Google Analytics is an excellent free web analytics tool. But there’s something that few marketers are aware of:
Did you realize that you can still use Google Analytics to track keyword rankings? All users have access to this keyword ranking data.
In this post, we’ll walk you through the procedures of analyzing your site’s keyword ranking in Google Analytics, as well as how to improve organic keyword performance.
Connect to Google Search Console
Go to Acquisition > Search Console > Queries to get started.
Now select ‘Set up Search Console data sharing’ from the drop-down menu.
After that, you’ll need to give your property a name, a default URL, and a default view.
When this is done, the word “success” will appear on the screen.
It may take a few days for the data to appear, but once it does, go to:
Queries | Acquisitions | Search Console
There, you’ll find all of your Google Search Console data, including clicks and searches, instantly imported.
What if you don’t see any data?
This can occur for a variety of reasons.
Connection issues with Google Analytics
If you’ve only recently launched a new site, don’t expect to get much traffic right away.
Are you unable to link your Google accounts? The Google accounts with the same email account are required for the integration procedure. This is a frequent troubleshooting issue if you manage several websites.
Looking at keyword rankings in Google Analytics
Analyze your keyword ranks using the parameters listed below.
Query is the keyword or phrase for which you are now ranking in Google Search Console. Clicks Rankings aren’t enough; you need people to click on your links as well. When a term receives more than 100 clicks per month, tracking conversions becomes valuable. The more clicks you get, the higher your rating will be. Google frequently claims that clicks have no bearing on rankings.
This is what you’ll see if you want to check your keyword rankings. Google Analytics, on the other hand, displays your average ranking position across all URLs. The average position would be 7 ((4+10)/2) if your site’s Url showed at position 4 for one query and 10 for another.
The Common Issue with Google Search Console
Google Search Console is useful for displaying some terms that were previously hidden in Google Analytics. However, it will only show you a small portion of the general terms used to locate your website. It’s also a good idea to try and use a reliable SERP checker tool in order to keep an eye on any new movements.
But let’s look at an example to highlight one of the main differences.
Let’s say someone is looking for a car dealership in California. They instantly search for ‘truck dealership in California’ after being dissatisfied with the results.
Because of the similar terms ‘dealership’ and ‘California’ and the proximity of the two queries, Google classifies them as one search and one keyword.
The quickest approach to track keyword rankings in Google Analytics is to use the keyword tracking tool.
In six easy steps, you can restore all of your keywords in Google Analytics.
Since Secure Search, any terms that are previously hidden as ‘not given’ will be visible.
- Step 1: Create a Keyword Hero account.
- Step 2: Go to the GA view that has the domain in it.
- Step 3: Pick a conversion or goal to work towards.
- Step 4: Make sure you’ve got the correct Search Console properties connected.
- Step 5: Create a user account for uploading.
- Step 6: Pick the best plan.
The installation is simple and takes about 2 minutes. You can start tracking your keyword ranking in Google Analytics once you’ve gotten your keywords back into the program.
Why is it necessary to analyze keyword rankings?
Ranking equals traffic, which equals conversions, which equals income. The difference in traffic between a top 10 SERPs position and positions 11 and up is an order of magnitude.
The following are some of the advantages of gaining visibility over keyword ranking in Google Analytics:
Identify keyword opportunities for quick wins
You can employ keyword optimization methods to enhance the ranking of keywords in positions 11 or 12. This is a rapid gain in traffic that will flow to those phrases if they show higher in the SERPs.
Keep brand terms secure
You’d think that your firm will always hold the first SERP position for brand keywords. That isn’t always the case, though. Competitors may try to grab the #1 SERP position by targeting your brand keywords. You can always keep an eye on competitors making movements on your brand keywords with the custom position metric.
Determine which keywords have weakening positions
Because you haven’t updated the content on the relevant landing page, one of your top keywords may lose ground. You can guarantee that each landing page receives the right amount of upkeep to maintain its SERP position if you include keyword ranking in Google Analytics into your content plan.
Five things you can do to increase your keyword ranking (SEO)
Follow these tips to increase your search engine optimization (SEO) and see your pages soar to the top of the SERPs.
Keywords Should Match the User’s Goal
It is Google’s responsibility to ensure that most users discover what they are looking for as soon as possible on the search engine. As a result, it wishes to make sure that the user intent for a keyword search phrase corresponds to the landing page’s content.
If someone searches for a “guide to weight loss” and ends up on a page that appears to be about weight loss until the third paragraph, when it suddenly becomes clear that it is about Bitcoin, Google will penalize the website.
Keyword Placement
If you use WordPress, you’re probably familiar with the Yoast SEO plugin. Getting approval for a new page, for example, necessitates the inclusion of the target term in the title (preferably near the start). Include the keyword in the opening paragraph and 2-3 times in the body text, picture alt text, and snippet.
You should also use an H2 header to add the keyword
Keyword density is a thing of the past. They perished long before RankBrain and neural networks, perhaps around the time Panda was released in 2011. Don’t be concerned about keyword density.
Update Your Pages Regularly
Google enjoys new content. Regularly updated content is one of the finest indications of a site’s relevance, so make sure your sites are current. Each month, use Google Analytics to check keywords and make comparisons. The first sign that anything is wrong is a rising bounce rate.
Analyze the SERPs
For each of your target keywords, look at the top three SERP results. This is the kind of content that folks looking for this term want to read.
User Experience Should be Prioritized
Have you ever visited a website where the text color and the backdrop color are incompatible? If your website fails the contrast checker, several simple design tweaks might significantly influence overall UX and page ranking. Have you ever seen a blog where the sentences were extensive, and the paragraphs were multi-lined with minimal white space? If you did, chances are you didn’t stay long because reading wasn’t a pleasant experience for you.
