Understanding How to Track Organic Keyword Rankings Considering Localized Search Results
In today’s local SEO landscape, understanding how your website performs in search engine results pages (SERPs) is essential. However, tracking your keyword rankings isn’t as straightforward as entering a query and noting your position — especially when local search nuances come into play.
The Impact of Location on SERP Rankings
Search engines like Google personalize search results based on user location. For instance, if you search for “Car rental company,” and Google detects that you’re in New York City, it will likely showcase results tailored to that area. This localization enhances user experience but complicates efforts to accurately monitor your ranking for broad or national keywords.
Your observations reflect this — optimized pages targeting specific locations (“car rental company in [City]”) tend to rank differently depending on the user’s location. When tracking your rankings, it’s crucial to understand whether the results you see are localized or representative of a broader search landscape.
Challenges in Tracking Localized Rankings
When you attempt to track your position for a primary keyword like “car rental company,” and you have a dedicated local landing page for a specific city, several questions arise:
- Does the ranking you observe for that city-specific page reflect the local SERP for “car rental company [City]”?
- Or is the displayed position an average across all locations, potentially masking your real performance in targeted areas?
Furthermore, when you manually check your rankings and click through to see how your local pages rank for certain keywords, it’s important to discern whether the results are localized or generic.
Best Practices for Accurate Local Keyword Tracking
To effectively monitor your organic rankings across different locations, consider the following approaches:
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Use Location-Specific Search Queries: Incorporate city names into your keywords (e.g., “car rental company in Boston”) to target specific areas.
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Employ Geo-Targeted SEO Tools: Utilize rank tracking tools that offer location filtering features, such as SEMrush, Ahrefs, or Whitespark. These allow you to specify a target city or region to see how your pages rank locally.
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Set Up Proxy or VPN-Based Searches: Some tools or browser configurations let you simulate searches from various locations, providing a more accurate picture of local rankings.
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Utilize Google’s Search Console and Local Pack Data: While Search Console doesn’t directly show rankings, it provides insights into impressions and click-through rates for your pages. For more granular data,