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Ranking Analysis - How to
Look Beyond What Is or Isn't Ranking
By Mike Murray (c) 2010
Website owners and managers will always be fascinated with how
well they rank on search engines. However, rankings can be
deceiving because they only provide a small part of the data set
anyone will need to gauge online success.
Who wouldn't like to be No. 1 on Google for an organic listing?
Among the busy array of results (including paid ads and local
search), a top ranking still shines. It shouts: "I climbed the
mountain and beat out the other guy."
But did you?
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Here are 12 key points to consider with your ranking numbers
that quickly touch on other aspects of your online marketing
initiative. Keeping these factors in mind will help you make
better choices about what next steps you should take to ensure
that you're better positioned to improve your company's bottom
line.
1. Did you pursue the right keyword?
A No. 1 ranking is possible with barely any effort, but will it
drive traffic? You might rank well for Cleveland Legal
Counselors, but odds are more people are searching for Cleveland
Lawyers. If that's too competitive, try Lawyers in Cleveland
and get your share of traffic from the many ways people search.
2. Are you targeting the right search engine?
A top ranking on Bing can trigger big smiles. However, if your
website only gets 3.5% of its traffic from Bing - for all
keywords - the ranking may not deserve a lot of attention. Yes,
conversions are worth considering, but you need to constantly
think about what precious time you're committing to Bing when
other engines may pay off in an even bigger way.
3. What's your track record?
You need to chart the progress. It's not a good sign if months
go by and you can't crack the top 30 positions in any search
engine results. Own up to the fact that maybe the keyword
phrase is too competitive if it doesn't show an improvement.
Look for headway. For keywords with little competition, maybe
you'll rank higher sooner. But that's not always the case. Your
search engine optimization (SEO) practices may help you show a
marked improvement even for more competitive search terms.
4. Setbacks are common.
If you manage to get a great ranking - perhaps in the top 5
spots - don't panic if your ranking dips a bit. It could easily
rebound.
5. Substitutions aren't inferior.
Like NBA bench players, new keyword options can excel if given
the opportunity. If you can't get a high ranking for a keyword
phrase among your starting lineup, remove it after a few months.
Why keep it if the keyword phrase isn't gaining momentum -
either toward a top ranking or in its ability to convert.
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6. Don't be misled by your computer.
With personal settings, browser history and different data
centers, it's increasingly tough to know if your exceptional
ranking is really what it seems. For your most significant
keywords, you may want to have someone else tell you how the
keyword phrases ranks. Or, test out the search terms with some
other ranking checkers (including third-party sources) like the
ones listed below.
SEO Book Rank Checker (for Firefox): This
tool still references your computer but has a setting to avoid your Google personal settings.
RankChecker.net: Easy-to-use third party (note that
it defaults to top 10)
Mike's Marketing Tools: Third-party
tool with multiple engines
7. Understand your landing pages.
It's not uncommon for the home page to be the landing page for a
powerful keyword phrase. Your conversion opportunity may really
be an inside page. In a fantasy world, you could tag keywords
and they would magically be directed to your preferred pages. In
reality, that's the beauty of paid search. But don't give up on
your home page. If it's working, find a way to establish Calls
to Action within the content, the core navigation, and diverse
user cues to make sure visitors go where you lead them.
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8. The crowded home page.
Another problem with the home page is the fact that many keyword
phrases often rank well for it. A few keywords may perform
better if you are able to adapt your strategy and target some
interior pages for some of the keywords. Your website analytics
package should help you see what keywords are being used to
reach the home page or any other page with a crowded keyword
field.
9. Balance greed with diversity.
Online marketers get excited if they have more than one page
appearing in the top 10 search results for the same keyword
phrase. You should consider whether one of the pages could
better support another keyword phrase that lacks the visibility
it needs to generate traffic and sales or leads for your
business. Don't make a hasty decision. If a keyword phrase ranks
No. 7 on one page and No. 15 on another page, don't assume the
No. 7 ranking is the best one to attack because it's closer to
the No. 1 position. You need to weigh what you've already done
with both pages, keyword themes on the website, the amount of
content on each page, conversion opportunities and more. For
example, the No. 7 ranking may be the best you'll do for the one
page. For another page, the No. 15 ranking may not have taken
as much effort to achieve (meaning you could still do more
with SEO to improve the ranking).
10. Visitors tell another part of the story.
Unfortunately some businesses lack conversion data and settings.
At least you can look at the visitor data in your website
analytics. In the purest sense, visitor metrics will indicate
whether the ranking has any merit.
11. Be honest about your conversions.
Many websites lack opportunities to connect with visitors. Your
top ranking may be wasted if your potential customer encounters
a poor design (with usability messes), text overload (visitors
typically prefer to scan) and information without a clear Call
to Action. Offering your phone number in the 14th paragraph
isn't very effective.
12. Know your website strengths.
To appreciate your rankings (or lack of them), you need to know
your website's strengths and weaknesses. Take a look at the
competition. Study which website ranks No. 1 or even No. 10.
What do they have that your website lacks? Maybe it's a great
domain name (with a keyword), an age advantage, more links, and
more content (multiple pages) to accentuate keyword themes,
etc.
Business owners and marketers can study rankings every day, but
the ranking position alone won't help. Look at the rankings
within the context of overall traffic, conversions, your SEO
efforts to date, the viability of your website, and your ability
to spread keywords across the website.
Ultimately, you may need more pages to support your preferred
ranking over the long haul. While making that investment, keep
an eye out for alternative keywords that your website can
realistically support - today and in the future.
About The Author
Mike Murray is the Web Strategy Thought Leader for
World Synergy, an interactive
online marketing firm that focuses
on website design, custom web applications and business infrastructure services and strategy.
Mike has more than 13 years of experience with web site development and online marketing,
frequently speaking at regional and national conferences, including Search Engine Strategies.
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