Documentation > Organic Search > Rank Distribution

Monthly Keyword Rank Distribution

The Monthly Keyword Rank Distribution graph provides an analysis that visually demonstrates results of strong SEO efforts and/or lack thereof. You can run it for full month total rank data or select a specific snapshot day. Additional filters allow you to show or hide any of the keyword rank position options.

The default settings include all keywords in the campaign, but you can also filter the report for a specific keyword group (by using Tags), and for all or specific search engine(s) those keywords are being tracked on. Selecting more than one search engine combines the results for multiple search engines together. For example, if a keyword is ranked:

#1 on Google (USA)
#3 on Bing
#8 on Yahoo

That keyword will be counted twice in the Heavy Traffic (1-3) results and once in the Good Traffic (4 - 10) results. If you want to view results for only one search engine, then please expand Report Options and in the Search Engines section select only one search engine and click the Apply Changes button.

Color Customization

Monthly Rank Distribution Graph in Marketing Dashboard
When adding a Rank Distribution Graph to your marketing dashboard, you have the option to select specific colors for the various traffic levels to compliment your design.

Rank Distribution matches Marketing Dashboard

Choose from the Color Palette or Enter a Color Number
In Report Options > Display settings, click the color block corresponding to a label and select a color from the palette or enter a color number. Click the Select button and continue until all colors are as you want them and then click the Apply Changes button at the bottom of the side bar.

Label Value: Occurrence or Percentage

Occurrence Label Value
To view a graph that displays the total number of times that campaign keywords ranked per month in each of the rank position groups (e.g., rank 1-3, 4-10, etc), select Month Total in the Snapshot Day setting, and Occurrence in the Label Value setting.

The above settings produce a graph like this example.

Percentage Label Value
To view a graph that displays the percentage of total keyword rank occurrences per month for each rank position group (heavy traffic, good traffic, etc.), select the Percentage option in the Label Value settings.

Analyzing Rank Distribution Trends

Keyword Rank Distribution - Example of site in need of professional SEO
This first example clearly demonstrates that over time this domain has suffered possibly from a lack of professional SEO and/or Google Penalties.
For example:

In April 32.73% of their 330 keywords ranked in the #4 to #10 position & 3.64% in the top 3;
In May we see they've slightly increased keywords, there was a Google Algorithm change, the 3.64% that had been in the top 3 disappeared and keywords in the #4 to #10 position dropped from 108 to 94 (32.73% to 27.57%)
June brought with it more Google algorithm changes plunging the number of keywords in positions #4 to #10 down from 94 to 44 keywords (27.57% to 13.33% of total keywords)
In July we see some recovery of the #4 to #10 position, yet 56.89% of the keywords aren't ranking at all.

Keyword Rank Distribution Report example 1

Keyword Rank Distribution - Example of site receiving Professional SEO
In this second example we can see positive SEO work being done for this domain from their success between March and July of:

transforming from 4 to 42 the number of keywords in the #1 to #3 spots
improving from 54 to 85 the number of keywords in position #4 to #10
significantly reducing the percentage of keywords that weren't ranking at all in February with many now in the top 50 positions.

Report Options

	Click the Track tab and select Monthly Rank Distribution Date: Select a start From date. Select an end To date. Select a Snapshot day of the month, or a month total.
	Display Settings: Custom Report Title (optional): enter a Title to display at the top of your report, if desired. This title will also display on your White Label PDF Reports; both in the bookmarked links and at the top of the report. Label the Values as Occurrence or Percentage. Select to display or hide the Keyword Rank options that represent the following keyword rank positions: Heavy Traffic 1 - 3 Good Traffic 4 - 10 Moderate Traffic 11 - 20 Potential Traffic 21 - 50 Optimizing 50+ No Rank Value (keyword not ranking within the maximum supported results tracked by each search engine - refer to our current list of supported search engines for rank depth and additional information). Click a label's color and select any color in the palette or enter a color number, and click the Select button. When finished selecting colors and other Report Options, click the apply changes button at the bottom of the sidebar. Select to display or hide Google Algorithm Change indicator (displays on graph as a red bar and can be moused-over for details). Select to display or hide Notes.
	Keyword Tags Select the Tags for which you want data included in the graph
	Websites Select the Domain for which you want data to be included in the graph
	Search Engines Select the Search Engine(s) you want data generated from in the graph. Note: selecting more than one search engine will add each search engine's results together. For example, if a keyword is ranked #1 on Google (USA), #3 on Bing and #8 on Yahoo, that keyword will be counted twice in the Heavy Traffic (1-3) results and once in the Good Traffic (4 - 10) results. Click the Apply Changes button

Add to PDF Report

Conveniently add a report or graph with its current settings to a PDF report by hovering over the gold gear icon and selecting Add to PDF Reports

Select the PDF Report that you want the report or graph added to

Drag the new report or graph into the position you want it to display in the PDF and confirm that the Date settings do not conflict with the automated scheduling settings.

PDF Report Settings - Monthly Rank Distribution

Reports and graphs can be added to automated PDF reports via the report screen (as described above) or manually in the PDF Report Content screen. If the report is added via the:

report screen, then begin by clicking the Edit button corresponding to the report
PDF Report Content screen, then click the Add Report button and select the Campaign name and Report: Monthly Rank Distribution.

	Date Expand the Date Options section and in the Show Report date of the last field type in the number of periods to be displayed in the report In the next field select one of the following options: days weeks months years In the ending on the field select one of the following options: first day last day or a specific day of the month or a specific day of the week (when weekly reports are selected) In the of field select one of the following options: this last In the next field select one of the following options: week month The selection must produce a logical date setting based on the PDF report's automated scheduling (at the bottom of the Report Details screen). For example: last day of last month 1st of this month last day of last week If the report is scheduled to be sent every Monday, then the following example would be invalid: Saturday of this week (because weeks begin on Sunday and if reports are sent on Monday, then Saturday of this week hasn't yet occurred). If the report is scheduled to be sent on the 1st day of every month, the following example would be invalid: last day of this month (because it's only the 1st day of the month the report is being sent) Select a Snapshot Day of the Month, or a Month Total.
	Display Custom Report Title (optional): Displays across the top of the report section. Select Occurrence or Percentage from the menu for the Label Value. Display metrics by moving the slider to the right of each choice. Heavy Traffic 1 - 3 Good Traffic 4 - 10 Moderate Traffic 11 - 20 Potential Traffic 21 - 50 Optimizing 50+ No Rank Value (keyword not ranking within the maximum supported results tracked by each search engine - refer to our current list of supported search engines for rank depth and additional information).
	General Display the Google Algorithm Updates indicator (displays on graph as a red bar and can be moused-over for details) by moving the slider to the right. Notes Display Notes by moving the slider to the right.
	Tags Filter the report for Keyword Tags by selecting specific tags
	Websites Select the Domain from the menu to be displayed in the report.
	Search Engines Select the Search Engine(s) you want data generated from in the graph. Note: selecting more than one search engine will add each search engine's results together. For example, if a keyword is ranked #1 on Google (USA), #3 on Bing and #8 on Yahoo, that keyword will be counted twice in the Heavy Traffic (1-3) results and once in the Good Traffic (4 - 10) results.

Add to Marketing Dashboard

Conveniently add a report or graph with its current settings to a marketing dashboard:

1. Hover over the gold gear icon and select Add to Marketing Dashboard
2. Select the Dashboard (campaign name)
3. Select the Dashboard Page that you want the report added to

4. Click the "Go to Dashboard" link to further customize the report (e.g., drag it to a specific position on the page, change date settings, etc.)

Refer to the Report Options section for details regarding the display settings, filters and sort options available for this report.

The report date (or date range) is governed by the selected Dashboard date option: Date Selection or Fixed Periods, learn more...

Daily reports default to the last day of the selected period
Weekly and monthly reports default to 1 month of data

To change the number of weeks or months displayed in a specific report, click the gear icon for any marketing dashboard report element and expand the Date option section, enter the number and click the Save Button.

Add to Client Dashboard

Customize Report for Client Dashboard

Client Dashboards display our default report options for each individual report and graph until you modify them. To customize the display of the report, expand the Report Options section, change the settings and click the Apply Changes button.

Then expand Report Options again and hover over the Save icon and select Save as Default for Client Dashboard.

After saving the Client Dashboard default, any changes that you make to the report options will not affect the display in the Client Dashboard unless you overwrite it by following these instructions again.

Enable the Report or Graph to display in the Client Dashboard

Open the Campaign Settings > Client Dashboard screen and check the box corresponding to the report(s) you want displayed in the dashboard, and then click the Save button.

Refer to Client Dashboard Settings documentation for additional instructions for customizing your dashboard.

Rank Position Stats Insight Graph

If you want to share rank position statistics in a colorful way in dashboards and PDF reports, you can create a custom Insight Graph using the Rank > Rank Position Stats metric. In this example, rank position trend for one website is demonstrated.

Insight Graph with rank position distribution

In an Insight Graph, add a Metric and name it, then select:

Data Source: Rank
Metric: Keyword Position Stats
Domain: select a website
Search Engine: select a search engine
Keyword Tags: select tags to filter the report data (optional)
Count Type: select from the list of available rank positions
Frequency: select Daily, Weekly, or Monthly

Color Palette
Click the color block that displays to the left of the metric name you entered and select the color that you want displayed in the graph

Chart Display Settings

Select a Chart Type. If you want a graph similar to the example above, then select Chart Type: Column.
Show or hide Markers (shapes, usually used for line charts) and Labels (the metric numbers), and if shown, then select the size and type.
Set the Date Range and Axis
Click the Save button

Learn more about Metric Display Settings and Date Settings.

Top 10 Competitor Rankings Graph
Utilizing the Line chart type, this Insight Graph displays the number of top 10 rankings for a site and its competitors, trending over a 3 month period. Hovering over any point on the graph reveals the number of top 10 positions for the site vs. the competitor sites.

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Monthly Keyword Rank Distribution

Color Customization

Label Value: Occurrence or Percentage

Analyzing Rank Distribution Trends

Report Options

Date:

Display Settings:

Keyword Tags

Websites

Search Engines