Ranking

How does Google determine rankings?

Google describes Search in three stages. Crawlers download pages, indexing analyzes and stores them, and only when someone searches does Google select and order results from the index. A ranking is therefore calculated for each query at the moment it is made.

For that ordering, Google names five groups of signals on its How Search Works site:

• the meaning of the query
• the relevance of the content
• the quality of the content, including signals of expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness
• the usability of the page, such as mobile-friendly pages that load quickly
• context and settings, such as location, past search history, and search settings

Google does not publish how much each signal weighs. Its ranking systems guide lists named systems that are currently in use, including BERT, RankBrain, neural matching, passage ranking, PageRank, and spam detection. The same guide lists retired systems such as Panda, Penguin, and the helpful content system, which Google says became part of its core ranking systems in 2024.

Organic positions cannot be bought. Google states that it does not accept payment to crawl a site more often or rank it higher. Ads appear separately and carry a label.

Why do rankings differ between users?

Location, language, and device feed into the ordering, so two people searching for the same term can see different results. A single check in your own browser is a snapshot under your own conditions. For comparable numbers, query rankings on a schedule with fixed parameters (keyword, country, language, device), or use the Performance report in Google Search Console. There, average position is the average position of your site’s topmost result across the impressions it actually received.

Example

An online store selling running shoes (illustrative example with made-up numbers) tracks the keyword “trail running shoes women” on mobile in the US. A rank tracker shows the category page at position 4 and a buying guide on the same domain at position 11. Search Console reports an average position of 5.3 for the category page because it moves between 3 and 8 depending on the searcher’s location and the day. Both numbers are correct. They measure different things.

FAQ

How do I check my Google ranking? For your own site, the Search Console Performance report shows clicks, impressions, and average position per query and page. For competitors or exact positions on specific dates, a rank tracker that queries results with fixed settings is needed.

Can you pay Google for a better ranking? No. Google states that nobody can pay for higher organic rankings. Paid placements run through Google Ads and are shown as ads.

How do I improve my ranking? There is no guaranteed method. Google points to helpful, reliable content that matches what searchers want, on a site that is technically accessible and easy to use.

Last updated: October 8, 2026