How to Check Keyword Ranking on Google
Do you know where your website stands in Google’s search rankings? High spots on the search page mean your business gets in front of more potential customers, boosting your site visits and your sales.
Keeping track of your keyword rankings helps you see if your SEO plans are working and if your content is hitting the mark with your audience.
This guide will make it easier to understand how to check keyword ranking on Google. Your search ranking is crucial for your growth, helping you connect with the audience looking for you and keeping you ahead of the competition.
What Is Keyword Ranking?
Keyword ranking is where your website lands in search engine results when someone looks up a word or phrase that matches your content. It’s the spot where your blog post or page appears on Google when people search for topics you’ve written about.
The goal is to have your site pop up as close to the top as possible because less than 1% of searchers will look past the first page of Google search results.
Given the importance of appearing on the first page, how do you get there? You start by picking the right keywords, which are the terms people type into Google, hoping to find answers you’ve covered on your site.
You may have a pretty good guess at which keywords align with your company, but the complicating factor is you are trying to find a sweet spot: keywords that are popular enough to get searched but not so competitive that you have no chance of ranking well. Luckily, there are tools to make this much more manageable than manual research. We’ll cover those below.
However, we’ll note that keywords are only one of the things Google looks at. They use the acronym E-A-T: expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness. That means having credible authors, earning links from other reputable sites, and ensuring your site has a good reputation online.
While you can’t control everything, focusing on quality content and smart keyword use gives you a chance to stand out and climb up in those rankings.
Why Keyword Ranking Matters
Why does keyword ranking matter so much for your business? The most straightforward explanation is that ranking high in search results means more organic traffic. That’s the traffic you don’t have to spend money to get. When you land at the top of search results, you are right where your potential customers are looking — and before your competition!
There’s even more to it than just showing up first. Understanding which keywords you’re ranking for can tell you a lot about your audience. It shows you what they’re searching for, giving insights into their needs and interests. With this knowledge, you can tailor your content even better and reach more potential customers who might be looking for exactly what you offer but have not heard of your brand yet.
With a strong SEO strategy, this cycle of content creation, ranking, and traffic can lead to significant sales and revenue growth.
Factors That Affect Your Keyword Ranking
Key factors come into play when it comes to where your website lands in Google’s search results. Understanding these can help you tweak your site and content for better visibility. Let’s dive into what influences your keyword ranking:
Search Engine Algorithms
Google’s algorithm is like the secret sauce that decides which pages deserve the top spots. It’s complex and constantly changing, aiming to match users with the most relevant, high-quality content. It’s challenging to stay current with these frequent changes, but doing so can help you adapt your strategy to keep up with what Google considers important.
Relevance of Keywords
The words you choose to target matter. They need to match what people are searching for and reflect the content on your page. If your content answers the questions users have when they type in those keywords, you’re on the right track.
Website Ranking Factors
Google looks at more than the words on your site. It monitors how fast it loads, whether it’s mobile-friendly, and how long people stay on it. These factors tell Google if your site is user-friendly and worthy of a top spot.
Meta Descriptions
These short previews in search results give users a snapshot of what your page is about. A compelling meta description can improve your click-through rate, signaling to Google that your page is valuable to searchers.
Keyword Volume and Target Keywords
High-volume keywords get a lot of searches, but they’re also super competitive. Targeting a mix of high- and low-volume keywords can attract more targeted traffic.
Search Engine Results Page (SERP)
Everyone wants to be on the first page of Google because that’s where the action is. The top 10 organic search results are prime real estate. Aiming to rank on this first page, especially in the top positions, should be the goal of your SEO strategy.
Step-by-Step Guide: How to Check Keyword Ranking on Google
Want to see how your website stacks up in Google’s search results for specific keywords? Here’s a guide to get you started.
1. Identify Your Keyword
Start with pinpointing the exact word or phrase you want to check. This should be something directly related to your content and what your audience is searching for.
A company selling pet supplies might identify “dog types” as a keyword worth ranking for.
2. Find Relevant Keyword Results
You might have noticed Google wants to show you custom results — trying to guess exactly what you want to find. Because it wants to be so helpful, it might show you your result at the top if you just search Google in your normal browser.
For more accurate results — to see what your target audience might see — search for your keyword in a private or incognito browsing window.
3. Understand the Search Engine Result Page (SERP)
After you enter your search keyword, you’ll see the page with all the results. This SERP changes frequently.
Depending on the search term, you might see sponsored results or ads, AI suggestions, or “People Also Ask” sections along with the first 10 true search results.
4. Check Your Position
Time to find your rank! Start at the top and scroll down, counting each result before you to see what number your result is. Skip over those ads or additional Google boxes when counting.
In this example, Purina has the No. 2 rank for the search term “dog types.”
Manual counting can be time-consuming. If you want this process to be an ongoing part of your strategy (which we highly recommend!), consider using SEO tools to make things easier.
At Content Journey, we use SEMRush. SEMRush lets you track your site’s ranking for chosen keywords over time. Just enter your keyword, and it’ll show where you rank. It’s a subscription service, but well worth it for the insights it offers.
Google Search Console is a free tool from Google that gives you a peek into how your site performs in search results. Go to the Performance section, and you can see where your pages rank for various queries.
Similar to SEMRush, Ahrefs offers detailed insights into your keyword rankings, plus a whole lot more about your site’s SEO health. It’s another subscription-based tool.
By following these steps and using these tools, you’ll have a clear picture of where your keywords stand, helping you refine your SEO strategy for better rankings.
Continue Monitoring Your Keyword Search Rankings to Improve Your SEO
Continuously monitoring your keyword search rankings is essential for improving your SEO strategy. Here’s how.
Check the Competition
Regularly assess where you stand compared to your competitors. Analyze their strategies and identify opportunities to enhance your own content and keywords.
Assess Search Intent
Understand what users are searching for and ensure your content aligns with their intent. This practice helps you tailor your content to meet user needs effectively.
Track What Keywords Your Content Ranks For
Keep a close eye on the keywords for which your content is ranking. This information helps you identify areas of strength and opportunities for improvement in your SEO efforts.
Put Keywords in the Right Places
Ensure your keywords are strategically placed throughout your content, including titles, headings, meta descriptions, and body text. This optimization enhances your chances of ranking higher in search results.
Remember, Google frequently adjusts its search algorithms, leading to fluctuations in rankings. It’s normal to see variations, even significant ones, in your position from one day to the next. Don’t panic if you experience fluctuations, especially if you’re within the top 10 search results.
Instead of obsessively checking rankings every day, focus on long-term trends. A gradual decline over time may signal the need for adjustments in your SEO strategy. You can maintain and improve your search rankings by monitoring trends and making strategic optimizations.
Let Content Journey Help You Rank
Content Journey’s services are tailored to help businesses achieve higher search rankings and attract more organic traffic. Our SEO content writing services enable us to craft compelling and SEO friendly content that resonates with your target audience and boosts your online presence.
Let Content Journey take the lead in optimizing your content for search engines so you can focus on running your business. Schedule a call with us today, and let’s explore how we can collaborate to elevate your brand’s visibility and drive results through SEO-optimized content.
