Monitor a clients position in the search engines for a particular keyword.

Selected answers from the Dumb SEO Questions Facebook & G+ community.

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  Nick Thorley: I would like to monitor a clients position in the search engines for a particular keyword and record the results in a spreadsheet so I can show his position over time. At the moment I have been doing this by doing the search in google and recording the position. However I wondered if by the fact I keep searching and not clicking on their link, whether google is monitoring this and will think the website is irrelevant for that keyword and lower it in the rankings which is obviously the opposite of what I am trying to achieve. Firstly is my thought a sensible one and if so, how can I minimise my effect - incognio mode? Also, lots of seo software seem to show the position over time. Do they use the same method or do they just use an api to retrieve the results.
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  Tim Capper: You can use search console, although not exact, it saves you having to check. I use SEMrush to track mine.
  
  I must add, that you should not be basing your work on positions, as they are pretty much irrelevant now.
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  Nick Thorley: +Tim Capper ;may I ask irrelevant in what way - surely being higher is better than lower so better to be organically position 1 than 10?
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  Nick Thorley: +Tim Capper ;Just wanted to let you know that wasnt meant to be a confrontational reply but just trying to understand. Do you mean that its irrelivant in the fact that what may be position 2 for you is position 10 for me based on previous searches, previous activity, location, socal interactions etc
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  Edwin Jonk: From the expert panel in this week's SEO Questions hangout on air on 00:06:35 into the YouTube video: https://dumbseoquestions.com/q/monitor_a_clients_position_in_the_search_engines_for_a_particular_keyword +Nick Thorley
  
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  Dave Elliott: Agree with virtually everything tim said. And he is right about the api stuff as well. They basically data mine the serps rather than using an api. 
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  Nick Thorley: Thanks all. I will listen to the talk and do some more reading. I guess there is never going to be a reliable way to monitor seo performance then bar just measuring the call to action performance ie phone calls, quote requests or orders
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  Nick Thorley: I have listened to the question and thanks for answering. I have tried SEMrush and I do like it and will continue to use it. Wont this software suffer the same problem as me monitoring results though - ie wont its results change based on its location not changing, what searches have been done from its ip address etc. ;
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  Tim Capper: Yes, that is why its pretty pointless using positions as a KPI, Its good to understand the landscape but not for reporting.
  
  Organic traffic and conversions should be the main focus.
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  Nick Thorley: +Tim Capper ;Thanks - is there no way then to compare a client to their competitors. I think most clients want to search and find themselves below a competitor, employ an seo expert and see themselves rise. However I totally understand why, clearly this isnt possible. So bar them saying "I got 2 enquiries a day before you started and now i get 10" I dont see another way the client can monitor performance.
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  Tim Capper: Educate the Client.
  
  1 x vanity Keyword = approx traffic from Google
  
  However, If we answer questions, provide informational content, localised content:  ;this may not be visible vanity keyword but it attracts more traffic.
  
   ;Organic ( NON branded traffic ) and Conversions from NON branded traffic is one of my main KPI's
  
  
  I just had this exact same conversation with a new hotel GM in Chiang Mai.
  
  He kept on about positions for 5 star hotel in Chiang Mai.
  
  I showed him google keyword planner showing a pitiful 200 searches per month.
  
  Then I showed him traffic based on content we had created, improved and marketed.
  
  20, 000 visits per month and direct sales.
  
  I then said >> so what do you want ?
  
  Shall I stop marketing your site to concentrate just on your vanity keyword.
  
  Naturally your vanity keyword does increase over time, BUT you are getting traffic and conversion way before you even hit page 1 for vanity term.