What is the best way to check your own site for keyword rankings, e.g if I wanted to target a new phrase and wanted to check the progress of its ranking – what is the best way to check it? Should I just search Google and scroll through the results?
Tommo, London, UK
source
You said we should be checking our server logs…..where do I find hat information? I’m using WordPress and Cpanel with cloud flare
Sir I need to know more information
Great answer and explanation, thanks Matt
Thanks Matt.
Really you gave an different idea for an keyword selection,
https://ajithsmokie.blogspot.in
We don't all have access to server logs. If you don't, well, this Google rant is meaningless.
doorway pages targeting different keywords, message received loud and clear, thanks 😉
http://smallseotools.com/keyword-position/
I have to disagree with the concept of using the existing keywords people use to find your website. Quite often these are "random", as in: do not apply to my website, yet the search engine sent people (at times MANY) using those funky keywords… that's to be expected because robots can do only so much. It seems to me that a better approach is to have your list of keywords, the one you think are good for your website and use those all the time. No matter how people really find you.
Google has a SECRET Algorithm and they DO NOT want you to know how you rank or how to get to PAGE ONE or anything else. All Matt gives you is the company line.
Matt, although I understand your purist approach to this, people will always want to see their rankings. Why not just go with the flow of traffic, and provide a rank tracking tool that we can pay a monthly fee to use for our search ranking reports? It would severely cut down your traffic and server overhead, while making you some good $$$. If Google is truly about serving their customers, they should know that their customers want to see their rankings, and are willing to pay to do so.
we are using still similar methods to check keyword ranking. As it is easy and quick
Thanks…
Really good tutorial, since I am a starting blogger.
TechCloud
techcloud.comlu.com
I agree; while he does make some valid points, most of what I am trying to learn is truly never answered in full.
server logs lol. say that again today!
I was thinking the same way. Optimizing my site and content for keywords that its already ranking is probably the best SEO in long term.
He never said anything about not targeting those keywords. He said your focus should be on long tail SEO, which is completely true. He also answered "the point" in the first sentence by saying "yes use Google search to locate your position" Would you rather rank for the keyword "ART" which may get 1mil views per month and so varying in the kinds of people searching for that or would you rather target 10-20 word combinations that still get you 1mil views a month but more targeted audience.
Instead of looking for the answers on the outside world, you need to search within yourself. Doing this will let you know just what exactly is important to yoru visitors and you can work your way from there.
Longtails FTW
Thanks a lot !
rank checker from seobook
Would you please tell me what addon ?
Get into your niche, relate to people that matter in your niche, use social media to bring people to your website, connect with your (potential) customers. He doesn't mention the Search API, because he doesn't have to (Google TOS: 'do not send automated queries to Google') and because it's besides his point (see comment below).
@redflymarketing
You are right that you need some focus on some keywords, especially when your website is new. In that case you don't have any userdata, you don't how people are using your website and you don't get links from other websites, because no one knows your website exists. Matt just don't want you to have a complete focus on rankings (not visitors) and turning your site into a desperate keyword stuffed website, obsessed with rankings while you have 'smaller fish to fry' (long tail).
Chrome has a beta traffic tracking toolbar that displays the general PR of a sit with google, bing, yahoo etc.
Nice one Matt, internet marketing is not only about rankings!
For those are looking for this information, there is some great function on GWT.
Access the "search queries" section and find information like impressions, clicks and landing pages for your keywords. This information is not 100% exact (and not real time), but gives an good idea what's on with your site.
@redflymarketing yup, monies change everything
@thrillerboy20 it's called "rank checker" tools. seobook. com/firefox/rank-checker/
OK there you go again, recommending to consider the long tail of search – that is exactly what the mayday update seems to have killed off, though – it doesn't work that way anymore…
checking your server logs? Why not Analytics and Webmaster tool? They have history and progress.
There was an easier answer & more obvious answer – the position reporting Google already provides in Webmaster Tools.
Matt, this is not an proper answer for the question "What is the best way to check your own site for keyword rankings? "….
Exactly what planet does Matt Cutts live on???
Hi!
Nice point and I fully agree – watch your logs, not the SERPs. What about supporting us webmasters by adding the "cd" GET-parameter to the conventional search result referrers ("/search?") like the are passed with the "/url?" referrer type? This would help us a lot on our way to a better analysis. I've already suggested this (to JohnMu) at the german GWMT.
In my case, only a third of the google referrer URLs come in with the /url format _and_ position data.
Regards, Thomas
Thanks for the answer. But sounds like Google is really helpless. I happed to have that problem (big penalty) and there wasn't even a simple hint in the Webmaster Tools. What should I do when I must/want that particular domain because it's my name/trademark/… ?
I am sorry but for me it sounds like Google did surrender to the spammers but not solving the problem in order to help us "normal" guys.
🙁
This is old Chris Anderson style philo. Very solid advice but a bit tired and played to the more advanced user. More and more people are optimizing for the various channels and creating communities/campaigns around derivatives of a certain keyword. Look at Google's…
* Everything
* Images
* Videos
* Maps
* News
* Shopping
* Books
* Blogs
* Updates
* Discussions
What about using the keywords page in google webmaster tools?
Matt, Matt, Matt…what's up with the calm tone of voice? I wanna see you get mad. Furrowed brow and all that. Just once. Haha! Kidding. 🙂 Thanks for the info., and Tommo, thanks for asking.
that was an answer from the land of rainbows and unicorns 🙂 The best way to check your ranks is to use Firefox addon.
Yes That a nice suggestion matt;
but you are saying do not use only a term but use a phrase to search it…
But when people looking for a particular business or keyword then how can they target on phrase instead of keyword; I know they can include their keyword in the phrase but when they are checking the rank they just go for keyword..
Little bit confusing..
Regards
Imran Khan
Good answer as always, everyone is always going after the trophy phrases. I've found some really unexpected keywords coming up in my google analytics. Most of the SEO 'Gurus' on uk business forums think that you cant learn SEO from just watching your videos. I beg to differ.
@iceveiled we knew that eventually aesholes from blogspot will be spamming videos as well.
god help us all. the "first" crowd of assclowns has discovered googlewebmasterhelp channel.
Great answer and I completely agree with it. Landing one of those trophy keywords is a long shot, so don't waste time concentrating on them.
second? 😉
First!