- Pixel position measures the distance between the top of the page and a result, so what the searcher really sees.
- Real example: the 1st organic result is only the 17th element on the page, 638 pixels down, below the AI Overview.
- The API returns each result's rank within its block, rank on the page and pixel position, at no extra cost.
Rank and visibility are two different things
A result's rank is its place among organic results: 1st, 2nd, 3rd. For a long time it was enough to estimate visibility, because the ten blue links filled most of the page. Not anymore: ads, AI Overviews, local pack, related questions, videos and carousels sit before the first organic result.
Pixel position measures the distance, in pixels, between the top of the page and the result. It is the most direct measure of what a searcher sees without scrolling.
A real example
For the search “comparateur assurance auto” (car insurance comparison), collected on Google France, desktop:
| Element | Organic rank | Rank on the page | Pixel position |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI Overview | – | 1 | 228 px |
| lelynx.fr | 1 | 17 | 638 px |
| lesfurets.com | 2 | 22 | 808 px |
| mon-auto-assure.com | 3 | 23 | 978 px |
The first organic result is only the 17th element on the page: the AI Overview and its citations come first, and more citations sit between the 1st and 2nd organic results. It shows 638 pixels from the top, in the lower half of a laptop screen. A tool that only looks at rank calls it “first”; pixel position shows it is below the fold on many screens.
What pixel position lets you measure
- Real visibility of a result, beyond its rank, to better estimate expected click-through rate.
- The impact of AI Overviews: when an AI Overview appears on a keyword, organic results drop by several hundred pixels while their rank stays the same.
- Invisible changes: a site can keep 2nd place and lose 400 pixels because a local pack or a carousel was added above it.
- Desktop vs mobile: on mobile every block takes more height; the same 3rd place isn't worth the same.
The three measures in the Semscraper API
Every result returned by the Google Search API carries three complementary measures:
rank_type: rank within its block, e.g. 1st organic result;rank_serp: rank among every element on the page, in real vertical order;pixel: distance from the top of the page.
Pixel position is included in the price of every request, at no extra cost, on desktop and mobile. It is measured on the page rendered in a real browser, asynchronous AI Overviews included.
How to use it
Two simple uses to start with. First, track the pixel position of your key pages next to their rank: a growing gap means a new Google block is pushing them down. Second, spot keywords where the first organic result sits below 600 pixels: those are where gaining a place pays least, and where appearing in the AI Overview or the local pack pays most.
