Google says it has resolved a Search Console logging error that affected impression reporting for almost a year. The issue ran from 13 May 2025 until 27 April 2026, and it means some historic visibility data in Search Console needs to be read with more care than usual.
For many businesses in Bath and the wider South West, Search Console is one of the simplest ways to understand whether a website is being seen in Google Search. It helps show which queries trigger a site, which pages appear most often, and whether clicks are rising or falling. When that data shifts, it can affect how people judge search visibility, content work and search engine optimisation decisions.
The important point is not panic. Google says clicks were not affected by this issue. The affected figures were impressions and the related metrics that depend on them, including click-through rate and average position. That distinction matters, because clicks are often the clearest sign of whether search traffic actually reached the site.
What Google says happened
Google’s Search Console data anomalies page says a logging error prevented Search Console from accurately reporting impressions from 13 May 2025 until 27 April 2026. Google says the issue has now been resolved, but the historic data for that period has not been corrected.
As a result, some sites may notice a decrease in impressions in the Performance report after the fix. Because click-through rate is calculated from clicks and impressions, that percentage may also change. Average position can be affected too, because it is tied to how Search Console records appearances in search results.
In plain English: if you are comparing Google Search visibility before and after late April 2026, be careful. A movement in impressions may be partly a reporting correction rather than a real change in how often people are seeing your website.
Why this matters for local businesses
Local organisations often use Search Console in a practical way. A Bath hotel might watch searches around rooms, events or nearby attractions. A professional services firm might compare enquiries against visibility for service-led searches. A shop, clinic, venue, school, charity or trades business may use Search Console to spot which pages are attracting attention and which need clearer content.
For those everyday decisions, the fix is useful because data going forward should be cleaner. The risk sits in year-on-year comparisons. If a report says impressions are down against last summer, the first question should be whether the comparison period includes the affected Search Console data. It may still be a real drop, but it should not be treated as proof without checking other evidence.
This is especially relevant for anyone reviewing SEO in Bath or across Somerset, Wiltshire, Bristol, Dorset and Gloucestershire. Search Console is helpful, but it is only one part of the picture. Decisions about content, technical fixes or budget should not rest on one metric that Google has already flagged as anomalous.
What to check now
Start by looking at clicks as well as impressions. If impressions appear to fall after 27 April but clicks remain steady, the change may be mostly a reporting adjustment. If both impressions and clicks fall, that deserves a closer look, but it still needs context.
Next, compare Search Console with other sources. Google Analytics, enquiry forms, call tracking, booking data, ecommerce revenue and customer conversations can all help confirm whether search performance actually changed. For a local lead-generation website, a tidy Search Console graph is less important than whether the right enquiries are still coming through.
It is also worth adding a note to monthly reports that cover the affected period. If you produce board reports, grant reports, marketing reviews or agency updates, record that Search Console impression data from 13 May 2025 to 27 April 2026 was affected by a Google logging issue. Future readers will thank you.
Do not overcorrect from one graph
The worst response would be to rewrite a website, pause useful content work or change a local search strategy because one Search Console chart looks different after the fix. Treat the data as a signal, not a verdict.
For businesses investing in search marketing, this is a good reminder to keep reporting calm and balanced. Search Console is valuable because it shows search demand before someone reaches your site. But it needs to be read alongside rankings, traffic quality, conversions, revenue and the reality of what customers are asking for.
If a page is still bringing in qualified visitors and enquiries, do not assume it has become weaker just because impressions look lower. If a page gets lots of impressions but no meaningful clicks or enquiries, the issue may be the title, snippet, offer, page content or search intent rather than the reporting anomaly itself.
The practical takeaway
Google’s fix should make Search Console data more reliable from late April 2026 onwards. For Bath and South West businesses, the immediate job is to avoid misreading the past. Mark the affected period in reports, look at clicks separately from impressions, and use business outcomes to sense-check any big conclusions.
If you are already reviewing your digital marketing in Bath, add this to the checklist: Search Console is useful, but it should not be the only source of truth. The strongest decisions come from combining search data with real enquiries, sales, bookings and local customer behaviour.
Sources:
Google Search Console Help — Data anomalies in Search Console
Search Engine Land — Google fixes Search Console’s year-long data logging issue
