Classic Search
Average Position
Average position is Search Console’s figure for where a site’s links appear in Google Search results: the topmost position a link to the site or page held in each search, averaged across all the searches in which it appeared. Position 1 is the top of the results, and searches without an impression are not counted.
- Industry term
By QueryRev ResearchPublished Updated5 min read
Why it matters.
It is the most quoted SEO number and one of the easiest to misread. Search Console takes the topmost position of the site in each search and averages it across all the searches in which the site appeared[1]: a mean over a mix of searches that changes every day.
The mix moves the figure. When a site starts to appear for many new searches low in the results, its average position number rises, which reads as a worse ranking, while its clicks may grow. What that means for a dashboard, and what to show beside the figure, is set out in the guide to SEO reporting dashboards.
Averages hide the groups inside them. In QueryRev’s study, 17.6% of the top 1,000 sites read block at least one AI crawler by name, against 13.9% of the rest and 14.2% overall[2]; the overall figure describes neither group. An average position over brand searches at the top and new searches deep in the results describes neither group either.
Google plays the figure down itself. Its guide to traffic drops advises against focusing too much on absolute position, because impressions and clicks are ultimately the measure of success, while a dramatic, persistent drop in position is worth a closer look[3].
How it is measured.
Each search adds one number, the topmost position of a link to the site, and the report averages those numbers: a site shown at positions 2, 4 and 6 in one search and at 3, 5 and 9 in another has an average position of 2.5[1].
A position is recorded only with an impression, so a result on page three that nobody reached adds nothing[1]. Each element of the results page holds one position: all the links in an AI Overview share its single position, and a featured snippet usually takes position 1[1]. In AI Mode, positions follow the same rules as a results page, and a follow-up question counts as a new search[1].
Read it for one query or a small group of similar queries, by page, and beside the ranking spread: how many searches sit in the top 3, the top 10 and below.
From our practice: in September 2026, a home-care provider in the New York area saw its average position move from 43.8 to 36.4 while its keywords in the top 10 grew from 54 to 83. The spread showed where the gain came from; the average alone did not.
Measured by
- Topmost position per search
- Averaged across searches
- Ranking spread beside it
A worked example.
Sample data: an invented site, to show the method.
An online bike shop’s average position goes from 8.1 to 14.6 in a month, and its monthly report flags a loss. Over the same month its clicks rise from 9,200 to 10,100.
Read by query, the searches it held in the top 3 are unchanged. The move comes from 1,400 new searches for its new spare-parts pages, which appear at positions 20 to 50: new reach low in the results, not a loss of rank.
What to do, step by step.
Read average position for one query or a small group of similar queries, never as one figure for the site.
Show the ranking spread beside it: searches in the top 3, the top 10 and below.
Leave branded searches out when judging work on new demand.
Follow a page’s position over time for the same queries, and look into a sudden, lasting drop.
Note the date of every change to the site, so that a move in position can be matched with what may have caused it.
Report clicks, and what they led to, as the result; use position to explain them.
Mistakes to avoid.
Reading a higher number as a loss. New searches at low positions raise the average while traffic grows. Check the queries before calling it a fall.
Comparing it with a rank tracker. A rank tracker checks set keywords from one place; Search Console averages what real searchers saw, wherever they were. The two answer different questions.
Averaging averages. The mean of several pages’ average positions is not the site’s average position, because each page appeared in a different number of searches.
Taking a modest number for a modest place. An element holds one position whatever its size, so a knowledge panel or an AI Overview can sit in a prominent place with a higher number than the links beside it.
How QueryRev treats it.
QueryRev imports position from Search Console by page and query and never shows a site-wide average on its own: position appears with the ranking spread, the clicks and the search intent of the queries. Search Intelligence flags lasting drops on the queries that bring revenue, and tells them apart from a change in the mix of searches.
Questions people ask.
What is a good average position in Search Console?
There is no good figure for a whole site, because it averages searches you will never win with those you already lead. Read it for one query or a group of similar queries, and follow its change over time.
Why did my average position drop while my traffic went up?
Most often because the site started to appear for new searches low in the results. Each new search adds a high position number to the average, while the searches that bring clicks hold steady.
Why is my position in Search Console different from what I see when I search?
Search Console averages the position across all searches and searchers. Your own search can differ because of your location, history and device, so a single check is not a measurement.
Sources and citation.
Primary sources only: the search engines, the AI vendors, standards bodies and QueryRev’s own research. Each is cited in the text by its number.
What are impressions, position, and clicks?Google Search Console Help ·
State of AI crawler access, October 2026QueryRev Research ·
Debugging drops in Google Search trafficGoogle Search Central ·
Cite this definition
A suggested citation. Its link goes to the definition, whose anchor does not change.
QueryRev Research. “Average Position.” QueryRev AI glossary, 19 October 2026. https://queryrev.com/glossary/average-position#definition
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