A keyword ranking is a website’s position in search engine results pages (SERPs) for a specific search query.
When someone searches on Google, the spot where your page appears is your keyword ranking for that term.
Keyword rankings are an essential metric to track to understand your website’s visibility in the organic search results and the effectiveness of your SEO strategy.
Higher rankings mean more visibility and increased search traffic.
Most websites have multiple pages and content that rank for multiple different keywords. This is how you can target different keywords and increase your SEO traffic over time.
What Will I Learn?
Google ranks keywords based on its search algorithm, which uses a variety of ranking factors and signals.
This includes elements such as the words in the search query, the relevance of the page, and the usability of the website.
Google also considers the writer’s expertise and even the user’s location when relevant.
The weight of each factor changes depending on what users are searching for.
These are some key factors that Google uses to rank keywords:
The truth is that tons of different Google Ranking factors affect how Google ranks individual pages for a keyword.
The key is to have a holistic SEO approach and produce high-quality content.
The easiest way to check your keyword rankings in Google is to use the Search Results report in Google Search Console.
It will show you a range of key metrics, including your average ranking position for specific search terms and website pages.
Google provides Google Search Console as a free tool for website owners to monitor their performance, identify issues and track keyword ranking results.
Here’s how to do it:
Login to Google Search Console, click on “Search Results”, then “Queries”, and select the “Average Position” tile.
This will show you all the queries (keywords) your website has appeared for in the organic search results. You will also see your average position over the last three months.
You can change the time period to see more recent data on your average position.
Want more specific keyword tracking?
You will need an SEO rank tracking tool.
These tools scrape the search results each day for your target keyword and report the specific position that your keyword ranks.
The keyword rank tracker I use is AccuRanker because it is accurate, powerful and easy to use.
Follow these 5 steps to improve keyword rankings in Google:
Keyword research is the cornerstone of any successful SEO campaign.
Use keyword research tools like Ahrefs and Semrush to find low-competition keywords with high search traffic.
Focus on longtail keywords that are easier to rank for and drive real sales and conversions for your business.
Need more help?
Check out our complete keyword research tutorial to learn more.
To rank for any keyword…
You need to create killer content! This is the backbone of your keyword rankings.
Create comprehensive, in-depth content that completely covers the topic and answers all of your audience’s questions.
Add elements like-
And more to bring your content to life. This will bring your content to life and make it valuable.
On-page SEO is about ensuring your website is as search-engine-friendly as possible.
This includes:
And more! Optimising each of these factors will help Google better understand your website content.
Make sure to properly structure all your content and pages using H1, H2, and H3 tags.
This makes it easier for search engines to crawl your site and provides a better user experience.
Use this complete on page SEO checklist for a complete list of every factor you need to optimise.
Think of backlinks like a vote of confidence from other websites.
The more quality backlinks you have, the more Google will view your website as trustworthy and authoritative.
Trustworthy + Authoritative = Higher keyword rankings
Who doesn’t want that, right?
But not all links are created equal…
Focus on ONLY building high-quality backlinks from high-authority websites. Use any of these proven link building strategies to find websites.
Don’t forget the power of internal linking to pass link equity throughout your website. This will maximise the effectiveness of each inbound link.
Use this link building checklist for a step-by-step guide to building backlinks that actually improve rankings.
User experience is an overlooked part of ranking better in Google.
Here’s why?
Google only wants to rank websites that provide their users with a great user experience. That means having a mobile-friendly website that loads quickly and looks good on all devices.
Your website should also have a silo structure that is easy for users to navigate.
The easier you make it for users to find the information they’re looking for, the better the user experience.
That’s what you want!
Google actively tracks how users engage with your content and website.
It has become an important keyword ranking factor that every site owner should pay attention to.
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