What is Position Distribution?
Position Distribution breaks your tracked keywords into five bands based on where they rank in Google search results. Instead of looking at each keyword individually, it gives you a high-level view of your overall ranking health.
The five bands
| Band | Positions | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Top Results | 1-3 | The most clicked results on the page. Positions 1-3 capture roughly 50% of all clicks. This is where you want your most important keywords |
| Above the Fold | 4-8 | Visible without scrolling on most devices. Still get solid click-through rates, especially on desktop |
| Page 1-2 | 9-20 | Bottom of page 1 and page 2. These keywords are close to the high-traffic zone and are prime candidates for optimization |
| Pages 3-5 | 21-50 | Deep results. Very few searchers reach these pages. These keywords need significant work to become traffic drivers |
| Deep Pages | 51-100 | Rarely seen by searchers. These are early-stage rankings that may indicate Google is starting to associate your content with these queries |
Reading the distribution
Each band shows two things: the count of keywords currently in that band, and the 1-day change (how many keywords moved into or out of that band since yesterday).
Example: Interpreting your distribution
| Band | Count | 1d Change | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| Positions 1-3 | 45 | +3 | Three keywords moved into the top 3 today |
| Positions 4-8 | 120 | -2 | Two keywords left this band (likely moved up to 1-3 or down to 9-20) |
| Positions 9-20 | 230 | +5 | Five more keywords are now in striking distance of page 1 |
| Positions 21-50 | 180 | -4 | Keywords moving out of this band - hopefully up, not down |
| Positions 51-100 | 95 | -2 | Two fewer keywords in the deep pages |
In this example, the positive trend is clear: keywords are moving from lower bands into higher bands. That's exactly what you want to see.
Why these bands?
The bands aren't arbitrary. They're based on how real searchers interact with Google results:
- Positions 1-3 get the vast majority of clicks (roughly 50% combined). The difference between position 1 and position 4 is enormous
- Positions 4-8 are still visible without scrolling on most screens. Click-through rates drop off but remain meaningful
- Positions 9-20 represent the bottom of page 1 and page 2. These keywords are tantalizingly close to the action and often the best targets for optimization
- Positions 21-50 see very little organic traffic. Searchers rarely click past page 2
- Positions 51-100 get essentially zero clicks, but their presence means Google considers your content relevant. They can be moved up with focused effort
Using distribution to guide your strategy
Goal: Over time, you want to see keywords flowing upward through the bands.
The most impactful moves are from 9-20 into 4-8 (getting onto page 1) and from 4-8 into 1-3
(reaching the top results). Check the Quick Wins report for specific keywords in the 9-20
range that are ready for a push.