SOP 20: The Pre-Purchase Rank Stability Scan

SOP 20: The Pre-Purchase Rank Stability Scan

A snapshot of rankings means nothing. You need trajectory and stability.

— Pull 12 months of visibility (Ahrefs/Semrush traffic graph). PASS = flat or rising. FAIL = a downward stair-step = ongoing decay.
— Identify the top 20 money keywords. Check current position + 90-day trend each.
— SERP volatility: are the money queries in a stable or thrashing SERP? Stable = defensible.
— Last core-update impact: overlay Google update dates on the traffic graph. PASS = survived recent updates. FAIL = took a hit and never recovered.
— Cannibalization: any money keyword with two URLs competing? That's fixable upside — note it.

PASS = rankings are stable through at least two core updates. FAIL = you're buying a sandcastle near high tide.

Save this — run it every deal.