Bye bye SEO rank checking tools,
Google Webmaster Tools now offers ranking data (as well as clicks, estimated impressions and different landing pages) for search queries on a owned website.
You can know see how your search result perform when it is on a certain ranking position.
This upgrade completely changes the SEO game…
Before this implementation, we were providing ranking reports that would tell the client STATIC positions for their search terms. Now we can see that the rankings are no longer static, but DYNAMIC. They are fluctuating through time, location and user-settings.
How does it changes your SEO tactics : it does not change them.
How does it changes your SEO reports : The seo ranking report as proposed in a STATIC format is now completely unvaluable for your clients as now you need to present it as a value that is constantly changing. Basically you’ll need to stop using your existing SEO ranking report and replace it by the one offered by Google Webmaster Tools.
Google Webmaster Tools Ranking Checker Screenshot
Google Webmaster Tools Ranking Checker
This is a problem, especially when you use automated rank checking tools. You need to be very aware of any proxy settings, which data centre results are coming from and what your report really means.
Its OK to use reports with dynamic variables as you mention, as long as you are aware of the implications and you make clients aware of the dynamic nature of the report.
It also shows how important it is to associate geographical relevance to a site.
Comment by IKROH SEO UK — May 10, 2010 @ 3:11 pm
What i mean by dynamic is that now the rankings are constantly changing.
Yes i know that personalization has been there for a while but having this data shown up to webmasters tells us to stop using our old ranking reports.
Comment by Remi — May 10, 2010 @ 3:37 pm