How to Configure Rank Tracking on SE Ranking

Log into SE Ranking and create a new project from the dashboard. Provide your website URL, select your target search engine (typically Google), choose your browser language, and specify your target location. You can toggle advanced settings at the top of the project creation page to provide the system with additional data for more accurate tracking. If you need to track performance across different locations and languages, click the add search engine button to configure multiple search engines within the same project.

In the Rankings module, add your target keywords using one of three methods: paste a list directly into the tool's interface, upload a CSV file for bulk keyword import, or connect Google Search Console to automatically import keywords with performance data. To connect Google Search Console, navigate to the Analytics & Traffic module, click the Connect Google Search Console button, and log in to your Google account to authorize SE Ranking to import your search data.

After importing keywords from Google Search Console, review them under Google Search Console Data on the Keywords tab. This view displays clicks, impressions, and CTR for your tracked terms. Pay special attention to the Position column: keywords showing Not Tracked status may be worth adding to your tracking list based on their performance metrics. This helps you discover new ranking opportunities without manually researching them.

Group your keywords logically by product category, topic, or target URL for better organization. Switch your Rankings table view mode from List to URL in SERP to see keywords organized by the pages that already rank for them. Then select all keywords belonging to one URL on the SERP and add them to a group. This SERP-based keyword clustering makes it easier to identify which pages need optimization and track their collective performance.

Access Ranking settings by clicking the Gear icon in the Rankings module to customize which data displays in your dashboard. Enable tracking for both mobile and desktop results, and if applicable, toggle on Local Pack tracking by providing your business name and phone number from your Google Business Profile. Configure your preferred update frequency and select which metrics you want displayed, such as Search Visibility, Average Position, and Top Positions Distribution charts.

Select your target search engine from the dropdown list at the top of the Rankings tool screen to view results for a specific location. If you configured multiple search engines during project setup, you can choose All search engines to see all Rankings tables for all locations displayed on the same screen, or select a single search engine to focus on one location. Use the Overall section to compare positions across locations in one project by selecting your desired time frame in the calendar.

SE Ranking saves a cached copy of the search results from when your positions were checked. Click any position number in the Rankings table to view the Detailed information popup, which links to both cached and live SERPs. This allows you to verify that the reported positions are accurate and see exactly how your site appeared in search results at the time of tracking. Comparing cached and live results helps identify if rankings have changed since the last check.

At any time, click the Recheck Data button in the Positions module to start a new position check and refresh the positions in the table for the current date. You can update positions for your entire account or for a specific location, depending on your needs. This manual refresh is useful when you've made recent SEO changes and want to verify their impact immediately, rather than waiting for the next automated check.

Configure daily automated reporting to receive regular updates on your ranking performance via email. Activate alerts to receive notifications for significant ranking movements on the SERP, helping you stay informed of changes without manually checking the dashboard. These automated notifications ensure you can quickly respond to ranking drops or capitalize on unexpected ranking gains.

For advanced reporting and visualization, SE Ranking allows you to send data directly to Google Looker Studio. Click the appropriate button in SE Ranking's Rank Tracker tool, select a template, and click Copy Report to begin. In Looker Studio, go to Resource > Manage added data sources, configure each data source by naming it and selecting your relevant project, then click Reconnect to establish the connection. Repeat for all data sources to populate your custom dashboard with live SE Ranking data.