Advice and answers from the Advanced Web Ranking Team
Table views available in the Top Sites report
View a detailed SERP breakdown for each tracked keyword or compare two ranking updates to identify changes and trends.
The type of results shown in the Top Sites report depends on the search engine configuration, which includes the following factors:
Search engine type (e.g., regular search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing, search verticals like Images or Videos, or dedicated platforms like YouTube or Amazon)
Search type selected for regular search engines (e.g., Universal, Organic, etc.)
Device (e.g., mobile vs. desktop)
For example, here's how results are counted for each Google search engine type:
Universal – Includes all web search results (except Ads) from both Desktop or Mobile SERPs. Any clickable URL is considered a competitor and counted when determining ranking positions.
Organic – Tracks Featured Snippets and Organic results from standard web search pages while ignoring other SERP elements when calculating ranking positions.
Organic and Places – Captures both Organic results and Local Pack listings from regular web search pages.
Places – Focuses solely on listings within Google’s Local Pack box.
Sponsored – Displays only Paid search results.
Single Date View
The Single Date View provides a detailed list of all result types in the SERP for each URL (based on the project’s selected search depth) reflecting the most recent ranking update for the selected search engine within the chosen date range.
Each organic result is reported with its position in the ranking, along with any organic SERP features it has secured, if applicable.
When it comes to SERP features, the reporting differs. For instance, features like "People Also Ask" or "Recipes" that contain multiple links are reported on the same ranking position, as they are part of the same search result element.
However, when a Local Pack appears in the SERPs, each individual listing within the pack is treated as a separate result and assigned its own ranking position. For example, if a Local Pack has three listings, they will be counted as three separate results/positions.
Additionally, some SERP features, like the “Filter by” sidebar or “Related Products,” which don’t contain links, are visually represented in the Top Sites report, but they do not have assigned a ranking position.
Here are some examples of SERP breakdowns for other major search engines:
Bing
Yahoo
YouTube
Table Columns available in the Single Date View
Pixel Position column shows the number of pixels from the top of the SERP to the search result URL, reflecting its placement on the search results page.
Pixel Height column represents the total height of each search result in pixels, indicating the amount of vertical space it occupies in the SERP.
Click Share column displays the percentage of clicks each top 20 search result is likely to receive, based on its ranking position and the SERP features it owns.
These metrics are optional columns and can be added or removed from the table via the Table Settings Manager, allowing for customization based on your analysis needs.
Comparison View
The Comparison View allows you to analyze changes in the SERP between two ranking updates within the selected date range. It compares the SERP from the update on the start date with the most recent update in that period.
It helps you identify ranking movements, detect newly added competitors or SERP features, and track overall search landscape shifts, giving you a clearer picture of SERP evolution over time.
Filtering Options in the Top Sites Table
To make it even smoother to monitor ranking shifts between updates, you can use the filters available at the top of the table:
Total Changes – Identifies all results that have moved up or down compared to the previous update.
Improved – Displays search results that moved higher in the SERP.
Declined – Shows search results that dropped in ranking.
These filters offer a clear and efficient way to track competitor movements, allowing you to quickly spot visibility changes and refine your SEO strategy accordingly.
In addition to the ranking movement filters, you can further refine the list of URLs using additional filtering options by clicking the "Add filter" button:
Position: filter results based on a selected ranking range (custom or predefined) or by a specific type of position change.
Previous Position: narrow results based on their ranking in the previous update.
SERP features: display results that either own or do not own a specific SERP feature.
Pixel Position: filter by exact pixel position value or identify keywords appearing above or below the fold.
Pixel Height (Single Date View only): refine results based on the vertical space a search result occupies.
Do you have any other questions? Don’t hesitate to get in touch and we will keep building the FAQ.
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