How NOT to Check Ranking on a Post
See the myths about how to check where your post ranks and how to get an accurate look at where your post shows up on Google.
Google It
Let’s say you type in some keywords that relate to posts you’ve written and poof, at least one of your posts pops up on page 1 or 2 of Google.
That has nothing to do with its rank.
All you have confirmed is that Google has indexed that post.
If you’re using Chrome, and logged into Google, it has been tracking your every online move for years.
It knows your location and your preferences.
When you do a search for anything, it is going to show you results based on your location and preferences plus the authority of the post content.
So, if you and me both type in the same keywords, we are going to get different search results.
There will be overlap of the super authoritative posts.
But beyond that, our different locations and preferences take over what we are shown.
The fact that you visit your own site so much is likely the biggest reason why you are seeing one of your posts in the results – and NOT because it is ranking on page 1 or 2.
So, Googling keywords you target has not been an accurate way to check ranking.
That method worked at one time, but has not been true for over a decade.
Incognito Window
There are only 2 things an incognito browser window does:
- Turn off some cookie tracking
- Not log the visits in your search history or browser cache
And it only works for that session.
Using an incognito window does not:
- Hide your location
- Remove your preferences and prior search history
Your preferences and history still come into play with the search results you are seeing during an incognito session.
How to Properly Check Ranking
Well, you can’t.
As stated above, search results will vary for each person.
What you can check is Average Position.
And you can see that in Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools for each of those search engines respectively.
Position Changes
Keep in mind that time of year and world events impact the Average Position.
For example, if you search “easter baskets” in the fall, you’ll likely see results for buying them in bulk.
But, if you do that same search in the spring, you’ll likely see posts and videos from craft bloggers on how to decorate a basket.
So, the Average Position of that blog post may show as super low in the fall and super high in the spring.
Here’s another example.
When Game of Thrones was the hot new show everyone was talking about, blog posts from foodie folks on what each character would eat ranked high. That’s because Google knew the preferences of the searcher and their browsing history would include GOT.
If grilled steak happened to be in that foodie person’s blog post, and the searcher looked for “grilled steak”, the foodie blogger’s post would very likely show up in that searcher’s results.
But, now that GOT is no longer a buzz term, that foodie blogger’s post likely ranks on page 100 for that same searcher now.
Think Like Google
To be successful, Google has to do everything it can to deliver search results that match the user’s intent.
Otherwise, the user will not find what they are interested in right away and get frustrated with Google.
Google’s interpretation of that intent relies on:
- The user’s search and internet use history
- The user’s location
- Time of year
- What’s trending
Where one of your posts shows up in that mix is your Average Position.
SEO Tools for Ranking
There are several paid tools that will help you with your SEO.
But any type of ranking that they show you is best guess.
Keep in mind that they have only crawled a fraction of the internet compared to Google.
And they don’t have as powerful an AI as Google does for determining what each searcher should see.
Checking Average Position in Google Search Console frequently is going to be your best indicator of where your posts rank.
Get Up to Date SEO Help
What was true of search years ago is certainly not true now.
Plus, the release of AI tools will most definitely impact search.
See the BlogAid DIY SEO course to get help from someone who stays on top of it all and teaches you how to get found, get read, and make more money.
