seo performance metrics

SEO Performance KPIs provides a quick health check of ranking coverage, page-one visibility and net ranking change for a selected search group.

Overview

The widget condenses ranking history into three cards:

Ranking Coverage shows how many tracked keywords currently have a recorded ranking.
Page-1 Visibility shows the share of tracked search demand represented by keywords ranking on the first results page.
Net Ranking Change compares newly ranking keywords with keywords that were lost during the selected period.

Each card compares current performance with the normal pattern in the selected data. Use the cards to identify where performance deserves investigation, then open Keyword Performance or another relevant feature for keyword-level detail.

Access and data scope

SEO Performance uses the active workspace.
It only includes domains and search groups available to the signed-in user.
The selected search group defines the keyword set.
Engine and period controls apply to all three cards.
Only engines with ranking data for the selected search group are shown.

Changing workspace or search group refreshes the widget and can change the available engines, baseline and keyword totals.

Quick start

Select the relevant workspace and search group.
Start with Google and 28d for a balanced performance view.
Check the status and baseline comparison on each card.
Compare another engine or period when a KPI needs context.
Select Export to save the current KPI snapshot.

Use the controls

Search engine

Select Google, Bing or Yahoo to view that engine’s ranking history. An engine only appears when data is available for the selected search group.

Search engines rank independently. Differences between them are expected and should be investigated within the relevant engine.

Period

7d focuses on recent movement.
28d provides the default medium-term view.
90d provides broader trend context.

Changing the period recalculates the current value, comparisons, normal range and status. It is therefore normal for the same KPI to show a different status across periods.

Export

Select Export to download a CSV containing:

Generation time
Search group
Engine and period
Current KPI values
Baseline and normal-range values
Comparisons and status
Days at or better than baseline

The export reflects the currently selected search group, engine and period.

Understand the common card elements

Status

Each card is labelled Improving, Stable or Declining. Status reflects the pattern across the selected period, including consistency against the baseline and the direction of the more recent observations. It is not based only on the final number.

Versus baseline

The line below the main value shows the difference from the selected period’s baseline. A positive or negative difference must be interpreted in the context of the KPI.

Compared to normal

The normal-range panel shows:

The lower and upper bounds of the selected period’s normal pattern
The baseline midpoint
The current value’s position within or outside that range
A label such as Within range, Above range or Below range

The normal range is calculated dynamically from the available ranking history in the active selection. It is not a universal SEO benchmark.

Days at or better than baseline

This shows how many observed days in the selected period met or exceeded the KPI’s baseline. A high count indicates consistency, while a low count indicates the current result was less commonly sustained.

Ranking Coverage

Ranking Coverage shows the number of tracked keywords with a recorded position within the tracked result depth on the latest available ranking date.

For example, 5 of 7 keywords means five of the seven tracked keywords in the selected search group currently have a recorded ranking for that engine.

The card also shows:

Difference from baseline
WoW change for a recent weekly comparison
MoM change for the broader selected-period comparison
Days at or better than baseline

A lower coverage value can mean keywords were lost, tracking data is incomplete or the search group changed. Use Keyword Performance to identify the affected terms before deciding on an SEO action.

Page-1 Visibility

Page-1 Visibility estimates how much of the tracked keyword set’s search demand is represented by rankings in positions 1–10. Keywords with greater recorded search volume contribute more to this percentage.

This is different from the percentage of keywords on page one. A high-volume keyword can influence the value more than several low-volume keywords.

The card shows:

Average page-one visibility across the selected period
Difference from baseline
WoW comparison between recent weekly periods
MoM comparison with the preceding selected period
Days at or better than baseline

A decline deserves more attention when valuable keywords moved off page one. Open Keyword Performance and review Position Drops or Lost Keywords to locate the change.

Net Ranking Change

Net Ranking Change compares the number of newly ranking keywords with the number of lost rankings between the start and end of the selected period.

A positive value means there were more new rankings than lost rankings.
Zero means new and lost rankings balanced, or neither occurred.
A negative value means more rankings were lost than gained.

The New and Lost boxes show the two counts separately. Always check both: a net value of zero can hide equal numbers of gains and losses.

Net Ranking Change counts ranking entries, not the size of position movement for keywords that remained ranked. A keyword moving from position 40 to position 5 improves visibility but is not a new ranking if it was already ranked at the start.

What should I do next?

All cards stable and within range: Continue monitoring and compare a longer period before making changes.
Coverage declining: Open Keyword Performance and review Lost Keywords and Position Drops.
Visibility below range: Identify high-volume keywords that moved off page one.
Positive net change but weak visibility: New rankings may still be too low to contribute meaningful page-one visibility.
Coverage stable but visibility declining: Keywords remain ranked but important terms may have moved out of positions 1–10.
Large difference between engines: Review each engine separately rather than applying one explanation to all results.
Unexpected sudden change: Confirm the workspace, search group, engine and tracking dates before changing content.

Troubleshooting

Select a search group: Choose an accessible search group from the page selector.
No ranking data: Confirm that the group contains tracked keywords and wait for ranking history to populate.
An engine is missing: That engine has no available ranking data for the selected search group.
Values changed after switching period: Each period has its own current window, comparisons and dynamic normal range.
Status seems inconsistent with the final value: Status considers the pattern across the period, not only the latest figure.
Page-1 Visibility is zero despite ranked keywords: Confirm whether any ranked keywords are in positions 1–10 and have usable search-volume data.
Export is empty or unavailable: Wait for the KPI cards to finish loading, then export again.
Widget shows the wrong group: Reselect the intended search group after changing workspace.

Frequently asked questions

Is the normal range an industry benchmark?

No. It is calculated from the available data for the selected search group, engine and period.

Why does Page-1 Visibility differ from Ranking Coverage?

Coverage counts keywords with recorded rankings. Page-1 Visibility focuses on positions 1–10 and weights them by recorded search volume.

Can net change be zero when rankings moved?

Yes. It measures new rankings minus lost rankings, not movement among keywords that remained ranked.

Why are fewer than 28 days shown in a 28-day view?

The widget counts available ranking observations. Missing check dates reduce the number of observed days.

No. It is a calculated KPI summary of ranking history.

Does it add actions to the Board?

No. Use the relevant diagnostic feature to investigate the KPI and create actions where supported.

Who can see the data?

The widget uses the active workspace and only includes domains and search groups available to the signed-in user.