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I'm primarily a software and web developer, but a client asked for SEO help with his low-traffic site. So, using Google Search, I could see their ranking for various search terms. But, doing so will distort impressions reports from Google Search Console.

How can I avoid this? Any way besides using a third-party search SERP tool? Maybe even using such a tool would distort things?

(I mention 'low-traffic', because presumably for a busier site my small number of Google search impressions would be a negligible drop in the bucket.)

Edit: There doesn't appear to be a way to get SERPs for a specific search phrase, except to try the search yourself, or have a third-party do so for you. You might think Google Search Console would, but, so far as can tell, it doesn't.

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  • Simple answer: don't search for things just to check out rankings.
    – Stephen Ostermiller ♦
    Aug 15 '18 at 22:52
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    Also (though perhaps this should be an edit to the original) did find two earlier questions that are the same or similar to this one. Neither got a clear answer. (webmasters.stackexchange.com/questions/101193/…) (webmasters.stackexchange.com/questions/101239/…)
    – Loren Rosen
    Aug 16 '18 at 17:16
  • As @LorenRosen has cited above, I asked a similar question. 'Negligible' -> A search in Google search bar using site:smallorbigsite.com can add a big spike of impressions distorting the data completely. Am hoping it's going to be addressed in the 'new' console.
    – GLCoder
    Nov 1 '18 at 0:54
  • You can whitelist your IP so that the impressions are not calculated?
    – idk
    Feb 27 '19 at 10:19
  • That's the thing -- there doesn't appear to be such a whitelist, at least not that I noticed. Keep on hoping I overlooked something.
    – Loren Rosen
    Mar 1 '19 at 2:51

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