Is Ahrefs not showing real Google results for your keywords? Is Semrush suddenly showing Reddit threads, X posts and YouTube videos where your site used to rank? You’re not imagining it. Since mid-September 2026, SEOs have been catching rank trackers showing Google pages that real searchers don’t see. iSearchFrom shows you the real one: the actual Google page for any keyword, from any country, city and device.
See the real Google page for your keyword →
Why Ahrefs isn’t showing real Google results right now
On 28 September, SEO consultant Charles Floate posted on X: “Ahrefs, SEMRush and ALL the rank trackers seem to be bugging out BIG TIME right now vs. actual SERPs.”
His example was his own name. His SEO tool’s page one was 11 individual posts from Reddit, X, LinkedIn and YouTube, without a single link to his website. In his own browser, Google put his website first.
He isn’t the only one. Search Engine Roundtable reported that from around 13 September Google has been blocking far more scrapers and tracking tools. Nozzle saw about 80% less data getting through, and Sistrix slowed down its data collection.
Rank trackers check millions of keywords with automated requests, and Google has spent 20 months making life hard for that kind of traffic: JavaScript-only results in January 2025, the end of 100-results pages in September 2025, and google.com/goto redirects in August 2026. The result: the page your tracker gets is often not the page your customers get.
Same search on iSearchFrom: his website is #1
We ran “charles floate” through iSearchFrom from a real US connection. It matched Google in his own browser, result for result: charlesfloate.com first, then his X profile, his About page and his YouTube channel.
That’s the difference between a tracker’s copy of Google and the real thing.
Why iSearchFrom shows the real Google results
- Real local connections. iSearchFrom runs your search through real residential connections in the place you choose, so Google serves it the way it serves a local searcher, not a data-center bot.
- Any location, any device. 195 countries, city-level and street-level targeting, plus desktop, mobile and tablet. It’s the fastest way to see how location changes what people find.
- The whole page, saved. Organic results, ads, local results, shopping, videos and AI Overviews, captured as proof for your team or client.
- Clean results. In 11,739 Google captures made through iSearchFrom since 17 September, only 17 looked anything like that wall of posts: 0.14%.
How to check your real Google rankings from any location
- Go to isearchfrom.com and type your keyword.
- Pick the country and city.
- Choose Search with Real IP. Your first three runs are free.
- Open the result. That’s the Google page people in that location actually see.
Just need a quick look? Open in my browser is free and unlimited, with no account. Tracking keywords every week? The SERP Tracker monitors your positions automatically on every paid plan.
FAQ: rank trackers vs real Google results
Why is Ahrefs showing Reddit instead of my site?
Google has stepped up its blocking of automated scraping, and since mid-September many SEOs see tool pages full of Reddit, X, LinkedIn and YouTube posts. Before you rewrite a page, check the real Google page for that keyword and location.
Is Semrush accurate right now?
Semrush was named in the same reports, and SEO consultant Glenn Gabe found it lagging behind a site’s recovery in September. If a Semrush position looks off, compare it with a real-IP search on iSearchFrom.
How do I see Google results from another country or city?
Use a SERP location checker like iSearchFrom: type the keyword, pick the country and city, and open the real results page. It works for 195 countries.
Is iSearchFrom free?
Yes, to start. Browser searches are free and unlimited, and your first three real-IP runs are free. Paid plans start at $15 a month with a 7-day free trial. See pricing.
Stop guessing. See the real Google page.
Your tracker’s number is only as good as the page it scraped. Before you change content or report a drop to a client, look at the real Google page for that keyword and location.