Tracking keyword rankings in SEO Fundamentals - Step-by-Step Execution

Concept Flow - Tracking keyword rankings

Select Keywords to Track

↓

Use Ranking Tool or Software

↓

Fetch Current Rankings

↓

Record Rankings in Database or Sheet

↓

Analyze Changes Over Time

↓

Adjust SEO Strategy Based on Data

↓

Repeat Regularly

The process starts by choosing keywords, then using tools to find their current positions, recording these, analyzing trends, and adjusting SEO efforts accordingly.

Execution Sample

SEO Fundamentals

keywords = ['shoes', 'running shoes', 'best shoes']
rankings = {}
for kw in keywords:
    rankings[kw] = get_rank(kw)
print(rankings)

This code checks the current ranking for each keyword and stores the results.

Analysis Table

Step	Keyword	Action	Ranking Fetched	Rankings State
1	shoes	Call get_rank('shoes')	5	{'shoes': 5}
2	running shoes	Call get_rank('running shoes')	12	{'shoes': 5, 'running shoes': 12}
3	best shoes	Call get_rank('best shoes')	8	{'shoes': 5, 'running shoes': 12, 'best shoes': 8}
4	-	Print rankings dictionary	{'shoes': 5, 'running shoes': 12, 'best shoes': 8}	Final rankings recorded

💡 All keywords processed and their rankings recorded.

State Tracker

Variable	Start	After 1	After 2	After 3	Final
keywords	['shoes', 'running shoes', 'best shoes']	Same	Same	Same	Same
rankings	{}	{'shoes': 5}	{'shoes': 5, 'running shoes': 12}	{'shoes': 5, 'running shoes': 12, 'best shoes': 8}	{'shoes': 5, 'running shoes': 12, 'best shoes': 8}

Key Insights - 2 Insights

Why do we store rankings in a dictionary instead of printing immediately?

Storing rankings allows us to keep all data together for later analysis or comparison, as shown in the execution_table rows 1-3 where rankings build up before final output.

What happens if a keyword is missing from the rankings dictionary?

It means that keyword was not processed yet or the ranking was not fetched, as seen before step 1 where rankings is empty.

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution_table at Step 2, what is the ranking fetched for 'running shoes'?

A 5

B 8

C 12

D Not fetched yet

💡 Hint

Check the 'Ranking Fetched' column at Step 2 in the execution_table.

At which step does the rankings dictionary first contain all keywords?

A Step 3

B Step 4

C Step 1

D Never

💡 Hint

Look at the 'Rankings State' column to see when all keywords appear.

If we add a new keyword to the list, how will the variable_tracker change?

A keywords list will shrink

B rankings will have one more entry after the last step

C rankings dictionary will be empty

D No change at all

💡 Hint

Adding a keyword means rankings will store its rank, so rankings grows as shown in variable_tracker.

Concept Snapshot

Tracking keyword rankings:
1. Choose keywords to monitor.
2. Use tools to get current search positions.
3. Store rankings in a list or dictionary.
4. Analyze changes over time.
5. Adjust SEO based on ranking trends.
Repeat regularly for best results.

Full Transcript

Tracking keyword rankings involves selecting important keywords and using SEO tools to find their current positions in search results. These rankings are stored in a structured way, like a dictionary, to keep track of each keyword's position. Over time, by comparing these rankings, you can see if your SEO efforts are working or need adjustment. This process repeats regularly to maintain and improve search visibility.

Practice

1. What is the main purpose of tracking keyword rankings in SEO?

easy

A. To see how well your website appears in search results

B. To design the website layout

C. To increase website loading speed

D. To write blog posts automatically

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand keyword ranking meaning

   Keyword ranking shows where your website appears in search engine results for specific words.

2. Step 2: Identify the main goal of tracking rankings

   Tracking rankings helps you know how visible your website is to users searching those keywords.

3. Final Answer:

   To see how well your website appears in search results -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Keyword ranking = website visibility [OK]

Hint: Rankings show your website's search result position [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing ranking with website design
• Thinking ranking improves speed
• Assuming ranking creates content

2. Which of the following is a common method to track keyword rankings?

easy

A. Increasing website font size

B. Editing website HTML code manually

C. Using SEO tools like Google Search Console

D. Adding more images to pages

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify tools for tracking rankings

   SEO tools like Google Search Console provide data on keyword positions in search results.

2. Step 2: Recognize unrelated actions

   Editing code, changing font size, or adding images do not track keyword rankings directly.

3. Final Answer:

   Using SEO tools like Google Search Console -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   SEO tools = ranking tracking [OK]

Hint: Use SEO tools, not design changes, to track rankings [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing design changes with ranking tracking
• Thinking manual code edits track rankings
• Assuming images affect ranking data collection

3. If a website's keyword ranking improves from position 10 to position 3, what does this mean?

medium

A. The website is now less visible in search results

B. The website lost all its traffic

C. The website's loading speed increased

D. The website moved closer to the top of search results

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand ranking positions

   Lower position numbers mean higher placement on search results (position 1 is top).

2. Step 2: Interpret position change from 10 to 3

   Moving from 10 to 3 means the website is now ranked higher and more visible.

3. Final Answer:

   The website moved closer to the top of search results -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Lower rank number = better position [OK]

Hint: Smaller rank number means better position [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking higher number means better rank
• Confusing ranking with traffic loss
• Mixing ranking with site speed

4. A website owner notices their keyword ranking tool shows no data after setup. What is a likely cause?

medium

A. The tracking tool was not properly connected to the website

B. The website has too many images

C. The website's font size is too small

D. The website uses too many keywords

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify why no data appears

   No data usually means the tool is not linked correctly to the website or search engine.

2. Step 2: Exclude unrelated reasons

   Images, font size, or keyword count do not prevent data collection by tracking tools.

3. Final Answer:

   The tracking tool was not properly connected to the website -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Connection issue = no data [OK]

Hint: Check tool connection if no ranking data shows [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Blaming images or font size for missing data
• Assuming keyword count stops data
• Ignoring setup steps for tracking tools

5. You want to track keyword rankings for multiple locations to see how your website performs locally. Which approach is best?

hard

A. Check rankings only on your home computer

B. Use an SEO tool that supports location-based ranking tracking

C. Track rankings by changing website font colors

D. Add more keywords to your homepage

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand location-based ranking tracking

   Rankings can differ by location, so tools that track by location give accurate local data.

2. Step 2: Evaluate other options

   Checking on one computer or changing font colors does not provide location-specific ranking data.

3. Final Answer:

   Use an SEO tool that supports location-based ranking tracking -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Location tracking needs specialized SEO tools [OK]

Hint: Choose SEO tools with local tracking features [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming one computer shows all locations
• Confusing design changes with tracking
• Thinking more keywords alone track locations