Auto Traffic Lights (ATL) is a powerful feature in Agency Monitor that helps you measure SEO progress by automatically flagging the performance of your trophy keywords using a visual traffic light system (Green, Orange, Red). This allows you to instantly see which keywords are on track, falling behind, or flatlining.
The interface is accessed by going to the Rankings Tab, and expanding an individual Trophy Keyword. You will then see the Auto Traffic Light Tab.
What It Does #
ATL tracks your trophy keyword rankings against a custom target trajectory based on:
- Your Target Position (e.g. Position 1, 3, 5 etc.)
- Your expected/desired Timeframe to reach that rank (e.g. 6 months)
- Your allowed Accepted Deviation — how far off the goal is still considered acceptable
- Acceptable Flatfline — to flag keywords that are not making progress
Enable ATL for Your Account #
- If you don’t see the Auto Traffic Lights tab, contact support@agencymonitor.io to activate it for your account.
Mark Keywords as “Trophy” #
- Navigate to the Keywords tab in the Client Settings
- Mark high-priority keywords as Trophy Keywords — ATL only applies to these.
Configure ATL for Each Trophy Keyword #
In the “Auto Traffic Lights” tab (found in an expanded individual keyword on the Rankings tab in the dashboard), configure the following for each keyword:
- Target Position:
The highest realistic position you expect to achieve (e.g. 3).
Default = 1 - Campaign Start Date:
The start of the SEO effort for that keyword.
Defaults to campaign start but can be adjusted. - Timeframe
The number of months you expect to hit the target rank.
Default = 6 months - Accepted Deviation:
The % deviation you’re willing to allow from the projected progress.
Default = 20% - Flatline Time Allowance:
The length of time a keyword can go without improving before it’s flagged.
Default = 2 months - Minimum Progress Threshold:
The % improvement expected during that time.
Default = 25%
If a keyword has not improved beyond this threshold in the allowed time, it will be flagged as flatlining.
Understanding Traffic Light Status #
Each trophy keyword is assigned a traffic light based on its performance:
- 🟢 Green = On Track
Ranking is within the expected trajectory tolerance. - 🟠 Orange = Off Track (but improving)
Not within the expected trajectory, but still showing progress beyond the flatline threshold. - 🔴 Red = Off Track + Flatlining
Ranking is below expected trajectory and has shown no significant progress within the flatline time allowance.
Campaign-Level Traffic Light Score #
Each campaign gets a score based on the performance of all trophy keywords:
- Green = +1 point
- Orange = +0.5 points
- Red = -1 point
The total is converted into a campaign-wide status:
- Green = 80%+ score
- Orange = 60–79%
- Red = Below 60%
You’ll see this campaign-level traffic light next to the business name in your dashboard.