Keyword ranking is one of the most essential aspects of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). Whether you’re a seasoned professional or a small business owner dipping your toes into SEO, keeping an eye on how your website ranks for relevant keywords is critical. However, many individuals and companies often fall into common traps that skew their results and undermine their SEO efforts. To ensure that you’re on the right track, here are the top five mistakes to avoid when tracking keyword rankings.
1. Focusing on the Wrong Keywords
One of the most prevalent mistakes when tracking keyword rankings is prioritising the wrong keywords. Not all keywords are created equal, and aiming for high-volume keywords may not always be beneficial. It’s easy to focus on broad, highly competitive keywords with high search volume, but they may not deliver the desired results for your business.
Instead, consider the intent behind the keywords. Are people who use these keywords looking for information, or are they ready to make a purchase? It’s vital to align your keyword strategy with your business goals, ensuring that the terms you’re tracking will bring in the right audience. For instance, long-tail keywords, although they may have lower search volumes, often convert better as they reflect more specific user intent.
2. Not Segmenting Your Keywords
Tracking your overall keyword performance without segmenting them can lead to skewed insights. Keywords serve different purposes, and lumping them all together can make it hard to understand which areas of your strategy are working and which are failing. For example, branded and non-branded keywords should be tracked separately, as they provide different insights about your brand’s visibility and the customer journey.
Segmenting keywords based on factors like location, device, and search intent can give you a more nuanced understanding of how you are performing across different dimensions. This allows you to fine-tune your content strategy, understand local performance, and adjust for mobile vs desktop behaviour.
3. Ignoring Local Rankings
For businesses with a physical presence or those targeting specific geographical locations, ignoring local keyword rankings is a significant oversight. Many users now search with local intent, especially on mobile devices. Phrases like “near me” or city-specific terms have become increasingly common. Ignoring how your site ranks in these local searches could mean missing out on high-conversion traffic.
Tracking local keyword rankings enables you to understand how visible your business is in specific regions and tailor your local SEO strategy accordingly. Ensure that your Google Business Profile is optimised, your location-based keywords are incorporated into your site, and you’re tracking how you rank in different areas.
4. Tracking Rankings in Isolation
One of the major pitfalls in tracking keyword rankings is focusing solely on where your site appears on a search engine results page (SERP) without considering the broader picture. Rankings are just one metric in a much larger SEO landscape. You should also pay attention to metrics like click-through rate (CTR), conversion rate, bounce rate, and user engagement. A high ranking is worthless if it doesn’t drive traffic or lead to conversions.
Additionally, understanding how your competitors are performing for the same keywords can provide valuable context. If your ranking improves, but so do your competitors’, then your progress may not translate into a higher share of search traffic. Regular competitor analysis, combined with ranking tracking, will give you a more comprehensive picture of your SEO performance.
5. Not Updating Your Keyword Strategy Regularly
SEO is an ever-evolving field, and what worked last year—or even last month—may not be as effective today. Search engines like Google continuously update their algorithms, and user behaviour also shifts over time. One of the biggest mistakes businesses make is setting a keyword strategy and failing to update it regularly.
It’s essential to revisit your keyword list periodically, especially when new products or services are introduced or when there are significant changes in your industry. Review performance data to see which keywords are driving traffic and conversions, and adjust your strategy accordingly. Don’t just track rankings for the same set of keywords indefinitely; remain flexible and evolve with changing trends.
Conclusion
Tracking keyword rankings is a critical part of any SEO strategy, but it needs to be done correctly to provide meaningful insights. Avoiding these common mistakes—focusing on irrelevant keywords, failing to segment, ignoring local rankings, tracking in isolation, and neglecting regular updates—will ensure your keyword tracking is effective and aligned with your business goals.
Remember, SEO is not just about reaching the top spot for a specific term but about ensuring that your content is visible to the right audience at the right time. By tracking keyword performance strategically, you’ll be better positioned to optimise your site and capture valuable traffic that drives business growth.