Different search engines – different rankings
A website or URL’s ranking for keywords or keyword combinations varies from search engine to search engine. A domain may rank for a certain keyword in the top 3 on Bing, but not even be on the first page of the Google search results for the same keyword. Of course, the same is true of all search engines – Bing, Google, Yahoo and every other search engine uses its own method for calculating rankings and therefore ranks websites differently.
Rankings can also vary when using different language or country versions of the same search engine, such as Google. A search analysis Software like the Searchmetrics Suite is a good way of gaining insight into and tracking ranking differences across search engines.
Good rankings are a good source of traffic
The point of good rankings in the search results is to gain as much traffic as possible from the organic search channel. The higher up a page ranks in the results for a search query, the higher the chance is that the searcher will click on this result. This explains the direct connection between high rankings and increased traffic.
This relationship between rankings and clicks (and traffic) is strongest amongst the top 3 search results. However, changing layout of the search results pages is constantly changing, with the inclusion of Google’s Knowledge Graph data and the integration of Universal Search elements (SERP Features) like videos, maps and Google Shopping ads. These developments can mean that the top 3 organic rankings are no longer the 3 best positions on the SERP. This has been demonstrated in heatmap and eye-tracking tests.
What can influence my rankings?
Search engine optimization is a method for sustainably influences search engine rankings. Google and other search engines calculate their search results for keywords using highly complex algorithms. The individual ranking factors and their weighting within the ranking calculation are well-guarded intellectual property that belongs to the search engines and is not publicly disclosed.
