There are many website positioning key phrase monitoring instruments. And choosing one of the best one for you might be difficult.
This listing of key phrase rank monitoring instruments runs by 11 platforms, together with pricing, who I like to recommend them for, and notable instrument options.
11 Finest Key phrase Monitoring Instruments
I tracked 30 key phrases for every instrument (aside from Google Search Console) to see which options I favored greatest and the way every instrument compares.
Right here’s what I discovered:
1. Semrush
- Finest for: Entrepreneurs, SEOs, and company professionals who need correct, in-depth knowledge that’s straightforward to grasp and personalised to their websites
- Free primary model accessible: Sure
- Pricing: Professional ($139.95/month), Guru ($249.95/month), and Enterprise ($499.95/month)
- Free trial interval: Seven days
Semrush’s Place Monitoring instrument enables you to monitor day by day search engine rating adjustments throughout a set of customized key phrases for particular gadgets and places (right down to the ZIP code). And it integrates with Google’s Looker Studio for many who wish to construct customized experiences.
In addition to displaying normal rating adjustments, Place Monitoring:
- Exhibits you ways your rivals are performing
- Highlights key phrase cannibalization points (when a number of pages rank for a similar key phrase and have the potential to hurt your rankings)
- Exhibits which SERP options (e.g., featured snippets, native packs, AI Overviews, and so on.) seem for a key phrase and which of them you rank for
- Offers you metrics like share of voice and visibility that will help you perceive your general natural efficiency
- Allows you to tag key phrases to arrange and preserve observe of huge datasets
And you’ll set customized electronic mail alerts that ping you when sure rankings change.
Get began with Place Monitoring by following our configuration steps.
As soon as the instrument is prepared, go to the “Panorama” report for a abstract of your progress.
You’ll see your high key phrases. And which key phrases had a constructive and detrimental influence (the key phrases that noticed the largest will increase or drops in rankings throughout a given interval).

What I Like
Semrush’s Potential Development is an AI site visitors prediction metric that grades key phrases primarily based on their potential to carry you site visitors.
Sorting key phrases by “Your Pot. Development” helps you see key phrases to prioritize primarily based on how a lot your site visitors might enhance by optimizing for every key phrase.

And the “SERP Options” chart (underneath the “Panorama” tab) offers you a fast evaluation of your SERP function efficiency.

Merely click on on a SERP function bar to view all of its key phrases—each those you rank for and those you don’t.
2. Ahrefs
- Finest for: SEOs who need wealthy key phrase knowledge
- Free primary model accessible: No
- Pricing: Lite ($129/month), Commonplace ($249/month), Superior ($449/month), and Enterprise ($1,499/month)
- Free trial interval: No
Ahrefs’ Rank Tracker is a key phrase monitoring instrument that offers you weekly updates for every key phrase—together with an general abstract—together with metrics like share of voice, common place, estimated site visitors, and SERP options.

You’ll be able to observe native key phrases right down to the ZIP code stage. And you’ll evaluate your self in opposition to rivals to doubtlessly spot alternatives the place you possibly can outrank your rivals.

Ahrefs’ Rank Tracker consists of info on SERP options like featured snippets, native packs, and data panels.
You may also group and assessment key phrases with customized tags. And toggling on “A number of URLs” exhibits potential key phrase cannibalization points.

What I Like
I like how Ahrefs’ key phrase monitoring instrument features a “Father or mother Matter” column, which helps customers take into account whether or not they can optimize a web page for a broader key phrase to seize extra site visitors.

You should use this info to find out whether or not you must consolidate a number of pages collectively that fall underneath the identical mum or dad subject.
I additionally like that Ahrefs has a visible SERP overview the place customers can evaluate two days. Which could provide you with perception throughout algorithm updates. As you possibly can see which internet sites are shifting up and down.

3. SE Rating
- Finest for: SEOs who want hyper-frequent rank knowledge (e.g., ecommerce, information, or groups working time-sensitive website positioning campaigns)
- Free primary model accessible: No
- Pricing: Important ($65/month), Professional ($119/month), and Enterprise ($259/month)
- Free trial interval: 14 days
SE Rating’s Rank Tracker helps you monitor your rankings throughout Google, Bing, Yahoo, and YouTube.
You’ll be able to see which key phrases you’re monitoring, how their positions change over time, and whether or not your pages seem in SERP options.
You’re in a position to observe key phrases utilizing international locations, areas, or ZIP codes.
And a drop-down subsequent to every key phrase reveals its rating historical past. So you possibly can consider efficiency at a look.

And the insights widget highlights areas you would possibly wish to deal with to enhance your rankings.

What I Like
SE Rating’s key phrase monitoring instrument has a Content material Rating that compares your web page to top-ranking rivals so you possibly can establish and prioritize which pages to optimize.
You may also manually recheck key phrase knowledge outdoors of scheduled updates. So you may get up to date knowledge while you want it.

For instance, you would possibly wish to preserve a detailed eye in your rankings when you lately migrated your website.
4. AccuRanker
- Finest for: SEOs with giant key phrase datasets
- Free primary model accessible: No
- Pricing: Begins at $129 for 1,000 key phrases
- Free trial interval: 14 days
AccuRanker is a key phrase monitoring instrument that gives key phrase place monitoring on your website and competing websites with day by day updates.
Like different key phrase monitoring instruments, you get metrics for every key phrase like common place, SERP options, and share of voice. AccuRanker additionally has experiences for monitoring your key phrases inside AI Overviews.

You may also see what number of pixels your website seems from the highest of the SERP. Supplying you with a clearer image of how seen your itemizing actually is.

This provides vital context to your rankings. As a result of even when you’re in place two, you would possibly nonetheless be buried under advertisements or different SERP options.
What I Like
I like AccuRanker’s autocorrect function, which is helpful for occasions when you have to observe a key phrase that folks usually misspell—like your model title.

Google routinely autocorrects sure phrases. For instance, Google routinely corrects a seek for “sem rush” to “semrush.”

With autocorrect enabled in AccuRanker, you possibly can see rankings that replicate how Google really treats the question. Supplying you with extra correct knowledge when customers spell issues unsuitable however nonetheless land in your website.
And autotagging is helpful for many who want to arrange a big dataset. You’ll be able to arrange guidelines to handle this.

5. Serpstat
- Finest for: Groups managing giant web sites with intensive content material silos
- Free primary model accessible: No
- Pricing: Particular person ($69/month), Workforce ($129/month), and Company ($499/month)
- Free trial interval: Seven days
Serpstat’s Key phrase Rank Tracker tracks key phrases throughout gadgets and international locations. It additionally enables you to monitor your website in opposition to the competitors.
You’ll be able to see metrics like place, visibility, and rating adjustments.

Serpstat additionally tracks SERP options like AI Overviews. And tells you whether or not you or one other area holds accessible SERP options.
You’ll be able to select to get key phrase updates day by day, on sure days of the week, or month-to-month.
And Serpstat’s “URL in SERP” column enables you to manually enter the URL for the web page you wish to rank for, so you possibly can evaluate it to which web page is definitely rating. That can assist you establish pages with key phrase cannibalization.

What I Like
Serpstat’s storm metric might help you determine if a fluctuation in your rankings is from an algorithm replace or one thing else.
“Key phrase storms” point out how a lot the search engine outcomes have modified for a given key phrase over time. A better proportion (larger than 40%) means extra rankings have shifted. Whereas a decrease proportion means the outcomes have remained comparatively secure.
So, say you discover your rankings begin fluctuating for an vital web page. Reviewing the SERP storm metric would possibly provide you with clues as to why.

You may also go to Google’s Search Standing Dashboard to substantiate a suspected replace. And typically Google will publish what they hope to perform with updates on their weblog. So you possibly can regulate impacted content material.
6. Wincher
- Finest for: Lean advertising groups that need straightforward reporting
- Free primary model accessible: No
- Pricing: Fundamental ($49/month), Commonplace ($89/month), and Skilled ($319/month)
- Free trial interval: Seven days
Wincher’s rank-tracking instrument presents key phrase monitoring with day by day updates for a lot of international locations. On-demand updates are additionally accessible for Commonplace and Skilled plans.
You’ll get knowledge a few key phrase’s triggered SERP options (together with AI Overviews), place, search quantity, your rating pages, and extra. And you’ll see all of the pages that rank for every key phrase that will help you spot potential cannibalization points.

Wincher additionally enables you to observe entered rivals to see how rival websites evaluate to yours.
For instance, this bar graph exhibits an mixture of your website’s rankings versus competing websites’ rankings.

What I Like
Wincher has historic key phrase monitoring knowledge for as much as 24 months that’s accessible as quickly as you create your marketing campaign.
So you possibly can see how your website has carried out on your key phrases over time—even earlier than you began monitoring them. This may make it simpler to identify long-term traits. And measure your previous website positioning efforts.

You’ll be able to apply this historic knowledge to your rivals as effectively. To see how they’ve carried out in comparison with your website during the last 24 months.

7. Moz Professional
- Finest for: Newcomers and groups that may keep on observe with weekly updates
- Free primary model accessible: No
- Pricing: Starter ($49/month), Commonplace ($99/month), Medium ($179/month), and Giant ($299/month)
- Free trial interval: Seven days
Moz Professional’s key phrase monitoring instrument tracks key phrase efficiency over time on your website and entered rivals. Supplying you with metrics like your search visibility (an estimated click-through charge—the proportion of customers who click on a consequence within the SERPs after seeing it), common rating, motion, and extra.

You’ll be able to observe key phrases right down to the ZIP code stage.
And extra experiences like “Key phrases & Options” present a key phrase’s SERP options, together with those you rank for and ones your entered rivals rank for.

Key phrase monitoring knowledge is up to date weekly in Moz. Which might be appropriate for groups that don’t require extra frequent reporting.
What I Like
Moz Professional’s “Alternatives” tab exhibits you key phrases that is likely to be sending site visitors to your website, however that you simply aren’t monitoring.
These are sometimes fast wins—you may enhance your rankings with somewhat little bit of optimization. And including them to your tracker enables you to monitor their efficiency to make smarter website positioning selections.
You’ll be able to choose the checkbox so as to add the key phrase to your tracker and embrace it in your marketing campaign.

8. Key phrase.com
- Finest for: Small companies and people on a decent funds
- Free primary model accessible: No
- Pricing: $4/month for 50 key phrases, $7/month for 100 key phrases, and so on.
- Free trial interval: 14 days
Key phrase.com is a rank monitoring instrument that screens your key phrase positions on Google with updates accessible day by day, weekly, and even bi-hourly.
It helps monitoring native key phrases right down to the ZIP code. And you can too join your Google Search Console account to uncover key phrases you aren’t monitoring (that you simply would possibly wish to).
For every tracked key phrase, Key phrase.com exhibits knowledge like search intent, rank, SERP options, and extra.

And you’ll see visuals of the SERP historical past to see the place your website has ranked at totally different occasions. And which internet sites is likely to be overtaking you within the SERPs.

What I Like
Key phrase.com has pre-made experiences that may make it easier to make sense of your key phrase knowledge.
Like this report that exhibits your SERP function efficiency. So you possibly can decide which SERP options you would possibly wish to work on capturing.

And the “Key phrases by Intent” report teams your key phrases by search intent (the explanation somebody searches a question). That can assist you decide if you have to publish extra content material with several types of intent.

For instance, say you run an ecommerce website and see that you simply don’t rank for a lot of industrial or transactional key phrases. You would possibly determine to place time towards making an attempt to rank for key phrases that may drive extra gross sales.
9. Mangools
- Finest for: Newcomers who need actionable, easy-to-understand knowledge
- Free primary model accessible: Sure
- Pricing: Fundamental ($49/month), Premium ($69/month), and Company ($129/month)
- Free trial interval: 10 days
Mangools’ SERPWatcher is a key phrase monitoring instrument that gives day by day updates and allows you to observe key phrases on the metropolis or designated market space (DMA) stage.
You get info for every key phrase, together with present rank, change in rank from one interval to the following, greatest rank inside a specific timeframe, search quantity, and estimated visits.

And while you click on right into a key phrase you may get detailed info like how your rankings change over time, rating URLs, SERP options, and the time period’s search quantity historical past.
Further metrics like “High” let you know what number of pixels from the highest of the web page a result’s.
And “Cov” (protection) exhibits how a lot area your consequence takes up on the SERP. Extra protection (usually from components like sitelinks) normally means greater visibility. Which might result in higher click-through charges.
You should use the protection metric to identify alternatives so as to add schema markup (code that helps engines like google higher perceive your website) that makes you eligible for an expanded search itemizing.

What I Like
I like Mangools’ Efficiency Index metric—a proprietary rating that blends key phrase positions and search volumes right into a single quantity to present you a high-level view of your natural efficiency.
As a result of the Efficiency Index is weighted by each rating place and search quantity, it’s not only a easy common. And high-impact key phrases (these with greater quantity or higher rankings) affect the rating extra.

For instance, an rising Efficiency Index rating seemingly means you are gaining stronger positions for high-volume key phrases—those probably to drive significant site visitors. It may be a fast strategy to gauge whether or not your website positioning efforts are shifting in the proper route.
10. Nozzle
- Finest for: Superior website positioning groups that need giant quantities of information for his or her tracked key phrases
- Free primary model accessible: No
- Pricing: SMB ($59/month to $599/month) and Enterprise ($1,199/month to $5,999+/month)
- Free trial interval: 14 days
Nozzle is a key phrase monitoring instrument that gives a extremely detailed view of your search efficiency.
It goes past place monitoring and accounts on your placement within the SERPs by measuring how far your website seems from the highest of the web page in pixels. Which accounts for components like advertisements and carousels.
You’ll additionally see whether or not your consequence seems above the fold (that means earlier than the person has to scroll), how a lot of the SERP you occupy, and key efficiency indicators equivalent to estimated site visitors and click-through charge.

You’ll be able to observe key phrases right down to particular neighborhoods. And competitor monitoring offers groups knowledge they should perceive how seen and aggressive their model is in search outcomes.
Nozzle shops all of your knowledge indefinitely. Making it excellent for monitoring tens of millions of key phrases over time.
What I Like
Nozzle tracks your complete model (not simply your web site), so you may get a way of how a lot of the primary outcomes web page you personal
For instance, Nozzle routinely tracks totally different branded social profiles—no extra setup required.
Under, we are able to see what key phrases Semrush’s LinkedIn profile ranks for.

11. Google Search Console
- Finest for: Newcomers and website house owners who need primary efficiency insights
- Free primary model accessible: Sure
- Pricing: Free
- Free trial interval: Not relevant
Google Search Console (GSC) is a free instrument that helps you monitor your website’s presence in search outcomes.
GSC exhibits key phrase knowledge equivalent to:
- Which key phrases your website ranks for and your particular rating positions
- The variety of impressions and clicks every key phrase receives
- Click on-through charge that will help you perceive how usually folks click on in your listings
- Adjustments in key phrase rankings over time, so you possibly can observe website positioning progress

And GSC’s “URL inspection” instrument offers you info for an entered URL. Together with whether or not it’s the canonical model (the primary model chosen by Google). So you can also make certain different pages aren’t being prioritized over your most well-liked web page.

What I Like
GSC’s “Insights” report offers you an summary of how your pages are performing.
Clicking “Trending down” can spotlight pages that you simply would possibly have to optimize. And clicking “Trending up” exhibits pages which might be gaining traction.

In the event you click on on a consequence, you’ll see a graph that compares rankings over the previous 28 days. Together with an inventory of the key phrases that web page ranks for.

You’ll be able to see which key phrases have modified essentially the most. And use that info to tell your future website positioning selections.
Choose a Software to Begin Key phrase Monitoring
Selecting a key phrase monitoring instrument depends upon your targets, funds, crew dimension, and different specifics.
Listed below are some ideas that may assist:
- Make clear your targets. Determine what number of phrases you have to observe, whether or not you have to monitor particular campaigns, and whether or not you have to generate experiences for shoppers.
- Outline your funds. Issue within the base price, plus any extras like a number of customers, integrations, or superior reporting options.
- Match the instrument to your crew. Prioritize simplicity when you’re a newbie. Search for options like API entry, limitless customers, and role-based permissions when you work in a bigger crew.
- Begin with a trial. Make the most of free trials to discover the interface, take a look at reporting velocity, and consider knowledge high quality.
Moreover, search for instruments that present well timed updates.
The SERPs can change usually, as seen in Semrush Sensor.

And having a key phrase monitoring instrument like Place Monitoring that offers you frequent updates helps you keep forward of your rivals.
Strive it totally free.