Imagine this: You’ve been grinding away on your SEO—optimizing your content, building backlinks, cleaning up your citations—and one day, you hop into Google Search Console expecting a pat on the back from the algorithm gods. You check your stats and see your impressions are rising steadily. That’s a win, right? But then you notice something odd… your average position is going down. Not by a little, either. It’s steadily declining.
It’s confusing. It’s frustrating. It feels like taking one step forward and two steps back. But what if I told you this isn’t actually a bad thing? In this case study, we’ll walk through this exact situation, sparked by a question from Andrew Harrison in the Junk Removal Marketing Success Facebook group. His real-life example gives us the perfect chance to break down what’s really going on here.
The Question That Started It All
Andrew reached out after seeing some unusual trends in his Google Search Console. Over the past year, his blue line (total impressions) had been going up, but the orange line (average position) was trending down. Naturally, that raised a red flag. He wanted to understand why his average position was getting worse, even though more people were seeing his site.
He had turned off the “Total Clicks” metric in Search Console so he could focus purely on impressions and average position over a 12-month span. What he saw looked counterintuitive: more visibility but lower rankings?
Turns out, this is a classic SEO scenario that happens more often than you’d think.
What’s Really Going On? (The SEO Breakdown)
Let’s break it down logically. When your impressions go up, that means your website is showing up for more search terms than before. You’re getting visibility on Google for a wider range of keywords, which is great. It means your content is spreading its wings and Google is trusting you with more reach.
But here’s the catch: not all those keywords are ranking in the top spots. Some might be on page 10, or page 5, or maybe even page 3—far from the eye-level shelf (aka position 1). As you start showing up for more lower-ranking terms, these new appearances drag down your average position.
It’s not that your high-ranking keywords are slipping (though you’ll want to keep monitoring those). It’s that you’re adding more low-ranking ones into the mix, which mathematically lowers the average.
The Grocery Store Shelf
To make this crystal clear, let’s use a simple analogy—cereal on grocery store shelves.
Imagine you’ve launched a brand-new cereal. You land your first deal with a small grocery store, and they put your product on the middle shelf. That’s pretty solid—it’s visible and easy to grab, equivalent to ranking on page 2 or 3 of Google.
Then your cereal gets picked up by 30 new stores. Some of them put it on the top shelf—page 1, position 1—prime real estate. But others? They toss it on the bottom shelf—page 10, out of sight and mind.
Now your cereal is in way more stores (more impressions), but your average shelf placement (position) is worse because of those bottom placements. Still, overall it’s a huge win because more people are seeing your product than ever before.
This is exactly what’s happening with your SEO. As your content ranks for more keywords (some strong, some weak), your average position drops, even though your overall visibility skyrockets.
Why This Is a GOOD Problem to Have
Here’s the mindset shift: Don’t panic when your average position drops if impressions are rising. It means Google is testing your content for more search queries. Your site is being seen as more authoritative and relevant.
Over time, some of those low-ranking keywords will climb the ranks, especially if you optimize for them or create more targeted content. That’s how you turn page 10 rankings into page 1 wins.
So rather than seeing this trend as a setback, see it as a signal. It means you’re expanding your presence, laying down more foundation for long-term SEO growth.
Real Examples from the Field
Andrew isn’t the only one seeing this trend. Over at Blue Crocus Solutions, we’ve seen the same thing with our own sites. As our clients grow their keyword footprints, their impressions explode. Yes, average position dips—but that’s just part of expanding your reach.
Cade Swallow is another example. Before selling his company, he worked diligently on SEO. The result? His site was pulling in serious organic visibility. He experienced the same pattern—more impressions, broader keyword coverage, and a short-term drop in average position. But his overall SEO health was thriving.
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Impressions up, position down = growth in keyword coverage
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New keywords often start ranking low and bring the average position down
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Think of it like putting your cereal on more grocery store shelves—some high, some low
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This trend shows that Google is trusting your content and giving it more visibility
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Over time, many of those new keywords can rise with optimization
If you’re in the same boat as Andrew, don’t get discouraged. This is part of the SEO journey. Keep publishing quality content, track your core keywords, and trust the process. And if you have questions like this, drop them in the comments or group threads. We’re here to help you make sense of the data and build real momentum.
If you found this helpful, hit subscribe and stay tuned—we’re always breaking down real-world SEO wins and challenges like this to help you grow faster.
