How to Number Google and MSN Results
When you wish to keep a record of the position of your website within search results for targeted search terms there are a couple of steps you can take to help with your manual checks.
First, if you haven’t already, download and install the latest version of the FireFox browser. Open a new browser window and within 3 separate tabs go to Google, Yahoo! and Live Search (or MSN). Now in each search engine do searches for your first search term (for example: Search Engine Optimisation). Then in each of the search engines you will notice the have either a ‘Preferences’ or ‘Options’ link, click on this and you will be taken to a page where you can make changes which alter the way the search results are displayed. In Google and Yahoo change the number of results per page to 100. In Live Search change the total results per page to 50 (as this is the limit) but also uncheck the ‘Group results from the same site’ as this will show truer positions for individual webpages. Save the settings and you will then be taken back to the results for your search term.
You will already notice that Yahoo numbers its results so that it is easy to quickly find your position within the listings for your search term. To do the same for Google and Live Search we first have to install the FireFox add-on GreaseMonkey. This add-on allows you to customize the way a webpage displays using small bits of JavaScript. We now need to add extra add-ons that work with GreasMonkey and these are Number Google Results and Number MSN Results from ilovejackdaniels.com. Click on the download links and choose to install. One more step you will need to take once all are installed is in the FireFox toolbar, go to Tools -> Add-ons and then click ‘Options’ in the GreaseMonkey add-on. Choose ‘Number MSN Results’ in the left tabs and in the ‘Included Pages’ section add http://search.live.* to the list.
So now refresh your search listings for your search term in each tab and you will have numbered results 1-100 in Google and Yahoo, and 1-50 in Live Search/MSN. To quickly find your position for a search term use the FireFox find tool (Ctrl+F then Ctrl+G to repeat find) and look for your domain URL in the results (eg. positiongoldltd.com). You can now set up an excel spreadsheet with say 10 search terms and quickly monitor and record your position in each of the search engines listings.
Tags: Google, Live Search, Search Engine Rankings, Yahoo!
