Tracking keyword rankings is a critical component of running a successful SEO campaign. After all, you can’t improve what you don’t measure!
Rather than simply Googling the search term you’re interested in and seeing where your website crops up, keyword tracking software allows marketers to track and measure hundreds of keywords in one go, see which pages are ranking for each particular search term and measure changes over time.
So when it comes to tracking keyword rankings, the first place you need to start is with some SEO software.
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How to track keyword rankings
Before you can actually start tracking your keyword rankings, you need to understand what it is you want to rank for.
There are two great ways to begin creating a list of potential keywords that your website is either already ranking for, or keywords you would like to rank for in the future.
Step 1 – Google Search Console
If you have Google Search Console already set-up, you’re off to a flying start. Within GSC you can see for what search terms your website is already picking up clicks and impressions. You’ll want to add these keywords to your list of search terms to track.
Step 2 – Keyword Research
Next step is to start researching what search terms you’d like to rank for. You can do this by first creating a list of what you think your customers are typing into Google. That could be anything from ‘the best walking boots for dog walkers’ or ‘black 4×4 alloys’.
With this list, then head over to Google AdWords. Within AdWords, you can use the Keyword Planner Tool to paste in your list of keywords and it will generate a list of additional ideas – alongside the number of monthly searches for each of those terms.
Remember to search using the correct country, or combining the countries you’re interested in picking up traffic from.
Step 3 – Tracking your chosen keywords using software
The next step is to take your full list of keywords and adding them into a piece of software for tracking keyword rankings. Software like this will instantly tell you where you’re currently ranking for these terms, and track how they change over time.
Software for tracking keyword rankings
There are plenty of options out there when it comes to keyword tracking software. Some are quite basic but do the job and don’t cost too much each month, whilst other options are more intensive, allow for geo-rank tracking and also include features such as website optimisation analysis and the tracking of competitor keywords too.
Some of the best software for tracking keyword rankings include:
Accuranker
Accuranker is a dedicated keyword tracking tool and personally my favourite. I’ve been using Accuranker for nearly a decade and it offers really easy to interpret ranking charts. It’s also really easy to compare keyword rankings in different countries and benchmark against competitors.
Pricing starts from around €99 a month to track 1,000 keywords and they offer a free trial too.
SEMRush
SEMrush is the industry-standard software for tracking keyword rankings, but it does a lot more than that too.
Favoured by many of the industry’s most famous SEO experts and digital agencies, SEMrush includes functionality to track keyword rankings, analyse competitors, complete SEO audits, analyse backlinks and conduct keyword research – all in one place.
Pricing is €99.95 a month for 1,000 keywords with a free trial available to give it the once over.
SE Ranking
For a more cost-effective option which still packs in loads of features, SE Ranking is another great piece of software for tracking keyword rankings, analysing competitor rankings and generating reports.
Pricing is only £53 a month per 1,000 keywords tracked and, like Accuranker and SEMrush, offers a free trial too.
Searching for the best SEO software for your marketing team? Discover and compare the leading providers, including their functionality and pricing, all in one place right here.
