What is Rank Tracking?
Rank tracking is when you track where and how well a URL ranks in search engine results for select keywords.
The main point is to track these results over a period of time. This will allow you to detect trends that can then be used for further optimization of web pages.
What Is Rank Tracking Software?
Rank tracking software is a program designed to help SEO specialists track a website’s search engine rankings.
The software tracks the rankings of webpages over a long period of time, which can then put the data into a graph, making it easier to analyze trends that can be utilized to better optimize a website’s SEO.
Rank tracking software is a tool that is able to find where a URL ranks on a search engine, track it over a period of time, analyze the data, and then present it in a way that makes identifying SEO problems easier.
Why Should You Use a SERP Keyword Tracking Tool?
Firstly, search engine results pages, or SERPs, not only includes organic results but also includes pay-per-click ads.
Because of this, SERP keyword tracking tools are able to provide real-time updates, a more accurate analysis, and key metrics.
SERP Keyword tracking tools can: should help you more accurately optimize your website’s SEO:
- Provide real-time updates of your and your competitor's URLs
- Identify long-tail keywords most relevant to your niche or brand to enrich your content
- Analyze competitor websites, how well their pages rank, and what keywords they are using
- See where your traffic, as well as competitor’s traffic is coming from
Essential Features of a Keyword Tracking Tool
Rank tracking tools aren’t made equally. This is why it’s important to make sure the tool you choose has all the important features needed to properly do the job.
It’s also important to check that the features are available within your chosen subscription since most rank-tracking tools are subscription based.
You don’t want to have a specific feature you need locked behind a paywall or subscription you can’t afford.
Here are important features of keyword tracking tools:
- Identify keywords relevant to your niche
- Identify low click-through-rates
- Cloud-based auto checker
- Real-time reporting on SEO performance
- Visually striking and easy to understand SEO performance reports
- Be able to identify issues causing traffic drops by tracking a website’s search rankings, as well as traffic and keyword tracking
- Analyze competitor data and SEO performance
How to Choose the Top Rank Tracking Tools
When testing these tools and deciding how to find and rank the best, I considered a multitude of factors.
These same factors apply to you, when reading through this list, so you can find the best rank tracking tool for you.
Here’s how to choose the top rank tracking tool:
- Price. First things first, is your budget. It’s best to choose a rank tracking tool that has all the features you need. Getting a cheaper one, at the expense of losing important features is not worth it, and will only result in you needing to get a different tool in the future.
- Cloud-based software. Sure, this means you’ll need to be online, but it enables you to get real-time results when checking SERP rankings of URLs.
- Scalability. The software needs to be able to scale with your business as it grows. Since most of these are SaaS tools, they need to offer packages that fit all sizes of businesses.
- Keyword filtering. Options to narrow down searches like location and date. It should also allow you to only look at pages that ranked higher or lower at a set date.
- Keyword limit. Not all keyword tracking tools will be able to track the same number of keywords. Most will have a monthly limit, depending on the package you’ve chosen. It’s important to factor this in. If you’re only tracking a few keywords for a specific niche, you might be paying for a higher subscription you don’t need. On the other end, you might end up paying extra fees to be able to search more keywords, if you’ve reached your package’s limit.
List of 15 Best Rank Tracking Software in 2023
Here is a list of the best rank trackers that you must use to find the rankings of your web pages in the SERPs.
Best Overall Rank Tracking Tool: Wincher Rank Tracker
Wincher Rank Tracker is an extremely simple and affordable keyword rank tracker packed with features. Its easy-to-read and insightful reports and dynamic pricing model are what make it unique.
You shouldn’t overpay for unused limits of different SEO tools. With this rank tracking tool, you can choose the number of domains and keywords you want to track.
Another unique benefit of using this tool is that you can add your teammates to projects and up to 10 competitors per domain at no extra cost.
Key Features
- Daily and accurate rank tracking
- Ranking alerts and automated reports
- Manual Ranking updates
- Integration with Wincher Keyword Research tool
- Integration with Google Search Console for importing keywords
- Integration with the Yoast SEO plugin
- Competitor tracking at no extra cost
- Website and keyword categorization
- Desktop and mobile tracking
- White label support for reports
- Adding annotations
Pricing
- Starter: €24/month (approx. $23.30)
- Business: €49/month (approx. $47.56)
- Enterprise: €199/month (approx. $193.16)
User Opinion – Thomas Deneuville
Thomas Deneuville of Thomasdeneuville.com. His website is a platform made to help creators find inspiration and grow their creativity. Thomas is a creativity coach and through his philosophy, plenty of creators have found new and exciting ways to get the spark going.
What do you use Wincher for?
Thomas: Wincher is helping me identify keywords that are relevant to my expertise and rank for them.
How does Wincher benefit you?
Thomas: With Wincher, I feel like I can focus on content that matters and has a chance to rank.
What is the best part about Wincher?
Thomas: Wincher makes it easy to find and track relevant keywords, whilst also comparing them to the posts on my website.
What do you dislike about Wincher?
Thomas: I had problems with a 301 redirect when I changed the URL of a page. Wincher helped me out pretty quickly, and their support was excellent.
Pro Tip: The Best Page automatically shows the web page that ranks the highest for a specific keyword. Check it out with the Wincher On-Page SEO tool to optimize your web pages and rank higher.
For more info about Wincher Rank Tracker, check out my full review.
Most Affordable Rank Tracking Tool: Semrush
Semrush is one of the best tools for rank tracking, and it offers a lot more than just rank tracking. The Position Tracking Tool from Semrush can help you track your position for any keyword.
What’s more?
You can find your local competitors and group your keywords with tags through it.
Using its data, you can also target different devices. All you need to do is enter your domain and target keywords.
Key Features
- Position Tracking
- Site Audit
- SEO Content Template
- Organic Traffic Insights
- Keyword Magic Tool
- On-Page SEO Checker
Pricing
- Pro: $119.95/month
- Guru: $229.95/month
- Business: $449.95/month
For more information and a full review of Semrush, check out Semrush Review: Is It Really the Best?
Best Ranking Tool for Small Businesses: Serpstat
Serpstat is another excellent rank tracking tool. With it, you’ll be treated to the biggest database of keywords with the option to analyze key metrics such as your competitors keywords and site ranking.
Serpstat is also able to search for trending keywords with a list of the most searched keywords in specific regions.
It also packs content analysis tools, which are able to help with title generation, FAQ generation and plagiarism checking.
Key Features
- Keyword Research
- Market Intelligence
- Backlink Analysis
- Advertising Analysis
- Keyword Rank Tracking
- Competitive Analysis
- Site Audit
- Batch Analysis of Keywords and Domains
Pricing
- Light: $55/month
- Standard: $119/month
- Advanced: $239/month
- Enterprise: $399/month
Most Comprehensive Rank Tracker Tool: Sitechecker
With Sitechecker, you’ll be getting the whole package and more.
This comprehensive rank tracking tool has all the bells and whistles. Track your website, as well as competitors positions on search engine rankings, and even mobile SERPs.
You’ll also always be up-to-date with weekly ranking emails, showing which pages rose, and which went down.
Trying to find a specific page or keyword’s performance? Then Sitechecker’s ability to filter keywords by multiple conditions should work wonders for you.
Key Features
- Site audit
- Site monitoring
- Rank Tracking
- Backlink Tracking
- SEO Chrome Extension
- White Label SEO Reports
Pricing
- Basic: $55/month
- Startup: $119/month
- Growing: $239/month
Honorable Mention: LinkResearchTools
LinkResearchTools has an excellent SERP research tool to help you find URL rankings and top keywords for any niche.
It’s also able to narrow down these results and show ranking in specific regions.
Through link prospecting, you can find the best backlinks relevant to your keyword, allowing you to build a trusted network of backlinks throughout your site or article.
The dashboard, as well as the rest of the user interface is well-designed. It shows the most important data regarding a URLs SEO performance.
With a single click, you’ll also be able to dive deeper with more in-depth XLS reports, as well as the option to export them to PDF.
Key Features
- Extensive backlink tracking
- Audit and recovery tools
- Sales and marketing-focused link prospecting tools.
- Domain comparison tools.
- Real-time backlink alerts
- Free browser extensions
Pricing
- Superhero small: $599/month
- Superhero standard: $999/month
- Superhero plus: $2499/month
- Enterprise: Contact their sales team for more info
6. LinkAssistant
If you need a rank tracker with limitless potential, LinkAssistant is right for you. Using the 23 tools in this suite, you can track unlimited keywords for different domains and locations. You can monitor the SERP rankings of your pages and of your competitors.
What’s more?
You can also do advanced monitoring of keyword positions across 400+ search engines, and draw daily/weekly reports about the insights.
Key Features
- Works in over 500 search engines
- Keyword suggestions
- Detects sites that already link to you
- Harvests URLs from a specific webpage
- Searches sites linked to competitors
Pricing
- Free
- Professional: $299/year
- Enterprise: $499/year
7. Zutrix
Zutrix is one of the finest tools for rank tracking that offers a complete set of features to take care of all your requirements.
Unlike other tools, Zutrix provides a simple solution that can help you track your keyword rankings accurately using its AI-powered engine.
Zutrix also has a real-time notification feature that allows you to track the changes in your rankings instantly through Telegram, Slack, and email.
Key Features:
- Unlimited domains
- Scheduled reporting
- Real-time notification
- Competitor analysis
- Location-independent results
Pricing
- Starter: $9/month
- Pro: $28/month
- Agency: $54/month
Pro Tip: When you’ve optimized your posts, you can leverage the real-time notifications to see their impact on the rankings.
8. AffiloTools
Want a rigorous SEO health checkup for your website?
This robust rank tracking tool detects technical gaps in your on-page and off-page SEO that may be impacting your ranking. It analyzes your backlinks and keeps a tab on your Adwords competitors.
The best part?
You also get a link finder that identifies authoritative websites and domains that you should target for boosting your backlink profile.
Key Features:
- Keyword recommendations
- SEO health check
- Top sites for keywords
- Backlink to site tool
- Keyword finder
Pricing
- AffiloTools is free, with certain features locked behind a paywall starting at $17/month
9. Ahrefs
Ahrefs provides a great suite of tools for improving your website’s SEO. It also has one of the best tools for rank tracking that allows you to monitor your rankings over time.
What’s it got?
You can compare your performance with that of your competitors and get scheduled reports directly in your inbox. It’s also possible to track both desktop and mobile rankings using it.
Key Features:
- Unlimited domain tracking
- Real-time ranking notification
- Competitor rank analysis
- Location-independent SERPs
- Excellent visual graphs of SEO performance
Pricing
- Starter: $9/month
- Pro: $28/month
- Agency: $54/month
10. Moz Pro | Rank Checker
Moz Pro’s Rank Checker is a great tool for all those who wish to track the rankings of their pages on search engines.
What does it do?
It fetches the ranking data and stores it so that you can compare your ranks with ease at a later stage.
You can also select limited data and track it over a long period to see if your efforts are bringing about a change in your SERP rankings.
What’s more, you ask?
This tool supports all the major search engines, i.e., Google, Yahoo!, and Bing. It also lets you check your rank both locally and globally. That’s not it. You can also monitor the rankings of your competitors using this tool.
Key Features:
- SEO Auditing & Monitoring
- SEO Alerting
- SEO Content & Rankings
- Link Building
- Keyword Research
- SEO Reporting
Pricing
- Standard: $99/month
- Medium: $179/month
- Large: $299/month
- Premium: $599/month
11. Pro Rank Tracker
Pro Rank Tracker is one of the finest tools for rank tracking for those who prefer smooth tracking of keywords in the SERPs.
You can get the complete picture of your rankings in the SERPs from all popular search engines and websites across both desktops and mobiles.
What’s more, you ask?
In addition, the tool offers a variety of analytics tools to help you improve your SEO too.
Key Features:
- Search engine support
- Rankings discovery
- Full SERPs
- Reports
- Site audit
Pricing
- Free
- Starter: Starts from $13.50/month
- Pro: Starts from $89/month
- Agency: Starts from $180/month
12. Authority Labs
Authority Labs is one of the simplest tools for rank tracking out there. All you need to do is enter your target keyword and domain name, select the search engine and location, and the device.
What does it do?
The tool will fetch your rankings from the top results. And if you want to find local search results, you can even enter the name of your city in the search box.
What’s more?
It offers mobile-specific results and also gives you daily updates on your rankings.
Key Features:
- Competitive analysis,
- Global and local tracking,
- White-label keyword solutions
- Mobile-rankings tracking
- Customizable reporting tools
Pricing
- Plus: $49/month
- Pro: $99/month
- Pro Plus: $225/month
- Enterprise: $450/month
13. RankRanger
RankRanger’s rank tracker helps you monitor your rankings in more than 500 search engines around the world. You can also discover your local rankings, mobile rankings, and get access to daily ranking reports too.
What else?
It’s one of the best tools for rank tracking because it also provides extra insights like SERP snapshots and a Featured Snippets discovery tool.
Key Features:
- Do complete rank tracking
- Competitor analysis
- Mobile and local SEO
- Social media analytics
- White label reports
Pricing
- Light: $79/month
- Standard: $149/month
- Pro: Contact their sales team for a custom quote
- Premium: Contact their sales team for a custom quote
14. The HOTH
The HOTH is another of the best free tools for rank tracking available. It helps you find your top ranking keywords by just entering your domain name. You can also choose to get your rank tracking updates daily by opting for their paid versions.
Key Features:
- Powered by Semrush
- Discover high volume terms and phrases
- Easy to use
- Completely free
Pricing
- It’s completely free. Just add the URL of the site you’d like to rank check
15. RankTrackr
Be it local tracking, search volume, or generating client reports, RankTrackr does it all for you. You can look for keyword rankings in all the major search engines, including image carousels, maps, and more.
What’s more?
It also sends you scheduled reports so that you can check your rankings whenever you want.
Key Features:
- Unlimited domains
- Scheduled reporting
- Real-time notification
- Competitor analysis
- Location-independent results
Pricing
- Pricing starts at $32 for 250 keywords a month.
Comparison of the Best Rank Tracking Tools
Here’s a quick comparison of the best rank tracking tools, as well as their support.
| Name | Price | Cloud Based Auto Checker | Real-time reporting | Keyword tracking | Support |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wincher Rank Tracker | Starts from $23.50 a month | Yes | Yes | Yes | Excellent |
| Semrush | Starts from $119.95 a month | Yes | Yes | Yes | Excellent |
| Serpstat | Starts from $55 a month | Yes | Yes | Yes | Great |
| Sitechecker | Starts from $55 a month | Yes | Yes | Yes | Great |
| LinkResearchTools | Starts from $599 a month | Yes | Yes | Yes | Good |
| LinkAssistant | Starts from $299 a month | Yes | Yes | Yes | Good |
| Zutrix | Starts from $9 a month | Yes | Yes | Yes | Good |
| AffiloTools | Starts from $17 a month | Yes | Yes | Yes | Average |
| Ahrefs | Starts from $9 a month | Yes | Yes | Yes | Average |
| Moz Pro | Starts from $99 a month | Yes | Yes | Yes | Great |
FAQs
Q1. How to track local keyword ranking?
A. You have three options:
The first one involves manually checking keywords by searching for terms using the incognito window and scrolling until you find your site. However, this can prove challenging considering you most probably target more than one keyword.
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The second option is to use Google Search Console. Although it's free, it requires a bit of heavy lifting when tracking keywords.
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The third and recommended option is to use a paid tool like Semrush, Wincher.com, or Serpstat to track local keyword search engine rankings.
Q2. Can I build custom SEO ranking reports?
A. Yes, you can, and here's how:
– Leverage paid ranking tools to get in-depth reports. Do not use only Google Search Console.
– Understand the goals and objectives you consider relevant for SEO ROI.
– Include each keyword's search intent.
– Prioritize high-value keywords and group them in similar categories, such as branded ones, location keywords, product keywords, etc.
– Include local keyword data.
– Highlight keywords ranking in SERP features, including maps, featured snippets, etc.
– Give context to each change in ranking, e.g., due to the algorithm, a new competitor, a competitor who changed their SEO strategy, etc.
– Include the CPC and search volume for each keyword.
– Share the click-through rate for each keyword.
– Include competitor benchmark reports.
– Create visual and easy-to-understand representations of your data.
Q3. Is your rank tracker free?
A. The following are rank tracking tools you can use for free:
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– Traffic Travis
– The HOTH
– SEO SERP Workbench
– Google Search Console
– Rank Tracker by Link-Assistant.Com
Q4. What is the best way to rank high in Google search results?
A. Using these tactics can help you rank higher in Google search results:
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– Publish quality content.
– Focus on search intent.
– Improve site structure.
– Build your backlink profile.
– Include LSI keywords.
– Closely track your technical SEO.
– Optimize on-page SEO.
– Leverage insights from rank tracking reports.
Q5. How can I check keyword rankings?
A. It's nearly impossible to check keyword search engine rankings manually. However, you can leverage rank tracking tools like Semrush, Serpstat, or Link-Assistant.Com, to make the process easier.
Q6. Is Rank Tracker safe?
A. Yes, rank tracking tools are safe.
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Rank trackers operate autonomously, meaning they are outside your site hence no direct connection to your site.
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Alternatively, some of the rank tracking tools give you options to prevent search engines from temporarily blocking your IP when you send numerous queries. They offer search safety options that minimize your risk or prevent the use of your IP address.
Q7. Which is the best free SEO tool?
A. Some of the best free SEO tools include:
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– Google Search Console
– Keyword Surfer
– CanIRank
– Marketing Miner
Which of These Rank Tracking Tools is Best?
The answer to that question depends on your specific needs. Try out the 15 tools listed above and select the one that best matches your needs and business goals.
Tracking your search engine rankings is essential to ensure that you remain relevant to your target audience, and they can find you with ease. By using tools for rank tracking, you can monitor any changes in your rankings and make changes to improve them. This can help you increase your traffic and reach.
Are there other rank tracking tools you think should be added to this list? Let me know in the comments.
WOW just what I was searching for.
My pleasure. Glad to help!
Amazing post.
Thank you so much.
Nice!
Hi David, thank you! 🙂