How to check keyword rankings and competition: identify search terms first, then compare the relevant pages

To check keyword rankings and competition, first identify the search terms you want to track, the corresponding pages on your site, and the websites competing for those same keywords. Then use Google Search Console and rank-tracking tools to monitor changes. The focus is not just where you rank, but which terms are losing ground, which competitors are moving ahead, and whether pages on your own site are competing with one another. When impressions decline, rankings are one clue to investigate—not proof that a particular issue caused the decline.

List your keywords and identify your competitors

Start by compiling a list of target keywords, corresponding pages, and competing domains. When comparing content, look for high-ranking pages covering the same topic and keyword, rather than simply choosing familiar industry peers. Branded terms also deserve a separate check, since competitors may include resellers.

• General topic terms: identify which websites rank higher for the same search terms.
• Branded terms: if rankings are gradually declining, check whether resellers selling your products have overtaken you.
• Descriptive branded terms: after ruling out resellers as a factor, check whether the brand name is also a product name.

For example, an article from Seer Interactive notes that if a brand name directly describes wood flooring, another wood flooring company may regard that term as a generic product term. It is not necessarily a bad thing if resellers rank higher; businesses that supply only to dealers still need to judge whether this benefits their sales goals.

Look at rankings alongside impressions and clicks

A 2024 tutorial from Da Vinci Digital Technology explains how to use “Queries” in Search Console’s “Performance” report to review impressions, click-through rates, and rankings for target keywords, and how to check the performance of related pages. Rather than recording a ranking just once, compare changes across different periods.

To compare your site with others, a 2026 Semrush article explains how to set up tracked keywords and add competing domains in Position Tracking to compare visibility. First, make sure the tracking list includes the terms you want to compare, so differences in what you track do not lead to misleading conclusions.

When competitors move ahead, compare the content

If tracking data shows that a competitor who previously ranked below you has overtaken you, compare both sites’ content more closely. Check whether the competitor’s content better meets searchers’ needs and whether its internal links make related information easier for readers to find.

These differences offer clues for improvement, not definitive explanations for ranking changes. Semrush’s 2023 article on enterprise SEO audits also lists outdated content, stronger competitors, technical issues, and algorithm updates as possible factors. A drop in rankings should not automatically be blamed on content alone.

Check for competing pages on your site and monitor rankings regularly

Competition can also come from pages on the same site. List the keywords each page targets, then use query and page performance data in Search Console to check whether multiple pages are competing for the same keywords. Do not decide to merge two pages simply because both mention the same term.

A 2025 article on Neil Patel’s website suggests checking rankings weekly or every two weeks and compiling other metrics monthly. This is a scheduling recommendation, not a search engine rule. Keeping results in a spreadsheet or dashboard can also help free up time to make improvements.