You may be considering how to check your Google rankings. The algorithm changes often so you always want to be studying how well your changes to content and keywords are ranking on Google.
Perhaps you do it the manual way, where you type your main keyword into Google and find your position. Alternatively, you may choose to wait for the report from the Google Search Console. But, it doesn’t have to be that way. There is a different approach which you’ll learn about in today’s post.
There are a few reasons why you cannot do it manually. Firstly, if you have a website that has grown extensively, it’s taxing to look up every keyword manually and to track it. That would entail pulling up an excel spreadsheet and compiling each keyword you wish to show up at the top of Google search results.
That’s where a SERP tool would come in handy. Instead of tracking every keyword, you would add it to your chosen tool, which I’ll share in this post and have the tool work for you.
Before we get into each SERP tool and break it down for you in the benefits, drawbacks, and costs associated – let’s take a deep dive into the definition of SERPs.
What are SERPs
This may be the first time you are introduced to SERPs, but don’t let it scare you away from improving your Google ranking. The acronym SERPs means Search Engine Results Page. If you decided to search Google or other search engines, you would find a list of search results that populate. The Google algorithm predetermines this list, and I’ll share more details on how this works later in this blog post.
Let’s look at an example so we can make it practical. If you had to search for the keyword “Yacht repairs,” then Google will serve up a list of the best posts, guides, and resources that matches your question about Yacht repairs. What will you find on the list? Since Google is pushing video content recently, you may find at the top of search a video on Yacht repairs, or how-to videos, or a process blog post from a reputable website. The critical aspect is that the person who is searching must have a good search experience.
Additionally, Google has various users, including SEO analysts, researchers, bloggers, and others who seek to show up at the top of the search engine results page. At a superficial level, it may appear to be an easy task, but when you take some time to look at the process behind improving your website ranking, you will find hours of analysis and checking. That’s where SERP tools can make your life easier as a blogging professional or business owner. Let’s now review why SERP checks are vital for your rankings on Google and other search engines.
Why are SERP Checks Important?
One of the best ways to understand how well your website is progressing is to check the SERPs. This vital step will tell whether you need to make changes to your content or if your readers have a poor experience using your site. Even more than that, a SERP checker will give you detailed information and help you better understand the Google algorithm and how to always be in its favour. As you know, Search Engines have rules that favor the end-user or reader, and as a blog owner, you have to follow those rules.
The good news is that if you’re comfortable creating great content and providing good experiences on your site, you will generally follow the search engine rules. Everyone needs help, though, and you can use a SERP checker to check under your site’s health. It shows you how to review your site’s processes and investigate any problems that prevent your site from ranking. It uses comparisons of the best websites and provides a way for you to improve your site using best practices.
When you have a SERP tool in place, you have the assistance to make sense of the SERPS. This sets you up for the next step of applying the best SEO practices to move your site to the top of Google swiftly.
Why are SERP Results Crucial?
- SERP tools have been designed to show you a broad range of keywords used tried and tested methods. When you use these keywords, it will help you improve your position in Google search.
- You get insight into what competitors might be doing at present to rank higher than you do on the SERPs. You learn best practice, and this can be used going forward.
- Since you will be making use of the SERP results daily or weekly, you gain valuable experience creating the best content for your audience. Once you create better content, you can keep your readers on your page, improve your site quality, and attract even more visitors.
- Your business can experience long-term success as you take a more strategic approach when making your site’s SEO decisions.
I mentioned earlier that we would be looking at how Google goes about ranking sites. Since you have a good understanding of the importance of SERP checks, understanding the Google algorithm will expand your knowledge and support you more when using the SERP tools I’ll present shortly.
How Google Ranks Sites in the Search Results
Google is an evolving company that has a sophisticated algorithm to manage their search engine. Without the algorithm, the indexing of data may be time-consuming, and often we will not get what we search for. Knowing this, let’s look at how the algorithm works exactly.
As soon as you access Google’s search engine, you are prompted to enter a keyword. Once you do, you will see a list of results, namely SERPs. Nowadays, the SERPs have evolved with organic and paid content. Your organic content would be a blog and video posts, select media, podcasts, and more. Paid content is visible by looking out for the word “ad” on the result. You’ll find those either above the organic entries or on the right-hand side of the webpage.
As a side note, paid content appears to be increasing over time as more and more business owners seek out specific ways to appear at the top of the search engine. We find that even if they appear at the top of the result, most users still prefer accessing the organic results. While this is not within the blog post’s scope, it’s also a good idea to pay attention to the paid content and how it could impact your ranking. Your main goal is, of course, to land at the top of organic results. The question remains, why do some sites show up at the top of organic results while other sites barely feature?
To answer this question, you must understand how Google ranks it’s search results. If Google did not exist, then websites would be lost on the web. Google is a middleman who helps you find the content you are looking for. Think of it as a library, which is indexed and alphabetized for ease of use. On the other end, Google also has an indexing system for 1.74 billion websites on the internet. They need it to ensure that they can review all content online and bring the best content to the surface and the end-user. This is Google’s purpose, to create a system that will check these websites and connect you with the one that answers your search question.
You would agree that the task sounds extensive. That’s why Google has an algorithm continually changing and evolving to prioritize high quality, superior authority, and regularly updated content. If Google’s requirements approve what your content offers, then you will show up higher on SERPs. The good news is that the Algorithm does the heaviest lifting in conjunction with manual checkers who audit sites. Knowing about the algorithm will help you understand SERPs and use the SERP tools more effectively.
Let’s take a look at 8 of the best SERP tools for Rank Tracking in 2020. This will help you achieve your goals to place first on Google search.
Zutrix
Zutrix is a one-of-a-kind SEO and SERP tool that makes the process of monitoring, tracking and improving SEO rankings a whole lot easier. Through the use of their detailed dashboard area, keyword lab, competitor analysis and more… the site quickly found it’s way to the top of our list.
We’ve also written a full review on Zutrix, which you can read to learn more about the platform.
Other benefits of the SERP tool include:
- Location Independent Results
- AI-Powered Accuracy
- On-Time Notifications
- Tracking Competitors
- Sharable Reports
- Keyword Lab for Ideas
Nightwatch
Nightwatch certainly does seem like a superhero name, and perhaps we can compare this SERP checker tool to a hero. It has many excellent features that will bring accuracy to your page rankings locally and globally. Recently Instagram launched the dark mode for their IOS devices, and it made the experience that much better. Nightwatch offers a similar colored interface to help you, especially if working late at night. If you don’t appreciate this look, you can toggle back to the standard white and black text. Let’s consider the features you’ll use when using this tool.
Features
- Offers backlink monitoring so that you can keep track of both your backlinks and those of your competitors.
- Comprehensive website audits help check your speed and any ranking issues that ultimately affect how you reflect on the Google algorithm.
- Shows your best practice by looking at how your competitor is currently ranking and what you could be doing to improve.
- Offers API access for peace of mind
Pricing options
- Immediate access to the trial version for free and without a credit card required for one month.
- Starter kit for freelancers = $24
- Optimize for SMBs and agencies = $59
- Agency for large business and agencies = $221
Pros
- You can trial the SERP checker before purchasing, and test the performance and the impact on your site.
- Nightwatch looks in-depth at your site’s performance and helps you measure your site’s metrics all in one place.
- Excellent analytic tools to indicate your ranking and the impact of your backlinks.
- Advanced detection software to make you aware of any issues with your site in advance.
- It provides a segmented view so you can track your rankings systematically.
- Focus is mainly on providing a catalyst for your site’s growth in the future.
Cons
- Once your trial is done, you will need to start paying a monthly premium to keep using the SERP checker.
- It may take some time to understand the interface, but it will be worth it.
AccuRanker
AccuRanker has been getting more robust over the last few years, where 25,000 agencies and other SEO experts trust it. This also includes brands like Mcdonalds and HBO. There is a marked update where it shows they provide fast, accurate rank tracking no matter where you may be on your site’s growth journey. Generally, when a SERP tool is quick, they can bring the valuable data you need within a click of a button. There are fewer wait times, and you can become more productive in your business. Not only is it available for Google, but all of the major search engines like Bing, Baidu, and Yahoo. We’ve seen that the most significant benefit of this tool is when you use it daily, as it is ready to give you the most updated details for your site. Let’s consider some of the other features of AccuRanker that support you in bringing up your rank on Google.
Features
- Has an intuitive design that brings on-demand ranking updates. The keywords are updated every 24-hours. You can also refresh the keywords every second hour.
- Excellent customer service that provides quick responses through chats and one-on-one best practice sessions. Additionally, they offer comprehensive help guides too.
- Easy to use API to support integration with your site.
- Gives you an advanced metric log across multiple landing pages
- Insightful yet straightforward data and trends are shared with you.
- Automated reporting and analysis served up to you on demand.
Pricing
- 14-day free trial (no credit card required)
- Transparent pricing where you pay according to the number of keywords you opt for.
- 1000 keywords – $99 per month (billed yearly)
- 2000 keywords – 189 per month (billed yearly)
- 5000 keywords – $384 per month (billed yearly)
- You may also choose a plan billed monthly, but it will cost you 10% more.
Pros
- Easy to navigate menus so you can quickly get the data you need.
- It offers YouTube tracking, and it works effectively to show your keyword performance on this platform.
- Shows you the search volume for each keyword the tracker populates
- Quickly export data and also brand the data for your clients using your company logo for personalized service.
Cons
- Since it’s a more expensive option, this tool is not as accessible to all buyers.
- They don’t have the trending report on the main page, and it requires a few clicks to access this detail.
Serpstat
Serpstat is known for having a broad base(Just under 420,000 active users), where their main focus is on keyword research, site audits, and backlink tracking. This tool’s powerful aspects do come with a price, but it does pack many useful features. It no longer tracks merely your rank and supports you in improving it, as we’ll show in the parts below.
Features
- Swiftly collect keywords for your site’s SEO. Serpstat will provide a list of well-tested and organized keywords to help you increase your rank in the search results.
- It helps you compare your keywords to various metrics like search volume and competition level.
- It allows you access to keyword variations and suggestions so you can enhance your web content and attract more of your ideal customer.
- Analyze keyword trends and get long-tail keywords without doing too much analysis.
- Gain access to global sites and use these benchmarks to draw international users to your site.
Pricing
- It offers a freemium model where you can trial the SERP checker.
- Lite plan is for professionals with a limited budget for $69 per month
- The Standard plan for established teams for $149 per month
- Advanced plan for large agencies for $299 per month
- They apply a 20% discount when you take an annual plan.
Pros
- Excellent features, including a visually pleasing view showing your ranking trends for specific keywords.
- You can find information quickly and make deductions since most of the data is present in graph form with attractive colors.
- It gives you updates from all integrated search engines like Google.
- A reputable company that has helped 420,000 people improve their site ranking on search engines.
Cons
- One of the more expensive tools on the market because they offer advanced functionality.
- The graphs are excellent; however, they can be confusing when you first browse the site.
You can now benefit from a broad range of experience and attract more customers to your site. Not only will you improve your content, but you will start to hone your skills in the SEO world.
ProRankTracker
ProRankTracker has been around for a long time, and many SEO professionals have come to know and love this tool to improve their SERPs. Since its inception, they have provided a SERP tracker for most popular search engines, including Amazon. Once we looked at this tool, we could see it had many powerful features, and at the same time, some features could not compare to others on the list. That said, you do get what you pay for because ProRankTracker can be a useful startup tool and will likely support you as you improve your rankings of the search engines. Let’s consider the main features.
Features
- Sophisticated rank tracking engine that provides high accuracy using a web-based tool.
- Gives you consistent daily reporting as well as on-demand reporting.
- Shares both local and international tracking data and come in multiple languages, including English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, and Dutch.
- Offers keyword suggestion tools, site audits, ranking discovery, and Keyword search volume.
- Advanced competitor analysis to get ahead of the other leaders in your industry.
- Reporting that integrates with Dropbox and Drive, so it’s easy to share reporting with your team.
Pricing
- Free 7 day trial plan
- Basic plan (200 keywords) = $25 per month.
- Starter standard plan (500 keywords) = $49 per month.
- Starter plan (1000 keywords) = $89 per month.
- A yearly plan will give you 10% off the price.
Pros
- Cost-effective since you can get 200 keyword lookups for $25.
- You have more flexibility when requesting ranking updates.
- Historical trends are available and can show you a more holistic view of your site.
- Works on a variety of platforms, including Amazon.
Cons
- The overall navigation on the site tends to be less intuitive and difficult to read. This makes for slower searches and can be time-consuming.
- Does not offer the latest Google updates related to SERPs such as featured snippets.
MorningScore
MorningScore is a great beginner tool to help out SEO best practices, and that generally means getting your site to rank higher on search engines. The software offers up a unique way to approach your site rankings. They use a benchmark of how much it would cost to run paid ads on your site to get the traffic needed. Overall the tool does an excellent job of providing a health check that scans broken links, tags, and SEO derailers. It’s not yet mobile-friendly, where you gain the most value on the desktop for Google. Let’s look at the features in greater detail.
Features
- Offers a full SEO health check immediately after you join. This gives you the overall ranking of your site and how it is being impacted.
- It gives you the tools to scan your competitor’s inputs and then use it as best practice to improve your site’s rankings.
- Daily updates of keyword positions.
- Walk you step by step through the SERP checking process, they onboard you onto their system.
Pricing
- The 14-day trial that allows you to take MorningScore for a test drive.
- Lite plan (100 keywords) – $49 per month
- Business plan (500 keywords) – $79 per month
- Pro plan (2000 keywords) – $149 per month
Pros
- Good user interface and easy to navigate the tool
- They catered towards beginners, where they offer you useful tips and ideas to get the most from the tool.
- It helps you set ranking goals and then follows up with you on the progress you’ve made.
- Affordable prices for the value received.
Cons
- It does not have all the features needed, such as it does not include Google SERP requirements, which will help you rank better on Google.
SE Ranking
SERanking is a perfect all-in-one tool that will give you access to website audits, backlinks, and keyword research. Additionally, you have the option of generating marketing plans for your business. With a solid base of around 300,000 users, they have expertise in SERP ranking and have merged this with other features to improve your SEO. Let’s consider the main features.
Features
- Includes a website audit, so you know how well your site is performing.
- It monitors your keywords and their performance on all search engines.
- Keep track of all backlinks and make sure they are working for your site.
- Expand your reach with the keyword suggestion tool.
- A comprehensive competitor research tool that will help you learn from their best practice.
Pricing
- Free 14 day trial (No credit card required)
- Optimum plan (250 keywords) for $39 per month.
- Plus plan (1000 keywords) for $89 per month.
- Enterprise plan (2500 keywords) for $189 per month.
- Prices are discounted for annual plans up to 20%, and you have flexibility in how many keywords are needed based on the price options on the site.
Pros
- Ensures it has essential information on the main screen and shows the trends supporting your next SEO step.
- Flexible pricing to suit all budgets and needs.
- Works in conjunction with Google SERP features such as the website title and featured snippet.
- Mobile friendly as it has a mobile SERP tracker.
- It’s well organized to keep your tags, keywords in a suitable format, and ready for use.
Cons
- Multi steps needed to find reports, and the design for report generation could use some work.
- It tends to be slow at times, especially when there are more users online.
Mangools SERPWatcher
Mongools SERPWatcher might be the perfect companion tool to help you improve your ranking on Google. This tool does not have as many of the features as the previous SERP trackers on this list, but it does fulfill its primary purpose of tracking Google search results for you. Let’s review these features and see if it will suit your needs.
Features
- It requires necessary inputs such as the domain, location, platform, and keywords. You merely have to input this data for a comprehensive check on your site.
- If you have KWfinder, you can also import your keywords to SERPWatcher directly.
- The tool tracks both mobile and desktop results.
- You can download, share, and make use of comprehensive reports.
- It gives you a daily position keyword update, so you always know how your site is performing.
Pricing
- Ten-day free trial
- The basic plan for $49 per month for 100 keywords every 24 hours
- A premium plan for $69 per month for 500 keywords every 24 hours
- Agency plan for $129 per month for 1200 every 24 hours
- Annual programs attract a 40% discount rate.
Pros
- Easy to use and suitable for beginners as a startup tool.
- Integrates with KWFinder, and would be a great compliment to this product if you have it.
- Cost-effective when on an annual plan.
Cons
- It does not support you with Google SERP features yet.
- Tends to be more expensive with a month to month plan.
Final thoughts on SERP Checker Tools
Understanding your rankings on Google does not have to be too time-consuming. This list of SERP tools can help you improve your SERP rankings and the number of potential customers visiting your business. At first, it may take time to understand how to analyze the data, but once you’ve come to grips with the interface, you will find that it’s much easier to use. That’s when you will start to see the results of the time invested.
We’ve included a variety of tools to suit your needs. Some tools bring you a simple interface and are easier to navigate while others are more complex and provide more functionality. You would need to register to access the searches in some instances, while others don’t require you to log in. Keep these factors in mind when using the tools, and try out a few to find the one that meets your business needs.
If you enjoyed reading this blog post of the SERP tools to track your Google rankings, please don’t hesitate to leave us a comment below!
