Why do my rankings look different from what my client sees?

Search results are personalised by location, device, language, and search history, and they change constantly. Two people searching the same term in Bangkok can see different pages. Use rank-tracking tools with a fixed location and device instead of trusting what you see in your own browser.

How much of a modern SERP is actually organic results?

Often less than half the first screen. Ads, AI Overviews, local packs, image strips, video rows and question boxes routinely push the first organic result well below the fold on mobile. Before targeting a keyword, look at what the page actually contains.

Fundamentals

SERP (Search Engine Results Page)

A SERP is the page a search engine returns after a query.

Modern SERPs are no longer ten blue links: they mix ads, AI Overviews, featured snippets, local packs, image carousels, and "people also ask" boxes, all of which push organic results down. For instance, a query like "best CRM" may show an AI summary and ad block before any organic listing appears. Knowing which features appear for a query shapes whether and how you can realistically rank for it.

Before committing to a keyword, look at the actual results page on a phone. Count what sits above the first organic listing, because that space is what you are really competing for. Four ad slots plus an AI Overview plus a People Also Ask box can push position one below the fold, which changes the economics of ranking there. The same query can also be dominated by a format you cannot produce, such as video results or a local pack you are not eligible for. Choosing keywords by search volume alone, without reading the results page, is how teams win rankings that deliver nothing.

Example

Search "best crm" and count what loads before the first organic result: four ads, an AI Overview, a People Also Ask box. On a phone that first organic listing starts two screens down. The same query in 2015 showed it at the top of the page. Position one today is not where position one used to be.

Frequently asked questions

Why do my rankings look different from what my client sees?: Search results are personalised by location, device, language, and search history, and they change constantly. Two people searching the same term in Bangkok can see different pages. Use rank-tracking tools with a fixed location and device instead of trusting what you see in your own browser.
How much of a modern SERP is actually organic results?: Often less than half the first screen. Ads, AI Overviews, local packs, image strips, video rows and question boxes routinely push the first organic result well below the fold on mobile. Before targeting a keyword, look at what the page actually contains.

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SERP (Search Engine Results Page)

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