What is Ranking?
Ranking refers to the position a webpage holds in the search engine results page (SERP) for a specific search query. For example, if your page appears as the third result when someone searches for “email marketing tips,” your page is said to be ranking in position three for that keyword.
Search engines like Google use complex algorithms to decide how to rank pages. Factors influencing ranking include relevance to the query, content quality, page speed, backlinks, mobile-friendliness, and many others.
Why Ranking Matters
Your page’s ranking has a direct impact on how much traffic it receives. Pages that rank on the first page of search results, especially those in the top three positions, tend to get the most clicks. Pages that appear on the second page or beyond often receive significantly less visibility.
Improving your ranking can lead to more organic traffic, increased brand visibility, and better engagement from potential customers. That is why SEO strategies often focus on actions that help boost rankings, such as keyword optimisation, content updates, and technical improvements.
Example in Use
Let’s say you run a blog post targeting the keyword “how to write a business plan.” If your post appears as the second result on Google for that search, it is said to be ranking in position two. If another page ranks in position one, that page is more likely to get the majority of the clicks.
Monitoring keyword rankings over time helps measure the effectiveness of SEO efforts and identify opportunities for improvement.