What is the absolute best rank tracking software to use to track your keywords in 2023?
That’s the million-dollar question that SEO experts across the web have been debating for the longest time, and with so many excellent options to choose from, that’s hardly a surprise.
It’s this debate that I hope to settle once and for all in this comprehensive guide to the web’s leading rank tracking tools, drawing on my own experience to weigh up the pros and cons of 10 industry-leading platforms.
Effectively tracking my keyword positions on Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) has been pivotal to my own success in growing a multi-million dollar content website portfolio.
In doing so, I’ve learned what separates the best from the rest and what really matters when it comes to choosing the best tracking software.
It’s these insights that I’ll share with you in the following guide to help you determine the right tool for you.
What to Look For When Choosing the Best Rank Tracking Software
Here are the most important factors I considered when making my choices and how they may influence your purchasing decision.
Number of Tracking Options
There are some ranking trackers out there that only allow you to track your keywords on Google.
If that’s all you’re concerned about, then that may not be a problem. However, if you really take tracking seriously, you may also want to know how your site is performing on other platforms like Yahoo, Bing, and YouTube.
It’s also a good idea to look for software that allows you to track your keywords in different locations and on different devices so that you get the most accurate picture of how well your SEO strategies are paying off.
Accuracy
Almost all rank trackers offer high levels of accuracy, but obviously, there’s a big difference between a “high level” and 100% accuracy, and it’s always worth investigating just how accurate your preferred tool is when it comes to providing your ranking results.
Affordability
Running a blog or a website can get pretty expensive. After you’ve paid for quality website hosting and registered a domain name, you may also have marketing costs, premium plugins to pay for to help with things like WordPress security and backups, and other expenses.
With that in mind, those plans that afford low, affordable rates scored highly with me, though I also included one or two top-of-the-line platforms for agencies and businesses who have the budget to pay for the additional features and resources they need.
Ease of Use
Even if you’re an experienced SEO specialist, the last thing you want is to spend hours learning your way around a new piece of software. If you’re a newcomer, it’s even more important than the whole process of tracking your keyword rankings is made as easy as possible.
That’s why user-friendliness was a top priority for me when making my choices.
Top 10 Best Rank Tracking Software 2023
1. SERanking
Though competition was fierce, SERanking more than earns its position at the top of this list thanks to its affordability, wealth of useful features, and high level of accuracy.
The platform offers an advanced rank tracking tool with a range of options that you can fine-tune and filter to find the precise data you need.
The tool offers the ability to track both desktop and mobile rankings across Google (including Google Maps), Yahoo, Bing, and YouTube, as well as the option to track different locations, with country, city, or zip code level tracking available.
SERanking packs a whole bunch more into each of its product offerings with backlink monitoring, keyword research tools, and more; all included at some of the best prices in the industry.
Key Features:
- Provides data on SERP features, including snippets and videos
- Tracks ad positions and Google Maps search results
- Competitor keyword tracking tools
- Analyze top 100 search positions
- White label features for agencies
- Easy-to-use reporting features
- Social media analytics tools.
Pricing:
SERanking keyword tracking features come as part of an all-in-one SEO keyword package.
With three pricing plans available, these include:
| PLAN NAME | PLAN DESCRIPTION | PLAN PRICE |
| Essential | Track 250 keywords (450,000 checks in total when you factor in the 1 keyword = 5 locations feature) Includes: License for up to 5 projects 5 x competitors per project 1 x user 100 x reports per day 1,000 results per report Monitor 6,000 backlinks p/m. | $39.20 p/m |
| Pro | Track 1,000 keywords (1,800,000 checks in total) Includes: License for up to unlimited projects 10 x competitors per project 3 x users 5,000 x reports per day 50,000 results per report Monitor 30,000 backlinks p/m. | $87.20 p/m |
| Business | Track 2,500 keywords (4,500,000 checks in total) Includes: License for up to unlimited projects 20 x competitors per project 10 x users 10,000 x reports per day 100,000 results per report Monitor 90,000 backlinks p/m. | $191.20 p/m |
PROS AND CONS OF SERANKING
[elementor-template id=”12063″]How to Get Started With SERanking
1. Head to seranking.com and click ‘Free Trial.’
2. Create an account by entering your name, email, and password, then click ‘Start 14-Day Free Trial.’
3. From the main dashboard menu, click “+ Create Project.”
4. Create your new web project by entering the URL of the website you want to track keywords for and give your project a name.
5. Add in the keywords you want to track.
6. Choose which search engines and locations you want to track your ranking position for.
7. Add any competitors whose ranking positions you want to track.
8. Choose whether you want to connect to Google Analytics or Google Console, or skip this step altogether to access your project dashboard and begin tracking your ranking position with SERanking.
2. SerpWatch
Much like SERranking, SERPWatch scores high marks for affordability, with prices not far from those of our top-ranked pick when you compare like-for-like plans.
This particular service doesn’t offer as many features as SERanking, but where it does triumph over its competitors is in its absolute simplicity and ease of use.
The highly intuitive visual dashboard gives you a helpful at-a-glance look at your current ranking as well as makes it a breeze to navigate your way through the available features.
Speaking of which, the highlight for me is the in-depth reports which take seemingly complex ranking data and present it in such a clear style that even those using a service like SERPWatch for the very first time will have no problems making sense of it.
Add in near-flawless accuracy and the ability to check if and when you were featured in snippets, answer boxes, or image searches, and there’s little denying that this is one of the best beginner-level rank tracking tools on the web today.
Key Features:
- Custom report builders
- Client management dashboard for agencies
- Intelligence hub
- Customizable, automated SEO reports
- White-label client portals
- Keyword organization tools
- Notifications
- Local rank tracker
- Keyword research tools
- Google Analytics integration
- APIs.
Pricing:
All of SerpWatch’s services come with a 15-day free trial so that you can try them before you buy.
After that, you’ll pay the following rates depending on the number of keyword checks you want to make:
| PLAN NAME | PLAN DESCRIPTION | PLAN PRICE |
| Starter Plan | 7,500 keyword checks p/m | $29 p/m |
| Growth Plan | 22,500 keyword checks p/m | $59 p/m |
| Premium Plan | 75,000 keyword checks p/m. | $199 p/m |
PROS AND CONS OF SERPWATCH
[elementor-template id=”12068″]How to Get Started With SerpWatch
- Head to SerpWatch.io and click ‘Free Trial’
- Create an account by either entering a name, email and password or signing in with Google or Facebook
- Verify your email address
- Enter details about the type of company you run/work for to help SerpWatch configure its services to your needs
- From the dashboard, click Add Project
- Enter details about your website or YouTube video to begin tracking your SERP rankings.
3. Semrush
SEMrush has long been one of my favorite all-in-one SEO tools, which is why it featured so prominently in my recent guide to the best keyword research tools.
Indeed, the platform may be best known for its free Keyword Magic Tool, which helps users to identify the most useful keywords to target when writing compelling blog posts, but its position tracking feature deserves equal praise in its own right.
Add your chosen keywords, and SEMrush shows you a side-by-side comparison of your rankings versus those of your competitors in the top 3, 10, 20, and 100 organic search results on Google.
Elsewhere, you can track the performance of your landing pages, see how well your website does on different devices, and more.
The best part is that you can do a lot of this for free via the aforementioned Keyword Magic Tool, though serious users will want to upgrade to one of the -admittedly very expensive- paid-for plans.
Key Features:
- Track ranking in paid search results
- Track your inclusion in SERP features
- Track landing page performance
- Competitor discovery and analysis tools
- Keyword grouping for better organization
- Customizable visual reports
- Backlink analysis tools
- Technical SEO tools
- Keyword research tool.
Pricing:
There’s good and bad news when it comes to SEMrush pricing. As I just mentioned, the Keyword Magic Tool is available free of charge but is fairly limited in terms of the number of keywords you can track and limits some important features.
If you try out the free version and decide you want to stick with it, you’ll have to pay a pretty high price tag for one of the following three plans:
| PLAN NAME | PLAN DESCRIPTION | PLAN PRICE |
| Pro | 5 x projects 500 x keywords to track 3,000 x reports per day 10,000 x results per report 250 x monthly keyword metric updates. | $119.95 p/m |
| Guru | 15 x projects 1,500 x keywords to track 5,000 x reports per day 30,000 x results per report 1,000 x monthly keyword metric updates. | $229.95 p/m |
| Business | 40 x projects 5,000 x keywords to track 10,000 x reports per day 5,000 x results per report 5,000 x monthly keyword metric updates. | $449.95 p/m |
PROS AND CONS OF SEMRUSH
[elementor-template id=”12073″]How to Get Started With Semrush
- Visit SEMrush.com and enter your website’s domain name in the box provided
- Choose your location and click ‘Start Now.’
- Create your account by entering an email and password or signing up with Google, then verify your email
- Choose your plan and start the free trial
- From your SEMrush dashboard, go to Position Tracking and enter your domain
- Choose the keywords you want to track and click ‘Start Tracking.’
- The position tracker then begins gathering your keyword data, and though it may take a little while, you’ll be presented with your results in an easy-to-follow dashboard report.
4. SERPWatcher
If you like the idea of an all-in-one SEO tool but found that SEMrush was either too complicated or too costly, you might find SERPWatcher to be the best alternative.
This affordable, beginner-friendly tool is a great option if you’re just learning how to do keyword research and need something simple and relatively basic to get started.
The visually-appealing user interface makes it a breeze to track your Google keyword rankings, as well as monitor local results by country, state, city, or zip code.
Add in backlink analysis, SERP feature placement tracking, and keyword metrics reports, and what you’ve got here is a solid entry-level platform.
Key Features:
- SERP performance index
- Daily keyword ranking updates
- Track rankings in 50 different locations
- Track rankings for mobile and desktop search results
- Shareable, interactive reports.
Pricing:
SERPWatcher offers a 10-day free trial so that you can try out their service, after which you’ll need to upgrade to one of three plans to keep using it.
Each of these plans works out cheapest if you pay annually.
| PLAN NAME | PLAN DESCRIPTION | PLAN PRICE |
| Mangools Basic | 100 x keyword lookups per 24 hours 200 x daily tracked keywords 25 x competitor keyword searches. | $29.90 p/m ($358.80 p/y) |
| Mangools Premium | 500 x keyword lookups per 24 hours 700 x daily tracked keywords Unlimited competitor keyword searches. | $39.90 p/m ($478.80 p/y) |
| Mangools Agency | 1,200 x keyword lookups per 24 hours 1,500 x daily tracked keywords Unlimited competitor keyword searches. | $79.90 p/m ($958.80 p/y) |
PROS AND CONS OF SERPWATCHER
[elementor-template id=”12073″]How to Get Started With SERPWatcher
- Head to SerpWatcher.com and select ‘Start Free Trial’
- Create an account by entering an email and password, then confirm your email address
- Login to the dashboard and go to SEO Tools – SERPWatcher
- Enter the domain name you want to track keywords for and select a location and a device (mobile or desktop)
- Enter the keywords you want to track and click ‘Start Tracking’ to get your ranking results.
5. ProRankTracker
If you’re a small-scale blogger looking to use keyword tracking as part of your strategy to grow your blog, but you don’t yet have the budget to pay for a premium service, the free version of Pro Rank Tracker may be just the thing you’re looking for.
The plan allows you to track 100 keywords for the first 30 days with access to all of their premium-level features.
After that, you’ll be able to track 20 search terms while using the basic set of features which are pretty impressive in their own right.
Combine this with a user-friendly design and some of the most in-depth reporting I’ve seen on any tool like this, and this may just be the very best free keyword ranking software out there right now.
Key Features:
- Daily rank updates
- Local and mobile tracking
- Unlimited URLs on all plans
- Unlimited reports on all plans
- Shows the top 100 results of any keyword along with your own ranking
- Multiple users
- API access (premium plans only).
Pricing:
If you fall in love with Pro Rank Tracker’s user-friendly features but decide the free plan isn’t quite cutting it, you can upgrade to one of the following three plans.
All plans are charged based on the number of keywords tracked.
| PLAN NAME | PLAN DESCRIPTION | PLAN PRICE |
| Starter Plan | Includes all the basic free features. | From $13.50 p/m for 100 keywords to $69 p/m for 750 keywords |
| Pro Plan | Includes everything in the starter plan plus: 10 users MyRanks Clients App Update-on-demand. | From $89 p/m for 1,000 keywords to $149 p/m for 2,500 keywords. |
| Agency Plans | Includes everything in the Pro plan plus: API access Dedicated Customer Success Management (CSM) platform. | From $180 p/m for 3,000 keywords to $740 p/m for 20,000 keywords. |
- Custom plans are also available if you need to track more than 20,000 keywords.
PROS AND CONS OF PRORANKTRACKER
[elementor-template id=”12080″]How to Get Started With ProRankTracker
- Head to ProRankTracker.com and click “Start for Free”
- Create an account by adding your name, email, and password, then verify your email.
- Click the ‘Add Wizard’ button
- Add the URL of the domain you want to track keywords for
- Add the keywords you want to track
- Select which devices you want to track
- Select which search engines and locations you want to track
- Click ‘Next’ and let Pro Rank Tracker bring you your results.
6. Nightwatch
If you’re primarily concerned with geo-targeting and local SEO but find that the location tracking tools on other platforms aren’t cutting it for you, then I absolutely recommend checking out Nightwatch.
The platform specializes in location tracking at a country, state, city, and zip code level, boasting an ability to track your rankings from over 107,000 different locations across the world.
The secret to their success in this area is thanks to a unique feature that allows you to access any Google Data Center anywhere on the globe so that you get more meaningful and more accurate local data and insights.
All this is combined with a wealth of useful tools to help you boost your search rankings, making Nightwatch one of the best tools for improving local SEO results and targeting multiple locations.
Key Features:
- Use of segments to monitor performance
- Track SERP features
- Local keyword tracking
- Google Analytics and Search Console integration
- Automated reports
- Site auditor
- Keyword research tools.
Pricing:
Nightwatch offers a 14-day free trial, after which you’ll need to upgrade to one of the following three plans:
| PLAN NAME | PLAN DESCRIPTION | PLAN PRICE |
| Starter | Track 250 daily keyword Track 50 websites Track 5 competitors 5,000 site audit pages Track Google, Yahoo, and Bing. | $32 p/m |
| Optimize | Includes everything in the Start plan plus: Track 1,000 daily keywords Track 200 websites Track 5 competitors 10,000 site audit pages 15 white-label reports API access. | $79 p/m |
| Agency | Includes all features in the Optimize plan plus: Track 5,000 daily keywords Track 1,000 websites Track 5 competitors 50,000 site audit pages Unlimited white-label reports Unlimited users. | $295 p/m |
PROS AND CONS OF NIGTHWATCH
[elementor-template id=”12085″]How to Get Started With Nightwatch
- Head to Nightwatch.io and click ‘Sign up Free’
- Create an account with your name, email address, password, and company info
- Enter your credit card information to activate the free trial
- From your dashboard, click ‘Add New project’
- Enter details about the keywords you want to track to get your ranking data.
7. Wincher
One of the most affordable rank tracking tools out there, Wincher focuses only on providing keyword tracking on Google, which may rule it out of the running if you also need to check on other platforms.
If Google is your only concern, however, you’ll find a lot to like about the location and device-specific tracking options, excellent competitor tracking features, and additional SEO tools such as keyword research and site auditing.
Key Features:
- Daily ranking updates
- Customizable, automated email reports
- Competitor tracking tools
- At-a-glance dashboards
- Unlimited users
- Keyword recommendations.
Pricing:
All of the following three plans come with a limited free trial, after which you’ll pay:
| PLAN NAME | PLAN DESCRIPTION | PLAN PRICE |
| Starter | 500 keywords 10 websites 5 competitors per website. | $29 p/m |
| Business | 1,000 keywords Unlimited websites 10 competitors per website. | $59 p/m |
| Enterprise | 10,000 keywords Unlimited websites 20 competitors per website. | $249 p/m |
PROS AND CONS OF WINCHER
[elementor-template id=”12091″]How to Get Started With Wincher
- Head to Wincher.com and click ‘Try for Free’
- Login with an email, Google, or Facebook account
- Enter a website to track
- Verify your email
- Add in the keywords you want to track to get your data.
8. Serpstat
Serpstat is an all-in-one SEO platform targeted toward agencies and Search Engine Optimization professionals.
While that may not make it the best fit for novices, SEO specialists will find a lot to like.
At its core, the platform tracks your and your competitors’ keywords on Google and Yandex, with global and local tracking at a country, state, city, or regional level, while the ability to view historical ranking data is also very impressive.
Throw in a top-rated keyword research tool and detailed backlink analysis, and this is one tool any SEO agency would be glad to have.
Key Features:
- Track trending keywords
- Competitor analysis in both organic and paid search
- Bulk keyword and domain analysis
- Site audit tools
- SERP crawling service
- Custom reports.
Pricing:
As a professional-grade tool, SerpStat is far from the most affordable option on the market. Plans come at the following prices:
| PLAN NAME | PLAN DESCRIPTION | PLAN PRICE |
| Lite | 60,000 position checks per month Track 10 projects Share access with 100 users. | $69 p/m |
| Standard | 15,000 position checks per month Track 50 projects Share access with 500 users. | $149 p/m |
| Advanced | 60,000 position checks per month Track 75 projects Share access with 1,000 users. | $299 p/m |
PROS AND CONS OF SERPSTAT
[elementor-template id=”12096″]How to Get Started With Serpstat
- Head to Serpstat.com and click ‘Sign Up’
- Create an account by entering your email and password or logging in with Facebook or Google
- From your dashboard, go to Rank Tracker and add a new project
- Enter details about the website and keywords you want to track to get your ranking data.
9. Advanced Web Ranking
Advanced Web Ranking stands out from the crowd thanks to its five-star reporting features, which include not only your current position in organic and paid results but also SERP features, local keyword search volumes, and competitor keyword tracking.
One thing I love about this platform is that it tracks on so many different platforms, including Google, Yahoo, Youtube, Amazon, Yandex, DuckDuckGo, and several others, making it a good choice for anyone concerned with more than just their Google results.
Key Features:
- Track both mobile and desktop rankings
- Track all SERP features
- In-depth reports with a high level of customization
- Local rank tracking.
Pricing:
Advanced Web Ranking comes with a 30-day free trial, after which plans cost the following prices:
| PLAN NAME | PLAN DESCRIPTION | PLAN PRICE |
| Start | Track 2,000 terms Track all SERP features Flexible updates Competitor insights. | $49 p/m |
| Pro | Includes everything in the Start Plan except 7,000 keywords. | $99 p/m |
| Agency | Includes everything in the Pro Plan, except 14,500 keywords, historical ranking, hourly updates, and more. | $199 p/m |
PROS AND CONS OF ADVANCED WEB RANKING
[elementor-template id=”12102″]How to Get Started With Advanced Web Ranking
- Head to AdvancedWebRanking.com and click ‘Start Free Trial’
- Create an account
- Enter the URL of your project and select the keywords you want to track to get your data.
10. Ahrefs
Last but not least, no run-down of the best keyword ranking software would be complete without giving a mention to Ahrefs, the full-service SEO platform designed to help you improve your rankings.
While other tools like keyword research and competitor analysis are included, the highlight is the Google rank tracker tool which tracks your rankings across 170 countries on both mobile and desktop devices.
One of the easiest platforms to set up and use, Ahrefs combines enterprise-level quality with a beginner-friendly appeal.
Key Features:
- Scheduled tracking reports
- Visual dashboards to track your visibility and SEO performance
- SERP feature tracking
- Keyword filters and tags.
Pricing:
As good as Ahrefs is, it’s also one of the more expensive ranking software tools out there, with plans charged at the following rates:
| PLAN NAME | PLAN DESCRIPTION | PLAN PRICE |
| Light | Track 750 keywords Ranking data refreshed weekly Unlimited reports. | $99 p/m |
| Standard | Everything is included in the Light plan, but with 2,000 keywords. | $199 p/m |
| Advanced | Everything in the Standard plan, except with 5,000 keywords. | $399 p/m |
PROS AND CONS OF AHREFS
[elementor-template id=”12109″]How to Get Started With Ahrefs
- Head to Ahrefs.com and click ‘Sign Up’
- Choose a pricing plan
- Create an account and enter your payment details
- From your dashboard, go to Rank Tracker – Add New project
- Enter your website and keywords to get your tracking data.
Frequently Asked Questions About Rank Tracking Software
How do you track a keyword ranking?
Entering the keywords you want to track into a keyword ranking tool provides you with all the data you need to check your ranking and even gain insights that will help you to improve it.
What is the best free keyword ranking software?
SEMRush and Pro Rank Tracker are the two best free keyword ranking tools, though you will get access to more features and data by upgrading to their paid plans.
How do I improve my SEO keyword ranking?
Producing high-quality, search-engine-optimized content tailored to your audience and using keyword ranking software to measure the effectiveness of your work is the best way to improve your SEO keyword ranking.
What is the Best Rank Tracking Software to Use in 2023? My Final Verdict
If you’ve read through this entire guide, you’ll have discovered five exceptional tools, each of which could realistically claim to be the best rank tracking software on the market in 2023.
So when it comes to deciding on the best one to use, it all comes down to what you prioritize the most.
If you’re launching your new endeavor on a shoestring budget, the free versions of SEMRush and Pro Rank Tracker will hold a lot of appeal for you.
If you’re looking for a beginner-friendly tool that’s going to make it as easy as possible to navigate the world of keyword ranking, look no further than SERPWatcher.
However, if you’re looking for the perfect combination of affordability, ease-of-use, accuracy, and a number of tracking options, then I have to recommend SERanking as the absolute best rank tracking tool going today.