When you’re measuring the success of your SEO strategy, one of the most common metrics you’ll come across is Average Ranking Position (ARP). At first glance, it seems straightforward: it tells you where your web pages rank in Google search results on average.
But like many SEO metrics, it’s not always as simple as it seems. While average position can give valuable insights, it can also be misleading—or even “skewed”—if taken at face value. In this blog, we’ll break down what average ranking position really means, how it helps us measure SEO success, and why it should never be used in isolation.
What Is Average Ranking Position?
Average ranking position is a performance metric that shows the average spot your website occupies in search engine results pages (SERPs) for a group of keywords.
For example:
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If you rank #1 for one keyword and #9 for another, your average ranking position is 5.
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Tools like Google Search Console, SEMrush, or Ahrefs calculate this automatically across all your tracked keywords.
This number gives marketers and business owners a quick snapshot of how visible a website is in search results. A lower number (closer to 1) typically means better performance, while higher numbers suggest there’s room for improvement.
Why Is Average Position Important for SEO Success?
Even with its flaws, average ranking position is still useful. Here’s how it helps measure SEO success:
1. Trend Tracking Over Time
Rather than focusing on a single ranking, ARP allows you to track whether your site is moving up or down overall. If your average position improves from 40 to 20, you know your SEO efforts are paying off.
2. Measuring Impact of Optimization
Let’s say you optimize a page with new keywords, improve internal linking, or build backlinks. By monitoring average position, you can see whether these changes are leading to better rankings.
3. Identifying Keyword Distribution
Sometimes your site may rank really well for a few keywords but poorly for many others. Average position highlights this imbalance and helps you refine your keyword strategy.
4. Benchmarking Against Competitors
While not perfect, ARP can give you an idea of how your visibility compares to competitors targeting the same search terms.
In short: it’s a useful performance snapshot. But like any snapshot, it only tells part of the story.
The Problem With Average Ranking Position
Here’s the catch: average position can be skewed in ways that make it less reliable than it looks.
1. High-Volume Keywords Pull the Average Down
Imagine your site ranks #2 for a low-volume keyword but #80 for a high-volume one. Even if that low-volume keyword is driving leads, your average position will look poor because the high-volume keyword dominates the calculation.
2. Not All Rankings Are Equal
Ranking #1 for a keyword with 50 searches a month is not nearly as valuable as ranking #5 for a keyword with 10,000 searches a month. Average position doesn’t reflect keyword value, intent, or traffic potential—it treats every keyword the same.
3. Geographic and Device Variations
Google personalizes results based on location, device type, and user behavior. That means your keyword might rank #3 for one person but #25 for another. Average position mashes all these differences into one number, which can blur reality.
4. Featured Snippets and SERP Features
These days, search results include maps, ads, featured snippets, shopping carousels, and more. Your “#3 ranking” might actually be below multiple SERP features, meaning fewer clicks—even though the metric looks good.
5. Seasonality and Keyword Mix
If you add new keywords into your tracking that are highly competitive, your average position could suddenly drop—even if your original keywords are holding strong. This can make ARP misleading without proper context.
A Practical Example
Let’s say your business is tracking 10 keywords.
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You rank #1 for 2 keywords
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You rank #10 for 3 keywords
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You rank #50 for 5 keywords
Your average ranking position: 25.7
At first glance, that number doesn’t look great. But it hides the fact that you’re actually dominating two highly relevant terms that bring in conversions. If you only looked at ARP, you might think your SEO is failing—when in reality, it’s working where it matters most.
How to Use Average Position the Right Way
So should you ignore average ranking position? Not at all—it’s still valuable, as long as you know its limitations. Here’s how to make the most of it:
1. Pair It With Click-Through Rate (CTR)
High rankings are meaningless if they don’t lead to clicks. Look at your ARP alongside CTR in Google Search Console to understand how rankings translate into traffic.
2. Segment by Keyword Type
Instead of lumping all keywords together, break them down by category:
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Branded keywords
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Service/product keywords
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Informational queries
This shows where you’re truly winning (and where you’re not).
3. Track Individual Keywords Too
Your “money keywords” (those that drive conversions) deserve closer attention than your entire keyword set. Don’t let them get buried in averages.
4. Monitor Trends, Not Absolutes
The real value of ARP is in the trend. If your average position is improving steadily, that’s a strong signal your SEO efforts are moving in the right direction.
5. Focus on Conversions, Not Just Rankings
Ultimately, SEO success isn’t about being “#1” everywhere—it’s about driving leads, sales, and revenue. Average position should be part of a bigger measurement system that includes conversions.
The Takeaway
Average ranking position is one of those SEO metrics that’s both helpful and misleading. It’s helpful because it gives you a quick overview of how your site is doing across multiple keywords. But it’s misleading because it doesn’t account for keyword value, intent, traffic, or SERP realities.
Instead of treating ARP as the ultimate measure of SEO success, use it as one piece of the puzzle. Pair it with CTR, traffic, and conversion data to get the full picture.
When used wisely, average ranking position can show you whether your SEO strategy is headed in the right direction—but always remember to look beyond the average.