The page Google ranks first for a search changes on average once every 208 days, and 42.5% of keywords kept the same number one result for at least six months. Roofing searches get a new leader every 127 days, two and a half times as often as senior care searches.
Analysis of 8,709 keywords and 52,680 snapshots of Google's top 10 · Google US search results, September 2025 to September 2026
Key Findings
- 1.The page ranking first in Google for a keyword changes on average once every 208 days, about seven months.
- 2.42.5% of search keywords kept the same number one Google result in every snapshot for at least six months.
- 3.For keywords where the number one Google result does change, it changes on average every 120 days, about four months.
- 4.3.6% of search keywords had a different number one Google result in every snapshot, a new leader every seven to eight weeks.
- 5.The number one Google result for roofing keywords changes every 127 days on average, against every 318 days for senior care keywords.
Summary
A roofing company finally reaches the top of Google for "roof replacement" in its city. The calls pick up. Four months later a competitor's new page takes the spot, and the calls slow down again. In the next town over, a senior care provider has held first place for the same search for most of a year without changing a word.
The first result on Google gets more clicks than any other position, so holding it is worth more than any other ranking. How long a leader lasts tells a business two things: how hard it will be to take the spot, and how hard it will be to keep it once it is theirs.
On average, the number one result holds for 208 days, about seven months. But that average mixes two very different kinds of keyword. 42.5% of keywords kept the same leader for at least six months, while those that do change get a new leader every four months, and in home service markets such as roofing the top spot turns over every 127 days.
What we measured
The study covers Google's top 10 organic results, the ordinary listings below the ads, for 8,709 US keywords between September 2025 and September 2026, from historical snapshots taken about every seven to eight weeks, 52,680 snapshots in all. We kept keywords with at least 180 days between their first and last snapshots.
For each keyword we compared the page ranking first in each snapshot with the one before and counted a change whenever it was different. Days per change is the total number of days tracked across all keywords, 2,506,526, divided by the total number of changes, 12,059. We repeated the count for whole websites, where a change only counts if a different website takes first place, and for keyword categories with at least 50 keywords.
The number one spot changes hands every seven months
First place is the most stable position on Google's page one. Across 2,506,526 keyword-days of tracking, the leading page changed 12,059 times, once every 208 days on average. For a business that already ranks first, that is a long time to collect the most valuable clicks on the page.
Counting whole websites instead of individual pages, the top spot changes hands about once every 247 days. The gap between the two figures shows that Google sometimes replaces the first result with another page from the same website, a new service page or a newer article, while the website keeps its place.
Four in ten keywords never changed leader
The 208-day average hides two different worlds. 42.5% of keywords kept the same number one page in every snapshot for at least six months. Among keywords where the leader did change, the average gap was 120 days, about four months. At the extreme, 3.6% of keywords had a different leader in every snapshot, a new number one every seven to eight weeks.
Source: Suff Digital analysis of 8,709 keywords and 52,680 snapshots of Google's top 10 · Google US search results, September 2025 to September 2026
Knowing which kind of keyword you compete on changes the plan. On a keyword whose leader has not moved in a year, the page in first place has built up links, clicks and history that take real work to overcome. On a keyword whose leader changes every few months, a strong page gets regular chances to take the top spot.
Home service keywords change leaders most often
The top spot turns over fastest in local and home service markets. Roofing keywords get a new number one every 127 days on average, and personal injury law and home remodeling keywords every 140 days. These are markets with many local firms competing for the same searches, where new pages appear all the time.
Source: Suff Digital analysis of 8,709 keywords and 52,680 snapshots of Google's top 10 · Google US search results, September 2025 to September 2026
At the slow end, senior care keywords keep the same leader for 318 days per change, real estate for 300 and insurance for 297. In those markets, first place tends to belong to large, established websites, and a new number one is a rare event. A roofer can expect the top spot to change hands two and a half times as often as a senior care provider.
What this means for businesses
If you already rank first, the numbers are on your side: the average leader holds for about seven months. Protect the spot by keeping the page current and watching the pages just below it, because a competitor climbing from third to second is the usual warning sign.
If you are chasing first place, check the history of the keyword before you invest. Where the leader has not changed in a year, expect a long campaign. In home services, law and remodeling, the top spot changes hands every four to five months, so a strong, regularly improved page has real chances. Most rank tracking tools show this history for your own keywords.
An experienced seo consultant reads that history before choosing which keywords to target, so your effort goes where the top spot actually moves.
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<p style="font:14px/1.5 system-ui,sans-serif">Source: <a href="https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/google-number-one-result-turnover">Google's #1 Result Changes Once Every 208 Days on Average - Suff Digital</a></p>
Cite this study
Suff Digital. (2026). Google's #1 Result Changes Once Every 208 Days on Average. https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/google-number-one-result-turnover
Google's #1 Result Changes Once Every 208 Days on Average - Suff Digital - https://www.suffdigital.com/resources/data-studies/google-number-one-result-turnover