How to track your website's ranking on Google
8th August 2025
posted 8th August 2025
Understanding your website’s visibility on Google and other search engines is essential for attracting new customers. Search rankings determine whether your business appears right in front of your target audience — or whether they never see you at all.
Things you need to be aware of:
Rankings vary depending on the search terms
Your website may rank very differently for “plumber near me” compared to “emergency plumber London.” Each keyword has its own competition level and ranking position.
Location affects rankings
A searcher in Manchester might see completely different results from someone in Bristol, even for the same search term.
Device type matters
Mobile search results can differ from desktop results due to screen size, user behaviour, and Google’s mobile-first indexing.
Rankings don’t update instantly
When you make a change to your website (e.g. updating content or improving SEO), Google can take days or even weeks to update your position. In some cases, it may take months for your rankings to fully stabilise.
Lower rankings are more volatile
If your site is on page 6 for a search term, you might see big jumps, moving to page 10 one day and back to page 6 the next. Higher-ranked websites tend to have more stable positions.
Competitor activity impacts your ranking
Even if you make no changes, your position can shift because competitors are improving their SEO or running new campaigns.
Seasonal trends can influence results
For example, a gardening business may naturally rank higher in spring and summer when search interest peaks.
Why track your rankings?
Tracking your rankings helps you:
- See which keywords are bringing you visibility (and which aren’t).
- Understand where you need to focus your SEO or advertising efforts.
- Measure the impact of changes to your site over time.
- Identify opportunities to target new keywords.
- Spot sudden drops quickly, so you can take action before losing customers.
Without tracking, you’re essentially guessing at how visible you are online — and you may miss easy wins.
How to track your website ranking on Google manually
You could track your rankings by hand, searching for your chosen keywords daily or weekly and noting down your position.
Pros:
- No cost(other than your time).
- Full control over which keywords you check.
Cons:
- Time-consuming:Especially if you’re not on the first few pages.
- Inconsistent results: Google personalises search results based on your location, device, browsing history, and other factors. This means the rankings you see might not be what a new customer would see.
- Easily biased: If you regularly visit your own site, Google might rank it higher for you than it does for other people.
- Limited scope: Checking lots of keywords manually is difficult and easy to neglect over time.
How to track your website ranking on Google using a website rank monitoring service
A service such as SiteRank can track your website rankings automatically every day, removing many of the inaccuracies that come with manual checks. These tools control for personalisation and location, giving you a clearer picture of how you really rank.
Pros:
- Automatic tracking: No need to remember to check every day.
- Consistent, accurate results: Adjusted for location and personalisation.
- Time-saving: Focus your time on improving rankings rather than tracking them.
- Data history: See long-term trends and measure progress over time.
- Cost-effective: The cost is usually low compared to the time and insights gained.
Cons:
- Small ongoing cost: Although usually minimal, there’s still a subscription fee.
- Dependent on the service provider: If the tool goes offline or changes how it tracks rankings, your data could be affected.
Summary
Knowing your search rankings is crucial for making informed marketing and SEO decisions. While manual tracking is free, it’s time-consuming and can give misleading results. A rank monitoring service offers accuracy, automation, and better insights, helping you focus on actions that will genuinely improve your online visibility.
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