What it is
Rank verification automatically double-checks significant ranking drops by checking Google again. It helps you understand whether a drop was confirmed, the rank improved on recheck, or Keyword.com is showing your last known rank while waiting for another update.
Why it matters
An unexpected ranking drop can need a closer look before you act on it. Rank verification helps you:
See whether a significant drop still appeared on recheck.
Identify when the displayed rank is your last known result.
Review verification outcomes and individual scans.
See historical verification statuses alongside a keyword’s ranking history.
Open the search results associated with a keyword for more context.
How to access Rank verification
Open a project.
Go to Keywords.
Find Rank verification above the keyword table.
Click View details.
How rank verification works
When Keyword.com detects a significant ranking drop, it automatically checks Google again before reporting the drop.
If the results are incomplete or look different from the keyword’s usual results, Keyword.com may keep the last known rank until the next update. The verification status explains the outcome of the check.
Automatic verification retries do not use your manual refresh allowance.
Understand verification statuses
Status | What it means |
Verifying drop | Keyword.com is checking Google again to verify the drop. |
Drop confirmed | The recheck still showed a significant drop. |
Showing last known rank | The latest results were incomplete or looked unlike the keyword’s usual results. Keyword.com is displaying the last known rank. |
Verification incomplete | Keyword.com could not complete verification of the drop. |
Improved on recheck | The recheck found a better rank, so the result no longer qualified as a significant drop. |
Showing last known rank does not mean a new scan confirmed that position.
Improved on recheck means the result improved enough to stop qualifying as a significant drop; it does not necessarily mean that it had returned to its previous position.
Review today’s checks and recent outcomes
The Rank verification summary shows how many keywords were flagged for verification today and the available status counts.
In View details, you can review:
Today: Keywords flagged for verification and their available status counts.
Last 7 Days: A chart with Drop confirmed, Showing last known rank, and Improved on recheck, plus a summary of large drops that were not reproduced on recheck.
What each status means: Definitions of the verification statuses.
Find affected keywords from the summary
On the project’s Keywords page, scroll to the Rank verification bar directly above the keyword table and Search keywords field.
Click a status count in that bar, such as 1 drop confirmed or 1 improved on recheck. The number and available statuses depend on the results shown.
Review the matching keywords in the table below.
Find affected keywords from View details
Click View details at the right end of the Rank verification bar.
In the panel that opens, find Today near the top.
Click a status row with a count, such as Drop confirmed.
Review the matching keywords in the table.
Both routes apply a Verification status filter. To return to the full table, scroll back to the filter controls near the top of the Keywords page and click × on the Verification status filter chip.
Inspect a keyword’s verification result
Find a keyword with a verification status icon beside its Rank.
Click the status icon.
Review the status explanation and Showing result.
Click the scan-count button to expand the scans recorded today.
Select View search results to open the keyword’s search results.
View historical verification statuses
You can also review past verification statuses in a keyword’s Ranking History chart.
On the Keywords page, hover over a keyword in the table to reveal its three action icons.
Click the line-chart icon beside the keyword. Its tooltip is Show historical chart.
In the window that opens, select Ranking History if it is not already selected.
Review the verification status markers on the chart alongside the keyword’s ranking history. Use the period dropdown above the chart to change the date range.
The markers show historical verification outcomes, such as Drop confirmed, so you can review them in the context of the keyword’s ranking changes.
Best practices
Check the verification status before treating an unexpected drop as a confirmed change.
When Showing last known rank appears, read the explanation to understand what is being displayed.
Treat Verification incomplete as an unfinished check, rather than confirmation that the drop occurred.
Use the status filter and scan details to focus your review on affected keywords.
Open Ranking History when you want to review past verification statuses alongside ranking changes.