Search Console - Mobile Avg. Position Change for GMB tagged URL - June 1

[Ellen]

Looking for some insights into mobile average position free-fall for GMB-tagged URL in GSC on or around June 1.
I'm seeing this in multiple accounts and mainly for brand name. This feels more like a change in how things are reported in GSC, but feels like a really late rollout from the canonical change: Consolidating your website traffic on canonical URLs.

I remember this thread Massive Drops in Search Console for Sites Using UTM Codes in GMB - Local Search Forum BUT, we had seen data come back to GSC for most of our accounts's UTM-tagged GMB URL (see plateau example from another account), and now when I look in search console it appears that the way GMB-tagged URLs are measured via average position has changed again.

Thanks!

 

[JoyHawkins]

Hey Ellen,

I would say it's probably related to this: New Layout on Mobile for Branded Searches - Local Search Forum

 

[DanLeibson]

The reporting of the tagged GMB URLs in GSC is broken. Position on mobile and desktop is no longer usable, and you need to segment them out of your GSC reporting so they don't ruin position reports. Talked about this during my LocalU Advanced preso (that Joy missed)

 

[DanLeibson]

Confirmed this trend across thousands of locations (and with in-house SEOs). The one thing that is not consistent is not everyone saw the change at the same time. For example a top 10 retailer has been like this for a while.

 

[JoyHawkins]

@DanLeibson - have you brought this up at all on the Webmaster Central forum to see if we can get an explanation?

 

[DanLeibson]

No, I'm skeptical that they would even know But I can ask a TC on that product and see what shakes loose!

 

[JoyHawkins]

Ya let us know what they say!

 

[Ellen]

Thanks so much @DanLeibson and @JoyHawkins! Yes, definitely interested in what they say also.