The quick version:
Site owners report sharp Google traffic drops across the EU since the end of last week.
Strangely, many of the same sites show ranking gains even as traffic falls.
Google has not confirmed an update, which has the community suspecting an unannounced one.
What’s happening
Webmasters are reporting steep EU traffic drops that started late last week, with some sites describing days at a fraction of their normal volume. The odd part is that several report ranking gains at the same time, according to their tracking tools. Rankings up, traffic down, is a confusing combination.
Why it’s strange
When rankings hold or improve but clicks collapse, the usual suspect is AI Overviews eating the clicks before users scroll. But the suddenness and the EU concentration have people suspecting an unconfirmed update running quietly in the background. Google has said nothing, which only fuels the speculation.
What to do
Do not make drastic changes based on a few volatile days. Check whether your rankings are actually holding, watch whether AI answers are absorbing your clicks, and wait for the dust to settle before reacting.
The discussion is active on the WebmasterWorld forums if you want to compare notes with other affected owners:https://www.webmasterworld.com/google/5132122.htm
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