SEO Tycoon

**seoprocon** · 11-16-2011, 08:19 AM

Some people can't go to bed without doing one last SERP check for the day, some check their search engine rankings first thing in the morning. But here is my question - why do it when it seems completely and utterly worthless?

If Google shows different search results based on search history, social media presence and location, is there really a point in checking rankings when every single person sees their own "custom SERP"?

What should a webmaster do? Ignore rankings entirely? and is there such a thing as accurate rankings these days?

**payment proof** · 11-16-2011, 04:55 PM

I don't think SERP is useless. But the amount of traffic your site gets and the quality of that traffic is number one in my opinion.

**chrishirst** · 11-16-2011, 06:44 PM

Quote:

Ignore rankings entirely?

Yes! that has been the case for several years.
rankings and the google "dance"
http://www.webmaster-talk.com/the-go...tml#post710287
http://tycoontalk.freelancer.com/the...how-often.html
http://www.highrankings.com/forum/in...howtopic=17365
Only the clueless still check ranking incessantly then keep asking "Why my site drop in position?

5 Reasons Why Rankings Are A Poor Measure Of Success
http://searchengineland.com/080131-071244.php

Quote:

and is there such a thing as accurate rankings these days?

Nope!
You see what you see and everybody else see's what they see.

**seoprocon** · 11-17-2011, 09:26 AM

Ok so I check traffic, and dont check rankings - should take serp checks as flying on a plane - crash or no crash, you cant change a thing so you might as well not worry about it? Maybe its more reasonable to check rankings AND traffic together as Scottie from highrankings suggests

and what about this article then (more recent than seland's)

http://www.seobook.com/why-rank-checking-still-useful

should I take it as a mere pitch/defense for their rank checker? they cite other tools too - (awr and rank tracker) as possible solutions that minimize geotargeting and personalized search results that jill talks about on seland

PS. wait chrishirst so you mean you NEVER check rankings these days? only traffic?

**chrishirst** · 11-17-2011, 03:43 PM

I haven't "checked keyword rankings" for pages EVER, the premise is very simple, if a page isn't getting SE referral traffic, it isn't been shown to searchers or it isn't getting clickthroughs.

Where it "ranks" makes zero difference at that point.
It also stops the futility of chasing "most important keywords"

**ajaysinha10** · 11-22-2011, 06:10 AM

SERP is not useless in my opinion because it shows consistent rankings. sometimes it may change due to google dance.