Skip to content

Major Google Search Console Update: 3 Key Insights You Must Know in 2025

Picture of BrisTechTonic

If you’ve been keeping an eye on your Google Search Console (GSC) reports lately, you might have noticed something odd. From around 8th September 2025, the data looks… different. Impressions have dropped, clicks are steady, and average position suddenly looks better than ever.

Don’t panic. This isn’t a problem with your site it’s happening across every website. And it might actually be a good thing.

Everything here is based on research we've completed across more than 50 websites, reports we've read from credible sources and events we have attended.

This is entirely our view, as Google hasn't yet confirmed anything - but the data is starting to stack up.

 

What’s Changed in Google Search Console?

Over the past week or so, Google has been rolling out a change in how it records data. The result is:

  • Impressions (purple line) have dropped noticeably.

  • Clicks (blue line) have stayed roughly the same.

  • Average position (yellow line) has jumped up (in a good way).

 

Google Search Console Stats

 

This isn’t a glitch: it’s a shift in how Google is counting impressions.

 

The New Definition of an Impression

Google’s documentation has always said:

 

An impression is only counted when your result actually comes into view on a search results page.

 

So, if your page was on page 1, it should count. If it was buried on page 10 and no one scrolled that far, it shouldn’t.

But here’s the thing: historically, it hasn’t really worked like that. Impressions often seemed to count even when your site was hidden away on later pages.

That’s why impressions always looked bigger than they probably should have.

Now, it looks like Google has aligned the data with their own documentation. Which explains why:

  • Impressions dropped (because page 10 results aren’t being counted anymore).

  • Average position improved (because you’re only being measured when you’re actually seen).

 

In other words: the data is cleaner.

 

Enter: Position 0

Here’s where things get even more interesting.

Since the update, loads of sites are now showing rankings in “position 0.”

Traditionally, position 0 has been used for things like featured snippets. But in this new world of AI Overviews and AI-powered search, we strongly believe “position 0” now reflects when your website is included inside an AI result.

The catch? Many of these position 0 rankings show no impressions and no clicks in GSC. Our working theory is:

  • Impressions are now only being counted for traditional page 1–10 results.

  • AI Overview impressions aren’t yet being recorded.

 

Google hasn’t officially confirmed this yet, but it makes sense given what we’re seeing in the data.

 

The Rise of Brand Searches

One more big trend: we’re seeing an increase in brand-related clicks across the board.

Why? Because people are:

  1. Using AI tools (Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity, etc.) to research services or products.

  2. Being recommended certain companies by those AI results.

  3. Then going to Google and searching directly for that company’s name.

 

This is great news, because it shows the strategy is working. By helping you get surfaced in AI-driven search, we’re generating more clicks on both your brand terms and your service terms.

 

What This Means for Your SEO performance

The big picture is clear:

  • Traditional metrics are shifting. Impressions are no longer the whole story.

  • AI visibility matters. Position 0 could be the new gold standard.

  • Brand clicks are rising. Which means AI-driven exposure is converting into real-world interest.

  •  

So, while your reports might look different, your SEO isn’t slipping. If anything, it’s adapting — and working.

 

Our Takeaway

SEO in 2025 isn’t just about rankings and impressions anymore. It’s about being visible in AI results, building brand authority, and making sure people find and trust you wherever they search.

We’ll keep tracking the changes, refining the strategy, and sharing insights as Google (hopefully) makes things clearer. For now, just know this: the drop in impressions isn’t bad news — it’s a sign the data is catching up with reality.

Curious about how these changes affect your site specifically? Book a Discovery Call and we’ll walk you through what’s happening with your data — and what to do next.