Whether you are an SEO agency, or are personally responsible for your website’s SEO, an SEO rank tracker can be a very useful tool to use.
The best ones can monitor multiple search engines, check local rankings and monitor mobile results too. Before choosing an SEO rank tracker there are three important factors you must consider.
Accuracy
As with any tool, an SEO rank tracker is only of any use to you if the results it provides are accurate. After all, the decisions you are going to make about improving your website’s ranking, or those of your clients, will be based on the information it gives you. If it is inaccurate then you could be making changes that will harm, rather than improve a website’s ranking.
Obviously, each tracker company will make claims about how accurate their software is, but don’t rely solely on this to make your decision. Check out online reviews of the trackers, seek testimonials for current users, and best of all ask other website owners or SEO agencies, how accurate the SEO rankings have been from the tracker they use.
Speed
Just as you would take action to optimise the load speed of a website for users, then as a user yourself of an SEO rank tracker, you will be looking for one that works quickly. The frustration of having to wait lengthy periods of time whilst the software carries out its functions is not something you want to experience.
The best SEO rank trackers produce their results quickly, and this will be especially important if you work in an SEO agency and have to run ranking reports on numerous websites. Imagine the time wasted if every report took several minutes to produce and multiply that by potentially hundreds of websites which you may be analysing. This can mean hours of wasted time, so ensure the speed of any SEO rank tracker you use is optimal.
Cost
There are as many different payment plans as there are SEO rank trackers so it is necessary that you look carefully at the details of how much any plan you are considering is going to cost. Some might charge a monthly fee, with an unlimited number of keywords, others might have a lower fee, but have a limit on the number of keywords you can analyse. Thereafter you may be charged per keyword, which if you are researching several keywords could quickly add up to a significant amount.
If you are an SEO agency then the cost of SEO rank tracking may be something that you simply pass on to your clients, although it can enhance your reputation if you are seen to be keeping their fees and costs to a minimum.
Ideally, you will want to strike a balance between having the ability to research as many keywords as is necessary for the project you are working on, and limiting the costs for yourself, your clients, or both.