Many SEO specialists face a situation where the positions of a site in search results, tracked by different services, do not match. This can cause confusion and make it difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of search engine optimization. In this article, we will consider the main reasons for such discrepancies and offer possible solutions.
Reasons for discrepancies
Personalization requested
Unique user profile: Each user has a unique search profile based on search history, geolocation, devices used and other factors. Search engines adapt search results to each user, which can lead to differences in rankings.
Search Engine Experiments: Search engines are constantly experimenting with their algorithms and results display. This means that the same query may return different results for different users at different times.
Technical features of tracking services
Data refresh rate: Some services refresh position data less frequently than others. This may result in delays in displaying current positions.
Data collection methods: Different services use different data collection methods, which may affect the accuracy of the results.
Access Restrictions: Some search engines may restrict access to their data, making it difficult to get accurate results.
Regional and language settings
Geolocation: Site positions may vary significantly depending on the search region.
Language versions: If a site has multiple language versions, the positions may differ for each of them.
Ranking factors
Dynamic algorithms: Search algorithms are constantly updated, which can lead to changes in the positions of sites.
Many factors: Site ranking depends on a large number of factors, including content quality, link mass, behavioral factors, and others. Changes in these factors can affect the site’s position.
How to solve the problem of discrepancies
- Use multiple services: Compare data from different services to get a more complete picture.
- Consider personalization: Remember that site rankings may vary for different users.
- Check data manually: Periodically check your site’s rankings manually to ensure they are accurate.
- Optimize your website: Focus on improving the quality of your content, optimizing your website’s technical characteristics, and building up your link mass.
- Track long-term trends: Ignore short-term fluctuations in positions and instead analyze long-term trends.
How to Interpret Position Data Correctly
Interpreting position data is not just a statement of the fact that a site is on a certain line in the search results. It is an analysis that requires an understanding of many factors and nuances.
- Dynamics of changes: It is important to look not at one-time indicators, but at trends. Gradual improvement of positions indicates the effectiveness of the work being carried out.
- Seasonality: Some niches are characterized by seasonality. For example, before the New Year, the demand for New Year’s products increases.
- Competitive environment: Analyze the positions of your competitors. This will help you understand how strong your niche is and what efforts your competitors are making.
- Regional differences: Positions may vary greatly from region to region.
- Devices: Mobile and desktop results may vary.
- Types of queries: Analyze positions for different types of queries (exact, broad, phrase).
What metrics, besides positions, should you track?
Positions are an important metric, but they are not the only one. For a comprehensive assessment of SEO effectiveness, you need to track:
- Traffic: The number of visitors to the site and its dynamics.
- Behavioral factors: Time on site, viewing depth, bounce rate.
- Conversions: Number of target actions (purchases, applications, subscriptions).
- CTR (Click-Through Rate): The percentage of clicks on your link in the search results.
- Visibility: The percentage of search traffic a site receives.
How to Use Position Data to Make Decisions
Position data helps you make informed decisions about your future promotion strategy.
- Determining the most effective queries: By analyzing positions for different queries, you can identify the most promising areas for optimization.
- Evaluation of the effectiveness of the work performed: Positions help to evaluate how effective certain SEO activities were.
- Adjusting your strategy: If your positions aren’t growing, this is a signal that you need to adjust your promotion strategy.
- Budget Planning: Position data helps you determine which areas to prioritize your budget towards.
Example: Let’s say you notice that your site’s positions for commercial queries are growing slower than for informational ones. This may indicate the need to strengthen work on commercial ranking factors, such as unique selling proposition (USP), prices, and availability of goods in stock.
It is normal for a site to have discrepancies in its positioning as tracked by different services. To get a more accurate picture, you need to use several services, take into account search personalization and other factors that affect ranking. Constantly working on improving your site and tracking long-term trends will help you achieve the desired results in search engine optimization.
