{"id":78527,"date":"2026-03-23T14:37:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-23T14:37:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dralysstore.com\/blog\/search-consoles-average-position-explained\/"},"modified":"2026-03-24T14:22:01","modified_gmt":"2026-03-24T14:22:01","slug":"search-consoles-average-position-explained","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dralysstore.com\/blog\/search-consoles-average-position-explained\/","title":{"rendered":"Search Console’s Average Position, Explained"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

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Google Search Console is the most reliable way to evaluate a site\u2019s organic search visibility.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, the Performance reports are often confusing for busy executives who lack optimization expertise. A frequent example is the \u201cAverage position\u201d metric.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll help clarify in this post.<\/p>\n

Overall Average<\/h3>\n

I\u2019m regularly asked, \u201cWhy is my average position so low?\u201d<\/p>\n

The term refers to the overall average position as shown at the top of the Performance report. It\u2019s the aggregated position<\/a> of your site across all<\/em> ranking queries. Google\u2019s search results typically show 10 organic listings per page. Thus an average position of 25 suggests an average ranking on page 3.<\/p>\n

The theoretical best ranking is 1; I\u2019ve not seen anything worse than 100. Average position provides little insight, which is why I typically recommend ignoring it.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Search Console\u2019s \u201cAverage position\u201d aggregates all queries.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Query Average<\/h3>\n

Scroll down the Performance report for the average position for each query<\/em>. This number represents the average position of a URL across all searchers for that term.<\/p>\n

Suppose two people searched Google using the same word or phrase. If a URL appeared in position 1 for one user and position 2 for the other, Search Console\u2019s reported average would be 1.5.<\/p>\n

Search Console shows an average query position only if a human or AI bot views it.<\/p>\n

\"Screenshot<\/a><\/p>\n

The average position for each query represents all searchers for that term.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Topmost positions<\/h4>\n

Per Google, each organic result equals one position, as does each special element, such as AI Overviews<\/a>, image packs, and People also ask<\/a>. (Search result sections with no external links occupy no position, nor do ads.)<\/p>\n

So a page\u2019s average position is 2 if it ranks 1 organically for all searchers but doesn\u2019t appear in a top image pack.<\/p>\n

Conversely, the page would be in position 1 if it appeared in that top image pack, but in position 2 organically. That\u2019s the case in the screenshot below for Giphy.<\/p>\n

\"Screenshot<\/a><\/p>\n

Giphy appears in the top image pack, but at position 2 in organic listings.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

URLs in special sections<\/h4>\n

All URLs in a special section have the same average position. In the image above, all URLs in the image pack have an average position of 1.<\/p>\n

Similarly, all URLs cited in an AI Overview at the top search results have an average position of 1.<\/p>\n

Cannot verify a position<\/h4>\n

URLs in search results are not always obvious. For example, a URL may appear in the lower portion of an AI Overview after other citations, or cited in a \u201cPeople also ask\u201d box visible to a searcher only after clicking the question.<\/p>\n

Moreover, Search Console can report a position that differs among users for several reasons.<\/p>\n