Rank tracking glossary: the key terms from ad position to share of search
This glossary explains the 25 terms that come up most often in rank tracking on otto.de, in one or two sentences each. It is grouped into five topics: positions, keywords, listing and product data, measurement and reporting, and marketplace terms. Where a detailed article exists, it is linked.
Positions
Overall position – A product's place in otto.de's search results, counted across all results including ads. It matches what a shopper sees from top to bottom.
Organic position – The place among the unpaid results, counted without ads. It shows how well the listing itself ranks. The difference between the three positions is explained in understanding otto.de rankings.
Ad position – A product's place among the results labelled as sponsored. It only exists when the product is advertised.
Page 1 – The first results page. otto.de shows 120 products per page (as of October 2026), so page 1 covers positions 1 to 120. More in page 1 on otto.de.
Not found – The product does not appear in the checked results pages for this search term. It is a status of its own and should never enter averages as a number.
Keywords
Keyword (search term) – The word or phrase shoppers type into otto.de's search. Rank tracking always measures a product's position for a specific keyword.
Head term – The most general and most searched term for a product, such as "office chair". It is the most competitive.
Long-tail keyword – A longer, more specific search term such as "ergonomic office chair with headrest". Fewer searches, but often a clearer intent to buy. See finding long-tail keywords on OTTO.
Brand keyword – A search term that contains a brand name. Shoppers searching for the brand already know it; generic terms show better whether new shoppers find you. More in brand keywords vs. generic search terms.
Keyword cannibalisation – Several of your own products compete for the same search term and take places from each other. Explained in keyword cannibalisation on otto.de.
Listing and product data
Listing – Everything that belongs to a product on otto.de: title, images, description, attributes, price and delivery time.
Product title – The product's headline in search and on the product page. It should name the product type and main feature. Guide: optimising product titles for otto.de.
Attributes – Structured product details such as colour, material or dimensions. Among other things, they control which filters a product appears under.
Variations – Versions of the same product, for example in several sizes or colours. They share one product page, which matters for tracking, see variations share one product page.
Marketplace status – A product's status in OTTO Partner Connect, for example online or not online. A product that is not online cannot be found in the search.
Measurement and reporting
Rank tracking – Regularly checking which position a product holds for given search terms, with the history stored. MarktRank checks weekly or daily and only reads public search results.
Baseline – The position before a change, ideally the mean of two or three checks. Without it, no effect can be measured.
Ranking fluctuation – Movements of the position between two checks, even without any change to the listing. Causes and how to deal with them are described in ranking fluctuations on otto.de.
Page-1 share – The share of a product's or project's keywords for which it is on page 1. More robust than an average position.
Share of search – The share of the top places for a group of search terms that goes to your products, compared with your competitors. How to calculate it: share of search on otto.de.
Marketplace terms
OTTO Partner Connect – The seller portal and interface of the OTTO marketplace, where sellers manage products, stock, prices and orders.
MOIN – An identifier OTTO assigns to a product on the marketplace. How it differs from the product reference and SKU is explained in OTTO MOIN, product reference and SKU explained.
Product reference – The value that links variations belonging together into one product.
EAN / GTIN – A product's internationally unique article number, usually printed as a barcode on the packaging. Requirements and common errors: EAN / GTIN on OTTO.
Sponsored Product Ads – Paid product ads that otto.de mixes into the organic results as labelled entries. How to measure their position is shown in Sponsored Product Ads: measuring the ad position.
Frequently asked questions
Which position should I watch first?
For work on the listing, the organic position, because it does not depend on the ads mixed in. The overall position shows what shoppers see; the ad position only shows how your ads perform.
What is the difference between page-1 share and share of search?
The page-1 share looks only at your own products and keywords. Share of search puts your places in relation to those of your competitors.
Do I need MOIN and EAN for rank tracking?
They help to identify a product unambiguously, especially with many similar products or variations. What is measured, though, is always the position in the public search results.
Sources
See where your product ranks on otto.de
Overall, organic and ad position for every keyword – 5 free checks, no account needed.
Also selling on Kaufland? Track your Kaufland rankings with Kaufland Tracker →
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