Use proximity to inspect how ideas are connected Query Proximity evaluates the distance and order between the words in a search phrase. It is useful when a page contains every requested word but scatters them across unrelated clauses, navigation labels, or distant sections. Supply the phrase being optimized and inspect the target page field by field. Yellow highlights identify normalized query-word matches, including simple plural variants, while the outlined span identifies the tightest passage that brings the full set together. This is not another coverage report. A page can receive complete word coverage and still have weak proximity because those words never form one coherent thought. Conversely, a natural sentence can place the concepts close together without repeating an awkward exact-match phrase. The visual evidence is intended to show whether a visitor encounters the ideas as a connected answer, not merely whether the terms happen to exist somewhere in a long document.
Read the two spans behind the score The analyzer finds the shortest span containing every search word in any order and the shortest span containing them in the same order as the query. For each version, it divides the number of required words by the total words in that span. A three-word query contained in a four-word span is therefore tighter than the same query spread across twenty words. The two percentages are averaged to form that field’s proximity result. Hover the highlighted span to see the actual span lengths and closeness calculations. A blue outline is evidence, not decoration: it defines the exact text responsible for the measurement. If no complete span exists, the field cannot demonstrate how all query concepts relate. If a span exists but is wide, read the intervening language. Necessary explanation should remain; menus, tangents, or ambiguous phrasing may suggest a clearer structure.
Diagnose order without forcing exact-match prose Correct query order can make a title or sentence easier to recognize, but natural language comes first. Search phrases are often compressed and omit articles, punctuation, or prepositions. Do not paste an unnatural query verbatim simply to create the smallest possible span. Instead, write a fluent phrase that keeps the important concepts close and preserves their logical relationship. The any-order measurement will still reward a compact explanation when a different order is grammatically appropriate. Review the title and headings before rewriting long body sections. These concise fields often reveal whether the page frames its topic clearly. Then inspect the introductory paragraph and the passage that directly answers the search need. A proximity weakness deep in footer copy may be irrelevant. Focus on a location where bringing related words together would reduce ambiguity for the person scanning the page.
Compare passages rather than copying a competitor In showdown mode, compare the outlined evidence on the target and comparison URL. Look at where each complete span occurs, how many words it contains, and whether the surrounding statement is genuinely useful. A higher-ranking page may create a compact span in boilerplate while your page provides the better explanation elsewhere. The visualization exposes a textual difference; it does not prove that the other wording caused the ranking position. Use the comparison to form an editorial question. Could the target introduce the relationship earlier? Does a heading separate concepts that belong together? Is a long qualification obscuring the primary answer? Write an original revision that solves the diagnosed problem. Preserve important caveats and factual detail even if they make the span slightly longer, because clarity and accuracy outweigh a cosmetic maximum score.
Measure one sentence-level revision Edit a single title, description, path preview, heading, or body passage and click Measure This Change. Expect the outline to move to the revised passage and the hover values to show a new span length. The request recalculates the supplied preview; it does not refresh the URL or wait for a crawler. If neither the outline nor the score changes, the edited passage was not the best complete span or did not contain every normalized query word. Keep a revision only when the tighter relationship also reads better. Remove accidental repetition introduced during experimentation. Check nearby sentences so that pronouns, transitions, and qualifications still make sense. Once published, use the next stored crawl to verify the final page. Proximity is most actionable when it helps a reader understand which ideas belong together, not when it produces mechanically compressed writing.
Find proximity problems created by page structure Distance is not always a sentence-writing issue. Component-based pages can split a heading from its explanation, insert promotional cards between related ideas, or repeat query words in menus that compete with the main passage. Inspect the outlined span inside each field and identify its source. If the tightest evidence comes from navigation rather than the article, strengthen the main answer. If a heading and paragraph should be read together but the extracted text places them far apart, review the rendered structure and the underlying document order before changing copy. Long spans also arise when writers introduce several qualifications before naming the second concept. Sometimes those qualifications are essential. Try a clear opening sentence that states the relationship, followed by the necessary detail. This “answer first, explain second” pattern can improve scanning and proximity without deleting nuance. In other cases, a wide span shows that two words belong to separate topics and should not be forced together at all. The visualizer provides the location; editorial intent decides whether closeness is desirable. Track span length rather than relying only on the final percentage. Note the shortest any-order span, the shortest correct-order span, and the field containing each one. Those measurements make review comments concrete: “The title now connects all three concepts in five words” is easier to verify than “The page is more optimized.” Re-run the same phrase after template or navigation changes because new surrounding text can alter the best span even when the central paragraph is unchanged. A stable, readable relationship across revisions is a stronger outcome than a one-time numerical peak.
