SiteRank: How WA and Google Work Together to Build Authority
Many members confuse algorithmic ranking tools with trackers, but they’re very different. An algorithmic tool tries to calculate your position using complex formulas, factoring in backlinks, authority, traffic behavior, and other SEO signals—it’s like a search engine guessing where you should rank.
A tracker, on the other hand, doesn’t guess or compute anything; it simply checks Google’s real search results for your chosen keyword and reports the exact spot where your post appears.
SiteRank falls into this second category—it’s a tracker, not an algorithm. It saves you time by automatically finding your true ranking position without running multiple manual searches.
When I first heard the term SiteRank at Wealthy Affiliate, I assumed it was just another analytics number — something technical to check once and forget.
But SiteRank, as I soon learned, is actually your website’s pulse.
It’s the heartbeat of your credibility.
It tells you — and Google — how alive, active, and trusted your website really is.
And here’s the truth: the same habits that raise your rank inside Wealthy Affiliate also raise your site’s visibility outside of it.
What Is SiteRank, Really?
SiteRank is Wealthy Affiliate’s way of measuring your website’s performance in Google’s search results.
It tracks key SEO factors like:
✅ Content quality
✅ Posting frequency
✅ Engagement (comments, feedback, shares)
✅ Trust and authority signals
The lower your SiteRank number, the better.
If your page ranks #1 on Google for your chosen keyword, that’s a SiteRank win — both for you and for your readers.
The WA–Google Connection
WA doesn’t just teach SEO — it mirrors it.
Think about it:
- When you engage on WA, your profile rank goes up.
- When you publish helpful blogs, your visibility grows.
- When you connect genuinely, your following increases.
Google works the same way.
It’s the ultimate reputation system — rewarding consistent value, honesty, and relationships.
So, the discipline you build at WA translates directly into how Google views your content.
How SiteRank Is Calculated
Your SiteRank is constantly evolving based on:
- Keyword performance (how well your posts target and satisfy search intent)
- User engagement (time on site, bounce rate, comments)
- Freshness (how recently your content was updated)
- Authority signals (backlinks, shares, internal linking)
WA tracks these and presents a clean dashboard for you to monitor progress.
That’s how you can see if your latest blog post, keyword, or niche strategy is working — no guesswork needed.
My Own Lesson About Authority
I remember when I published my early articles — honest stories about lessons, faith, and empowerment.
They didn’t explode overnight, but they stuck.
Over time, as I shared consistently — both here at WA and on my website — my older posts began climbing Google quietly.
That’s when I realized:
“Authority isn’t earned by noise. It’s earned by nurture.”
SiteRank rewards the same thing — steady consistency over short-term attention.
What Improves Your SiteRank
Let’s make it practical.
Here’s what actually moves the needle:
1️⃣ Publishing weekly, quality posts.
Fresh content keeps your site active and indexable.
2️⃣ Optimizing keywords naturally.
Use long-tail phrases and answer real human questions.
3️⃣ Using internal links.
Every link you add connects your site like neurons in a brain.
4️⃣ Engaging through SiteComments.
Real feedback adds freshness, word count, and user time.
5️⃣ Building backlinks (ethically).
Link between your WA posts and your external site.
It’s how authority travels across platforms.
SiteRank vs. WA Rank
Don’t confuse them — they’re sisters, not twins.
- WA Rank reflects your activity within the WA community (comments, posts, engagement).
- SiteRank reflects your site’s Google performance (visibility, trust, SEO).
But they fuel each other.
Active, helpful members usually see faster ranking growth because they understand value creation and consistent publishing.
The Human Side of SEO
Sometimes, we get so focused on keywords that we forget people.
Yet Google — like WA — rewards humanity.
Write like you’re talking to someone across the table, not an algorithm.
That’s how you build real authority — through connection.
My Takeaway
When you nurture your content like a garden, SiteRank becomes your rainfall — steady, nourishing, and proof that growth is happening underground even when you can’t see it yet.
So keep writing, keep linking, and keep giving.
Your rank — both here and on Google — will follow your integrity.
Pro Tip
Every time you post a new article on your website, share the link in your WA blog or training post.
That’s not just self-promotion — it’s authority bridging.
WA becomes your trusted hub, and your site becomes your digital home.
Important Update: As Carson recently confirmed, Google’s JavaScript update disabled the old SiteRank feature (along with QSR tracking). Because Google now handles search results dynamically, external tracking tools like SiteRank can’t read that data anymore. The good news? Google Search Console now gives you direct, verified ranking data straight from Google itself. In short, SiteRank has retired, and Search Console is now your go-to source for keyword performance.
Coming Next in the WA Mastery Series
🔗 Next Post: Writing Quality Content That Converts (WA + Beyond)
📅 Publishing: October 14, 2025
👉 Read the previous post: The WA Reward Program Explained — Turning Points into Pay.
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Recent Comments
27
I'm very much enjoying this series John. I get a tidbit of really valuable information with every read. I really appreciate the work you're doing here!
Christina
Thanks a lot, Christina for your feedback. It makes me think of how to write better articles that do not only inspire but guide others through this system and how it works. I am a student as well, and I love to be corrected whenever possible so that I might rewrite the article/post.
John
John, this post really clarified something I hadn’t fully connected before — how WA’s habits directly mirror what Google rewards.
I’m still getting a handle on SiteRank myself, but the way you described it — as a pulse or heartbeat — made that idea click. It’s not just a number; it’s feedback on how consistent and real the work is.
The “authority is earned by nurture, not noise” line especially hit home. I see that in my own writing process — steady effort pays off more than chasing quick boosts.
Thanks for laying this out so clearly. You tied together the internal and external sides of SEO better than I’ve seen anywhere else here.
JD
Ah, thanks a lot, JD for this feedback. I've now made the difference clearer after I got some feedback in comments, especially the difference between the "algorithmic tools" and the "tracking tools" like SiteRank. I didn't make that clear enough at first, but thanks for understanding.
I am a student here, and as I write, it means I am also reading from what others have written before me. It takes me a lot of time, but it's worth it to learn and also teach others along the way. May we learn, work, earn, and share with each other.
John
So Site Rank isn’t really an algorithmic thing as much as it’s a black and white showing of exactly where your site ranks in the SERPS. This post lists several factors that contribute to Site Rank but it’s really just as simple as the exact rank for that particular keyword in Google and Bing.
And to your last point, it’s actually not a good idea to link to your latest website article in your WA posts every time you publish one. That’s literally self promotion.
I realize this is an AI post but those points are off. 👍🏼
Thanks for your points, Eric. I didn't know it's self-promotion to link to my other posts within the WA even if the posts are part of the theme, a series. But thanks for letting me know. There should be a post making that clear, but I don't mean to say you don't know what you mean since you are one of several people I'm learning a lot from. You are likely to know what you mean here.
However, I just wonder if I also link to other people's works, which is my next plan, especially other related posts and training within the WA. Will that be considered self-promotion as well?
Since I don't create video content, I thought I should just do what I love and link to it as long as it's helpful to other members. That's how I came up with a series and other content types in the pipeline.
Finally, I'm here to learn and I'd love to know more about how exactly all these "points" are off as you said. May you please explain so that I learn or update the post if needed?
John
...and yes, SiteRank does reflect exact SERP positions, but WA’s system tracks those automatically through an algorithmic refresh.
And on linking — I always aim to connect WA concepts to real examples, not for promotion, but for illustration. I appreciate you bringing this up — it helps clarify the balance between education and etiquette.
I will never link to anything outside the WA, which I know is self-promotion point blank.
...and about AI use, I consider my content to be AI-assisted than to be AI-generated. There's a huge difference or we won't be using AI at all. That's my opinion, anyway. Let me know what you suggest/advise. I respect your authority and experience.
John
So basically any kind of linking to content outside of WA is a no-no, unless it’s something you’re helping another member with. As an example, currently in the WA Bootcamp when members are finishing their WA review they’re linking to it and sharing it with the other members on the Bootcamp. It’s part of the instruction. Or another example would be if someone is asking about CTAs and they don’t quite understand the concept so they ask you to show them an article you’ve written from your website. But to have a plan of every time you post a new article on your website to share that link here in a WA post would be wrong.
And with Site Rank if you’re ranking at 13 in Google for the specific keyword you enter, Site Rank will show you you’re at 13. It’s not “algorithmic” measuring other factors, it’s simply a tracker and a timesaver since you can track all your focus keywords all in one spot without having to make the actual google searches. 👍🏼
Regarding your AI use, I’m a huge proponent of AI, I really am. but you want to avoid AI copy and paste and avoid your content anywhere to “feel” like obvious AI.
Back in the day, AI was new to everyone, so we used it, we pasted it, etc., because we didn’t yet know the obvious tells. Now, when we see the obvious em dashes, the AI verbiage and comparisons it always uses like “it’s not just this… it’s that”… that’s where you start to fall off the edge.
You think in your head “hey, I typed in a prompt and guided this AI to deliver this post, so it’s AI assisted” but in this case, this is super obvious AI. So this is something I’d look at for 2 seconds and pretty much click the gear icon to mute which is what I do with obvious AI content posted in WA. That’s just me. You do you, Not hating on you here, but I think you’ll go a lot farther when you find a better balance because if this is how you build your website your audience there will see it, have instant AI fatigue, and bounce quickly. 👍🏼
Ah, thanks again, Eric for the explanation. For the first paragraph, maybe I need to make it clear that I don't link to my blog/website except in my profile page. The series here link to previous posts in the same series, and only here at Wealthy Affiliate, not on my personal website.
About the last paragraph, I truly appreciate it, especially the difference between 'algorithmic" meant to be measuring other factors, and the "tracker" a timesaver, which tracks all focus keywords all in one spot.
I now understand what you were referring to, and I might need to update parts of the post to prevent wrong interpretation. I didn't make it that clear, thus, the possible confusion.
John
Ah, okay. Thanks again for the insights, Eric. Your feedback is now making sense than ever because you are explaining what exactly you are referring to then before. I'll look into this.
John
Thanks for your feedback. I look forward to hearing about your ranking on Google as you continue to work on your content.
John
Ratings or ranking?
Whatever it is, Google has its own algorism to determine how to rank your article/post, and 'search intent' is one of the new ways it does this. The nearer your article is to the top, the higher it thinks your rankings are. I love the fact that the new Jaaxy now has the "Intent" as a tab, which makes it easier to know what people are searching for online (Google).
You can dig deep on this topic by watching some related videos here on the WA, asking AI chatbot, and by asking questions either as posts or in the live chat on the right (if on PC) or by clicking on the Live Chat icon in the menu up or down (if on mobile).
John
You're most welcome. We are brothers here. I'll be glad to call me John or bro! I hope this helps you in your journey of life and business. I believe these are sides of the same coin; life and work.
John
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I am going to go see what Google Search Console says about my site right now. MAC.
Ah, thanks. Then let's know what it says. I'll check mine and share the rank here.
John
My average position is 46🧐
Thanks for sharing.