8 Best Practices for Monitoring and Interpreting Keyword Position Fluctuations
Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2024 10:58 am
SEO marketers closely monitor the movement in Google search engine results pages (SERPs) for keywords related to their business. These fluctuations are the ultimate metric in determining the success or failure of an SEO campaign.
It’s one thing to periodically check to see if you’re moving up the rankings, but if you don’t understand why the fluctuations are happening, you can’t fix bugs or double down on what’s working.
In this article, we’ll look at why popular search engines like Google experience fluctuations. Then, we’ll provide eight best practices to help you accurately track search query movements and interpret what those fluctuations are telling you.
Understanding keyword position fluctuations
When we talk about keyword position fluctuations , it refers to the movement of your links up and down the SERP.
These fluctuations can be positive austria phone number resource moving you up the rankings toward the coveted first page for a search query, or they can be negative.
Negative fluctuations will pull you down in the rankings and can be overcome by understanding why this movement is happening. So the question arises: What causes fluctuations in keyword position?
There are several reasons why keywords fluctuate negatively:
Google search algorithm changes: Google periodically changes its search algorithm to better serve its audience . While focusing on a hot SEO trend may have served you well at one point, all that can change after an algorithm change.
Search penalties: Google penalizes websites that break their rules and use black hat SEO tactics. For example, creating fake backlinks from dummy sites is an example of something Google will penalize you for.
Competitor actions: Your competitors are doing the same SEO work, and their efforts could surpass yours. If one of your competitors makes a strong SEO move, they could push you down the SERP while taking your place.
8 keyword surge best practices
Now that you understand keyword volatility and the factors that influence it, let’s discuss eight best practices that can help you track and interpret this movement accurately and effectively.
#1. Choosing the right keywords to track
One of the first things to remember is that you cannot target every keyword associated with your industry.
Instead, focus on a curated selection of relevant search terms that meet two critical criteria:
High monthly search volume
Low competition (low keyword difficulty)
Sure, you could target some of the biggest and most searched terms on the Web, but doing so puts you at a huge disadvantage. If the term has high competition from big-name organizations, it’s an uphill battle you’ll never win.
For example, if you are a travel agent, you might want to rank for the term “Walt Disney World vacations.” Disney is one of the most popular vacation destinations on the planet, so a good first page placement for this search query would be huge for your business.
There's only one problem - this term is quite controversial.
Google search - Walt disney vacations
*Source: Google*In the image above, you can see the top of the first page. First is the official Disney page, followed by Costco, Southwest Airlines, and Expedia. It is almost impossible for these global corporate organizations to rank at the top.
Don't forget about search volume.
If a term has almost no competition and also has an incredibly low search volume, ranking for that term will not do your business much good.
#2. The importance of targeting relevant keywords
The keywords you target need to be relevant to your business, which is crucial for both Google and your audience targeting efforts.
Google wants to make sure that the top search query results are authoritative voices in that niche. Simply listing a bunch of keywords and building some links won’t cut it. Google will test both the quality of your content and your authority on a given topic. Beyond that, understanding and implementing effective writing habits is key to establishing authority in your niche and ensuring your content ranks at the top of search engine results pages (SERPs).
So, if you’re a company that sells water filters and you’re trying to rank for terms related to general kitchen renovations, Google won’t pay much attention to you. But you can make a much stronger case by establishing yourself as an authority on water filters and targeting terms directly related to them.
Additionally, targeting irrelevant keywords is counterproductive. Even if you manage to rank for these keywords, you’ll still be bringing in searchers who aren’t interested in what you have to offer. The result is an increased bounce rate, which can lead to negative keyword position fluctuations.
#3. Determine an appropriate monitoring frequency
It’s important to monitor your keyword fluctuations regularly. Set regular monitoring intervals and stick to them.
You should check keyword positions at least once a week. When Google makes big changes, it can often take a few weeks to see movement . However, checking your rankings once a month won’t be enough.
Ideally, you should check your rankings daily. This frequency will help you determine your average position over time, so you can get a better idea of what kind of movement is normal.
#4. Use advanced rank tracking features
When checking your rankings daily, it is better to rely on a quality tool that can do the tedious research for you, so that these daily checks become a simple task that will not take up your valuable time.
For example, AccuRanker provides daily on-demand updates on your SERP rankings. It generates an in-depth report showing your search ranking history along with insights that can help you make data-driven decisions to improve your SEO strategy.
AccuRanker - SERP Analysis
Source: Accuranker
The best part?
With AccuRanker, you are not limited in how often you can track ranking changes. The system works non-stop and can provide updates whenever you need them.
#5. Setting baselines and benchmarks
When trying to interpret keyword fluctuations, it’s important to have a reference point. Therefore, every keyword you target needs a baseline and metrics. These targets and minimum performance requirements will help you determine if you’re meeting expectations.
When setting any goal, make sure you use the SMART system. SMART is an acronym that stands for:
Specific
Measurable
Accessible
Relating to
Time dependent
It’s important to set achievable benchmarks based on data. How much competition do these terms have? What’s the average level of activity you’re seeing? Keep that in mind when setting goals.
#6. Evaluate the impact of SEO changes
When SEO changes happen, it can be exciting and scary, but it’s important to keep your cool and evaluate the impact these changes will have on your business.
For example, if you managed to get to page one on a high-value term, how did that affect your website traffic and conversions?
If you see positive movement but no real change in your results, this could be a sign that something is wrong with your site. Perhaps you’ve attracted the wrong audience, or something about your layout is turning people away.
Using tools like session replays and heatmaps can help with this.
Website heat map - Evaluating the impact of SEO changes
Source: Smartlook
These tools can show you user behavior on your site and identify performance issues, so you can quickly make the necessary changes.
#7. Analyze competitor moves
Your competitors are all chasing the same goals you are. But there may only be one site that ranks number one on a SERP. That’s why it’s important to track your competitors and identify what they’re doing right and what they’re doing wrong. Then figure out how you can counter their efforts.
This is another area where a quality rank tracking tool comes into play.
AccuRanker competitor tracking tool
Source: Accuranker
In the image above, you’ll see that AccuRanker provides tracking information on major competitors . This allows you to identify threats and adjust your strategy accordingly. By tracking each competitor’s share of voice, AccuRanker can measure what percentage of user attention your competitors have.
It’s one thing to periodically check to see if you’re moving up the rankings, but if you don’t understand why the fluctuations are happening, you can’t fix bugs or double down on what’s working.
In this article, we’ll look at why popular search engines like Google experience fluctuations. Then, we’ll provide eight best practices to help you accurately track search query movements and interpret what those fluctuations are telling you.
Understanding keyword position fluctuations
When we talk about keyword position fluctuations , it refers to the movement of your links up and down the SERP.
These fluctuations can be positive austria phone number resource moving you up the rankings toward the coveted first page for a search query, or they can be negative.
Negative fluctuations will pull you down in the rankings and can be overcome by understanding why this movement is happening. So the question arises: What causes fluctuations in keyword position?
There are several reasons why keywords fluctuate negatively:
Google search algorithm changes: Google periodically changes its search algorithm to better serve its audience . While focusing on a hot SEO trend may have served you well at one point, all that can change after an algorithm change.
Search penalties: Google penalizes websites that break their rules and use black hat SEO tactics. For example, creating fake backlinks from dummy sites is an example of something Google will penalize you for.
Competitor actions: Your competitors are doing the same SEO work, and their efforts could surpass yours. If one of your competitors makes a strong SEO move, they could push you down the SERP while taking your place.
8 keyword surge best practices
Now that you understand keyword volatility and the factors that influence it, let’s discuss eight best practices that can help you track and interpret this movement accurately and effectively.
#1. Choosing the right keywords to track
One of the first things to remember is that you cannot target every keyword associated with your industry.
Instead, focus on a curated selection of relevant search terms that meet two critical criteria:
High monthly search volume
Low competition (low keyword difficulty)
Sure, you could target some of the biggest and most searched terms on the Web, but doing so puts you at a huge disadvantage. If the term has high competition from big-name organizations, it’s an uphill battle you’ll never win.
For example, if you are a travel agent, you might want to rank for the term “Walt Disney World vacations.” Disney is one of the most popular vacation destinations on the planet, so a good first page placement for this search query would be huge for your business.
There's only one problem - this term is quite controversial.
Google search - Walt disney vacations
*Source: Google*In the image above, you can see the top of the first page. First is the official Disney page, followed by Costco, Southwest Airlines, and Expedia. It is almost impossible for these global corporate organizations to rank at the top.
Don't forget about search volume.
If a term has almost no competition and also has an incredibly low search volume, ranking for that term will not do your business much good.
#2. The importance of targeting relevant keywords
The keywords you target need to be relevant to your business, which is crucial for both Google and your audience targeting efforts.
Google wants to make sure that the top search query results are authoritative voices in that niche. Simply listing a bunch of keywords and building some links won’t cut it. Google will test both the quality of your content and your authority on a given topic. Beyond that, understanding and implementing effective writing habits is key to establishing authority in your niche and ensuring your content ranks at the top of search engine results pages (SERPs).
So, if you’re a company that sells water filters and you’re trying to rank for terms related to general kitchen renovations, Google won’t pay much attention to you. But you can make a much stronger case by establishing yourself as an authority on water filters and targeting terms directly related to them.
Additionally, targeting irrelevant keywords is counterproductive. Even if you manage to rank for these keywords, you’ll still be bringing in searchers who aren’t interested in what you have to offer. The result is an increased bounce rate, which can lead to negative keyword position fluctuations.
#3. Determine an appropriate monitoring frequency
It’s important to monitor your keyword fluctuations regularly. Set regular monitoring intervals and stick to them.
You should check keyword positions at least once a week. When Google makes big changes, it can often take a few weeks to see movement . However, checking your rankings once a month won’t be enough.
Ideally, you should check your rankings daily. This frequency will help you determine your average position over time, so you can get a better idea of what kind of movement is normal.
#4. Use advanced rank tracking features
When checking your rankings daily, it is better to rely on a quality tool that can do the tedious research for you, so that these daily checks become a simple task that will not take up your valuable time.
For example, AccuRanker provides daily on-demand updates on your SERP rankings. It generates an in-depth report showing your search ranking history along with insights that can help you make data-driven decisions to improve your SEO strategy.
AccuRanker - SERP Analysis
Source: Accuranker
The best part?
With AccuRanker, you are not limited in how often you can track ranking changes. The system works non-stop and can provide updates whenever you need them.
#5. Setting baselines and benchmarks
When trying to interpret keyword fluctuations, it’s important to have a reference point. Therefore, every keyword you target needs a baseline and metrics. These targets and minimum performance requirements will help you determine if you’re meeting expectations.
When setting any goal, make sure you use the SMART system. SMART is an acronym that stands for:
Specific
Measurable
Accessible
Relating to
Time dependent
It’s important to set achievable benchmarks based on data. How much competition do these terms have? What’s the average level of activity you’re seeing? Keep that in mind when setting goals.
#6. Evaluate the impact of SEO changes
When SEO changes happen, it can be exciting and scary, but it’s important to keep your cool and evaluate the impact these changes will have on your business.
For example, if you managed to get to page one on a high-value term, how did that affect your website traffic and conversions?
If you see positive movement but no real change in your results, this could be a sign that something is wrong with your site. Perhaps you’ve attracted the wrong audience, or something about your layout is turning people away.
Using tools like session replays and heatmaps can help with this.
Website heat map - Evaluating the impact of SEO changes
Source: Smartlook
These tools can show you user behavior on your site and identify performance issues, so you can quickly make the necessary changes.
#7. Analyze competitor moves
Your competitors are all chasing the same goals you are. But there may only be one site that ranks number one on a SERP. That’s why it’s important to track your competitors and identify what they’re doing right and what they’re doing wrong. Then figure out how you can counter their efforts.
This is another area where a quality rank tracking tool comes into play.
AccuRanker competitor tracking tool
Source: Accuranker
In the image above, you’ll see that AccuRanker provides tracking information on major competitors . This allows you to identify threats and adjust your strategy accordingly. By tracking each competitor’s share of voice, AccuRanker can measure what percentage of user attention your competitors have.