Comments on: The value of keyword rankings http://www.stateofsearch.com/the-value-of-keyword-rankings/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-value-of-keyword-rankings State of Search - Where Search and Social meet up Sat, 04 Feb 2012 08:44:59 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Ani Lopez http://www.stateofsearch.com/the-value-of-keyword-rankings/#comment-30597 Ani Lopez Sun, 22 May 2011 01:08:08 +0000 http://www.stateofsearch.com/?p=751#comment-30597 Hi Barry I agree that it’s vital to to put those keywords into the search box and analyse the results but I'm one of those proclaiming the death of keyword rankings as a metric to measure SEO performance specially if you look at absolute numbers instead of percentages what give a wider perspective in this allways changing landscape. Even less give them the range of KPI. For me, they are one more of the internal reports I could be running for my SEO monitoring / insight but never as a report to show clients the evolution of SEO campaign. Ignore any single bit of information is a kamikaze strategy but give them the overrated relevancy they were having is also crazy. Bas, could you add the poll a third option to reflect the opinion of those not voting for extremes? Hi Barry
I agree that it’s vital to to put those keywords into the search box and analyse the results but I’m one of those proclaiming the death of keyword rankings as a metric to measure SEO performance specially if you look at absolute numbers instead of percentages what give a wider perspective in this allways changing landscape. Even less give them the range of KPI.

For me, they are one more of the internal reports I could be running for my SEO monitoring / insight but never as a report to show clients the evolution of SEO campaign.
Ignore any single bit of information is a kamikaze strategy but give them the overrated relevancy they were having is also crazy.

Bas, could you add the poll a third option to reflect the opinion of those not voting for extremes?

]]> By: The Business of SEO - State of Search http://www.stateofsearch.com/the-value-of-keyword-rankings/#comment-9978 The Business of SEO - State of Search Mon, 22 Nov 2010 15:13:54 +0000 http://www.stateofsearch.com/?p=751#comment-9978 [...] Keyword rankings, for one, are highly volatile and an increasingly unreliable metric. Where in days gone by ranking reports were often the chosen method of determining SEO success, this is no longer the case for a host of reasons. There is still a place for keyword rankings to be reported to a client, but that comes amidst a cloud of context and disclaimers. [...] [...] Keyword rankings, for one, are highly volatile and an increasingly unreliable metric. Where in days gone by ranking reports were often the chosen method of determining SEO success, this is no longer the case for a host of reasons. There is still a place for keyword rankings to be reported to a client, but that comes amidst a cloud of context and disclaimers. [...]

]]> By: Help from Google and Keyword Rankings | The Great Websites Blog http://www.stateofsearch.com/the-value-of-keyword-rankings/#comment-3588 Help from Google and Keyword Rankings | The Great Websites Blog Mon, 30 Aug 2010 12:35:02 +0000 http://www.stateofsearch.com/?p=751#comment-3588 [...] of Search: The value of keyword rankings But where our sites rank on those SERPs, especially as part of a long term trend, is absolutely a [...] [...] of Search: The value of keyword rankings But where our sites rank on those SERPs, especially as part of a long term trend, is absolutely a [...]

]]> By: Top 30 Internet Marketing Articles of April 2010 « Blue Tuts Coding – Design – Mobile – After Effects – Tutorials http://www.stateofsearch.com/the-value-of-keyword-rankings/#comment-3264 Top 30 Internet Marketing Articles of April 2010 « Blue Tuts Coding – Design – Mobile – After Effects – Tutorials Thu, 19 Aug 2010 14:37:24 +0000 http://www.stateofsearch.com/?p=751#comment-3264 [...] The value of Keyword Rankings – A look at keyword rankings and positioning and the value of both of these. [...] [...] The value of Keyword Rankings – A look at keyword rankings and positioning and the value of both of these. [...]

]]> By: Top 30 Internet Marketing Articles of April 2010 | Search Engine Ads http://www.stateofsearch.com/the-value-of-keyword-rankings/#comment-2731 Top 30 Internet Marketing Articles of April 2010 | Search Engine Ads Sat, 31 Jul 2010 17:58:54 +0000 http://www.stateofsearch.com/?p=751#comment-2731 [...] The value of Keyword Rankings – A look at keyword rankings and positioning and the value of both of these. [...] [...] The value of Keyword Rankings – A look at keyword rankings and positioning and the value of both of these. [...]

]]> By: Top 30 Internet Marketing Articles of April 2010 | Click Through Rate http://www.stateofsearch.com/the-value-of-keyword-rankings/#comment-2730 Top 30 Internet Marketing Articles of April 2010 | Click Through Rate Sat, 31 Jul 2010 17:20:02 +0000 http://www.stateofsearch.com/?p=751#comment-2730 [...] The value of Keyword Rankings – A look at keyword rankings and positioning and the value of both of these. [...] [...] The value of Keyword Rankings – A look at keyword rankings and positioning and the value of both of these. [...]

]]> By: Top 30 Internet Marketing Articles of April 2010 http://www.stateofsearch.com/the-value-of-keyword-rankings/#comment-765 Top 30 Internet Marketing Articles of April 2010 Thu, 13 May 2010 10:15:29 +0000 http://www.stateofsearch.com/?p=751#comment-765 [...] The value of Keyword Rankings - A look at keyword rankings and positioning and the value of both of these. [...] [...] The value of Keyword Rankings – A look at keyword rankings and positioning and the value of both of these. [...]

]]> By: » Measuring SEO | Keyword Ranking | CTR - State of Search http://www.stateofsearch.com/the-value-of-keyword-rankings/#comment-693 » Measuring SEO | Keyword Ranking | CTR - State of Search Thu, 06 May 2010 10:22:54 +0000 http://www.stateofsearch.com/?p=751#comment-693 [...] discussion of late, (both here and elsewhere) around the issue of the importance and validity of keyword ranking as a sole measure of success in search engine [...] [...] discussion of late, (both here and elsewhere) around the issue of the importance and validity of keyword ranking as a sole measure of success in search engine [...]

]]> By: Alan Bleiweiss http://www.stateofsearch.com/the-value-of-keyword-rankings/#comment-381 Alan Bleiweiss Fri, 09 Apr 2010 16:09:31 +0000 http://www.stateofsearch.com/?p=751#comment-381 Barry, I've tried this signed in, not signed in, as well as using the &pws=0 URL addition which supposedly clears out personalized results. Nichola, Yes - it's a pretty big disparity. I think the only way to properly test this is a multi-site, multi-phrase approach where they are all checked across a wide geographic area. It would need to be quite extensive and well thought out. Barry,

I’ve tried this signed in, not signed in, as well as using the &pws=0 URL addition which supposedly clears out personalized results.

Nichola,

Yes – it’s a pretty big disparity. I think the only way to properly test this is a multi-site, multi-phrase approach where they are all checked across a wide geographic area. It would need to be quite extensive and well thought out.

]]> By: Nichola Stott http://www.stateofsearch.com/the-value-of-keyword-rankings/#comment-378 Nichola Stott Fri, 09 Apr 2010 09:05:56 +0000 http://www.stateofsearch.com/?p=751#comment-378 Well Alan and Barry, that's the biggest disparity I've heard of yet. Anecdotal or otherwise. The only other time I've recorded such disparity it was in testing Mac/Safari to any PC based browser/OS combo which obviously brings set-up elements into play, rather than preference-led. I'm thinking that given the normal roll-out schedule for product and algo changes tend to start with the US, then UK, then rest of Europe - perhaps we're not yet seeing as much effect from personalised search as one might in N.America. As Terry quite rightly pointed out earlier on, this is a learning algorithm and a moving target, so I am keen to keep an eye on developments here. I'd never rule out ranking reports, but what matters ultimately are visit numbers and subsequent revenues. If Google are making rank output variations that fluctuate from page one to page 3, as in your example Alan - then that's something that effects visitor volumes and revenues in a way that requires research and attention. All fun and games! Well Alan and Barry, that’s the biggest disparity I’ve heard of yet. Anecdotal or otherwise. The only other time I’ve recorded such disparity it was in testing Mac/Safari to any PC based browser/OS combo which obviously brings set-up elements into play, rather than preference-led.

I’m thinking that given the normal roll-out schedule for product and algo changes tend to start with the US, then UK, then rest of Europe – perhaps we’re not yet seeing as much effect from personalised search as one might in N.America. As Terry quite rightly pointed out earlier on, this is a learning algorithm and a moving target, so I am keen to keep an eye on developments here. I’d never rule out ranking reports, but what matters ultimately are visit numbers and subsequent revenues. If Google are making rank output variations that fluctuate from page one to page 3, as in your example Alan – then that’s something that effects visitor volumes and revenues in a way that requires research and attention.

All fun and games!

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