SERP results by area

[Simon.P]

I notice the excellent serplab has the option to specify area for the keywords you are working / watching. Just make sure its the same syntax as Google maps and submit. One keyword i am working on is serp 3 when specifying the area, and 34 when just google uk. I guess its good to compare, but not to rely on Google actually knowing where the searcher is exactly! What do others think?

 

[justinaldridge]

Rank trackers are becoming less and less relevant. We all see different results depending on where we are, our search histories, our connections and the devices we are using to search.

Traffic and conversions should be the main focus these days and not specific rankings.

In answer to your question, for hyper local searches you should set the tracker to that location and if it's a local business really focus on getting into the local 3-pack.

If business is national then you can look at both local and national results....although always noting that actual results will vary.

We tend to focus much more on the "Average position" values for search terms in Search Analytics in Search Console these days.

 

[Simon.P]

Hi Justin.
Thanks for taking the time to reply to me. Points noted.
The local pack is something i do appear in thankfully. Just a shame a lot of people still use hotmail which is sod all good for Google reviews!

 

[justinaldridge]

Haha! I know. It's quite a challenge getting reviews on Google. We have to pester clients to pester their clients continuously for Google reviews but it's not easy!

Great to hear you're already in the local pack

 

[Simon.P]

Indeed!
I have a one liner in my email signature and it's on invoices too. I had thank you cards designed and when someone leaves me a review i put a £10 amazon voucher inside them and pop it in the post.
Few months back, google email me saying someone had left me a 5 star review (content inside email body as you know) which was about 10 words and to the point. Put a card in the post to them, but then several days later i noticed the review wasn't on my google business page.
I contacted them and they said they had removed it. I asked why and they said we reserve the right blah blah.. The crazy thing is it wasn't at all spammy and the email address the customer uses has been in use for years so no idea whatsoever why they removed it. I see some which (to me) look like have been created by the business owner and are up.
There is method in Googles madness i am sure

 

[Dizz]

Rank trackers are becoming less and less relevant. We all see different results depending on where we are, our search histories, our connections and the devices we are using to search.

Traffic and conversions should be the main focus these days and not specific rankings.

In answer to your question, for hyper local searches you should set the tracker to that location and if it's a local business really focus on getting into the local 3-pack.

If business is national then you can look at both local and national results....although always noting that actual results will vary.

We tend to focus much more on the "Average position" values for search terms in Search Analytics in Search Console these days.

Very good pointers. Thank you so much for the share!

 

[StevePoster]

It will be a manual search instead of using tools for more accurate results specific or in general locations. I'm wondering in Google if they just only applying a system for filtering reviews and when the banned phrases or words are tracked it will immediately removed.