Your Google ranking depends on three variables: the exact keyword phrase, the searcher's location, and whether they're on mobile or desktop. A Vancouver plumber might rank #3 for "emergency plumber" in Vancouver but not appear in the top 50 in Toronto for the same term. Google Search Console shows average position for queries where you appeared in the last three months, but it's an average across all locations and devices—useful for trends, not precise local tracking. For specific rankings, open an incognito or private browser window (Ctrl+Shift+N in Chrome) and search your target keyword. Incognito strips out most personalization but still uses your IP location, so if you're checking Ottawa rankings from a Montreal office, use a VPN or location parameter in the search URL. Mobile rankings often differ from desktop by 5–15 positions for the same query, especially for local searches. Paid tools give you scalable tracking. Semrush and Ahrefs let you set a target city (down to postal code in Canada) and device type, then track daily rankings for hundreds of keywords. We use these at Ottawa SEO for client reporting because manual checking doesn't scale past 10–20 keywords. Expect to pay $100–$400 CAD/month depending on how many domains and keywords you monitor. Three things that trip people up: - Personalized results: Even incognito, Google may adjust rankings based on your search history if you're logged into Chrome. Use a clean browser profile or rank tracker. - Local pack vs organic: Ranking #1 in the map pack (top three local results) is different from ranking #1 in the blue-link organic results below it. Specify which you're measuring. - Fluctuation: Rankings move daily. A keyword bouncing between positions 8 and 12 over a week is normal. Track weekly or monthly averages, not single snapshots. We typically track 20–50 core keywords per client site, split between brand terms (where you should own page one), money terms (high commercial intent), and informational terms (top-of-funnel traffic). If you're outside the top 20 for a keyword, you're essentially invisible—less than 1% click-through.