Effective SEO relies on accurate measurement and data-driven decision making. Without proper tracking and analysis, you’re essentially operating blindfolded – making changes without understanding their impact or diagnosing issues without identifying their true causes.
You will need 3 types of tools for SEO:
– A keyword research tool – to see the amount of volume for a keyword
– A tool to research backlinks and authority – to understand the approximate level of competition for a keyword
– A SERP tracker – to see how successful your efforts are to rank for a keyword
The below content focuses on using a SERP tracker.
Why SERP Charts Are Your Most Important SEO Tool
Search Engine Results Page (SERP) charts, which track your ranking positions over time, provide the most direct and valuable insight into your SEO performance. Unlike other metrics that can be influenced by multiple factors, SERP positions directly reflect how search engines evaluate your site relative to competitors.
SERP charts reveal patterns that help diagnose algorithmic impacts, identify penalties, and measure the effectiveness of your SEO efforts. They serve as the foundation for all other SEO analysis because they show your actual standing in search results – the primary goal of SEO work. When properly analysed, these charts reveal not just where you rank, but why your rankings may be changing and what actions should be taken in response.
Rankings First, Traffic Second: The Proper Order of SEO Metrics
SEO analysis should follow a specific hierarchy of metrics, with rankings as the primary focus and traffic as a secondary consideration. This order matters because rankings are a direct measure of SEO effectiveness, while traffic is influenced by multiple additional factors including seasonality, SERP features, and click-through rates.
By focusing first on ranking positions, you isolate the specific impact of your SEO efforts from other marketing activities and external factors. Once ranking improvements are achieved and stabilized, traffic analysis becomes valuable for understanding click-through rates, the impact of SERP features, and the commercial value of different ranking positions. This sequential approach prevents the confusion that often results from beginning with traffic analysis.
While many marketers focus on organic traffic as their primary SEO metric, this approach fundamentally misunderstands the relationship between SEO and traffic. Traffic is not itself an SEO metric – it’s a function of rankings combined with search volume, SERP features, click-through rates, and seasonal factors.
At the risk of being repetitive, I want to emphasise this: SEO directly influences rankings, but only indirectly affects traffic. A perfectly executed SEO strategy might achieve #1 rankings for all target keywords yet still see traffic decline if search volume drops, new SERP features capture clicks, or seasonal patterns change. Conversely, traffic might increase despite ranking drops if seasonal search volume spikes or SERP features disappear.
Why Daily SERP Data Is Essential for SEO Analysis
The difference between daily and weekly SERP data isn’t merely incremental – it fundamentally changes what analysis is possible. Daily data allows you to:
- Precisely identify when ranking changes occurred, enabling correlation with specific actions or external events
- Detect short-term fluctuations that would be invisible in weekly data
- Recognize algorithm update impacts by seeing industry-wide changes on specific dates
- Distinguish between temporary volatility and permanent ranking shifts
- Respond more quickly to negative changes before they impact business outcomes
These capabilities dramatically improve diagnostic accuracy and response time. Without daily data, you might mis-attribute causes, miss critical pattern recognition opportunities, or waste time addressing problems that would have naturally resolved.
For me, daily tracking is particularly important because it allows correlation of ranking changes with specific events, such as site changes, backlink acquisition, or algorithm updates. Precision is lost with weekly or monthly tracking, making it difficult to identify cause and effect.
The Three Reasons Rankings Drop: Algorithms, Competition, and Penalties
When rankings decline, the cause typically falls into one of three categories: algorithm updates, competitive changes, or penalties. Distinguishing between these causes is essential for developing the appropriate response strategy.
Algorithm updates affect entire industries or specific types of content simultaneously, typically showing as widespread ranking shifts occurring on known update dates.
Competitive changes involve competitors improving their SEO signals, resulting in your relative position declining even if your absolute signals remain unchanged.
Penalties, whether algorithmic or manual, typically show as sudden, dramatic drops affecting many keywords simultaneously.
Understanding which factor is responsible directs your recovery approach: algorithm-related drops require alignment with new ranking factors (where possible), competitive drops necessitate improving your site’s authority, and penalties demand specific remediation of the triggering issues.
Honestly, algorithm updates can be hard to recover from, specifically where Google introduces new SERP features (including paid ads), or prefers certain types to content to rank for a keyword. You can try to rank for a new feature if it is organic/non-paid (but it will likely have a lower CTR anyway) or produce content to serve the new intent that Google may be prioritising for a keyword.
Understanding Slow vs Sudden Ranking Drops
The speed of ranking changes provides crucial diagnostic information about their causes. Slow, gradual ranking declines typically indicate competitive factors – your competitors are improving their authority while yours remains static, resulting in relative decline. These gradual changes rarely indicate penalties or major algorithmic shifts.
In contrast, sudden, dramatic ranking drops strongly suggest either algorithm updates or penalties. The distinction between these causes lies in the breadth of impact: algorithm updates generally affect specific types of queries or content across many sites simultaneously, while penalties target specific violations on your site.
Recognizing these different patterns helps prioritize your response. Gradual declines require competitive analysis and authority building, while sudden drops demand immediate investigation of potential penalties or alignment (if possible) with new algorithmic factors.
Using SERP Volatility Tools to Diagnose Algorithm Updates
SERP volatility tools measure the degree of fluctuation in search results across various industries and time periods. These tools, such as Semrush Sensor and Advanced Web Ranking’s tool, provide context for interpreting your own ranking changes.
When your rankings fluctuate, checking these tools helps determine whether the movement is part of a broader algorithmic shift affecting many sites or specific to your website. High volatility in your industry coinciding with your ranking changes suggests algorithm updates rather than site-specific issues. This distinction is vital for determining whether to wait for stabilization (algo update) or take immediate action to address site-specific problems.
While I look at these tools, I don’t use volatility tools as much as before. The tools are starting to correlate less with what I see in the SERPs, and it’s easier to check the mood of discussions on Twitter/X, as well as websites such as Search Engine Journal and Search Engine Land. Google also provides official comment for what they deem to be major updates.
Wrap Up
Effective SEO tracking and analysis isn’t about collecting more data – it’s about focusing on the right data in the right order. By prioritizing SERP position tracking, properly interpreting ranking patterns, and analysing competitive factors through the lens of domain authority, you can develop more accurate diagnoses and more effective optimization strategies.
This is where I’m supposed to tell you that you should hire me… Nope! Read all my SEO 101 articles before you contact me… Please! I only work with clients that really understand SEO. Fortunately, if you read my articles, you will qualify, because SEO is not rocket science! Also, there aren’t that many articles to read, so it won’t hurt. Put it like this, if you contact me, and you don’t mention that you have read all my articles (which I have put a lot of effort into), I may not reply, or if I do, I will simply ask you to read all my articles.