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How Do Search Engines Work? (Quick Guide for Beginners)

January 21, 2025/0 Comments/in Web Design News/by

Search engines help users find webpages related to specific search terms (called queries).

Understanding how search engines work can help you make your pages more accessible.

And ultimately direct more potential customers to your site.

This guide explains how search engines discover, store, and rank content. You’ll also get tips on how to increase visibility in search results.

How Do Search Engines Work?

Search engines provide users with a list of relevant webpage results related to their search queries (i.e., the words they type into the search bar).

They accomplish this by following a three-step process:

Crawling: Discovering and downloading the content of webpages
Indexing: Analyzing and storing that content in a database
Ranking: Ordering results based on their relevance to a user’s search query

Each page must pass through these stages to appear in search engine results pages (SERPs).

Discovering Webpages

Search engines use web crawlers (also called bots or spiders) to follow links across the web and find new URLs.

When a crawler discovers a new URL, it downloads the page’s text, images, and other elements.

The crawler then follows links on that page to find more URLs.

If your site relies heavily on JavaScript, Googlebot will take additional rendering steps to ensure it sees all of your content.

Some situations prevent successful crawling. For example, website owners can use meta robots tags to block crawlers like Googlebot.

Server errors can also prevent crawlers from accessing content.

Crawl Budget

Crawl budget is the amount of time a search engine’s crawler spends within a specific time frame.

Two main factors influence crawl budget:

Crawl demand: How popular and fresh the site’s content is
Crawl capacity: How quickly the site responds to crawler requests

Large websites with many pages may see slower crawling. Small sites usually have enough crawl budget for all pages.

Sitemaps

A sitemap is a file listing important pages on a website and guides crawlers to key content.

This is a sample of Backlinko’s XML sitemap:

Including important pages in a sitemap can help search engines index them faster.

To learn how to create a sitemap, read our guide to the top sitemap generator tools.

Pro tip: Semrush’s Site Audit tool can help you identify and address crawl budget issues or sitemap errors.

Organizing Web Content

After crawling, search engines analyze pages to understand their topics. They store processed information in a large database called the index.

All search engines follow the same general process for indexing.

They record details like keywords, metadata, and page quality signals.

They also note technical factors such as Google’s Core Web Vitals and country associations.

What Prevents a Page from Getting Indexed?

Search engines don’t index every page they crawl because they only want to show users high-quality pages.

A page might not be indexed if:

The page is low-quality or violates Google’s content policies
The page returns an HTTP status code error (4xx or 5xx)
The page design creates issues for successful indexing
The site owner has requested the page not be indexed (via a noindex tag)

Among other possible reasons.

Indexing isn’t guaranteed, so make sure your pages meet Google’s search quality standards to increase your chances.

How to Get Indexed by Google

To get indexed by Google, you have two options:

Wait for Googlebot to discover your pages naturally
Submit your site for indexing in your Google Search Console account

Both options can take days or even weeks.

To learn more about URL inspection, check out our Google Search Console guide.

Determining Which Content to Rank

Ranking determines the order of results that appear in response to a search query.

Each search engine uses proprietary ranking algorithms and updates them frequently.

Google SERP – How to style a grandfather clock

Search engines use a variety of ranking factors to determine the order of search results, but some are more important than others.

Google weighs the following factors heavily:

Keywords: Terms that represent the page’s main topic
Search intent: The user’s purpose (e.g., answering a question, finding a product, etc.)
Location: The searcher’s geographic location
User history: Past searches and visited pages

Other factors like backlinks, page load times, content quality, and some meta tags are also used in ranking.

For a comprehensive list, see our ranking factors guide.

Why Search Results Change Over Time

Search engines want to show users the most accurate, up-to-date information possible, which may lead to changing the order of search results.

For example, “best restaurants near me,” results change as you move locations, new restaurants open in your area, or customer reviews change.

Also, changes to ranking algorithms may reorder search results drastically.

When Google updates its algorithms, it usually offers guidance to site owners in its Search Central Blog.

Presenting the Best Answers

Search engines show more than simple links.

They display special SERP features to present answers quickly and enhance the user’s experience.

For example, a user searching for “sugar cookies” may be looking for recipes, nutritional facts, or a list of ingredients.

Google returns varied results to satisfy all of these potential intents.

But a user searching for “buy sugar cookies” has transactional intent.

Google returns product results to make it easier for users to locate key information about the product.

SERP features can make the search experience more enjoyable for users.

Common types include:

Popular Products: A list of products with key information like price, reviews, and shipping information
Organization: A knowledge panel with key information about a business like founders, history, social media profiles, and more
Local Business: A knowledge panel featuring key information about a local business like address, phone number, and hours of operation
FAQs: A list of questions and answers about a topic

Paid search results may also appear at the top of the SERPs.

To qualify, sites need to set up Google Ads campaigns and bid for specific keywords.

AI Overviews, featured snippets, and People Also Ask boxes often appear for informational searches.

Like this:

Google SERP – What is content automation

These features deliver quick answers and can increase visibility for pages that earn these placements.

Turn Your Search Engine Knowledge into Rankings

While many factors could be at play, understanding how search engines work is an essential first step to helping your content rank higher for the keywords that matter most to your audience.

Armed with this knowledge, you can boost your site’s visibility and get your pages in front of the right people.

The next critical step?

Making sure your website’s technical foundation helps search engines efficiently crawl, index, and rank your content.

Check out our technical SEO guide to optimize your site for better search visibility.

The post How Do Search Engines Work?<br> (Quick Guide for Beginners) appeared first on Backlinko.

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Make 2025 the year your video creative shines by Edna Chavira

January 21, 2025/0 Comments/in Search Engine Land, Web Design News/by

MarTech Webinar--Learn what makes videos effective on CTV

As you set your 2025 professional goals, why not add one more—elevating your advertising creative? A fresh, intentional approach can be the key to standing out in an increasingly competitive landscape.

Connected TV (CTV) is the perfect platform to make it happen, combining the precision of digital targeting with the storytelling power of high-quality video. Whether you’re already using CTV or exploring it for the first time, the right creative strategy can make all the difference.

Join Realize Your Creative Vision in 2025 to learn:

What makes video ads effective
How often to refresh your creatives
A real-world success story of a brand turning creative into a competitive edge

Start 2025 with a creative strategy that drives results. Save your spot here!

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New Google Ads feature spotted: Asset history

January 21, 2025/0 Comments/in Search Engine Land, Web Design News/by

What 54 Google Ads experiments taught us about lead gen

A new “Used since” column reveals when assets were added to Google Ads accounts, giving advertisers crucial historical context for managing their creative assets.

The addition of this timestamp feature addresses a common pain point for digital marketers who inherit or audit accounts, as they previously had no easy way to determine how long specific assets had been in use.

Details. The new column appears at the asset level within Google Ads accounts, providing a clear date stamp for when each creative element was implemented.

Why we care. Understanding the timeline of asset implementation helps you track performance over time and maintain fresh, relevant creative content.

First seen. This update was first seen on PPC News Feed.

What’s next. This feature could signal Google’s broader commitment to increasing transparency and giving advertisers more tools for historical analysis of their accounts.

Bottom line. For agencies and in-house teams managing multiple accounts or transitioning between account managers, this feature streamlines the process of understanding asset history and planning creative refreshes.

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Want to speak at SMX Advanced in-person? Now’s the time to submit your most advanced session ideas.

January 21, 2025/0 Comments/in Search Engine Land, Web Design News/by

SMX Advanced, the premier conference for experienced senior-level search marketers, is hosting its first in-person event since 2019 – this June 11-13, 2025, at the Westin Boston Seaport!

We’re excited to bring the most advanced SEO, PPC, and AI tactics to the search marketing community – and here’s where you come in.

Search continues to change at a break-neck pace as we learn how to integrate AI into our processes, optimize for AI Overview and other generative engines, and stay ahead of Google algorithm updates. On the PPC side, getting the information needed to make data-driven decisions is getting even harder, and we have fewer things we can control.

If you know how to solve complex search challenges and have implemented leading edge techniques, we want to hear from you. Even if you’ve never spoken at SMX (in-person or online), consider submitting a session topic idea. We are always looking for new speakers with diverse points of view.

The deadline for SMX Advanced pitches is March 5. The earlier you submit proposals, the better. Spots fill up quickly.

Here are a few tips for submitting a compelling session proposal:

Make sure it is a truly advanced topic geared toward intermediate to advanced search marketing professionals.
Present an original idea and/or unique session format.
Include a case study or specific examples.
Be realistic about what you can present in 20 minutes.
Provide tangible takeaways and a plan of action.
Include what an attendee will be able to do better as a result of attending your session.

Read our guide to speaking at SMX for more details on how to submit a session idea. If you’re ready to get started, begin by creating your profile and submitting your session pitch.

If you have questions, feel free to contact me directly at kathy.bushman@semrush.com. I’m looking forward to reading your proposals!

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How to optimize PPC forms and follow-ups for lead gen in 2025

January 21, 2025/0 Comments/in Search Engine Land, Web Design News/by

No matter how perfectly crafted your PPC ads are, their success hinges on what happens after the click.

In 2025, optimizing your forms and follow-up processes is the key to turning traffic into high-quality leads and ensuring your campaigns deliver real results.

Why optimizing forms and follow-ups is essential

Google’s mantra, “Focus on the user, and all else will follow,” rings especially true in lead generation.

While PPC marketers often focus on perfecting ad copy, audience targeting, and bidding strategies, many overlook a crucial element: the post-click experience.

No matter how strong your campaigns are, they won’t deliver their full potential if your forms and follow-up processes aren’t optimized.

Google estimates that businesses earn an average of $8 in profit for every $1 spent on Google Ads.

Still, this kind of return is only achievable when the entire user journey – from click to conversion – is seamless and user-centric.

PPC success doesn’t end when a user clicks on your ad; it starts there.

Lead forms offer valuable data, and small tweaks to their design, functionality, and follow-up strategy can make all the difference.

In 2025, it’s time to shift focus from experimental PPC strategies and invest in:

Conversion rate optimization (CRO).
Human-centered design.
Smart use of technology.

Refining these touchpoints will be key to attracting higher-quality leads and boosting your campaign results this year.

With optimized forms and strategic follow-ups, every click from your PPC campaign delivers value.

Whether you’re collecting leads through forms or other tools like chatbots or call tracking, the goal remains the same: guide future customers smoothly through your lead-gen funnel.

Here are the five key methods to perfect in 2025:

1. Crafting PPC forms for maximum conversions

The era of a one-size-fits-all approach is over.

Forms must be tailored to the specific needs of each industry, customer segment, and sales process to effectively serve both the user experience and the sales team’s ability to close deals.

It’s common knowledge that every additional field in a form introduces potential friction. Reducing the number of fields can significantly boost conversions.

However, simplicity must be balanced with the data necessary to qualify a prospect.

Different industries and businesses require varying levels of personalization.

Real estate or local services

The “sweet spot” for most industries is between 3 to 5 fields. However, this isn’t a one-size-fits-all rule. Simplified forms may overlook key insights needed to move leads down the funnel.
A/B testing a basic form (name, email, ZIP code) against a more detailed one (asking about intent and timeline) can help determine whether complexity improves or hinders conversions.
Another approach is using a multi-step funnel, where initial engagement leads to deeper qualification questions.

B2B SaaS or high-ticket services

These industries require more nuanced testing.
If a single landing page form doesn’t deliver quality leads, try multi-step forms to gather detailed information over time without overwhelming users.

Pest control service

A single-field form asking for a ZIP code to generate instant quotes works well, as users in urgent situations prioritize speed and simplicity over additional questions.

Education SaaS campaign

For an ebook offer like “How to double campaign ROI with automated email workflows,” a form asking only for a name and email maximizes conversions.
The user is in the early stages of the funnel, so simplicity reduces friction and captures basic contact info for future nurturing.

Higher education

Universities may require more flexibility in how they present questions.
Multi-step forms, broken into smaller sections on different landing pages (e.g., Step 1: Contact Information, Step 2: Program Interest), can help guide users without overwhelming them.

In addition, dynamic forms that adapt based on user input can also enhance engagement and personalization.

For example, tailoring follow-up questions when users select “Undergraduate” or “MBA” ensures that the form remains relevant to their needs, providing a more customized experience.

Finally, A/B testing different landing page strategies (i.e., comparing multi-step forms to single-step forms) helps determine which approach works best for your audience.

Platforms like Google Ads, Microsoft Advertising, and LinkedIn Ads offer built-in experimentation tools to make testing easier.

By leveraging these tools, marketers can refine their forms and landing pages to create a seamless, user-friendly experience that drives higher conversion rates.

Dig deeper: Paid search for lead gen: Tips for new accounts with limited budgets

Get the newsletter search marketers rely on.

Business email address

See terms.

2. Personalizing follow-ups with AI automation

Personalization is no longer a “nice-to-have” in CRO; it’s an expectation.

AI tools allow businesses to automate follow-ups by using the data collected from forms to deliver highly targeted actions, moving leads from marketing-qualified to sales-qualified.

Below are best practices for AI-powered follow-ups.

Instant responses

Outside of ensuring your webpage speed is optimized, try implementing AI-driven chatbots or automated emails to engage with leads immediately after form submission.
This prompt engagement can significantly enhance user experience and conversion rates.

Multi-channel outreach

Combine email automation with SMS or social media follow-ups to increase touchpoints and meet leads where they are most active.
This diversified approach can improve engagement rates and lead to nurturing effectiveness.

Hyper-personalization

Use AI to analyze user behaviors, preferences, and contexts.
This enables the delivery of highly personalized content and offers by leveraging tools such as heatmaps, live user tracking, and funnel analysis.

Behavior-based sequencing

If a user doesn’t engage with the first follow-up, AI can trigger tailored messages based on their behavior.
Use multi-channel outreach with AI automation to email follow-ups with SMS.

Dig deeper: Hyper-personalization in PPC: Using data to deliver tailored ad experiences

3. Beyond forms: Lead gen strategies without traditional forms

Not all lead gen businesses rely solely on forms.

Many companies operate in industries where forms aren’t the primary conversion tool.

Here’s how to optimize other lead collection methods:

Click-to-call campaigns: They are typically best for service-based businesses with clear “call now” CTAs in the ads and landing pages that use call tracking numbers to analyze ad performance.
Chatbots and conversational ads: Chatbots could be a supplemental move for ecommerce where a user may have quick questions in real time before making a purchase.
Paid social ads: Industries like education or business consulting, where simplicity is valued, can benefit from social ads on Meta or LinkedIn. These platforms allow users to submit their information without leaving the site, reducing lead friction. For international leads, click-to-WhatsApp messaging can minimize friction further.

While optimizing your forms and follow-ups is crucial, ongoing analysis of your campaigns is equally important.

This helps refine A/B testing strategies and continuously improve lead quality through:

Offline conversion tracking: Integrate CRM data into Google Ads to identify campaigns and keywords generating high-quality leads.
Qualifying fields: Add fields like budget or timeline to filter unqualified leads.
A/B testing: Test variations of form fields, layouts, and CTAs to improve conversion rates without sacrificing lead quality.

Dig deeper: Lead gen advertising in the automation era: How any brand can succeed

Final thoughts

PPC success requires more than strong ads. You need a strategy that goes beyond Google or Microsoft Bing.

By optimizing forms, using AI for personalized follow-ups, and exploring new lead-gen tactics, you can turn every click into real results.

This year, focus on refining your campaigns to generate leads that make an impact, not just traffic.

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Google Ads Search Max – new match type spotted

January 20, 2025/0 Comments/in Search Engine Land, Web Design News/by

Google could soon launch a new feature in Google Ads called “Search Max,” designed to deliver smarter, more adaptable ad performance in response to the evolving search landscape.

What’s happening:

A Search Max option has appeared in the match type report for some advertisers, hinting at an upcoming rollout.
Lars Thoning Dybro first spotted the update, with Adriaan Dekker sharing additional details and a screenshot on LinkedIn.

What we know. We know little so far, as Google has not commented on this update. However, ecommerce expert Mike Ryan speculated that it’s an iteration of a “Smart Matching” match type test that he saw in 2021:

Why we care. Given Google’s track record with automated solutions like Performance Max, Search Max could indicate a major shift in how search advertising is conducted, potentially requiring advertisers to adapt their strategies and prepare for match types working in a brand new way.

Between the lines. While official details are sparse, this move aligns with Google’s trend toward automation and AI-driven advertising solutions, like Performance Max.

What’s next. Keep an eye on your Google Ads account for updates as this feature continues to surface. If Search Max is widely implemented, it could reshape search campaign strategies by streamlining ad creation and targeting.

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Google introduces ‘Source’ column in Performance Max search terms insights

January 20, 2025/0 Comments/in Search Engine Land, Web Design News/by

Optimizing your Performance Max campaigns with Google Ads, GA4 data

Google rolled out an update to Performance Max campaigns, introducing a new “Source” column in the Search Terms Insights. This enhancement aims to provide advertisers with greater transparency about why their ads are triggered for specific search categories.

What’s new:

The “Source” column explains Google’s reasoning for triggering ads for a particular search category, offering insights into ad performance and targeting logic.
Advertisers can use this data to better understand how search categories align with their campaign goals and audience targeting strategies.

How to access it. Check if the new column is available in your account by navigating:

Campaign > Insights and Reports > Insights > Search Terms Insights > Search Category

Why we care. The new “Source” column helps you understand the logic behind Google’s ad-serving decisions, enabling better optimization of campaign targeting and budget allocation.

First seen. This update was first brought to our attention by Natasha Kaurra on LinkedIn:

Zoom out. This update follows Google’s ongoing updates to provide advertisers with better tools to optimize campaigns and demystify ad triggers in Performance Max. By offering clearer insights into search term associations, Google aims to enhance campaign precision and advertiser confidence.

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7 Best SERP Tracking Tools for 2025 [In-Depth Review]

January 18, 2025/0 Comments/in Robbie Richards, Web Design News/by

How do you track movement in the SERPs?

Do you keep a manual spreadsheet that you update diligently every day? Maybe you only have access to weekly data?

Neither option is ideal, especially when you want to track a large volume of keywords, competitors and SERP features across multiple clients and different search engines.

SERP tracking tools allow you to enter all the keywords you want to monitor, along with their respective SERP features.

No more manual (and probably inaccurate) spreadsheets. And no more waiting for fresh data.

In this post, we’ll explore the key features to look for in SERP tracking software, and look at a shortlist of tools to consider and how they stack up against each other.

The best SERP Trackers:

AccuRanker – fastest and most accurate standalone daily SERP tracker, but more expensive.
Semrush Position Tracker is an accurate daily SERP tracker that’s part of a leading all-in-one SEO platform. The SERP Gap Analyzer app can analyze multiple data points across thousands of SERPs to identify existing and new content opportunities and provide actionable recommendations for improving rankings.
ProRankTracker – cost-effective standalone SERP tracking solution with solid reporting capabilities.
Advanced Web Ranking (AWR) – advanced standalone SERP tracker with excellent white-label reports.
SERPWatcher – affordable SERP checker part of Mangool’s SEO suite.
SE Ranking – cost-effective rank tracker part of an all-in-one SEO toolset.
Nightwatch – accurate and affordable daily rank tracker.

If you want to skip ahead to a specific section in the post, please use the jump links below:

Disclosure: There are some affiliate links in this article. If you decide to purchase a tool through one of those affiliate links, I will receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support.

Why Should You Invest in SERP Tracking Software?

One of the leading indicators to validate your efforts, and justify an investment in SEO, is the ability to accurately track the movements of your SERP features and positions across different search engines, locations, and devices.

You need to be able to show progress. And the right SERP tracking software can help you do that at a granular level, and tie it back to key business objectives (more on this later).

SERP trackers will enable you to:

Monitor rankings across devices, locations, search engines and intent buckets.
Notify you when your ranking drops, so you can react quickly and fix any problems.
Track competitor performance, so you can identify their strengths and weaknesses.
Track where you are gaining and losing visibility across a range of SERP features – featured snippets, carousels, videos and more.
Show the correlation between rankings, traffic, and conversions/ revenue.

And a lot more.

9 Features to Look for in SERP Tracking Software

In this section, we’ll highlight the essential features you need to consider when looking for the best SERP tracking software.

#1. Access accurate on-demand ranking updates

SERP positions change fast, so you’ll need a SERP tracker that’s frequently updated with the latest accurate ranking data. You don’t want to have to wait days for tools to update. You need access to real-time on-demand data.

AccuRanker (aff) is a leader in this category. The software updates your keyword sets automatically every 24-hours, and if you want, you can refresh the rankings data on-demand with the click of a button:

#2. Monitor performance across SERP features

When you’re looking to rank in Position #0 or grab a specific SERP feature – AI Overviews, featured snippets, PAAs, video carousels, knowledge cards, etc – you first need to know which keywords trigger them and then find out which actions are needed to steal them from the competition.

For instance, keywords with existing top 3 rankings often only require minor content updates to grab a SERP feature.

With AccuRanker’s SERP Analysis tool, you can track the movement of 50+ different SERP features across all of your keywords in a single view, so you know exactly where all the opportunities are and how to capitalize on them.

AccurRanker’s dashboard will show you how many SERP features you’ve gained over time, and provide a filterable breakdown of the different types.

#3. Track SERP movement across all major search engines

Many SERP tracking tools will only allow you to track keyword rankings on Google.

But if you want to monitor your SEO correctly, especially if you have clients in countries like China and Russia, then you’ll need to track SERP movement across all the major search engines.

AccuRanker (aff) lets you choose from Google, Bing, Baidu, Yandex, and YouTube search engines:

#4. Granular tracking (by location and device)

You’ll also need to look for SERP tracking software that offers granular details as well as a high-level dashboard.

For example, you may want to track SERP movements for international or national campaigns, and all the way down to the zip code level so you can serve local clients.

Plus, you’ll also want the option to differentiate between mobile and desktop rankings.

Semrush (aff) lets you track keyword rankings at country, state, or city level, and compare keyword positions for desktop and mobile:

#5. Map SERP movements to traffic and revenue/ conversions

Tracking changes in your SERP positions is absolutely necessary. But how do you correlate higher rankings with traffic, conversions and revenue?

AccuRanker’s Landing Pages report helps you find out which URLs are driving the most traffic and revenue for your business.

AccuRanker integrates with Google Analytics or Adobe Analytics to provide deeper insights into landing page performance.

The Landing Pages report combines AccuRanker data – keywords, search volume, Share of Voice etc – with Google Analytics data – organic visitors, bounce rate, goals, revenue, load time etc – into one report so you get a complete picture of how SERP movements are affecting your bottom line:

#6. View historical rank performance

Most SERP trackers will only provide a “point-in-time” rankings update.

But with a tracker like AccuRanker, you can view the full rank history of a given term to see how performance has been trending over time, and compare rankings against your competitors:

#7. Run competitor comparisons

Rankings are always fluctuating, so it’s crucial to be able to track where you are gaining and losing ground to your competition to identify threats and opportunities.

Semrush distributes keywords into groups or buckets by position – e.g. 1-3, 4-10, 11–50, etc. – so you can track progress and compare ranking distribution against competitors:

Editor’s Note:
My agency uses Databox to bring in rank distribution data from tools like Semrush to show the impact SERP movements are having on organic traffic and converions:

#8. Tag and segment rankings data

Most SERP tracking tools include keyword tagging functionality. But not all keywords are created equally, so you need to be able to view SERP performance by topic, funnel, content/ asset types, and devices.

AccuRanker allows you to segment and analyze SERP data across a host of metrics, including Share of Voice, Search Engine, Location, Rank Change, and a list of others:

#9. Generate white-label reports

Aside from accessing on-demand SERP data, you’ll also want to be able to put together an easy-to-digest report that clearly shows progress, either natively or through a third-party connection with a tool like Google Data Studio or Databox.

AccuRanker includes native white-label reports that can be scheduled to out to clients:

And also integrates with third-party tools like Google Data Studio:

AccuRanker Google Data Studio integration

“The thing that really got me using them heavily in the last month or two is their Google Data Studio connector.

Combining the tag feature, as well as the Share of Voice metric from AccuRanker has been a big help in making these reports immediately digestible.”

Ian Howells
Co-Founder, Traffic Think Tank

7 Best SERP Tracking Tools to Consider in 2025

There’s countless SERP tracking tools on the market. But we’ve done the research to provide a shortlist of the best SERP trackers that provide most, if not all, the features listed above.

In this section, we’ll take a look at three dedicated SERP trackers, as well as three SERP tracking tools that are part of leading all-in-one SEO platforms, in case you don’t want to pay for a separate SERP tracker.

#1. AccuRanker

AccuRanker (aff) is a standalone SERP tracking tool
used by SEO agencies and consultants to track rankings, monitor the competition and tie movements back to the traffic and conversions with the fastest and most accurate SERP data.

Over 32,000 companies trust the platform, including HubSpot, IKEA, and Kinsta.

“It’s by far the best keyword ranking tracker in the market and has a ton of great reporting functions. If you want visibility on large volumes of keywords housed within a nice dashboard – this is for you.”

MATTHEW HOWELLS-BARBY
Co-Founder, TrafficThinkTank

Best SERP Tracking Features

AccuRanker has all the typical SERP tracking features, but it stands out from most other tools, as you can:

Run accurate on-demand updates of ranking data.
Assess market performance with its Share of Voice (SoV) metric.
Track rankings across all major search engines, including Google, Bing, YouTube, Baidu, and Yandex.
Track 50+ SERP features available for all of your keywords with the aggregated SERP analysis.
View historical rank performance (most just give a point in time snapshot).
Integrate with third-party software to allow you to bring traffic, goal, and revenue data into your ranking reports, and then visualize it beautifully in native reports or tools like Google Data Studio.
Check local rankings for any address, city, or state.
Filter and segment ranking data with tags, notes, and dates.
View desktop and mobile rankings separately.
Monitor the rankings of up to 10 competitors per domain.
Analyze video ranking performance across different search engines.

Bonus resource: AccuRanker Review

Who is it for?

Agencies, SEO professionals, enterprise businesses and brands who need the most up-to-date and accurate ranking data, competitor monitoring, SERP analysis, and API access across all locations, devices and major search engines.

Pricing

AccuRanker has a range of subscription plans (aff) based on the number of keywords you want to monitor, starting at $116/month for up to 1,000 tracked keywords.

Start a 14-Day Free Trial

#2. Semrush Position Tracker and SERP Gap Analyzer

Semrush (aff) is an all-in-one SEO toolset for digital marketing professionals. Over 10 million users from leading brands such as Samsung, Vodafone and Booking.com use the platform.

Its Position Tracking Tool allows you to monitor SERP movements from an international level down to the local map pack across all device types.

Semrush boasts one of the most accurate daily rank trackers, making it easy to track competitors, monitor which URLs are gaining visibility in the SERPs, and segment ranking performance across tags, devices, location, and different SERP features.

Best SERP tracking features

The accuracy of Semrush’s Position Tracker rivals all the standalone SERP trackers, which is impressive considering it’s just one of the platform’s many SEM tools.

In fact, 70 SEO experts nominated Semrush as the best rank tracker.

Semrush lets you:

Monitor national, regional, and local search engine positions for any keyword.
Check the Visibility index (based on the average position of the domain’s ranking pages) to gauge how your target keywords perform.
Run side-by-side competitor comparisons.
Set a date range of 7, 30, 60, or 90 days to view historical rank changes.
Monitor SERP feature movements – videos, reviews, snippets, knowledge panel and more – and quickly spot new opportunities.
Collect accurate daily SERP ranking data of domains, subdomains, subfolders, or URLs for any keyword, including desktop and mobile rankings.
See the complete list of keywords appearing in the local pack of the SERPs.
Analyze your video rankings to instantly spot gains and losses in your YouTube SEO campaigns.
Generate branded or white-label SERP tracking reports.

Bonus SERP analysis feature:

SERP Gap Analyzer (aff) can be accessed in the Semrush App Center. The app scans Google’s SERPs for a topic and finds under-optimized content that you can improve on.

You can also enter your domain and scan thousands of SERPs to quickly uncover keywords that could benefit from optimized content. This can save you hours on manual keyword research and SERP analysis.

After submitting your domain with a seed topic, the app will return insights related to:

Ranking difficulty
Keyword suggestions
Weaknesses of competing websites

You can then expand on sections to uncover the specific weaknesses of competitors:

Missing keywords
Slow load times
Poor content depth
Low readability scores
Outdated content (6+ months old)

Source

The SERP Gap Analyzer also integrates with Google Search Console to quickly uncover low-hanging fruit keywords and, based on the analysis of multiple SERP data points, provides actionable recommendations for optimizing content to improve rankings.

Semrush SERP Gap Analyzer Search Console integration

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Semrush’s SERP Gap Analyzer is a unique app that goes beyond standard SERP tracking. It will identify areas to improve existing content, add new content, and provide actionable recommendations based on in-depth SERP analysis. This app could save your team hours on tedious manual analysis each month.

Who is it for?

Digital marketing professionals, SEO agencies, ecommerce brands, and large enterprises looking for a cost-effective all-in-one SEO platform that also provides an accurate, scalable SERP tracking solution.

Pricing

Semrush’ SEO platform has a range of subscription plans (aff), starting at $139.95/month.

Start a 14-Day Free Trial

#3. ProRankTracker

ProRankTracker is a cost-effective standalone SERP tracking, analysis, and reporting tool used by 60,000+ customers.

Best SERP tracking features

Get daily automatic updates of rankings, plus on-demand requests (depending on your plan).
Track rankings across most major search engines, including Google, Yahoo, Bing, YouTube and listings on Amazon.
Analyze the Top 100 SERP results for any of your keywords.
View historical data and assess competitor performance.
Track videos on YouTube and Google Videos.
Track ecommerce sites/products on Amazon.
Generate a variety of reports, including current ranking, progress, comparison, and benchmarks.

Who is it for?

SEM agencies, international companies, ecommerce brands and video marketers who want to get accurate SERP data across any location, across all devices in multiple different languages.

Pricing

ProRankTracker has a selection of pricing plans, starting at $39/month.

Start a 7-Day Free Trial

#4. Advanced Web Ranking (AWR)

Advanced Web Ranking (AWR) is a standalone SERP tracker used by thousands of SEOs and brands such as Microsft to track SERP movements across devices and locations, plus build customized white-label reports.

Best SERP tracking features

Get fresh, accurate keyword rankings across all major search engines – Google, Yandex, Baidu, DuckDuckGo, Amazon, YouTube and more- in 170+ countries on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis.
Track SERPs regardless of niche, location, or device.
Measure market share and perform in-depth competitor SERP analysis.
Monitor the aggregated list of websites you’re competing against for each keyword.
Segment data and build in-depth, white-label reports.
Integrate SERP data with third-party tools, such as Google Data Studio.

Who is it for?

In-house teams, agencies, and enterprises who want reliable SERP tracking data, competitor rankings, and comprehensive reports use AWR.

Pricing

AWR has a range of subscription plans, starting at $99/month.

Start a 30-Day Free Trial

#5. SERPWatcher

SERPWatcher (affiliate) is the SERP tracking tool from Mangool’s all-in-one SEO platform. It is an affordable, easy-to-use tracker that is trusted by some of the world’s largest brands, including airbnb and adidas.

Best SERP tracking features

SERPWatcher’s Performance Index shows your website’s organic traffic potential across all tracked keywords, in addition to ranking and volume metrics.

Use SERPWatcher to:

Get daily ranking updates and check them in the SERP previews.
Track historical data by any time frame, such as weekly, monthly, and quarterly.
Get notified of all important rank changes via email alerts.
Track rankings in 52,000+ locations (states, cities, counties, DMAs), on any device.
Share interactive reports with clients and colleagues, plus schedule reports and set event-based alters via email.

Editor’s note:

The Mangools toolset also includes SERPChecker, a SERP analysis tool that helps you:

See all strengths and weaknesses of your competitors with 45+ SEO metrics.
Evaluate SERP positions.
Compare your website with competitors.
Scan Local Search results for 50,000 locations.
Detect Google SERP features influencing organic search results.

Who is it for?

Agencies, SEO professionals, startups and small business owners who want simplified SERP tracking and other easy-to-use SEO tools in one package use SERPWatcher by Mangools.

Pricing

Mangools has a range of subscription plans starting at $29.90/month.

Create a Free Account

#6. SE Ranking

SE Ranking is an all-in-one SEO toolset with a Position Tracking Tool that monitors keyword rankings in all the major search engines, across all locations and all devices.

Best SERP tracking features

SE Ranking claims to collect and store 100% accurate data by simulating user behaviour in a particular search engine and for a precisely targeted location.

You can use SE Ranking to:

Track SERPs in Google, Yahoo, and Bing for any location and device.
Track Google SERP features, Maps results, and Google Ads positions.
Perform side-by-side comparisons of your rankings with up to 5 competitors.
Get a visibility rating with all your search competitors (sorted by visibility score) based on your keywords.
Get a retrospective view of the Top 100 search results and features.
Share rankings with clients via a custom domain labeled with your brand.

Who is it for?

Digital agencies, SEO professionals, and small business owners who want accurate SERP tracking and other SEO tools in one package use SE Ranking.

Pricing

SE Ranking has a range of subscription plans, starting at $52/month. (Based on daily SERP updates for 500 keywords).

Start a Free Trial

#7. Nightwatch

Nightwatch is one of the most accurate daily SERP trackers and is trusted by companies of all sizes, including Shopify, Scotiabank, and Coinbase. The tool lets you discover your exact search engine rankings from 107,296 locations worldwide.

Best SERP tracking features

Track your critical keywords in 107,296 locations worldwide across the search engine results page and map pack.
Track local SERP and map pack rankings down to a zip-code level with daily updates.
Access any Google Data Center on the planet for accurate local rank tracking.
Keep an eye on daily rankings on all the major search engines, including DuckDuckGo and Bing.
Track your SERP features and discover placements to rank globally and locally.
Identify decaying content and “low-hanging fruit” ranking opportunities using custom segments.
Analyze the performance of transactional keywords, groups of pages, and more.
Import data from Google Analytics and Search Console to bolster reporting.
Create eye-catching, easy-to-interpret white-labeled reports using the drag-and-drop editor.

Who is it for?

Nightwatch has three different plans – Starter, Optimize and Agency – that cater to the needs of companies of all sizes, from freelancers and SMBs to agencies and larger enterprise businesses.

Pricing

Nightwatch offers a 14-day free trial, and paid plans start at $32/month for up to 250 keywords.

Start a 14-Day Free Trial

Which SERP Tracking Tool is Right for Your Business?

SERP tracking software is essential for monitoring your SEO performance, competitors, and spotting new organic growth opportunities.

We looked at the seven top SERP tracking tools – four standalone trackers, plus three SERP trackers that are part of all-in-one SEO toolsets.

My recommended standalone SERP tracker is AccuRanker (aff). But if you’re looking for a solid tracker that’s part of a leading all-in-one SEO platform, I recommend Semrush (aff).

At a minimum, when you’re evaluating a SERP tracking solution, remember to check for these key features:

Access accurate on-demand ranking updates
Track SERP movement across all major search engines
Granular tracking (by location and device)
View historical rank performance
Run competitor comparisons
Tag and segment rankings data
Generate white-label reports

Let us know in the comments which SERP tracker you’re using.

The post 7 Best SERP Tracking Tools for 2025 [In-Depth Review] appeared first on Robbie Richards.

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Google Search faces new UK probe

January 14, 2025/0 Comments/in Search Engine Land, Web Design News/by

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) opened an investigation into Google’s search dominance, marking the first major probe under new digital market rules.

The investigation could force changes to Google’s search business in the UK, where it controls over 90% of general search queries and serves 200,000+ advertisers.

The big picture. This probe follows the U.S. Department of Justice’s recent move to break up Google’s search monopoly and comes as AI reshapes online search.

Key details:

The investigation falls under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act (DMCC).
CMA will assess if Google has “strategic market status.” Such a designation would give regulators the power to mandate changes.
The agency is concerned about Google’s impact on news publishers and emerging AI search competitors.

Why we care. This investigation could change how Google displays and ranks ads in search results, potentially affecting ad costs and visibility. If regulators force Google to be more transparent or alter its search algorithms, it could impact ad targeting capabilities and ROI on search advertising spend.

What they’re saying. “We want to ensure there is a level playing field for all businesses, large and small, to succeed,” said Sarah Cardell, CMA chief executive.

Google “looks forward to engaging constructively and laying out how our services benefit UK consumers and also businesses, as well as the trade-offs inherent in any new regulations”, the company responded in a statement today.

What’s next. If designated with strategic market status, Google could face new restrictions on how it operates search and handles user data in the UK.

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LTV:CAC explained: Why you shouldn’t rely on this KPI

January 14, 2025/0 Comments/in Search Engine Land, Web Design News/by

LTV:CAC explained: Why it isn't the ultimate KPI

Savvy PPC marketers often praise LTV:CAC as a superior KPI for measuring profitability and guiding budget decisions.

While insightful, correctly leveraging LTV:CAC is far more complex than it seems – and certainly not as straightforward as ROAS, which itself can be misleading.

To avoid missteps, it’s crucial to understand when LTV:CAC is useful, its limitations, and how a poorly calculated metric can lead you to the wrong north star.

If your agency recommends increasing your PPC budget based on a “great” LTV:CAC ratio, be cautious. There may be critical nuances (or even conflicts of interest) at play.

This article breaks down the fundamentals of LTV:CAC, including:

What LTV:CAC is and why it’s important.
Common pitfalls when using the metric.
How to refine LTV:CAC, plus alternative KPIs.

What is LTV:CAC?

LTV:CAC (customer lifetime value to customer acquisition cost) measures the relationship between the value a customer brings to a business over time and the cost of acquiring that customer. It’s calculated as:

LTV:CAC = LTV / CAC

This ratio helps businesses assess whether their customer acquisition efforts are profitable.

A higher LTV:CAC indicates that customers generate more revenue than their acquisition cost, while a lower ratio could signal inefficiency or unprofitable marketing.

Breaking down the components

LTV (customer lifetime value) represents the total revenue a customer generates throughout their relationship with a business.

Formula:

LTV = (Average order value x Total transactions) / Unique customers

CAC (customer acquisition cost) is the average cost incurred to acquire a new customer within a specific period.

Formula:

CAC = Total marketing costs / Number of new customers

Note: Always calculate both metrics using the same time period to avoid skewed results.

Why is LTV:CAC important – and how can it be dangerous?

LTV:CAC serves one core purpose: ensuring profitability.

This KPI is critical for a company’s future because it measures whether the value generated from newly acquired customers justifies the cost of acquiring them.

It’s often compared to return on ad spend, or ROAS, (revenue generated by ads / ad costs) but goes a step further.

While ROAS focuses on immediate returns, LTV:CAC considers the long-term revenue potential of a customer.

This broader view can encourage marketers to lower ROAS targets and increase budgets, assuming future revenue will balance acquisition costs over time.

For example, imagine a marketer spends $30 to acquire a new customer who generates $30 in immediate revenue (100% ROAS).

Based on historical data, the finance team predicts that this customer will make three additional purchases of $30 each, totaling $120 in revenue over their lifetime.

Total revenue = $30 (initial purchase) + 3 x $30 = $120
LTV = $120
CAC = $30
LTV:CAC = $120 / $30 or 4:1

This 4:1 ratio might suggest strong profitability and justify increased spending.

However, it can be dangerous.

Profitability metrics like LTV:CAC often require deeper financial oversight, yet marketers may lack visibility into key cost components, such as payback periods, retention variability, and operational costs.

Misunderstanding these factors can lead to overestimations of profitability and misguided budget increases.

Let’s break down some of the common traps that make LTV:CAC a potentially misleading metric.

Dig deeper: 5 KPIs to measure paid media success and 5 to measure business success

7 common pitfalls of using the LTV:CAC ratio

1. Ignoring the impact of customer retention

LTV:CAC is often praised by top marketers as a superior KPI, which might tempt you to adopt it too.

While it can be valuable in scenarios with high retention and repeat purchase rates (like SaaS), it’s not always reliable.

Before using LTV:CAC, run a retention analysis to answer: “How many times do my customers purchase on average over a set period?”

In ecommerce, customer retention is typically around 30% at best.

Using the earlier ROAS example, if you spend $30 to generate $120 in revenue (400% ROAS), you might assume retention will increase total revenue by 30%, raising it to $156. This would suggest a higher 520% ROAS.

While appealing, it’s far from transformative enough to justify dramatically increasing your budget.

2. Overlooking payback period and cash flow

Even if your retention is strong enough to justify using LTV:CAC as your north star metric and your ratio slightly exceeds the standard 3:1, increasing your PPC budget blindly can be risky.

Why? Because LTV:CAC doesn’t account for the payback period – the time required to recover CAC expenses, or how long it takes for revenue to break even with acquisition costs.

If your payback period is 12 months, customers won’t become profitable until the 12-month mark.

During that time, your balance sheet remains negative, putting strain on cash flow and limiting your ability to reinvest in PPC campaigns or other growth strategies.

To scale faster, you need cash on hand since existing funds are already tied up in customer acquisition.

Options include raising capital or improving fundamentals (e.g., lowering CAC, raising prices, or encouraging prepayment).

Bottom line: A positive LTV:CAC doesn’t guarantee you can safely scale your budget.

3. Misunderstanding marketing LTV vs. finance LTV

Marketers often calculate LTV using basic metrics like revenue – sometimes even pre-tax figures – resulting in inflated and misleading values.

Naturally, both LTV and CAC should accurately reflect the balance sheet, but this is where many marketers go wrong.

Finance teams often step in to correct these calculations, which can lead to uncomfortable conversations if marketers lack financial literacy.

To avoid this, marketers need to understand finance-level metrics and how their stakeholders calculate profitability.

LTV is fundamentally a finance KPI. Some finance teams calculate it using gross profit margin (COGS), while others factor in operating expenses (OPEX), making it closer to an EBIT-based KPI.

Ultimately, it’s not about challenging their process but aligning with it.

To collaborate effectively, marketers should understand key cost components like:

Support.
Infrastructure.
Materials (for physical products).
Sales and marketing expenses.
Development costs.
Other operational expenses.

By aligning with finance teams and using accurate metrics, LTV:CAC can become a far more reliable KPI.

Dig deeper: 3 PPC KPIs to track and measure success

4. Miscalculating CAC by ignoring non-marketing customer sources

PPC, marketing, and other customer sources are critical when assessing CAC and its impact on LTV:CAC.

Lowering CAC is an obvious way to improve the LTV:CAC ratio, but it can complicate calculating CAC accurately.

A common issue is calculating CAC by dividing total marketing costs by total new customers, disregarding other customer sources.

In some businesses, where marketing drives about 95% of customer acquisition, this approach might not significantly affect the LTV:CAC ratio and simplifies the calculation.

However, this often overlooks non-marketing customer sources like word of mouth, viral organic content, or baseline growth.

This inflates the customer count, artificially lowering CAC and boosting LTV:CAC, creating a misleading impression of growth.

In the long run, this can lead to structural issues.

While some argue that word of mouth stems from branding or top-of-funnel campaigns, this is only sometimes true.

Many customer sources, such as referral programs, sales initiatives, or product-driven growth, are independent of traditional marketing or PPC efforts.

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5. Assuming all customers are equal

Assuming all customers are equal can lead to inflated LTV:CAC ratios and dangerous strategies.

You might attempt to boost LTV and make LTV:CAC look better quickly, but this approach can be misleading.

A common mistake is calculating LTV as total revenue divided by total customers over a period, creating an average that hides differences between customer segments.

Not all customers contribute equally in terms of revenue and retention.

For instance, if the average LTV is $480, it likely doesn’t reflect the actual distribution of customer value:

60% of customers spend around $280.
30% of customers spend around $600.
10% of customers spend around $1,300.

If you aim for a 3:1 LTV:CAC ratio based on the $480 average LTV, you would set a target CAC of $160.

However, for 60% of your customers, who only generate $280 in LTV, the sustainable CAC should be $93 ($280/3).

This highlights a significant gap, as the average target would be too high for most customers.

Additionally, the top 10% of customers with a $1,300 LTV likely aren’t acquired through marketing, which complicates the calculation further.

Bottom line: Targeting a $160 CAC could be harmful. Focus on increasing LTV through targeted PPC efforts.

6. Disregarding changes in LTV fundamentals

The purpose of LTV:CAC is to validate marketing investments, assuming that both CAC and LTV are accurately predictable.

However, these metrics can fluctuate significantly.

Consider a more advanced formula for LTV:

LTV = Monthly recurring revenue x Growth profit margin / Monthly cancellation rate

Each of these components is dynamic and depends on the company’s ability to maintain or improve its fundamentals:

MRR: Can you cross-sell or upsell effectively?
GPM: Can you enhance overall efficiency?
Cancellation rate: Are new competitors entering the market? Is the market shrinking?

For example, HubSpot reportedly tripled its LTV in just 18 months. Now, imagine a smaller company experiencing the opposite trend.

Bottom line: LTV is a forecast, not a certainty. Don’t place too much confidence in LTV or your LTV:CAC ratio.

7. Treating LTV as a strategy

While this might seem slightly off-topic for PPC practitioners, it’s crucial to grasp when collaborating with stakeholders.

Holding the LTV flag high without fully engaging with others can lead to issues.

Imagine you secure additional budget for performance marketing – great news!

But as spending increases, CAC rises, making the LTV:CAC ratio worse.

In response, you might raise prices to boost LTV.

Problem solved?

Not quite.

Higher prices may lead to increased monthly cancellations. Even worse, the new customers acquired with that extra budget might be of lower quality, spending less and churning faster.

The customer support team steps in, confident they can resolve these issues by expanding their efforts, which increases costs and strains cash flow.

This scenario highlights how LTV is deeply interconnected with various aspects of the business.

Mistaking this metric for a stand-alone strategy can lead to missteps. It’s essential to use LTV as a tool, not a strategy in itself, to ensure sustainable growth.

How to ‘fix’ LTV:CAC, plus alternative KPIs

LTV:CAC can be a useful metric, but its complexity and potential for misinterpretation mean it requires careful handling.

To make the most of this KPI and ensure it accurately reflects your business’s health, consider the following tips.

Low retention? Don’t use LTV:CAC

In ecommerce, if your repeat purchase rate is around 30%, LTV may not be a relevant metric from a marketing perspective.

Instead, focus on CAC alone and aim to be profitable from the first order.

This approach, though tougher, is more sustainable and reflective of genuine growth – think ROAS.

Improve retention through upselling, cross-selling, customer support, or product enhancements.

Dig deeper: How to analyze PPC performance metrics

Collaborate with finance

If using LTV makes sense, build a strong relationship with your finance team.

Understanding their perspective will help you grasp why certain LTV targets are set.

To achieve this:

Learn key financial terms.
Schedule regular alignment meetings.
Use agreed-upon data sources to avoid conflicts.

Never report on LTV:CAC alone

Because LTV:CAC encompasses multiple variables, it’s not a standalone metric.

Include core components like cancellation rate and MRR in your reports.

This clarity will help identify which components have shifted and guide your next steps.

Remember, LTV and CAC are dynamic, not fixed.

Segment by customer groups

Segmenting your customer base allows you to pinpoint areas for improvement and identify which customers to exclude. Consider:

Calculating LTV over different timeframes (30 days, 90 days, 12 months).
Segmenting customers by cohorts, behavior, and profitability.
Differentiating between PPC, organic, and non-marketing customers.

Use LTV:CAC wisely

LTV:CAC is valuable for comparing PPC channels and marketing programs, but it’s a complex measurement tool.

To avoid potential pitfalls, make sure to:

Conduct a retention analysis before relying on LTV:CAC.
Partner with your finance team to align on metrics.
Always segment customers, sources, and micro-KPIs.

Dig deeper: The fallacy of CTR as a KPI: Redefining PPC ad success

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