For any Australian business owner investing time or money into SEO, tracking your rankings is the only way to know if your strategy is actually working. Without accurate data, you’re essentially flying blind, unable to see which keywords are driving local customers to your door and which ones need more work.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through the process of setting up a professional tracking system so you can monitor your progress on Google Search Results Pages (SERPs) and stay ahead of your competitors.
Prerequisites: What You’ll Need
Before we dive into the steps, ensure you have the following ready:- Google Search Console access: This is a free tool from Google that is essential for any website.
- A list of target keywords: 10–20 phrases you want your business to be found for (e.g., "Plumber in Brisbane" or "Organic dog food Australia").
- A tracking tool: We will discuss both free and paid options like SE Ranking, Semrush, or Google Search Console itself.
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Step 1: Define Your Target Keywords
You can't track what you haven't defined. Start by listing the primary services or products you offer. Think about how a local customer would search for you. Avoid industry jargon; instead, focus on the terms your customers actually use. If you are a local business, ensure you include location-based modifiers like "near me," "Brisbane," or your specific suburb.Step 2: Set Up Google Search Console (GSC)
If you haven't already, head to Google Search Console. This is the most accurate source of data because it comes directly from Google.- What you’ll see: Once logged in, click on "Performance" in the left-hand sidebar. You will see a graph showing Clicks, Impressions, Average CTR, and Average Position.
- The limitation: GSC provides "average" positions over a period of time, which can sometimes be skewed by personalised search results or different device types.
Step 3: Filter for Australian Traffic
Since you are likely targeting an Australian audience, you need to ensure your data isn't being muddied by international traffic.- In the GSC Performance report, click the "+ New" button at the top.
- Select "Country."
- Choose "Australia" from the list.
Now, the rankings you see will specifically reflect how you are performing for users within Australia.
Step 4: Choose a Dedicated Rank Tracking Tool
While GSC is great, it doesn't allow you to see your rankings in real-time for specific, hand-picked keywords. For a more professional approach, we recommend using a dedicated rank tracker like SE Ranking, Ahrefs, or Nightwatch. These tools allow you to track "Local Pack" results (the Google Maps results), which are vital for Brisbane small businesses.Step 5: Configure Your Project Settings
When setting up your chosen tool, you will be asked for your website URL and your competitors' URLs.- Screenshot Description: You should see a setup wizard asking for your domain (e.g., yourbusiness.com.au) and a checkbox to include or exclude subdomains. Always include your competitors here so you can see how you rank relative to them.
Step 6: Set Your Location to the Suburb Level
One of the biggest mistakes Australian businesses make is tracking rankings at a national level when they only serve a local area. If you are a cafe in Paddington, ranking #1 in Perth doesn't help you.In your tracking tool, set the location to "Brisbane, Queensland" or even your specific postcode. This ensures the data reflects what your actual neighbours see when they search.
Step 7: Add Your Keyword List
Copy the list of keywords you created in Step 1 and paste them into your tracking tool. Most tools allow you to tag keywords. We recommend tagging them by category (e.g., "Service Pages," "Blog Posts," "Brand Terms"). This makes it much easier to analyse which parts of your website are performing best later on.Step 8: Monitor Desktop vs. Mobile Rankings
Google uses mobile-first indexing, meaning it looks at the mobile version of your site to determine rankings. However, depending on your industry, your customers might still use desktops (common in B2B).- What you’ll see: Most tools will show two columns: one with a mobile phone icon and one with a computer monitor icon. If your mobile rankings are significantly lower than your desktop rankings, your site might have technical mobile-usability issues.
Step 9: Analyse the "SERP Features"
Modern Google results aren't just a list of blue links. They include Maps, Images, "People Also Ask" boxes, and Featured Snippets.Check your tracking tool to see if you are appearing in these features. For local businesses, ranking in the "Map Pack" (the top 3 map results) is often more valuable than being the #1 organic link.
Step 10: Set Up Weekly Automated Reports
You don't need to check your rankings every day—in fact, doing so can lead to unnecessary stress as rankings naturally fluctuate. Set up an automated email report to be sent to you every Monday morning.Focus on the "Trend" over the last 30 days rather than daily jumps. A steady climb is what we are looking for.
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Pro Tips for Better Tracking
- Don't Google yourself: Repeatedly searching for your own business and not clicking your link can actually tell Google your site isn't relevant, which might lower your ranking. Use your tracking tool instead.
- Track your competitors: If a competitor suddenly jumps ahead of you, look at their site. Did they add new content? Did they get a new local backlink? Use their success as a roadmap for your own improvements.
- Note your updates: Whenever you make a big change to a page (like adding more text or changing the title), put a "Note" or "Annotation" in your tracking tool. This helps you see exactly which changes led to a ranking boost.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Ignoring Local Intent: Tracking "Plumber" (Global) instead of "Plumber Brisbane" (Local) will give you discouraging and irrelevant data.
- Obsessing over #1: Being #2 or #3 for a high-volume keyword is often better than being #1 for a keyword no one searches for.
- Forgetting Brand Terms: Always track your own business name. If you aren't #1 for your own name, you have a serious technical SEO issue that needs fixing immediately.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Problem: My tool says I'm #5, but when I search on my phone, I'm #12.- Solution: Google personalises results based on your browsing history and exact GPS location. Your tracking tool uses a "clean" browser environment to give an unbiased average. Trust the tool over your personal device.
- Solution: Don't panic. First, check if your website is still live. Second, check Google Search Console for any "Manual Actions" (penalties). Often, this is just a temporary "Google Dance" while they update their algorithm, and rankings often return within a few days.
- Solution: This usually means your "Meta Title" or "Meta Description" isn't enticing people to click. You’re visible, but you’re not selling the click. Try making your titles more action-oriented.
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Next Steps
Now that you are tracking your rankings, the next step is to improve them! Start by looking at your keywords ranked in positions 4–10. These are your "low-hanging fruit." With a few small tweaks to the content or some fresh internal links, you can often push these onto the top 3 spots where the majority of the traffic sits.If you find that your rankings are stagnant or you're struggling to show up in the Brisbane Map Pack, we can help. Contact the team at Local Marketing Group for a comprehensive SEO audit and a strategy tailored to the Australian market.