Keyword Ranking & Tracking Tools

What is a Keyword Ranking Tool?

A keyword ranking tool or keyword tracking software allows you to monitor search terms and entire keyword groups for their placement and relevance on the result pages (SERPs) of Google and others. Such tools display different metrics for the retrieved keywords, which provide insight into the search behavior of the desired target group. One of the most important factors of keyword ranking tools is the search volume, which indicates how often a particular search term was entered within a certain period. Many tools base this value on a one-month period. However, it is important to note that the monthly value often represents the annual average to compensate for any seasonal fluctuations in search interest. This is important to keep in mind when dealing with keywords that may only be relevant at certain times, such as "buy winter jacket".

In addition to search volume, other metrics are also provided. For example, keyword ranking tools also provide insights into the positioning of URLs on the result pages (SERPs) and determine how high the competition is for certain terms.

Why do you need a Keyword Ranking Tool?

Tools that monitor keyword ranking are an essential part of any SEO strategy. Without tracking search terms, it is almost impossible to identify relevant terms for search engines and optimize the content of your own domain. In addition to the actual keywords, keyword ranking tools also help to keep track of the performance of your own website. After all, such software allows you to quickly and directly monitor potential ranking losses with Google and other search engines, so you can counteract them.

Furthermore, keyword tracking software helps you identify your biggest competitors. This way, you can compare their content with yours, allowing you to quickly understand where you might need to optimize your content. The hidden and unused potentials of a domain can thus be recognized more quickly.

Advantages of Keyword Ranking Tools

The advantages of keyword ranking tools are clear:

• Search Engine Optimization: Keyword tracking software plays a key role in your SEO strategy as it shows which search terms you should tailor your content to.
• Finding potentials: The tools not only help you improve existing content, but also show where unutilized potential still lies.
• Competition: By identifying and analyzing your biggest competitors, you can gain a real competitive advantage.
• Targeting your audience more effectively: The more accurately you address the search intentions of your customers, the more valuable your leads and conversion rate will be.

How do you check the ranking of a keyword?

In general, all keyword ranking tools work in a similar way: You enter a search term and then receive a list of similar keywords, search volumes, placements in the SERPs, and URLs related to your keyword. With tools like Sistrix, you can see which domains rank for the search term.

Some keyword tracking software also offers the option to search specifically for a URL instead of a keyword. If you type in your own URL or that of competitors, the tool will then show you which keywords this page ranks for. This approach is extremely helpful in search engine optimization.

How do you find the best keywords?

To analyze the best keywords, it is not enough to concentrate only on the terms with the highest search volume. When researching, it is essential to keep in mind other factors and questions:

• Your own product: Be aware of what product you offer and what content could consequently match it. Is your domain transaction-oriented or do you primarily offer informative content? The way users search greatly depends on this distinction. This leads directly to the second important point:

• Search intention: Pay close attention to the keywords: even if terms seem similar at first glance, the underlying search intention can be completely different. Users entering the term "sneaker" may just want to learn something about the history of sports shoes, while users entering "buy sneakers" already have a concrete intention to act. This often allows us to deduce where a target group is in the funnel.

• Competition: Look at which keywords are covered by the competition. This not only helps to determine which content interests your potential customers but also often uncovers terms that the competition has not yet utilized.

• Synonyms & theme clusters: The days of keyword stuffing are long gone. Varied texts that offer real added value are indispensable for search engine optimization. Therefore, it is important not to select just one main keyword, but to use the keyword ranking tool to find suitable synonyms and topic clusters.

• Questioning: The way questions are asked in search engines is also important. Numerous tools already exist that display the specific user queries.

How do you find the right Keyword Ranking Tool?

Which keyword ranking tool is right for you depends on several factors. First, it's important to define the goals you are pursuing with such software and the associated requirements. In the second step, you can then take a look at the range of functions offered by each tool. Keyword ranking tools or keyword tracking software are often modules that are integrated into more extensive SEO programs. Such tools thus have a large range of functions, which can require a lot of time for new users to get used to. Some providers specialize exclusively in user-friendly and intuitive keyword tracking. Careful consideration should be given to which tool is the right one - also with regard to long-term use.

Perhaps you already have tools that fulfill certain functions and thus make the acquisition of a comprehensive complete solution unnecessary? This should be taken into account in your selection. Last but not least, your budget also plays a crucial role in choosing the right software.

What do Keyword Ranking Tools cost?

How much a keyword ranking tool costs is hard to answer in general terms - there are completely free tools for keyword research, such as Google Search Console, as well as numerous paid providers. A major cost factor is usually the functionality of the software. Large SEO suites that contain additional modules often cost more than software that specializes only in keyword tracking.

These are the most popular Keyword Ranking Tools

We have listed the top 7 according to our OMR Review users:

• Sistrix
• Google Search Console
• Searchmetrics
• XOVI
• Accuranker
• SERPWatcher
• SEOMonitor