What is Rank?
Rank as a metric denotes a page’s positional merit vis-a-vis other indexed pages competing for the same query in the search engine results pages (SERP), without considering sponsored links. It tracks whether a page is on the first, second, or any other subsequent SERP, along with its precise placement, such as first, twelfth, two-hundredth. Ranked visibility suggests greater potential to be clicked on, while being listed implies being indexed for that query. It is a primary objective of SEO strategies to raise click visibility through both on-page (content, meta tags) and off-page (link building, social signals) measures.
Examples of rank would include: ranking first for “apples”; ranking 12th for “digital marketing glossary”; and ranking 200th for “best pizza in New York.”
Related terms: search position, visibility in search results, SERP position, organic rank.