Navigating Google Algorithm Ranking Shifts: A Quick Guide

Tracking and Responding to Google’s Stealth Algorithm Changes

Google struck again with unannounced ranking shifts this past month. If you noticed your site’s performance taking unexpected dips since early June, you’re not alone. Multiple tracking tools confirmed significant volatility between June 8-13, with particularly sharp movements on June 12-13—all without official confirmation from Google.

Here’s how to diagnose and address these changes:

Identifying the Impact with Tracking Tools

Start by confirming whether your ranking shifts correlate with the June algorithm movements:

• Check MozCast temperatures – This tool showed temperatures exceeding normal ranges (70°F+) during June 12-13, with readings in some sectors reaching over 100°F
• Cross-reference with Semrush Sensor – Semrush reported “Very High” volatility scores (8.5+) on the same dates, particularly in health and finance sectors
• Review your own analytics – Look for sudden drops in traffic that align with these dates

Don’t immediately panic if you see movement—algorithm changes often create temporary fluctuations that stabilize within 1-2 weeks.

Performing a Post-Update Audit

Once you’ve confirmed your site was affected, perform these targeted checks:

1. Open Google Search Console and compare the two-week period before and after June 12
2. Identify which pages experienced the largest impression and CTR changes
3. Analyze those pages for common elements (content type, page structure, keyword focus)
4. Check if mobile and desktop rankings were affected differently (this update showed stronger impacts on mobile results)

Pay special attention to health, finance, and e-commerce pages—these verticals saw the most volatility according to tracking data.

Effective Recovery Strategies

Based on patterns observed across affected sites, focus your recovery efforts on:

• Schema implementation review – Sites with outdated or incorrect schema showed higher vulnerability to the June shifts
• Internal linking structure – Strengthen connections between topically related content
• User experience signals – Check Core Web Vitals metrics and address any recent degradation
• Content freshness – Update factual information and statistics

One often-overlooked factor: this update appears to favor sites with more comprehensive coverage of subtopics within their content areas. Consider expanding your topical depth rather than just breadth.

What Makes MozCast Essential Now

MozCast has proven particularly valuable during these stealth updates because:

• It tracks 10,000 keywords across 20 industry categories and 5 major US cities
• It provides daily temperature readings that help identify patterns over time
• It shows SERP feature changes alongside ranking volatility

The tool’s historical data also helps distinguish between normal fluctuations and genuine algorithm shifts—essential when Google doesn’t announce changes.

Remember: Google made over 3,000 changes to search in a recent year, but only publicly announced a tiny fraction. Tools like MozCast help you stay ahead without official confirmation.