Search Console Underreporting? What the June 2025 Glitch Means for SEOs

If you’ve been keeping a close eye on your website’s performance lately and felt a cold shiver down your spine, you’re not alone. For SEO professionals across the UK, June 2025 has thrown a real spanner in the works: Google Search Console (GSC) is underreporting search queries. And it’s not a small blip. This glitch is making even the most seasoned SEO specialists question their data and next moves.

What’s Really Happening with Google Search Console?

Let’s get straight to the point. From the start of June 2025, webmasters and digital marketers alike started noticing a steep drop in the number of reported search queries in GSC. Early speculation ran wild, but real-world checks across multiple UK accounts, from small indie sites to massive e-commerce platforms, confirmed it: Search Console is missing vast swathes of search data.

As of the second week of June, Google has not released a formal statement addressing the glitch or its cause. The rumour mill is, of course, spinning at breakneck speed. But here’s what’s certain: the data in your GSC dashboard is incomplete, and that can send reporting and strategy into a tailspin if you’re not careful.

Why Is Underreporting a Major Headache for SEOs?

If you’ve ever based campaign performance, keyword targeting, or even quarterly business reviews on GSC data (and who hasn’t?), this underreporting could set you up for some dodgy decisions. Suddenly, it looks like you’ve lost ranking ground or traffic overnight, when in reality, the platform just isn’t telling the full story.

From personal experience, nothing shakes client trust more than sending out a performance report that suggests the sky is falling, only to later admit, “Oh, by the way, it was actually just a glitch.” I’ve found ambiguity is the last thing stakeholders want. Especially those who follow the numbers with religious fervour.

There’s also a deeper issue here. Incomplete data means missed opportunities: hidden queries, lost long-tail insights, the kind of stuff that could have inspired your next content win or market pivot.

How Can You Avoid Poor SEO Decisions Right Now?

Feeling anxious about making a wrong move is totally normal. In fact, being cautious is the wisest path for now.

Here’s what I recommend, based on years in the trenches and many a late-night data panic:

• Don’t overreact: Treat GSC as one data point, not gospel truth.
• Pause major reporting revisions: If your data looks suspect, flag it before making decisions or passing it up the chain.
• Keep a paper trail: Make notes on when you first noticed the drop, any patterns by page, device, or country.

While it’s tempting to dive into deep fixes or rewrite strategy based on these numbers, hang tight. The issue is recognised by the professional SEO community, so waiting for more clarity is smarter than risking a misstep.

Which SEO Tools Can Help Fill the Data Gap?

When life gives you lemons, reach for the toolbox. GSC isn’t the only way to keep tabs on SEO progress. Over the last few weeks, I’ve shifted reliance to a mix of other platforms:

• Semrush: This powerhouse is great for ongoing site audits, tracking keyword rankings, and even checking competitors’ positions.
• Moz: Particularly useful for tracking site visibility and picking up smaller trends that GSC might miss.
• SE Ranking: For those craving even more granularity, SE Ranking covers everything from keywords to site health in an accessible format.

Though nothing’s a perfect 1-for-1 replacement for GSC’s query data, using multiple tools together gives a much clearer view. Use them in combo, cross-referencing results, so you don’t get caught out by missing information.

Best Practices for Communicating with Clients and Stakeholders

Reporting season is stressful at the best of times, but when your main data source is misfiring, things can escalate fast.

I always find it pays to front up early. When prepping your next report or stakeholder update, try these tactics:

• Be transparent: Let everyone know about the current GSC underreporting, and explain how it’s impacting the metrics.
• Focus on trends, not absolutes: Highlight that while specific query counts may seem down, this is a known platform issue, not a sudden drop in performance.
• Use visuals: Nothing cuts through confusion like a clear chart showing where the anomaly began. Annotate timelines so your audience isn’t left guessing.
• Share what you can trust: Rely more on third-party tools during this period and combine those figures with other performance indicators from analytics platforms.

Stakeholders may not be thrilled, but clarity and proactive communication always beat a frantic, after-the-fact scramble. In my experience, it’s these moments that build credibility in the long run.

Looking Ahead: Stay Agile, Trust Experience

If there’s one lesson from running SEO for UK businesses over the years, it’s this: The landscape changes, sometimes overnight. Glitches, updates, even platform outages come and go, but resilience and adaptability keep performance (and sanity) intact.

In uncertain times, almost nothing matters more than your ability to step back, be pragmatic, and leverage the full stacked deck of SEO tools and techniques available. We’ve weathered algorithm updates and tracking changes before. This is just another chapter.

Let’s keep our heads, keep the lines open, and stay ready to pivot as more info surfaces.

Got a data panic or a reporting emergency? Don’t stew in silence. Reach out to peers, share experiences, and double-check any numbers that look off. Stay sharp, stay sceptical, and above all, keep the focus on strategy. Not just stats.

Frequently Asked Questions

What caused the underreporting issue in Google Search Console for June 2025?

Google has not yet issued an official explanation for the drop in search query reporting in GSC as of June 2025. UK webmasters began noticing the discrepancy in early June. The current consensus among industry experts is that this is a platform glitch, but the exact cause and timeframe for a fix remain unclear.

Are all websites affected by this glitch, regardless of size?

Based on reports from practitioners across various industries in the UK, both small businesses and large enterprise sites are seeing similar underreporting. It does not seem limited to any single sector or region.

How can I make accurate decisions when GSC data is incomplete?

Lean on alternative tools like Semrush, Moz, and SE Ranking for supplementary data. Monitor historical performance, cross-reference with platforms like Google Analytics, and pause any major decisions that rely strictly on GSC query data until the issue is resolved.

Should I alert my clients or bosses about the drop in reported queries?

Absolutely. Honest and upfront communication is key. Explain that the data discrepancy is a known industry issue, and highlight the steps you’re taking to ensure accuracy with other tools and sources.

Is there any workaround to restore missing query data in GSC?

At present, there’s no confirmed workaround or hack to recover the missing search queries in GSC. The best approach is to watch for updates from Google, maintain detailed notes, and back up your site’s data across multiple trusted platforms.