18 replies to this topic

[dzinerbear]

Hi all,

I'm wondering if there is a legitimate way of finding out where a particular site ranks on a particular keyword in Google. I've done some work on a friend's site, but they're competiting in the graphic design sector, so the results are mixed.

In some cases, I'm having trouble finding them at all. Basically, I pump in the keyword in Google, use control + F to see if their URL appears on the page and move on to the next one.

Is there an easier way? And one that won't get me banned? (I heard that using Link Popularity checkers will do that, so I'm leary about using anything automated without checking it out first.)

Thanks
Dzinerbear

[Jill]

Anything automated is against their terms of service. That said, there are plenty of automated rank checking software programs out there. They would work (but be against the tos).

Jill

[DanThies]

There is the Google API, which is Google's way of allowing automated queries. Developing a commercial application with the API without their permission would be against the terms, but you might be able to check your own sites with it.

[Mel]

Hi Dzinerbear:
You can get a free Google search tool which uses the Google API Here.

This tool is very good (for Google searches only) and you will need to create a Google account and get a free license key Here, which will allow you to perform 1000 queries per day

[dzinerbear]

So I'm assuming from the answers that there's no short cut. I need to enter the keyword and then just manually search until I find my page?

I'm sure that someone showed me a year ago a string of stuff I could enter into Google's search field.

As far as the Google API search tool, I checked it out ... thanks ... but it doesn't seem very useful either as it only gives 10 results at a time.

Thanks
Dzinerbear

[TBroadfoot3rd]

As far as the Google API search tool, I checked it out ... thanks ... but it doesn't seem very useful either as it only gives 10 results at a time.

The google api can let you view up to the top 30. Well if the page(s) are not in the first 30 does it matter if you find it on page 45? When I check with the GAPIS (the google api applicaton) if the site is not in the top 30 I know that I have to keep working on the site for that particular keyword/phrase.

Manually sorting through takes a long time which could be better spent fine tuning the page or site in question. The magic is to get into the top 2 pages when possible you won't get there with each word/phrase but if you get enough good solid qualified traffic then your optimization effort is a success. As for worry over a single phrase or keyword and where it ranks will only make you old before your time waste countless hours of looking over the search engines and not using your time to the best advantage of your abilities.

Work on making your site as search engine friendly as possible, use tools that will help you be search engine friendly instead of in search engine limbo. Work towards seeing good solid traffic appear on your site not on individual rankings on any particular search engine. A ranking in google does not guarantee anything but people will go to the site but if the traffic is just passing through and not staying or buying does that ranking mean anything. It is more important to have a site that when people do appear they are “qualified prospects” so that there is a better chance of having an inquiry/lead/sale occur would that be more to you liking or better yet to your client’s? A solid web site that gets to say what it is and is not confusing with proper search engine marketing/optimization techniques applied will bring in over time a better qualified stream of prospects that are looking for what is on the web site. Personally give me a high conversion rate with healthy traffic patterns any day.

Ranking is something we all fixate a bit too much because we cannot see the forest because of the trees. Properly optimized sites will bring in traffic and not always from the keyword/phrase you thought for sure was the winning combo but by the general public typing in terms that are in their minds at the time of the search. You can make your site as search engine friendly to cover as many ways a person would look for your product or service then the traffic will come to your site looking for what you have to offer.

As always YMMV,

[Phil CK]

However, don't forget that if you do a normal manual search on Google, you can change the results to display 100 at a time which should entail less searches & therefore time. Check the Preferences Page on Google.

[TBroadfoot3rd]

Does setting the google search to 100 also mean that more adwords will also appear along the right side?

[Mel]

No it appears to me that you get the same number of adwords with the results set to 10 or 100

[TBroadfoot3rd]

No it appears to me that you get the same number of adwords with the results set to 10 or 100

Thank you

[darciusrex]

Hey dzinerbear!
I know your frustration! The company website I'm working on has the goal of being VERY user friendly and over time wants to dominate its category (don't we all!) by getting quality traffic that is actually interested in what we have. But it's tough to know where you sit without checking your rankings with keyword phrases to even see if you're a contender. Is Webposition Gold a good way to check positioning in keyword phrase searches or is it an automated thingymajig (sorry-my brain is broken!) that will hurt more than it helps?

[TBroadfoot3rd]

Is Webposition Gold a good way to check positioning in keyword phrase searches or is it an automated thingymajig (sorry-my brain is broken!) that will hurt more than it helps?

"Don't use unauthorized computer programs to submit pages, check rankings, etc. Such programs consume computing resources and violate our terms of service. Google does not recommend the use of products such as WebPosition Gold™ that send automatic or programmatic queries to Google. "

That is from the webmaster's page at Google if you want to read the whole specification that Google requires or at least publicly requires from webmasters and others interested in making submissions to Google then you can check this link out:

http://www.google.co...guidelines.html

As always YMMV,

[dzinerbear]

As far as my sites and my customers sites and search engine optimization are concerned, I don't use anything automated.

Search engines are too picky, they don't like this, that and the other thing. They will penalize you for x, y, z, and the moon. So, I just steer clear of anything automated except keyword suggestion tools.

I don't like some of the things the Search Position Gold does, so I just steer clear of it because I figure it they try to make more money by selling monthly submission to their clients (which is useful and can be harmful) then they probably aren't worth trusting with my sites.

Do it manually, or don't do it at all is my approach.

Dzinerbear

[dzinerbear]

Sorry I meant to say WebPosition Gold not Search Position Gold.

[darciusrex]

So, the only way Google will allow us to check our rankings is by spending many hours checking it manually? Too bad. But thanks for letting the world know about the negative side effects of programs like those. The company I work for was going to invest some many in one, but now. . . it doesn't sound worth it!