The Best Free Keyword Rank Tracking Tools You Need to Use

Ever find yourself frustrated with keyword tracking tools that don't quite hit the mark? We've been there, too. It's annoying when the search volume and keyword difficulty metrics you rely on feel off compared to what's actually happening in Google Search Console.

Let's be real; many of the most popular tools that provide reliable data cost a small fortune. Sure, free options like Google Keyword Planner and Ubersuggest are out there, but they're limited compared to the likes of Semrush. Plus, if you're just starting out or have a tight budget, you don't need a tool that requires you to have a user manual open at all times.

What you need instead are free keyword rank tracking tools that provide solid insights without overwhelming you. Since these rankings are personalized to your keyword list, you can avoid vague reports and irrelevant data that are too generic to be useful. In fact, we used this very personalized approach, resulting in over 43% of our articles ranking in the top three positions for their core keyword.

To help you replicate this success, we discuss some of the best free rank tracker tools below.

Tool 1: Semrush Position Tracking

The Semrush Position Tracking tool has one core purpose: to help you track your website's daily rankings for a custom keyword list. You can use it for your own site or to monitor your competitors' keyword rankings.

Either way, the tool's functionality is quite comprehensive. You can select the device type (mobile phone, tablet, or desktop) and geographical location for the tool to track your keyword rankings. In the free version, it can keep an eye on 10 keywords simultaneously, analyzing their performance over time.

With features like sorting, tagging, filtering, and exporting results, you can analyze the data in depth. The tool isn't limited to your site's SEO performance but also gives you an overview of how well it is doing in the PPC department. Here are some notable features of this tool.

Visibility Trend

As you set up a position tracking project, the first thing you'll see on the page is a visibility trend chart. Semrush calculates the visibility % using the click-through rate (CTR) for a website in the top 100 search results on Google. The metric indicates the visibility of the domain among users for your keyword list.

Semrush position tracking

So, if your domain doesn't appear in the top 100 search results, its visibility will be 0%. Similarly, if every keyword in your campaign is on the first spot, the visibility % will be 100%.

The graph also shows you two other things:

• Estimated Traffic: This is the approximate number of people who visit the website. Since Semrush data updates daily, this number may change every day. The estimated number of traffic for your domain is based on its current position in the SERPs.
• Average Positions: This is the average of the rankings in your keyword list. For example, if there are 10 keywords in your list and their rankings are 1, 3, 5, etc., the average position will be 3. You can hover over the graph to see the estimated traffic and average position for a particular date.

Notes

A shortcoming in many keyword tracking tools is that you have to keep track of all the changes manually. If you've noticed a trend, you may have to write it down somewhere to remember it later. However, Semrush saves you the hassle by allowing you to add notes directly within the tool.

You can add notes like adding new keywords to the campaign, stopping a campaign, starting one, adding a new landing page, and so on. You can use this note for other Semrush tools, too. Click Advanced Settings and select the project to which you want to add the note.

Compose notes in Semrush

On top of that, if a keyword is added or deleted to your list, the tool will automatically add a note to the trend graph. This helps you understand why the trend may have changed abruptly.

Featured Snippet Trends

Quite a few keyword ranking tools show you which of your keywords have won a featured snippet or lost it. Semrush does the same and a bit more.

First, it shows the number of keywords already ranking in featured snippets, along with their visibility and estimated traffic. Next, it displays opportunities to rank in this SERP feature.

Features snippets in Position Tracking

You can see the volume for that keyword and the estimated traffic potential. Plus, the tool shows you the current featured snippet URL for that keyword so that you can analyze and optimize your content accordingly.

Featured snippets opportunities

Competitor Analysis

You may want to see how your website's rankings are changing compared to those of your competitors. In Semrush, you can add up to five different competitor domains for comparison. The tool will then show you a trend graph and an average position for each of the competitors. You can add or remove competitors without restarting the campaign.

Competitor analysis in Position Tracking

This really comes in handy when you're trying to understand why your website's rankings may have decreased. When you compare it to your competitors, you can see if it's an industry-wide trend or if there's something specific to your website that's causing the drop in rankings.

Rankings Overview

If you scroll down to the bottom of the Position Tracking page, you'll see a Rankings Overview table. This table shows you the positions, visibility, and estimated traffic for individual keywords. You can also see how many search features (if any) your keywords rank in.

Rankings overview

To compare these metrics to your competitors, use the "…" button. It will show you the data for them.

There are a lot of ways you can filter this table to show you the exact information you need. Some of these metrics are top positions, keywords, tags, search intent, keyword difficulty, volume, and SERP features. Select your filters from above the graph to note the changes in the table below.

Local Keyword Rank Tracking

When focusing on local SEO, you may not want to look at your website's rankings across the entire country. The Position Tracking tool has filters to help you narrow down the data you need.

Above the graph, you can select the SERP Features filter and select "local pack." You can further condense the data by selecting one of these four options:

• Local packs on the SERP
• Local packs not on the SERP
• Local packs on the SERP where your domain ranks
• Local packs on the SERP where your domain does not rank

Local pack filter

Then, you can go down to the table and see which keywords on your website rank in local search results. This is helpful if you're running a local SEO campaign for a client or your own domain.

Sam The Concrete Man, a company with franchises across the US, used this tool to optimize their nationwide locations for local search. They benchmarked their visibility against local competitors and then used the Position Tracking tool to see which keywords they were ranking for and how much exposure it brought them.

Sam the concrete man case study

They also used the Semrush Keyword Magic Tool to find new keywords to rank for and then tracked their performance in the Position Tracking tool for each locality. This constant tracking and optimization helped them rank 100 franchises in the local map pack on Google.

Scheduled Reporting

You can either download the Position Tracking data in the PDF format when you’re going through it or schedule reports. Select the duration, such as every week, and the day, like Monday. You can also have the report emailed to someone with your branding on it. This is suitable for freelance SEO professionals and small agencies. 

Source: semrush.com

To get visual reports, you can integrate data from this tool into Google Looker Studio. From there, you may create custom dashboards and reports for each project or client. 

AI-Assisted Notifications 

While most rank tracking tools let you download reports in different formats, Semrush takes it a step further with AI reporting. The Semrush AI Copilot alerts you of changes in keyword ranks, whether it’s a drop or an increase. You can also get more insights using this AI assistant and make better sense of your keyword data.  

Try Semrush For Free

Semrush's free offering is a very generous sneak peek into the premium SEO world without spending a dime. You're getting access to deep data insights about your website's performance not just on its own but also compared to other websites.

And if you decide to go for the paid subscription, Semrush opens up a whole suite of tools that cover everything from content ideation and keyword research to social media insights to PPC analysis.

Semrush Pros and Cons

Tool 2: Google Search Console

While AI SEO tools have taken over the SEO landscape, Google Search Console is still a must-have tool for any website owner or SEO specialist. The main reason is that the GSC provides access to valuable data directly from Google, so it is highly accurate.

The Google Search Console shows the following reports and insights:

• Crawlability of your website
• Indexing problems
• Google search traffic for your site
• Spam issues
• Sites that link to your domain

What you're interested in is the Performance Report, which shows the following metrics:

• Traffic Change: How your organic search traffic is changing over time and which channels it is coming from. It also shows the keywords most likely to bring traffic to your site.
• Mobile Performance: The keywords people search for on mobile devices.
• Page Rankings: Which pages on your website have the highest or lowest click-through rates.

Source: developers.google.com

To make sense of your keyword ranking data, you should configure the report to show you relevant metrics like clicks, impressions, CTR, and position. Since you want to track the position, focus on this tab above the chart.

Filtering Google Search Console Data

Google Search Console allows you to filter data on certain dimensions, such as keywords, pages, countries, devices, search type, search appearance, and date. For position tracking, you can focus on keywords or pages.

In the filters, select between the two:

• Average Position: Google calculates the average position based on your site's topmost results. For example, if your domain shows up on the fourth, fifth, and seventh spot on the search results page for a certain keyword, Google will calculate the average position as (4+5+7)/3 = 5.33. If your website doesn't rank at all, you'll see a dash (-) in this column.
• Position: This is the position of the given keyword in search results. For instance, if your website shows up on the third page of search results for a particular keyword, the position may be 21.

Source: findlaw.com

Comparing Groups

In Google Search Console, you can see how your website is performing across devices and locations. For example, you may compare your site's performance in desktop and mobile searches or across different locations like the US and China. 

Select the date range filter to the duration of your choice, such as the past week, month, or year. Alternatively, you can select a custom date range to compare site performance at different periods. 

Source: seranking.com

Google Search Console Pros and Cons

Tool 3: SEO PowerSuite's Rank Tracker 

Rank Tracker by SEO PowerSuite is a relatively more customizable keyword rank tracking tool that you can use to check your domain's rankings across search engines and locations. Its capabilities span across 597 search engines, which means you can even check international rankings.

Like Semrush, it lets you see Google rankings across rich results, like featured snippets, FAQs, review snippets, image packs, and more. So, you're not limited to organic listings only. Here are some other notable features of this keyword rank tracking tool.

Desktop and Mobile Rank Tracking

While the default is desktop rank tracking, you can switch to mobile by adding Googlebot Mobile as a search engine in your analysis. The tool will then show you how your site's keywords are performing in mobile rankings. You can then use these insights to improve your mobile optimization strategy.

Rank Tracker not only monitors Google's rankings but also other search engines like Bing, Yahoo, and Baidu. You can even set it up to keep track of your keywords' YouTube rankings. This is especially helpful for websites with a solid video marketing strategy.

Source: link-assistant.com

The keyword data can be integrated into Search Console and Google Analytics for more site-specific insights. While this helps you find new keywords, you won't get as much detailed information as you would from the Semrush Keyword Magic Tool.

Local SEO Rank Tracking

Whether you want to monitor keyword rankings in different locations or your own region, the tool can assist in the process. It checks for exact locations, going as deep as a street address. So, your keyword rankings will be tracked not just for the entire city but for specific neighborhoods, too.

Location selection

The keyword position history, for both local and global rankings, is available for you to view for as long as you need. Rank Tracker saves this data for all-time access.

Competitor Analysis

Rank Tracker lets you add competitors to your analysis and view their keywords' performance over time. You can include or exclude them from your data as you see fit.

Competitor analysis in Rank Tracker

Like Google Search Console, you can also compare keyword rankings across time frames. For example, you may want to see how keyword performance has changed between now and the same time last year. Rank Tracker, since it saves data for all-time access, allows you to do just that.

Comparison in Rank Tracker

SEO PowerSuite's Rank Tracker Pros and Cons

Tool 4: SERPWatcher by Mangools

SERPWatcher is a free keyword rank tracking tool by Mongools that is fit for small business owners and solo SEO professionals. The tool updates its rankings every day, so you get free information about desktop and mobile rankings, performance index, estimated visits, top gainers and losers, and keyword position flow. Like Semrush, the free trial lets you monitor 10 keywords.

The basic workings of SERPWatcher are similar to those of other tools we've mentioned. First, you enter tracking details like domain, location, and search platform. Then, you add your keywords through a CSV file by copying and pasting them or manually entering them.

Source: mangools.com

SERPWatcher's performance index shows two main things:

• Keyword rankings table
• Metrics

There's a toggle on the top to switch between mobile and desktop rankings. So you can evaluate your website's performance on both platforms.

Keyword rankings

It's up to you to decide how far back you want to go in the history of keyword rankings. You can view the rank changes for the past week, month, three months, or the entire time frame of a domain's presence on the web.

Besides the basics, here are some other features of SERPWatcher.

Reporting Features

You can schedule keyword ranking reports to be sent every week or the first day of every month. Enter the emails that you want to receive the reports and set a name for the project. SERPWatcher will then send a report file to the email addresses every week or month.

Scheduled reports

The tool also lets you set up alerts. For example, you can trigger an alert every time a keyword enters or leaves the top 10 or 100 SERPs. This way, you're always informed about what's going on with your target keywords.

What makes SERPWatcher a good option for small agencies is its white-label reporting feature. You can add your logo and branding to the report and send it to clients, making it look like your own tool. Every report will also contain your company website and email so that the client can easily contact you for any further information.

White label reporting

SERPWatcher also has featured snippets and map pack tracking for local SEO. So, if you're targeting a geographical location, you can monitor your position in the map pack to see how often your domain gets exposed in these rich results.

Local SEO reporting

Keyword Tags 

SERPWatcher lets you categorize keywords with tags, such as eCommerce categories, subpages, blog posts, or landing pages. These tags keep your keyword data organized and make it easy to track rankings for a particular group. 

You can add, delete, rename, or create keyword tags whenever you want. Color-coded tags appear next to each keyword for quick identification. 

SERPWatcher by Mangools Pros and Cons 

Tool 5: Small SEO Tools Keyword Position Checker

Of all the keyword rank tracking tools we've discussed so far, Keyword Position Checker by Small SEO Tools is the most basic and easy to use. You don't have to register for it, which makes it a suitable tool for rapid keyword ranking checks. It's also a great option for beginners who are just starting out with SEO and want to experiment with a free tool before committing to a premium one.

Although it's a fairly basic tool, it lets you check keyword ranks across desktop and mobile along with countries that have a large number of search engine users. You can monitor up to 10 keywords at once. Here are some other features of this tool.

Keyword results

Competitor Analysis

You can add a competitor's domain to compare your keyword rankings with theirs. The insights are not as detailed as you would get from a premium tool, but they are good enough to get a sense of how you're performing against your competitors.

Keyword rank tracker

Keyword Trends

The basic metrics shown by the tool are keyword position, search volume, CPC, and competition. It also shows the keyword trend, which is a graph depicting the keyword's performance over time. This can help you identify fluctuations in your ranking, whether positive or negative.

Small SEO Tools Keyword Position Checker Pros and Cons

Choosing a Rank Tracking Tool: What Matters Most

When looking for SEO tools for keyword rank tracking, you have to keep a few factors in mind. These will make or break your decision on what to choose. We've reviewed some of the top features of the tools above to make it easy for you to choose the best rank tracking tool for your needs.

Keyword Rank Trackers	Keyword Visibility Trend	Support for Non-Google Search Engines	Competitor Analysis	Local Keyword Tracking	Detailed Reporting	AI-Assisted Notifications
Semrush
Google Search Console
SEO PowerSuite
SERPWatcher
Keyword Position Checker

Ideally, the rank tracking tool should be easy to use. Look for one with a user-friendly interface and simple navigation. In addition, you should account for the following factors.

Features to Prioritize

Which features do you need the most? Make a list. While keyword position visibility and estimated traffic data are typically available in most rank tracking tools, some offer advanced features like competitor analysis and local SEO tracking.

Also the extent of reporting also differs across tools. For example, Semrush lets you export data to Looker Studio and visualize it there. Most other tools don't. You should decide which features are most important to you and make sure the tool you choose can provide them.

Location and Device-Based Tracking

If your needs are local SEO-related, choose a tool that lets you track keywords by region. It should also have features like Google Search Console integration so that you can track website traffic data by country, device, and other factors.

It's important to check your keyword positions across mobile and desktop since the former's usage has long surpassed the latter. If you're aiming for featured snippets, look for a tool that specifically shows keyword rankings in these rich results.

Google's search generative experience has also popularized AI Overviews, which helps you view your keyword profile there. Among all the tools we've discussed, Semrush is the only one that provides AI Overview keyword position reports.

Accuracy

Accuracy is, of course, a non-negotiable for keyword position tracking. The data should not only be correct but also up-to-date. Tools like Semrush and SERPWatcher update their information regularly. This is exactly what you need if you're looking for a consistent and reliable source of data. 

When Free Tools Aren't Enough: Knowing When to Upgrade

While free tools are good starters, you can't depend on them for the long haul. They're often limited in features, and the data provided may not be as comprehensive or accurate as those of paid tools. You know it's time to invest in paid tools when this happens.

Outgrowing Free Tools

You know that feeling when you've been using a free tool for ages, and it starts to feel a bit limited? It's done a decent job so far, but you're starting to notice the gaps. Maybe you're looking for deeper insights, more advanced features, local SEO analysis, or just data that's a bit more reliable.

Once you're dealing with bigger projects or more complex tasks, those limitations can slow you down. A paid tool can offer you a full suite of features to expand the existing ones. For example, in the free version, you can only track 10 keywords at once in Semrush, but with a paid plan, the count goes up to 5,000.

Similarly, with some tools, you can only pull a certain number of reports each month, or you're capped on how many keywords or analytics you can access. These limits can be fine at first, but they can quickly feel restrictive once your needs grow.

For example, if you have a larger project, you'll need to analyze more than 10 keywords. In that case, paid versions will become necessary. They let you lift these caps, giving you unlimited access to data or offering richer datasets.

This way, you're not left guessing or relying on partial insights. Instead, you can explore the full picture and make data-backed decisions with confidence.

Freemium Highlights

With a "try before you buy" model, you get access to a limited set of tools or basic versions of more advanced functions. However, the catch is that as soon as you want to go deeper—say, get more data or remove limits—you'll hit a paywall.

This paywall may be worth breaking through, though. Semrush is an excellent example of this. As you get the paid plan, you can get more insights and access to advanced tools. For example, the local keywords you analyze in Semrush Position Tracking can be further analyzed in the Keyword Magic Tool.

Similarly, you can conduct detailed competitor analysis in Organic Research. This way, you're not only getting a peek at their keyword positions but also paid and organic traffic. You can also see which SERP features they appear in and how much of their audience overlaps with yours.

With the paid plan in Keyword Position Checker, you can see keyword competition and the CPC for each term. You can then decide which keywords fall within your budget and which ones to prioritize for your SEO efforts.

Putting Rank Tracking Insights to Work for SEO Growth

The rank tracking insights you get from SEO tools are only as valuable as the action you take based on them. You need to turn data into action by understanding what the numbers mean and how to use them.

Each ranking shift or keyword movement tells you something about what's working and what's not. For example, if you notice certain keywords are slipping, it might be time to refresh or optimize those pages with updated content or more relevant keywords.

On the other hand, if you see new keywords starting to rank, that's your signal to double down with supporting content or backlinks to build momentum. Rank tracking can also reveal seasonal trends or audience shifts. You can then plan content updates around high-performing periods.

Similarly, when conducting competitor analysis, you may notice some keywords that your competitors are ranking well for, but you aren't. This presents an opportunity for you to create new content to cover those topics. However, it’s equally important to identify keywords where competing might not be worth the effort. If your competitors dominate certain high-difficulty terms, it’s often wiser to focus on less competitive keywords that offer a better chance to rank and drive results.

Apart from this, you also need to be super active during the trial period. Most tools only give you a week or so for free, so make the most out of it. Play around with different search filters, keyword grouping options, local keyword analysis, keyword trend analysis, and other features to get the hang of them.

During this time, you should also compare data from different tools. How do they compare in terms of data depth and accuracy? Tally the figures with your Google Analytics data to see if they match up.

With freemium tools like Semrush, you're not strained for testing time. However, you should still try to use every free feature in your daily SEO tasks to get a sense of where their limits are. If you feel you need more than what the tool is currently offering, go for the paid plan. Otherwise, the free version may suffice for your current needs.

While you're at it, test tool integrations, too. For example, integrate your Google Analytics and Search Console data to see how they work together in one platform. You can also schedule reports to see how well the tool does it. For tools with white-label features, check how customizable they are and if they're suitable for all your branding requirements.

Basically, make sure you've left no stone unturned before making a decision to purchase a tool. When you've done enough testing and research, you'll be able to select "the one." 

Rank Up for Free!

Whether you're a small business or a freelance SEO professional, the good news is that you don't have to spend a few hundred bucks a month to track your site's keyword positions. The free tools we've mentioned above do a pretty good job, especially if your needs are fairly basic and you don't have thousands of keywords to track simultaneously.

Many of these tools can monitor how keyword positions have changed over time and the estimated traffic they're getting. You can also compare your data with competitors or specifically look at keyword rankings in local search results. Semrush even lets you track rankings in specific rich results like the map pack or featured snippets.

While free tools are great to begin with, they will be restrictive at a certain point. For example, you won't be able to monitor too many keywords at once. Some data may also be behind a paywall. If that happens and you really think the concealed data is worth the investment, you should invest in a paid option. The flexibility and data volume a paid tool brings will do wonders for your SEO strategy in the long run. 

About the Author

Nadica Naceva

Writer

Nadica Naceva, Head of Content at Influencer Marketing Hub, is a seasoned writer and reviewer with in-depth expertise in digital and content marketing. Leveraging her extensive experience in guiding content creation and strategic direction, Nadica brings a critical eye and analytical approach to reviewing articles and educational pieces. Her commitment to accuracy, integrity, and innovation with each review helps IMH grow as a leading source in influencer marketing. Her insights are backed by first-party data, ensuring content meets the highest standards of relevance.