How to check the health and positioning of a website?

Introduction

Periodically check the health and positioning of a website it's not just a good habit, it is an essential necessity for anyone who wants to gain visibility online, especially in the world of e-commerce and digital publishing. Whether you run a journalistic blog, an online newspaper or an e-commerce on WordPress or PrestaShop platforms, know if your site is losing traffic, is suffering penalties o it is surpassed by competitors, can make the difference between success and digital oblivion.

Every website, regardless of its nature or size, represents an investment: of time, resources, content and, above all, expectations. However, there is often a tendency to neglect constant monitoring of its performance, as if simply publishing content or products were enough to guarantee traffic and results. Nothing could be more wrong. User behavior changes, search engine algorithms are updated, competitors evolve. In this fluid and competitive scenario, Those who don't monitor are left behind.

A website can stop performing correctly for many reasons: a poorly updated plugin, a slow server, an untested change, a Google algorithm update. In the absence of controls, these problems risk remain invisible until the damage is evident and more difficult to recover.

Here because Regular monitoring is a preventive and reactive strategy. It allows you to anticipate critical issues, understand what really works, optimize resources and, above all, Don't get caught unprepared in the face of sudden changes. It's like service the car: Everything may seem fine, but a thorough check can prevent much more costly breakdowns in the future.

In this post, we will guide you step by step in understanding Why it is essential to monitor the health of your website, how to do it e which tools to use to have a clear and complete overview, even if you are not an expert.

Why check your positioning periodically?

Your ranking on Google and other search engines is a key indicator of your site's overall performance. It's not just about knowing where a certain page appears for a keyword, but about having a complete view of online visibilityand quality of the proposed contents and effectiveness of the strategies adopted. When the positioning improves, it is a sign that you are going in the right direction. On the contrary, a worsening should be interpreted immediately as an alarm bell.

Monitor positioning means knowing which keywords generate qualified traffic, which contents are actually rewarded by Google and which ones are neglected or even penalized. This type of monitoring allows you to detect serious technical problems in real time, such as a incomplete indexing, incorrect redirects, faulty sitemaps o errors in robots.txt file. It also helps quickly identify penalties, both manual and algorithmic.

A sudden drop in traffic, the disappearance of important pages from search results, or a deterioration in metrics Core Web Vitals can have a significant impact on sales, conversions or readership. And the real danger is that, without adequate tools, these signals go unnoticed for too long.

Checking the positioning regularly also allows you to Evaluate the real impact of SEO activities, to verify whether technical or editorial updates are producing the expected results and, if necessary, to promptly adjust the strategy.

Finally, keep an eye on the market and competitors is essential. Sometimes, a drop in your data is not your fault, but rather the fact that a competitor has managed to do better. Understanding whether you are the only one to have lost ground or whether other sites have also suffered the same effects can help you better interpret the context, especially when there are changes in Google's algorithms.

Know what's happening in your industry It allows you to act consciously, avoiding hasty or ineffective interventions.

Differential Analysis: Looking Around to Understand Better

It’s not enough to just look at your own site data. When you experience a drop in traffic, a loss of positioning or other anomalous signals, it is essential to also look at the competitors. Focusing solely on your own situation can lead to distorted assessments: you might think you made a mistake, when in fact you were hit by an algorithmic update that also affected many other sites in your sector.

Looking beyond your own domain allows you to contextualize what is happening. If other sites similar to yours have lost visibility during the same period, you may find a common explanation. On the contrary, if you notice that your main competitors have grown just as you have fallen, it is likely that they have adopted more effective strategies or implemented technical or content improvements that are producing results.

This type of comparison, which we can define “differential analysis”, is extremely valuable for identifying trends, emerging strategies and approaches that really work. It allows you to not work in a vacuum, but in a competitive ecosystem where every move can have consequences. Furthermore, studying competitors helps to gather ideas, better understand user needs and interpret search engine responses more correctly.

In some cases, it is precisely from this careful observation that the following emerge: innovative content, new page structures, User experience improvements or even link building strategies that are rewarding others. And all this can become a starting point to improve your project too.

Useful tools for in-depth analysis

We will therefore now go on to

Google Webmaster Tools (Search Console)

This is the official tool made available by Google to monitor the presence of a site in search results. It is designed to offer concrete and updated data on how Google interacts with your site: from Scanning pages atindexing, up to visibility for specific keywords.

Through Search Console you can:

• check if the pages are indexed correctly: thanks to the coverage reports, you can know which pages of your site have been successfully indexed and which have been excluded, with an indication of the reason (e.g. error 404, noindex, crawl anomalies). This allows you to intervene immediately to recover visibility on important content;
• Analyze search queries that drive traffic: you can access a detailed list of keywords that made your site appear in search results, with the relative number of impressions, clicks, average position and CTR. It is a valuable tool for understanding what users are really searching for and what content attracts the most traffic;
• Monitor Click-Through Rate (CTR): you see the percentage of clicks compared to the number of impressions for each query or URL. This data helps you evaluate the effectiveness of your title tags and meta descriptions: if the CTR is low, it is likely that the preview of your result is not convincing enough;
• Identify 404 errors or blocked resources: Get notified about pages that return HTTP status errors (like 404 or 500), blocked JavaScript or CSS files, redirect issues, or rendering-critical resources. This way you can take action in a timely manner and improve indexing and user experience;
• check the status of the Core Web Vitals: You have access to real data on load times (LCP), first touch responsiveness (FID) and layout stability (CLS), segmented by URL and device. These metrics are now a ranking factor and fundamental to the user experience.

It also allows you to:

• Submit sitemap: you can directly tell Google which pages you want to be indexed, improving the speed and accuracy of indexing, especially for dynamic or newly published content;
• test robots.txt file: you can check if directives in your robots.txt file are mistakenly blocking important resources and fix any unintentional exclusions that are preventing your site from being crawled properly;
• receive notifications in case of penalties: Google notifies you directly through Search Console if it has applied a manual penalty to your site, explaining the reason and indicating the actions to take for removal;
• evaluate mobile usability of your site: an integrated tool allows you to check for display or interaction problems on mobile devices, an essential element for offering a good user experience and maintaining a good ranking on Google.

It is also a valuable tool for understanding whether an algorithm update has negatively impacted your site's performance, giving you the opportunity to take timely and targeted action.

Search Console is free, integrable with Google Analytics, easy to use even for beginners, and is always the starting point for any serious SEO analysis. Link: https://search.google.com/search-console/about

SEOZoom

SeoZoom is an all-Italian SEO tool, developed specifically to meet the needs of those operating in the national market. It offers a platform rich in data and features to analyze the visibility of a site, with an interface in Italian and metrics calibrated to the local competitive context.

Even in its free version, SeoZoom allows you to:

• monitor the performance of keywords: allows you to view in detail the growth or loss of visibility for each keyword, allowing you to understand which terms are working and which need optimization or revision;
• Analyze page performance: evaluate which URLs on your site are generating the most organic traffic, which are showing signs of decline, and which could be improved in terms of content, structure, or speed;
• evaluate the position in relation to direct competitors: allows you to compare your site with competitors in the same sector, identifying strengths, weaknesses and growth opportunities to improve your SEO strategy.

By analyzing these metrics, you can understand in which areas your site is losing ground, which keywords are emerging as opportunities, and how trends are evolving in your industry.

Among the most popular features are:

• thehistorical analysis of visibility: allows you to view the trend over time of a site's organic presence on Google. It is useful for identifying drops or improvements related to SEO interventions, algorithm updates or changes in strategy;
• il Multi-domain comparison: allows you to directly compare your site with competitors for common keywords, visibility, estimated traffic and content distribution. An excellent tool for identifying weaknesses and growth opportunities compared to the competition;
• theexploration of search intentions user insights: provides detailed insights into what users are really searching for in relation to certain topics, helping to better understand audience needs and produce relevant and targeted content;
• la content planning based on competition and search volume: supports the creation of a strategic editorial plan, suggesting high-potential keywords and evaluating the level of difficulty compared to the competition to position yourself effectively.

It is a particularly useful tool for those who manage editorial portals and e-commerce oriented to the Italian public and are looking for a local, precise and reliable solution.

SeoZoom therefore represents an extremely valid solution for those who want to understand and improve their organic presence on Google, with a practical, data-oriented and perfectly integrated into the Italian linguistic and competitive context. Link: https://www.seozoom.it

SemRush

SemRush is one of the most popular and used SEO platforms globally, particularly appreciated for its wide range of features and for its ability to cover international markets. Although it shares many features with SeoZoom, it stands out for its Orientation towards a global audience and for a structure designed for those who work in multiple languages and geographically different contexts.

With SemRush you can:

• Analyze your backlink profile in depth of a site: SemRush allows you to identify all external links that point to a domain, evaluate their quality, authority and distribution. This is essential to understand the authority profile of the site and to identify any toxic links that could cause penalties;
• track keyword positioning in multiple languages: the tool allows you to monitor the evolution of keywords on international markets, displaying the average position for each term and comparing it with competitors in different countries or linguistic areas;
• monitor the competition with advanced tools: you can analyse the behaviour and SEO strategies of your main competitors in real time, identify their winning keywords, the best performing pages and growing trends;
• Get SEO Tips, both technical and editorial: SemRush offers detailed site audits, with precise indications on how to improve the structure, speed, meta tags and content based on search intent and trends;
• manage content and online advertising campaigns: In addition to organic SEO, the platform also supports the analysis and optimization of Google Ads campaigns, sponsored content and cross-channel editorial strategies, with a unified interface that helps coordinate all aspects of digital marketing.

Its dedicated featuresinternational SERP analysis, strategic content management and the advertising research making it an excellent choice for agencies, multilingual companies, or projects with global goals.

However, it is important to take into account that the SemRush cost is significantly higher compared to other tools. For the Italian market, where needs are often more targeted and localized, SeoZoom remains a more convenient and data-accurate alternative.

In short (Italian only), SemRush is the ideal solution for those who operate on foreign markets or needs one extended and detailed SEO overview. For those who work mainly in Italy and are looking for a tool focused on the local market, SeoZoom represents a more targeted and effective choice. Link: https://www.semrush.com

Treo.sh

Treo.sh is a modern and powerful tool which focuses specifically on theanalysis of Core Web Vitals, the key metrics that Google uses to evaluate the quality of user experience on websites. Unlike other more generic tools, Treo.sh is based on real data collected from users via the Chrome UX Report, providing an accurate and concrete view of your site's performance on real devices and connections.

Treo.sh's strength is its ability to make visible what often goes unnoticed:

• mobile loading issues: Treo.sh highlights when a site takes too long to load on real mobile devices, helping to spot heavy assets, blocking resources, or poorly optimized scripts that degrade the user experience;
• latencies in displaying main content (e.g. Largest Contentful Paint): analyzes the time it takes for the main visual content to become visible to the user, a crucial indicator for the perception of speed and the general usability of the page;
• Layout Moves Annoying (e.g. Cumulative Layout Shift): Detects and quantifies unexpected movements of page elements during loading, which cause frustration and make interaction more complex, especially on mobile.

These aspects are fundamental today, not only for the user experience, but also for theGoogle ranking algorithm.

The tool also allows you to:

• compare performances of your site with those of your competitors: Treo.sh allows you to compare the data of your Core Web Vitals of your site with those of other reference sites or direct competitors, allowing you to understand where you really position yourself in your sector in terms of user experience;
• Quickly identify UX critical issues: the tool clearly and visually highlights which URLs are having loading issues, instability or slowness, helping you focus your efforts on what really impacts the user;
• prioritize technical interventions based on real data: with aggregated and segmented metrics by device and network, you can precisely determine which technical optimizations should be prioritized based on their impact on performance and the perceived experience of users.

If your goal is really optimize the usability of the site e prevent penalties resulting from poor user experience, Treo.sh is an indispensable tool in your toolbox. Link: https://treo.sh

SpeedVitals.com

SpeedVitals.com is a highly specialized tool of web performance measurement, particularly focused on one of the most critical indicators: the TTFB (Time To First Byte). This parameter measures the time between the user's request and the first response from the server, and is essential for evaluating the Hosting infrastructure responsiveness. High values ​​can negatively affect both theuser experience that on SEO positioning.

One of the major strengths of SpeedVitals is the ability to:

• perform geolocalized tests from different areas of the world: This feature allows you to simulate the loading of your site from various geographic locations, useful for identifying performance differences between continents, states or cities and evaluating the quality of the user experience for international visitors;
• simulate connections from various providers and network conditions: you can test your site's behavior in realistic scenarios, including different network types (3G, 4G, Wi-Fi, fiber) and connectivity providers, to check if there are any slowdowns or specific problems that affect certain users;
• identify localized bottlenecks: Allows you to detect latency or performance issues that only occur in certain areas or infrastructure, allowing you to take targeted measures such as using CDNs or optimizing server configurations for the affected areas.

This feature is extremely useful for e-commerce and editorial portals with a distributed audience on a national or international scale.

In addition to TTFB, SpeedVitals also offers:

• detailed analysis of key metrics such as Largest Contentful Paint and First Input Delay: the tool provides an accurate technical assessment of the loading times of the main content and the responsiveness to user interaction, two central factors for user experience and for Core Web Vitals;
• intuitive interface which makes data interpretation simple: SpeedVitals presents the results through immediate graphs and visual indicators, even for those without a technical background, thus facilitating the decision-making process on where to intervene;
• clear indications on code, hosting or server configuration issues: Thanks to a detailed segmentation of the causes of slowdown, the tool helps to quickly distinguish whether the problem depends on inefficient code, unoptimized hosting infrastructure or incorrect server configuration.

In short (Italian only), SpeedVitals is the ideal tool for those who want an in-depth technical performance check, with the aim of ensuring fast response times e smooth sailing. Link: https://www.speedvitals.com

Conclusions: SEO requires different skills

Checking the health and positioning of a website is never a trivial operation. require method, consistency and a good dose of experience. Every intervention, every analysis, every SEO action must be based on an overview: without a complete and coherent picture, even the best content risks not to be valued.

Modern SEO is made up of a multitude of interconnected elements. The part content requires the intervention of expert copywriters who know how to write for people but also for search engines. The link building involves strategies of outreach and editorial relationships that require attention and care. The Technical SEO, instead, embraces areas such asServer optimization, the loading speed, the management of canonical, redirect e information structure.

Each of these aspects is a specialization in itself. For this reason, our advice is to always rely on a close-knit and multidisciplinary team, where each professional works in their own field with vertical skills, but coordinated strategically. Optimizing a site can no longer be seen as an isolated operation: it's a choral work.

We at Managed Server SRL strongly believe in this approach. We offer high performance hosting solutions, but let's go further: We actively collaborate with developers, SEO specialists, editors and UX experts to ensure real and measurable results to our customers. Our goal is not only “make a site work”, but make it competitive, fast, stable and well positioned.

Se you suspect that your site has lost positionsis you want to clarify the data or if simply you want to make the most of what you already have, contact usWe will analyze it together health status of your online project and we will help you define a concrete action plan, based on numbers, analysis and best practices. We will be happy to help you grow.