Rank Tracking

Google Search Console is a great rank tracking tool.

In fact...

Even if you use a paid rank tracker, you should still start your rank tracking journey with Search Console.

The reason is...

Search Console gives you an inside scoop into how Google understands your content (which is difficult to see when using a paid rank tracking tool.)

Using this data, you can make your first optimizations and then move over to a paid rank tracker for a more detailed analysis.

In this post, I’ll show you how to use Google Search Console to boost your rankings and improve your content strategy.

Are you targeting SEO SERP features?

If not, you are wasting a big opportunity.

The reason?

As Google and other search engines evolve, they seem to be doubling down on SERP features. Search engines use SERP features as both a way to bring immediate answers to user queries as well as a way to help users explore a topic.

In this post, I’ll show you exactly how to find SERP feature opportunities and show you some ways to optimize your content to get into them.

There is a point in every SEO's development where you graduate from Google Search Console to a paid Rank Tracking tool.

That point usually comes when you realize that rank trackers don’t just offer you an accurate picture of your rankings, but also give you a host of analytics tools you can use to get a deeper understanding of your rankings.

And who doesn’t love gleaning actionable insights from data?

However, one of the difficulties you might find when making the transition is that Search Console picks keywords for you. Rank Trackers, on the other hand, only give you data based on the keywords you choose.

This leaves you with the difficulty of deciding which keywords to track.

In this post, I’ll show you a tried and tested method of finding laser-focused keywords (so that you don’t waste your time tracking low-impact keywords).

A few months ago I was looking at our Twitter mentions and I saw a Tweet by Christopher Hoffman.

Christopher made three bold points:

• Rank tracking tools should be tracking pixels and not just rank
• Rank trackers should also be tracking SERP features
• As digital marketers, we should adapt our SERP strategy based on what’s ranking on the SERPs

The points he brings up are all crucial for SEO as it stands.

In other words, not understanding this could mean you’re missing out on some obvious opportunities, or worse being left behind by focusing on outdated metrics.

To help you out… In this post, I’ll explain why you must implement pixel tracking and target SERP features in your SEO strategy. I’ll also show you some case studies using Rank Ranger’s pixel tracking secret weapon.

When looking for an opportunity to win a Featured Snippet, should you swim upstream like a salmon, or should you just go with the flow?

Well, I’m always a fan of the second option.

I love it when I get a push from the outside.

How this relates to Featured Snippets is, when trying to win a Featured Snippet, you should always look for a snippet that Google isn’t ‘happy’ with.

In other words, look for cases where Google is looking for a better alternative and then show up with that perfect solution.

An easy way to do this is to look for a volatile Featured Snippet. One where Google is consistently changing URLs.

In this post, I’ll show you two different types of Featured Snippet volatility through the lens of the Rank Ranger SERP Features Monitor and how you can deal with it.

There is no question, SEO has changed dramatically over the last few years.

Traditionally, for any given search Google would simply show ten blue links. This meant that where your link was positioned would influence how much traffic your page would get.

In that world, getting to the top of Google meant everything.

Fast forward a few years and Google Search is now filled with visually distracting SERP features that dilute the power of your blue links. Instead of moaning and lamenting about how things were once better, a good SEO needs to build out a strategy that now includes SERP features.

In this post, I’ll show you how to use your rank tracker to find insights that will help improve your site’s traffic potential.

You have your rank tracker all set up. You’re tracking your URLs. Now what?

If you’re wondering how exactly to use your rank tracking data to improve your rankings, this post is for you.

In this post, I’ll be sharing an SEO experiment I’m currently working on. I’ll be showing you where the experiment is currently at and what strategy ideas I’ve come up with to move the project forward.

I’ll be touching on:

• Google Search Console vs paid rank trackers
• How to choose which keywords to track
• Some strategy ideas based on the data

What do you do when your rank tracker is showing you unstable pages? Firstly...

Don't panic.

Yes, on the one hand, rank stability could be a sign that Google is thinking about demoting your page. However, did you know that rank volatility could also be an opportunity? That being said it is essential that you first diagnose the problem. Knowing what the cause is, will help you figure out the next steps.

In this post, join me in exploring three possible causes of rank volatility and strategies for dealing with each one.

Every once in a while, 'rank tracking' will enter the SEO conversation in a serious way. It can be some sort of study that relates to rank position or one of Google's many changes but whatever the catalyst, rank tracking is one of those SEO topics that rears its head with some regularity. The problem with rank tracking is that we tend to relate to it as an entirely automated process. So, leave it to the guy who works for an automated rank tracking tool to show why and how tracking rank properly means looking beyond automation per se.

Rank tracking is one of the most basic elements of SEO performance monitoring and reporting. Yet, as much as we've talked about how the world of SEO has evolved into what it is today, we still think of rank tracking as well... rank tracking. However, if SEO has moved past a linear look at "the keyword" then why do we still undertake a monolithic approach to rank tracking?

That's why I'm going to show how the situation on the Google SERP has changed and why it means a new approach to rank tracking is needed!