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It’s one thing to have good website copy — it’s something entirely different to ensure your site has great copy (and design) and also ranks well on Google.
As someone who writes website copy for a living, I work closely with search engine optimization (SEO) consultants to ensure that the copy speaks directly to the audience while remaining optimized for search engine rankings.
Because algorithms and search patterns are always changing, there’s no such thing as a perfectly optimized website.
But over the years, I’ve seen a variety of tactics — the good, the bad, and the ugly, if you will — to get websites to rank as high as possible, making them easier to find in search engines.
Though keyword stuffing — or shoving all the keywords into your site regardless of the effect on user experience — isn’t the way to optimize your website efficiently, high-ranking keywords can still increase your website’s visibility when done right.
The best way to ensure your site is optimized and using the best keywords for your audience is to use a rank tracker tool to measure the efficacy of your keywords.
Rank tracking is one very important part of your SEO strategy — and our Ultimate Guide to SEO covers the rest, outlining everything you need to get your website and blog ranking.
Here’s what I’ll cover below:
A rank tracker is an online tool that allows you to monitor the rank of keywords you’ve incorporated into your website, make updates, and create reports based on these metrics.
These tools may be part of a larger SEO management package or a stand-alone product.
While each tool is different, I’ve generally found that it boils down to inputting your target keywords into the rank tracker tool so you can get tracking reports.
The platform will typically send you updates at a preset frequency or one that you define.
If the rank tracker tool is part of an SEO management package, it may come with other tools, including backlink tracking, keyword research, and even paid ad management.
SEO tools aren’t new or emerging technology, which means there are many options to choose from if you’re looking to track your keywords’ ranks and improve your visibility strategy.
How can you choose the right tool for your company? Below I’ll go over some of the features and benefits you’ll want to focus on when comparing and selecting a rank tracker tool.
No two companies are the same. So it follows that each organization has different needs, and there probably isn’t a universal best rank tracker tool.
That said, there are a few things you’ll want to keep an eye on to decide which tool is best for your company.
Rank tracking and SEO, in general, can get pretty technical, so you’ll want to find a tool that’s easy to use and has an intuitive interface.
I’ve found that ease of use should include the platform itself as well as the reporting function — the less of a learning curve, the more likely I am to use it consistently and effectively.
Remember, your tools should make your task at hand easier to tackle, not make them more difficult.
Though no rank tracker tool will be 100% accurate, you should still aim to get as close as possible. You could potentially undo all your hard work if you use a tool that’s inaccurate and leads you in the wrong direction.
Along with understanding where your company sites stand regarding keywords, it’s equally important to understand how you compare to your competitors.
Are you ranking higher than they are for certain keywords? Maybe there’s a gap that your competitor failed to fill that you could take over.
Chances are that even with an all-in-one SEO solution, you’ll still use other tools in your marketing strategy. This means you’ll want a tool that can easily integrate with your other tools for a clear bird’s-eye view of your strategy’s results.
When it comes to pricing, you should make sure the features and benefits you receive from the rank tracking tool can justify the price. Some companies may require an inexpensive tool, while others may need a high-end solution.
What matters is getting the most bang for your buck, and it’s possible multiple companies may offer very similar solutions at significantly different price points.
Something else to keep in mind is how accessible the pricing itself is. Does the company lay out the pricing on their site? Or, do you need to contact a representative and set up a demo first to get a pricing range?
Now that you know what to look for, let’s discuss which tools I think are the standouts this year.
Again, there’s no single best rank tracker out there — so much comes down to your business needs and personal preferences.
Use this roundup of the best rank trackers to narrow down your choices and then take a spin through the tools you like best.
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To kick off the list is HubSpot’s SEO Marketing Software.
This is an intuitive SEO management platform that HubSpot includes in its robust Marketing Hub package.
You can use this software to plan your SEO strategy, monitor its progress, and determine ROI that you can share with key figures through reports.
The platform’s Recommendations tab lets you know what changes could be made to improve your website’s optimization.
But what I thought stood out was that you can see how high the SEO impact of the issue is, the difficulty of fixing, and which role can implement the change.
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SEMRush is one of the biggest names in SEO, and with good reason. The platform’s robust features, like its backlink checker, competitor analysis, and organic keyword research, make it a popular go-to platform for marketers.
In SEO, marketers are usually at the mercy of search engine algorithms and their constant changes and updates. Luckily, SEMRush’s rank tracker tool can keep you updated on any changes in Google’s algorithm, so you’ll never fall behind.
The “intent” feature can tell you the intention users had when searching specific keywords, giving you a deeper insight into where in the customer journey they are.
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Ahrefs is another big player in the SEO game, and it comes with a full suite of SEO tools to increase your website’s visibility.
The rank tracker tool is feature-rich and allows you to check search metrics across various search engines.
The platform comes equipped with keyword analysis, the ability to earn SERP features, and a backlink checker for a comprehensive SEO experience. It’s my personal favorite because of how easy they make it.
I discovered that Ahrefs has a feature that allows you to schedule reports to be sent by email so you can stay up to date on your rank tracking without having to manually create the reports every time.
I find this to be useful for quickly checking your keywords’ status frequently in between generating full reports.
Pros
There is a free webmaster tool for sites that you manage, and it includes some rank tracking. It’s a great place to start if you’re dipping your toes in the water.
I’ve found the free version is quite helpful, even though it’s not as robust as the paid plan.
For paid plans:
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With over 20 years of experience in SEO, Moz definitely earned its spot on this list. Moz is an all-in-one SEO solution with a fantastic rank tracker tool. Similar to Ahrefs, they host an extensive library of learning resources and community.
Moz’s rank tracking tool makes it easy to determine which keywords are working for you and which are not. You can compare keyword rank between desktop to mobile to understand user behavior.
I love that Moz has the largest catalog of third-party integrations. No matter what programs you are currently using, it’s highly likely that you can integrate Moz, but if that’s not the case, you can also use their API to do it manually.
Pros
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Google Search Console allows you to see your keyword ranks, clicks, and other data to improve your website’s visibility in SERPS. It features analysis tools that can monitor your internal links, backlinking domains, and top-linked pages.
Though the rank tracking on Google Search Console is not a thorough one, I wanted to include it on this list because it is 100% free, and if you’re already using Google Analytics and other marketing tools, it’s easy to get up and running.
All marketers start somewhere, and even small business owners may see themselves strapped for funds at the beginning, so whatever free tool they can get will help them immensely.
If you’re new to SEO and rank tracking, Google Search Console has a 29-video training series on using the Search Console.
Free.
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Although Mangools originally began as a keyword research tool, their offerings expanded to include backlink research, SERP competitor analysis, webpage analysis, and keyword rank tracking.
Like other platforms, you can track your keyword metrics, make any necessary fixes, and create reports to share with your team.
SERPWatcher has a simple and clean user interface, making it a great choice for those who are just getting into SEO. And since SEO can be so intense, I love it as an entry-level ranking tool for people who want to get a great impact.
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SE Ranking is an SEO software platform with various tools to monitor your site’s visibility and keyword rankings. SE Ranking is ideal for agencies and in-house marketing/SEO teams.
The platform is comprehensive and allows you to track keywords on multiple search engines including Google, Yahoo!, Bing, and even YouTube.
I love that this platform makes it easier to prevent the cannibalization of keywords. In other words, it identifies which pages might be competing for the same keywords so the appropriate fix can be made.
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The next platform on my short list of the best rank tracking is Nightwatch, an SEO platform with a clean and colorful user interface.
Nightwatch is easy to navigate and looks different than other tools since its default background color is black, adding to the platform’s night theme.
I’m obsessed with finding new ways to incorporate AI to make analysis of SEO easier and more accessible to more businesses.
I’ve seen a lot of advancements around AI in the marketing field, so Nightwatch’s AI capabilities make it super interesting to me.
While the Nightwatch AI Tracker is currently in beta, once fully released it will allow the user to see if their tracked keywords appear in ChatGPT or other LLM results.
You’ll know exactly which phrases are being used and which questions are being asked.
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SEO Powersuite is another all-in-one platform that features a rank tracker tool as part of its package.
What makes SEO Powersuite different from all the other tools on this list is that it doesn’t operate through a browser — it’s actually a desktop application. You’d have to download the software onto your computer to use it.
Despite this difference in operation, SEO Powersuite is still a great option to fulfill your website’s SEO and rank-tracking needs.
Hands down, my favorite thing about this platform is no matter which tier you choose, you get unlimited keyword tracking! It’s the only platform on this entire list that offers such a generous feature.
That means that even if you choose to stick with a free plan, you can still benefit from the unlimited tracking. This could make a world of difference for any company.
SEO Powersuite (1-year plan; multi-year plans are available at a reduced price per year):
Rank Tracker (a la carte):
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The last platform on my list is the aptly named Keyword.com. This platform is best for agencies, in-house teams, and companies that need enterprise solutions.
Keyword.com allows users to track keywords for any location and from any device, giving the user a lot of control over their tracking.
Compared to many of the platforms on this list, I didn’t feel like Keyword.com is as feature-rich, but it does make up for that by having a free tier.
As I’ve mentioned, not everyone who is using these platforms has years of experience or needs a highly technical solution.
We all know that metrics fluctuate on a daily basis, and sometimes even I can get caught up in these fluctuations and miss the overall trends.
Keyword.com has a way to break through that noise and deliver the metrics that you should be focusing on.
I particularly like their Share of Voice feature, which shows the percentage of clicks that land on your webpage to get a clear picture of your keyword performance.
The price then increases based on two things: number of keywords and desired ranking update frequency (daily, weekly, and monthly).
For enterprise pricing, you’ll need to contact a representative.
We’ve gone over everything you need to know about rank-tracking tools and some general SEO.
Now, I recommend taking some time to map out the kinds of features your company would want in a rank-tracker tool and what kind of budget you’re working with.
I always love setting up trial accounts to get a sense of what platforms I like. Once you’ve acquired the right platform for your company, try tracking your keyword ranks and other metrics to compare against your SEO strategy.
SEO and tracking metrics can be tricky, so if you feel like you still need some help demystifying them, I recommend you look into HubSpot’s Complete SEO Starter Pack.
It features some helpful guides and templates to take the guesswork out of SEO, but if you’re an over-achiever (something we have in common!), then you might want to take the HubSpot SEO Certification Course.
You’ll learn a lot about SEO and you’ll walk away with a certification that’s valid for one year. You can add this to your skills toolbox and wow your team.
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