Why can’t I replicate the search rankings Practice Growth reports?
Have you ever decided to look at the SEO tab in your Practice Portal to view your current search engine rankings and decide to check out the results for yourself? However, when you type the same search terms into Google, the results you see are different and you ask yourself why? In this article, we will share with you some of the factors that influence what you see on the search engine results page as well as how we gather the data reported in your Practice Portal.
What influences what I see on the search engine results page?
Did you know that the results you see on the search engine results page (SERP) are highly specialized just for you? There are a number of personalizations impacting the results you see when you perform a search. Some of these include:
- Your search history and internet browsing history
- Your physical location
- The type of device you’re searching for (results vary on desktop vs. mobile)
- Your previous behavior on the SERP (for example, if you’ve clicked on a result before and then closed the window, Google may guess that it wasn’t the result you were looking for and will try to show you something else)
What is the source of the keyword rankings reported in the Practice Growth Practice Portal?
Since any given search performed by an individual is personalized based on the above-mentioned factors, Practice Growth uses a software tool that displays non-personalized and local results for the keywords. This captures a snapshot of rankings at a given time, removing those personalizations in rankings, as they would appear for a search performed from your practice’s local zip code.
What should I keep in mind when looking at the reported keyword rankings?
There are a couple of key things to keep in mind when reviewing the rankings in your Practice Portal:
- Snapshots – These represent just one snapshot in time. Rankings may change quickly.
- Weekly Updates – These rankings are updated in your Practice Portal on a weekly basis.
- Selected Keywords – Keep in mind that the list you see is by no means a comprehensive list of every search phrase you may be ranking for. You could be ranking for any number of variations on these keywords, which is great! Ultimately we have to select which specific keywords to track, so those are the results you will see reported.
- SEO Takes Time – Any local organic SEO approach takes time to see results. Whether you just launched with Practice Growth or are trying a new focus, keep in mind that, unfortunately, results don’t come overnight.
In conclusion, while keeping an eye on where you stack up in the search engine results page may feel like a satisfying way to track how successfully your practice is performing online, it’s important to keep in mind that these results vary significantly from search to search and person to person; there is no one consistent search experience!