Wondering what your organic keyword rankings are? Want to know if you rank in featured snippets or AI overviews? For that, you’ll want to use a search engine ranking checker tool.
If you want more organic traffic from search engines like Google, you need to track results so you can measure improvements. Using one or more of our recommended website ranking checker tools is a good place to start! They can quickly scan search results to see where your website is ranking.
The tools on our list can all monitor search results to keep you ahead of the game and on top of any ranking drops or spikes.
In this article, I’ll go over how the tools work to monitor your website rankings, how we picked the tools on our list, and which ranking checker tools are the best for you to get started with.
What do search engine ranking checker tools do?
Although website ranking checker tools have different features, they all work in essentially the same way: by crawling search results for the keywords you enter and reporting on which position your website ranks in.
The most basic rank checker tools will show you where you rank, the keyword volume, and possibly the cost per click (CPC).
Beyond that, other tools might include features like:
- Real-time Ranking Data: Get up-to-the-minute information on your keyword rankings across different search engines.
- Historical Tracking: Measure your progress over time and identify trends in your search engine performance.
- Competitor Analysis: Stay one step ahead by monitoring your competitors’ rankings and strategies.
- Local and Global Insights: Understand how your website performs in different geographical locations.
- SERP Feature Tracking: Monitor your presence in featured snippets, AI overviews, and other SERP features.
Using a rank checker tool is the best way to find out whether your site is being shown to potential customers and where it stands in the search results. Improving your search rankings is the key to getting more organic website traffic.
What to Look for in a Rank Checker Tool
What should you look for in a ranking checker tool? The first priority is to decide what kind of ranking data and tracking capability you need. When you know exactly what you’re looking for in a rank checker, choosing the right one for your business will be easier.
For example, if you want to access historical ranking data to compare your past results with your current status, you’ll want a complete SEO solution like Semrush or Ahrefs. However, for many people, those platforms are too complex and expensive. Thankfully, there are some other options on our list we think you’ll like!
Whatever level you’re at, here are some crucial factors to think about when choosing a rank checker tool:
- Ease of Use: Look for intuitive interfaces that don’t require extensive technical expertise. The tool should be accessible to both SEO novices and experts alike.
- Data Accuracy: Ensure the tool pulls data directly from major search engines like Google, Bing, and others. Accurate data is the foundation of an effective SEO strategy.
- Scalability: Choose a tool that can grow with your website and evolving SEO needs. What works for you now should also work as your online presence expands.
- Reporting Features: Opt for tools that offer clear, actionable insights and customizable reports. The ability to easily interpret and share data is crucial for team collaboration and reporting.
- Update Frequency: SEO is a dynamic field. Select a tool that updates frequently to keep pace with search engine algorithm changes.
- Integration Capabilities: Consider tools that integrate well with other SEO tools or analytics platforms you’re already using.
- Budget: While it’s important to invest in quality tools, select one that offers the best value for your unique business.
- Customer Support: Reliable customer support can be a lifesaver when you encounter issues or need guidance.
Search engine ranking checker tools aren’t all exactly the same, and our selections below each do things a little differently. Check them all out, and you’re sure to find something to help you get more search insights to improve your organic search traffic.
Our Top Picks for Best Rank Tracking Tools
1. Google Search Console
Our top tool for keeping track of your search engine rankings is Google Search Console. Why? It’s free, the data comes straight from Google itself, and you can even access up to 16 months of historical data.
So, while Google Search Console doesn’t have other tools (like keyword research) built in, it provides you with tons of incredibly useful data about what keywords your site is already ranking for in Google search. With that kind of data at your fingertips for free, you can work on building up your SEO to target the right keywords and grow your traffic.
Just connect Search Console to your website to access your keywords along with clicks, impressions, average click-through rate (CTR), and average position in search results. You can even toggle between keywords and landing pages, so you can see which page is ranking for each keyword.
For ideas on how to use Search Console to increase your organic traffic, check out How to Use Google Search Console for SEO: Top 11 Hacks.
Pricing: Free
2. MonsterInsights
If you have a WordPress website, installing the MonsterInsights plugin is a great next step after setting up Google Search Console!
MonsterInsights, the best Google Analytics plugin for WordPress, is a great search engine ranking checker tool for WordPress site owners.
MonsterInsights integrates with Google Search Console at the Plus level or above to display rankings for your most successful keywords right inside your WordPress dashboard. These are the keywords that drive the most traffic to your website from Google search.
MonsterInsights’ Search Console report shows you the top 50 search terms that people used on Google to find and visit your website.
You’ll see how many people clicked through from Google search to your site (Clicks), how many times your pages were displayed in search results (Impressions), and what percentage of people who saw your link actually clicked it (CTR, or click-through rate).
In the last column of the report, you’ll see the Average Position of your domain for the listed search terms. That tells you where your webpage would rank in a Google search using the term, so an Avg. Position of 1 means you’re first in the search results. Awesome!
Beyond the Search Console report, MonsterInsights connects with Google Analytics to give you a whole dashboard full of straightforward, easy-to-read, powerful reports that you can access right inside WordPress any time for up-to-date metrics.
It can even set up advanced tracking features that don’t come out of the box with Google Analytics, such as eCommerce tracking, form submission tracking, author tracking, video tracking, and much more.
Pricing: MonsterInsights starts at $49.50 for a year.
Get started with MonsterInsights today.
3. Live Google Rank Checker by Seobility
If you simply want to check whether your website is ranking for a particular keyword or phrase, the Live Google Rank Checker at Keyword-Tools.org can do the job.
To use the Live Google Rank Checker, input a keyword in the Your keyword field, along with your site’s domain. The tool will check with Google and then show you where your site ranks for the selected keyword and which of your pages is ranking on Google search results.
The biggest drawback of Keyword-Tools’ Live Rank Checker is the daily limit of 5 free keyword searches.
Yes, you can get the same results by doing your own Google search. But your search results might be personalized unless you’re using a private browser window or have cookie tracking disabled.
Also, the Live Rank Checker will give you much faster results than a regular search if your site isn’t on page 1 because you won’t have to scroll through multiple pages to find your position.
Pricing: Live Google Rank Checker is free, but limits you to 5 searches per day. If you want to use it more, you’ll need to sign up for Seobility for $50 per month.
Get started with Live Google Rank Checker today.
4. Semrush
Semrush is a full-service search engine optimization and keyword research platform that does a whole lot more than simply check rankings.
While it does have a huge number of different tools and screens, most of them are easy enough to understand. If you do have questions, Semrush provides extensive documentation and prompt customer service to help.
As a premium SEO tool, Semrush offers a bunch of advanced keyword research and tracking features:
- Historical position tracking with real-time data for up to 1,000 keywords
- Track position in SERPs for keywords, domains, and competitors
- Data on keyword search volume, intent, cost, difficulty, and more
- Competitor and domain-based keyword research
- New keyword ideas based on URLs, keyword gap analysis, or seed phrase
Semrush may be the best option for you if you’re managing all aspects of your site’s SEO and search engine marketing. It also includes these other on-page and off-page SEO tools:
- Backlink analysis and link-building campaign manager
- Site audit and on-page SEO checker
- Content optimization and content marketing analytics
- Local SEO and social media optimization
If you need to do more than just a little research per day, all of Semrush’s advanced features come with a price. If you require one of the best all-around SEO solutions with sophisticated rank checking and tracking abilities, you should give Semrush a try.
Pricing: Get a limited version of Semrush for free, or upgrade starting at $139.95 per month.
Get started with Semrush today.
5. Ahrefs
Ahrefs is an SEO and keyword research platform that rivals Semrush as a top-level collection of tools. It’s powerful enough for marketing agencies and larger companies but still simple enough for non-technical people to use effectively.
To start, the Ahrefs dashboard overview report displays a bunch of important keyword information, including the number of organic keywords your site is ranking for and the rank distribution of your top-tracked keywords.
Then, you can drill down using the Rank Tracker to show you:
- Keyword rankings charted over time, along with volume, traffic, and related URLs
- SERP features like AI overviews, ad positions, featured snippets, and more
- Comparisons of rank, search traffic, and SERP features with up to 10 competitors
Ahrefs includes a full set of tools for other SEO tasks:
- Site Explorer gives you insight on backlinks, broken links, and paid traffic
- Keyword Explorer suggests new keywords and projects search and traffic volumes
- Site Audit checks your site for over 100 SEO issues and offers actionable steps to improve any errors
- Content Explorer analyzes content performance and suggests links and content marketing tactics
Considering all these tools, Ahrefs is a great choice for a full-service SEO solution. And if you’re a beginner, Ahrefs has an expansive library of help documents, video courses, and other learning materials to show you how it all works.
Pricing: Ahrefs starts at $29 per month.
Get started with Ahrefs today.
6. Ranktracker
If you want a complete SEO package that includes high-level keyword ranking and tracking tools, Ranktracker might be the search engine rank tracker for you.
Although Ranktracker doesn’t have all the content analysis and competitor research tools offered by Semrush and Ahrefs, it does have excellent options for site and keyword rank checking and tracking:
- Rank Tracker monitors rankings by location, language, device, and more
- Receive email alerts to notify you of critical ranking changes
- Check Google listing ranks for SERP features
- Advanced SERP position and competitor analysis
Ranktracker presents all this information in attractive, easy-to-read reports that are quick to set up. Just like the more expensive SEO platforms, Ranktracker saves your keywords so you can track your ranking history as you work to optimize your site.
We recommend Ranktracker for business owners who need more powerful tools than our free solutions may provide, but who don’t need all the features of the premier SEO platforms.
Pricing: Ranktracker starts at $16.80 per month.
Get started with Ranktracker today.
7. Serpstat
Serpstat is another advanced set of tools with a premium price. Calling itself an all-in-one SEO platform, Serpstat includes over 50 separate tools. It’s suitable for anyone from a solo entrepreneur to a search marketing agency.
In terms of website and keyword rank tracking, Serpstat offers these comprehensive features:
- Check local, global, organic, and paid search results for your domain and competitors
- Automated rank tracking reports change daily, weekly, or monthly
- SERP and search volume crawling show you more details on search results
Serpstat is a powerful product with a price that’s still lower than market leaders like Semrush. So, it might be a good value for someone looking for a top search ranking tracker on a more economical budget.
Pricing: Serpstat starts at $59 per month.
Get started with Serpstat today.
That’s all for our roundup of the best search engine ranking checker tools! No matter what your business size or goals are, you should be able to find something here to help you measure your site’s rankings and improve your organic search results and traffic.
If you liked this post, you may want to check out:
How to Use Google Search Console for Keyword Research
Quick-Start Guide to Topical Authority in SEO
5 SEO Analytics and Reporting Tips to Boost Organic Traffic
11 Best Free SEO Chrome Extensions to Install Now
Finally, don’t forget to follow us on YouTube for more helpful Google Analytics tips.