Measuring rankings after listing changes: see what really works

Why measuring beats guessing

OTTO doesn't publish a ranking algorithm, so you only see whether a change helps by comparing the position before and after. Without measurement, optimisation stays a guess.

Step 1: record a baseline

Pick three to five keywords the product should be found for and record the organic position for one or two weeks. That shows you the normal range of movement. The organic position removes ads – see Otto rankings explained.

Step 2: change one thing

Change one thing at a time where possible: the title, images, attributes or price. If you change everything at once, you won't know what worked. Note the date.

Step 3: compare over several weeks

Compare positions over several weeks, not the next day. Daily checks help during this phase – see how often to check rankings. Look for movement outside the normal range.

Step 4: allow for other influences

• Ads: if you started a campaign at the same time, look at the organic position, not the overall one.
• Season and demand: some products move with the time of year.
• Availability: a sold-out product can drop back.

Recording your results

Keep a simple log: date, product, what changed, positions before and after a few weeks. After a few rounds you'll see which kind of change works best for your products – titles, images or attributes – and can apply the successful patterns to the rest of your catalogue.

How MarktRank helps

MarktRank stores every check, overwrites nothing and shows each keyword's history from 7 days up to a year. A report for any date range shows the position on the first and last day and what improved or declined, as PDF or CSV.

Frequently asked questions