How to Generate Accurate Search Engine Ranking Reports

Want to know exactly where your website stands on Google SERPS? Search engine ranking reports can be what you need. With these reports, you can track your website's keyword positions on SERPs to monitor your SEO performance, competitors, and trends. They will tell you which strategies are working and the adjustments you need.  

At tiny lever, we provide human-written SEO content that ranks on Google. We identify high-impact keywords, optimize your content, and track performance through data-driven reports. Plus, we focus on intent and relevance to help you stay ahead of competitors and attract the right audience.

Leveraging our experience in advanced SEO strategies, we will guide you through the steps to generate valuable search engine ranking reports. We will keep things straightforward, from selecting the best reporting tool to ensuring data accuracy and consistency. After reading, you’ll know how to monitor search engine rankings, interpret data, and use these insights for a better content strategy.

Let’s get started!

Step 1: Choose the Right Tools for Ranking Reports

Search engine ranking reports are tools that tell your website’s standing on different search engines. They contain data about keyword performance, search volume, and traffic estimates. Also, they help you determine where your pages appear when users search for a keyword.  

Selecting the best tools is the first step in obtaining more accurate ranking data. Here are some SEO tools to consider:

• Semrush: SEMrush's Position Tracking tool helps monitor your search ranking on desktop and mobile in 190 countries. It offers daily rank tracking, competitor comparison, SERP feature tracking, and cannibalization reports. Meanwhile, the organic research feature reveals keyword rankings, search intent, traffic estimates, and ranking history.
• Ahrefs: The rank tracker feature monitors Google rankings on mobile and desktop across 190+ locations, including ZIP codes. It tracks SERP features and compares rankings with up to 10 competitors. Site Explorer provides keyword data, including volume, difficulty, and position history, with advanced filters for refinement.
• Google Search Console: GSC's performance report offers valuable insights into your website's search data. It shows metrics like search query driving traffic, clicks, impressions, CTR, and average position, filtering by device, country, and search type. Search Analytics shows the top keywords your website ranks for and average positions.

Using multiple tools to cross-reference data for a more comprehensive overview is best. When evaluating rank-tracking tools, prioritize these features:

• Accurate Aata: Up-to-date data are more reliable and help you strategize based on current rankings.
• Keyword Tracking: Monitoring your target keywords helps measure progress and adjust strategies to stay competitive.
• Location-Based Rankings: Tracking rankings in specific areas allows you to focus on regional performance and optimize accordingly.
• Historical Data: Historical rankings can explain patterns, find problems, and predict future outcomes.
• Competitor Comparisons: Comparing rankings with competitors gives you an idea about your current standing and areas for improvement.
• Customizable Reports: Branded reports provide a professional way to communicate results with clients or stakeholders.
• Integration Options: Connecting with other SEO tools is much more efficient and gives you a more accurate SEO ranking report.

Step 2: Set Up Keyword Tracking

Setting up keyword tracking is a prerequisite to implementing effective search engine ranking reports. This step-by-step process includes selecting relevant keywords, categorizing them into clusters, and setting up other tracking parameters to increase web traffic, capture more leads, or boost conversions.

Here are steps to identify the most relevant keywords for your business: 

• Core Products, Services, and Brand Terms: Start by identifying several keywords that directly reflect your core offerings, like "SEO services," "digital marketing," or "content marketing." These are the foundation for building your keyword strategy.
• Expand Using Keyword Research Tools: Use Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or Ahrefs to uncover related terms. For example, "SEO site audit" or "SEO for e-commerce" can be expanded variations to target.
• Align with Search Intent and Business Goals: Choose keywords based on your audience's search intent. For instance, targeting "best digital marketing agencies" aligns with the goals of attracting clients looking for comprehensive solutions.
• Mix Short-Tail and Long-Tail Keywords: Combine broad keywords like "SEO" with specific phrases like "SEO for small businesses" to capture high-volume traffic and niche, targeted leads.
• Analyze Competitor Keywords: Research competitor websites to see which keywords they rank for, such as "content marketing strategies" or "affordable SEO services." This can identify missed opportunities in your strategy.

Setting Up Location and Device-Specific Tracking

Here are more steps for businesses targeting specific geographic areas or device types:

• Configure Location-Specific Tracking: Use SEMrush or BrightLocal to set up tracking for each location. For example, a local SEO agency can track rankings for keywords like "best SEO agency in San Francisco."
• Track Desktop and Mobile Devices Separately: Set up distinct tracking for desktop and mobile devices to understand platform performance. For instance, mobile searches for "digital marketing services" can have higher engagement than desktop.
• Granular Location Targeting: Use tools like Moz Pro or Semrush to track specific cities or postal codes. If you're targeting a regional market, such as "SEO services in Chicago," this can measure performance more accurately.
• Track Multilingual Keywords: If your business operates in multilingual markets, consider tracking keywords in different languages. For example, tracking "SEO services" in English and Spanish can help assess performance in diverse regions.

Step 3: Generate and Organize Data

You must regularly collect and organize your data to create accurate search engine ranking reports. Here's how to do it:

• Gather Ranking Data at Regular Intervals: Set a regular schedule for data collection, such as weekly or monthly checks. Automated tools gather data consistently and compare it over time to spot patterns and fluctuations. 
• Organize Data Effectively: Use Excel or Google Sheets for ranking reports, with columns for keywords, rankings, and changes. For visual metrics, use dashboards like Google Data Studio. SEMrush or Ahrefs can provide automated, customizable reports if you want to save time and maintain consistency.
• Track Additional Metrics: To enhance your search ranking report, track additional metrics like search volume, click through rates (CTR), and organic search traffic. Monitor monthly search volume to prioritize keywords, analyze how rankings affect CTR, and use Google Analytics to see how shifts in keyword rankings affect the number of website visitors.

Step 4: Customize Reports for Stakeholders

When preparing search engine ranking reports, you should consider your audience. Stakeholders have varying levels of knowledge in search engine optimization and priorities. So, customize your SEO report to make it relevant and actionable for various audiences. Here’s how to tailor reports for various groups:

• Consider the Groups and Teams: For executives, show high-level data like ROI, traffic growth, and conversions instead of technical details. Marketing teams need detailed performance metrics, including keyword rankings and content insights. Technical teams prefer focusing on on-site health, speed, mobile optimization, and crawl errors for better SEO management.
• Using Visuals for Clear Data Presentation: Select visuals that best represent your reporting metrics. Use line graphs to effectively show keyword ranking trends, bar charts to compare traffic sources, and pie charts to illustrate organic traffic distribution. Heat maps can reveal user behavior on web pages, while geo charts highlight regional performance.

Here are a few things to include to make your reports valuable:

• Executive Summary: Highlight key findings and progress towards goals.
• Key Recommendations: Focus on 3 to 5 actionable, relevant, and feasible recommendations.
• Clear Language: Use concise, jargon-free language for easy understanding.
• Contextual Data: Benchmark against industry standards or past performance.
• Action Plan: Outline the next steps, responsible parties, and timelines.

Step 5: Ensure Accuracy and Consistency

Creating accurate and consistent search engine ranking reports is essential for monitoring SEO performance over time. Below are key steps to produce reliable reports: 

• Verify Data Sources: Gather ranking data using reputable SEO tools and analytics platforms like Google Search Console, Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Moz. Checking data from multiple sources helps you be more accurate. However, discrepancies can arise, such as variations in keyword rankings due to different data collection times, regional Google search results, or tracking methods. 
• Maintain Consistent Settings: Always use the same tools for each report and keep location and device settings consistent. Track the same keywords in every report and generate them regularly, such as weekly or monthly. Changing tools or settings midway can cause data inconsistencies, leading to inaccurate trend analysis and insights.
• Avoid Common Errors: Tracking irrelevant or low-volume keywords, misinterpreting normal ranking fluctuations, and focusing only on vanity metrics rather than those tied to business goals can lead to misleading insights. Regularly audit your keyword list and metrics to ensure you’re tracking what’s important, such as conversation rates, traffic growth, and bounce rates.

Regularly Update Tracking Strategies  

Revisiting and adjusting keyword tracking strategies must be done to keep your search engine ranking reports updated. Here’s how:

• Conduct Periodic Keyword Research: To stay competitive, revisit your keyword strategy every 3 to 6 months. For example, analyze search volume trends to reveal seasonal spikes, such as increased searches for "holiday marketing tips" in the fourth quarter. Identify new search terms and reassess keyword difficulty to improve results.
• Adjust On-Page Optimization: Perform content optimization every 1 to 2 months to ensure your content remains aligned with current SEO standards. For instance, refreshing title tags and meta descriptions with targeted keywords can improve click-through rates. You can also update content to reflect new keyword targets in an existing blog post.
• Conduct Routine Competitive Analysis By evaluating competitors’ strategies, you can identify emerging trends. For example, if a competitor is gaining traction with specific content while you’re not, it can be something you should capitalize on. Regularly assess these changes to refine your tracking efforts.

Key Takeaway

Search engine ranking reports are crucial for tracking your website's performance in search results. While many marketers think generating these reports is just about pulling data from tools and throwing it into a document, there's more to it. To make your reports truly accurate and useful, you need to dig deeper for keyword intent, SERP features, and competitor analysis and consider more than just the numbers.

It’s easy to rely only on automated tools and templates, which can give you a skewed or incomplete view. The best way to generate accurate search engine ranking reports is to combine data collection automation with human analysis. Interpret the data and cross-reference it with insights from other sources to get a clearer picture of how your site is performing.

Need help in monitoring your SEO performance? tiny lever is an SEO marketing agency that can provide polished search engine ranking reports. Our expert analysis and high-quality SEO content writing services ensure your data will be able to drive tangible results. Ready to see the difference? Contact us at david@tinylevermarketing.com or fill out this form to improve website performance.