decisions that influence visibility, conversions, and revenue, making reliable data crucial for success. If you notice unusual behavior or data lags in your tools, it’s worth checking if your tool is affected.
Which Tools Are Unaffected?
Some SEO tools have managed to avoid being affected by Google’s changes, including Semrush, Sistrix, Monitorank, and Ahrefs. These platforms are still operational and providing reliable data.
What’s Next?
The situation is still developing, and SEO tool providers are working hard to respond to the changes. Stay tuned for updates as we continue to reach out to these providers for more information.
Google’s Latest JavaScript Update
In addition to these disruptions, Google has also rolled out an update requiring users to enable JavaScript to use Google Search. Google claims that fewer than 0.1% of searches are done by users with JavaScript disabled. This change aims to protect users and services from bots and improve search result relevance.
Whether this change is connected to the recent disruptions in SEO tools remains to be seen, but it’s clear that Google is continuing to refine its ecosystem with stricter controls.
At SEO Guru NYC, we understand how critical accurate and reliable SEO data is for businesses looking to boost their online presence. As an SEO company based in New York, we are committed to helping you navigate these changes and keep your SEO strategies on track. If you’re experiencing disruptions or need assistance with your SEO efforts, we’re here to help. Contact us today to optimize your website and start driving measurable results.
