Advice and answers from the Advanced Web Ranking Team
Pixel Position
Discover a comprehensive overview of the Pixel Position metric in AWR, including its purpose, how it appears in reports, ways to filter the data, set up alerts, and interpret its impact.
What is Pixel Position?
The Pixel Position refers to the number of pixels between the top of the SERP and your website's position, indicating the visual measure of how far down your website appears for the target audience.
For SERPs featuring diverse result types alongside organic listings, the Pixel Position is helpful in determining how extensive each search result type is and if your website is positioned Above or Below the Fold.
While the Position metric indicates your website’s rank on the page, the Pixel Position provides insights into your actual visibility on the SERPs:
lower pixel values = higher visibility
higher pixel values = lower visibility
How is the metric represented in AWR?
Pixel Position is highlighted according to its placement in relation to the fold line, which is set at 1080 pixels for desktop and 800 pixels for mobile devices. It’s color-coded as follows:
🟢 green: your website is above the fold
🔴 red: your website is below the fold
There are two views of this metric:
1. Pixel Position value
The Pixel Position column displays your website’s position in pixels from the most recent update within the selected date range, compared to the update on the start date. It shows whether the position has improved, declined, remained unchanged, or if your site has moved onto the first results page or dropped out of visible display.
2. Trend In Time
With the Pixel Position Trend in Time tooltip, you can track the changes in the website’s pixel position for each of the updates within the selected date range. To see the shifts over time, simply hover over the Pixel Position value, and the tooltip will appear showing the evolution over time.
How to access the Pixel Position metric
The Pixel Position is available as an optional column and can be added through the Table Settings manager in the Ranking > Keywords section. Simply click the dedicated button to show the “Pixel Position” metric, then apply the changes to display the data.
Where to find the Pixel Position metric in AWR?
The Pixel Position metric is available in several reports within Advanced Web Ranking.
Available as a table column and filter in:
Available as a filter only in:
Pixel Position filters
Depending on the report you’re viewing, the set of tracked keywords can be filtered based on pixel position and/or pixel position changes.
1. Pixel Position
This keyword filtering is based on pixel count, and it allows you to select and view only keywords that are:
Above the fold (ATF): keywords that appear high enough on the SERP so users can see them without having to scroll down.
Below the fold (BTF): keywords that appear lower on the SERP, requiring users to scroll down to see them.
Out of display (OOD): keywords that rank beyond the first SERP, only visible to users who navigate to the second page or further.
2. Pixel Position Changes
The filter is based on pixel position shifts, and you can select and view keywords that are:
New in display: keywords that have newly appeared within the visible area of the first page of results.
Dropped from display: keywords no longer visible on the first SERP.
Improved to ATF: keywords that moved from Below the Fold to Above the Fold.
Declined to BTF: keywords that dropped from Above the Fold to Below the Fold.
Not changed: keywords whose pixel position has stayed the same between the two selected updates.
How to set up alerts to track Pixel Position changes
You can set up alerts to monitor pixel position changes and receive notifications when your tracked keywords move above or below the fold on SERPs, or drop out of display. This ensures you stay updated on visibility shifts and can quickly respond to maintain optimal keyword positions.
You can create an alert by navigating to the Alerts section and clicking the "Add alert" button.
Alternatively, you can set up an alert directly from the Ranking > Keywords section by applying the Pixel Position filter. Once you've chosen the filter, simply click the Alerts shortcut.
This will open the “Add new alert” wizard, where the trigger conditions will be automatically aligned with the selected filter, making the setup process easier.
You will receive notifications both through in-app alerts and email, or via Slack if you have selected that option, when the alert condition threshold is met.
What can influence the Pixel Position of a search result?
A URL may appear higher or lower on the SERP—even when its numerical ranking remains the same—due to several factors:
SERP features: elements like featured snippets, people also ask boxes, local packs, videos, and others often appear above or between organic results. These can shift pixel placement, pushing the website further down the page.
Paid results: ads typically appear at the top of the SERP, pushing even highly ranked organic websites lower on the screen.
Device type: the same SERP looks different on desktop and mobile. On mobile devices, narrower screens and vertically stacked elements often increase the pixel position of results.
Browser & screen resolution: pixel measurements are affected by the screen size and resolution. A result may appear at a different pixel depth depending on the device or display settings.
How Pixel Position helps you improve your SEO strategy
Understanding where your website actually appears on the SERP, makes the Pixel Position a valuable metric that allows you to:
identify when keywords drop Below the Fold, as this can lower their visibility in the SERPs even if they continue to hold top rankings;
see how pixel position changes affect your click-through rate, impressions, and traffic. A keyword might hold a top rank but perform poorly if it's pushed further down the page;
monitor historical pixel position data to spot trends and patterns, allowing you to stay ahead and adjust your SEO efforts accordingly.
Do you have any other questions? Don’t hesitate to get in touch, and we will keep building the FAQ.
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