Why Local Rank Tracking is Still Valuable in 2017

But, what a rank tracking system reports, and what a person searching on their own computer sees, will be different, EVERY time. This is because rankings in Google (and Bing) are in constant flux and they vary depending on a number of factors:

1. Location
2. Time
3. Device
4. Browser
5. Search history

If a person was searching at that exact location, at that exact moment in time, and with the exact same device/browser, and the exact same IP-based search history, then sure, they should see the exact same results. But, those variables are never the same. Just the time factor is enough to make ranking reports “inaccurate” because the rank tracker probably crawled the search results at 3am and you’re now looking at them at 1pm, or even days or weeks later. What a rank tracking system reports is always going to be slightly different from what a person sitting in the city sees when they search for the term.

So, if a rank tracker can’t “accurately” report rankings, then what good is it?

The Value of Local Rank Tracking

There are definitely more important metrics to analyze and report on. Sales, conversions, clicks, calls, driving directions, and actual visitors to your web pages do a better job of helping you understand which digital marketing activities result in real benefit to the business (check out Local U’s excellent video/podcast on the Local KPIs that matter). A #1 ranking might be completely useless if it’s for a term that no one searches for, or if no one clicks on it.

So, why do so many of us continue tracking and reporting on rankings? Well, they may not be exactly “accurate”, and they may not be the most important metrics, but they still provide some valuable data and insights that are worth knowing.

Here Are Eight Reasons Why Rank Tracking Data is Still Valuable:

1. Monitor General Ranking Trends Over Time

While rank tracking reports won’t show you exactly where you rank (because it’s always varying based on the factors I mentioned above), monitoring for general ranking changes over time helps you to see if your SEO work is having an impact. It’s good to know if your rankings are up, or if your rankings are down.

For example, Mike Blumenthal used reports from our rank tracker in his Mozcon Local presentation to demonstrate the impact that Google+ activity had on rankings for Barbara Oliver.

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Why Local Rank Tracking is Still Valuable in 2017