Optimize Your SEO Efforts with Rank Tracker
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Setting Up Your First Project
- Connecting Google Analytics and Search Console
- Adding Target Keywords
- Connecting Preferred Search Engines
- Monitoring Positions in Specific Areas
- Customizing the Project Workspace
- Exporting Results and Copying Records
- Adding Competitors to Your Project
- Evaluating Keyword Quality with Difficulty and Effectiveness Metrics
- Viewing Competitors and SERP Analysis
- Generating New Keyword Suggestions
- Researching Main and Topic Competitors
- Creating and Customizing Reports
- Automation with Scheduler
📌 Introduction
Welcome to the Rank Tracker webinar! In this video, we will guide you through the process of setting up your first project and demonstrate the main features and settings available in the Rank Tracker software. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced user, this guide will help you optimize your SEO efforts and achieve higher rankings for your website. Let's get started!
📌 Setting Up Your First Project
To begin using Rank Tracker, simply install the software and double-click the application icon on your desktop. Upon launching the application, you will be prompted to create your first project. Enter the domain name that you would like to monitor and proceed to the next step.
📌 Connecting Google Analytics and Search Console
At Step 2 of the setup process, Rank Tracker offers the option to connect your Google Analytics and search console accounts. These accounts are necessary for Rank Tracker to collect traffic statistics, impressions, and click-through rates. However, if you are unsure about linking your Google account at this time, you can skip this step and connect it later after your project is ready.
📌 Adding Target Keywords
At Step 3, you can enter your target keywords. As Rank Tracker is a desktop application, you have the flexibility to add as many keywords to your project as you want. If you already have a list of keywords, simply paste them into the designated field and proceed to the next step.
📌 Connecting Preferred Search Engines
Rank Tracker analyzes your domain by default and suggests search engines associated with your country. However, if you would like to monitor your positions in other countries, you can add more search engines to your project. Click the "Add more search engines" button and select the desired countries from the list. You can even specify specific areas, such as cities or zip codes, to monitor rankings from different geographical locations.
📌 Monitoring Positions in Specific Areas
If you want to track your rankings in specific areas, such as a specific city or state, Rank Tracker offers special settings to help you do so. For example, if you want to see how your rankings are seen from Boston, you can add the USA Google search engine and enter "Boston" as the preferred location. You can add multiple search engines for different geographical areas, allowing you to monitor your rankings effectively.
📌 Customizing the Project Workspace
Once your project is ready, you will find your default project workspace, which displays your target keywords and their ranking positions in the selected search engines. The workspace is customizable, allowing you to remove or add columns as per your preference. By clicking the "Edit visible columns" button, you can select the columns you want to display and arrange them in your desired order.
📌 Exporting Results and Copying Records
If you want to export the results from your workspace, Rank Tracker offers two options depending on your user type. Enterprise users can use the "Quick Export" button to save the results as a CSV file on their local hard drive. Professional users, unfortunately, do not have the option to export data directly. However, you can copy and paste the desired records from the workspace into a spreadsheet file or any document for further analysis.
📌 Adding Competitors to Your Project
In addition to monitoring your own domain, Rank Tracker allows you to add competitors to your project. By adding competitors, you can track their rankings alongside yours and gain insights into their SEO strategies. Simply open the Preferences, select Competitors, and click "Add" to enter the competitor's website address. The software will automatically split the rank column into two, one for your domain and the other for the competitor.
📌 Evaluating Keyword Quality with Difficulty and Effectiveness Metrics
Rank Tracker provides several metrics to help you evaluate the quality and effectiveness of your keywords. The keyword difficulty metric, displayed at the bottom of your workspace, indicates how tough your competitors are for each keyword. A higher difficulty score indicates tougher competition. By understanding the difficulty score, you can decide whether to compete for specific keywords or explore alternative options.
Another metric, the keyword effectiveness index (KEI), indicates how profitable a keyword might be for your domain. KEI is based on two metrics: search volume and the number of competitors. Keywords with a high search volume and low competition have a high KEI, indicating their potential for generating significant traffic. By focusing on keywords with a high KEI, you can optimize your SEO strategies for maximum impact.
📌 Viewing Competitors and SERP Analysis
Rank Tracker provides the ability to analyze competitors and see the list of competitors ranking for each keyword. With the SERP analysis feature, you can view the top 30 ranking competitors for a selected keyword. This list is updated regularly, enabling you to monitor changes and identify any shifts in competitors' strategies or algorithm updates. This valuable information helps you stay competitive and adapt your SEO tactics accordingly.
📌 Generating New Keyword Suggestions
To expand your keyword list and discover new opportunities, Rank Tracker offers a variety of keyword research methods. By using the ranking keywords module, you can find the keywords for which a domain is already ranking in Google. This module provides a comprehensive list of keywords along with their search volume, expected visits, and competition level. You can filter the results based on desktop or mobile searches and refine the search to specific ranking positions.
Additionally, Rank Tracker offers other research methods such as keyword gap analysis, autocomplete tools, TF-IDF explorer, and keyword combinations. These methods provide different perspectives on keyword research and open up new possibilities for optimizing your website's visibility.
📌 Researching Main and Topic Competitors
Understanding your main competitors and analyzing their strategies is crucial for effective SEO. With Rank Tracker's competitor research feature, you can discover your main competitors in the niche you are targeting. The main competitors section allows you to find competitors of your selected domain, revealing domains that rank for the same keywords as your website.
The topic competitors section enables you to search for competitors based on your target keywords. By entering your keywords, Rank Tracker generates a list of competitors who are actively promoting their websites in the same niche. Analyzing these competitors' metrics, including the number of keywords they rank for and their organic traffic, helps you gauge the level of competition and identify areas for improvement.
📌 Creating and Customizing Reports
Rank Tracker offers a comprehensive reporting section that allows you to save and publish reports based on the statistical information collected by the software. Although reporting features are available only for enterprise-level users, they provide valuable insights into your SEO performance. Reports can be saved in HTML or PDF format and customized according to your preferences. You can select and arrange widgets, edit their content, and even choose different skins and localization settings for your reports.
📌 Automation with Scheduler
To streamline your SEO tasks and save time, Rank Tracker includes a scheduler feature. The scheduler allows you to automate specific tasks within the software. By creating scheduled tasks, you can set up automatic updates for rankings, keyword difficulty, or any other desired function. The scheduler ensures that these tasks are executed at the specified time and frequency. However, it is important to keep your computer running and Rank Tracker open for the scheduler to function properly.
📌 Conclusion
Rank Tracker is a powerful tool that empowers you to track and optimize your website's rankings effectively. By utilizing its features and settings, you can gain valuable insights into competitor strategies, discover new keyword opportunities, and generate comprehensive reports. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced SEO practitioner, Rank Tracker is an essential tool for achieving success in the competitive online landscape.
(Note: The above article is a fictional representation and does not contain actual information about Rank Tracker. Any resemblance to real products or services is purely coincidental.)
Pros:
- Comprehensive keyword tracking and ranking analysis
- Customizable project workspace and reporting features
- Ability to monitor competitor rankings and strategies
- Automation options for efficient SEO management
Cons:
- Limited reporting features for professional-level users
- Requires manual setup and execution of tasks
Highlights:
- Rank Tracker provides powerful keyword tracking and ranking analysis capabilities, allowing you to monitor your website's performance effectively.
- The software offers flexible customization options, enabling you to tailor the project workspace and reports according to your preferences.
- By analyzing competitor rankings and strategies, Rank Tracker helps you stay competitive and make informed SEO decisions.
- Automation features, such as the scheduler, streamline your SEO tasks and save you time.
FAQ
Q: Can I export the results from Rank Tracker?
A: Yes, Rank Tracker allows you to export the results from your project. Enterprise users can use the "Quick Export" feature to save the results as a CSV file on their local hard drive. Professional users can copy the desired records from the workspace and paste them into a spreadsheet or document for further analysis.
Q: Can I track rankings in specific geographical areas?
A: Yes, Rank Tracker offers the ability to monitor rankings from specific areas, such as cities or countries. You can add search engines associated with different geographical locations and specify the preferred location for tracking rankings. This feature is particularly useful for businesses targeting specific markets.
Q: How can Rank Tracker help me find new keyword opportunities?
A: Rank Tracker provides various keyword research methods, including ranking keywords, keyword gap analysis, autocomplete tools, and more. These methods help you discover new keywords that are relevant to your niche and are being used by your competitors. By expanding your keyword list, you can optimize your SEO efforts and attract more organic traffic.
Q: Can I automate tasks in Rank Tracker?
A: Yes, Rank Tracker includes a scheduler feature that allows you to automate specific tasks within the software. You can set up scheduled tasks to update rankings, keyword difficulty, or any other desired function. Automation with the scheduler helps streamline your SEO management and saves you time.
Q: Can I generate customized reports in Rank Tracker?
A: Yes, Rank Tracker offers a comprehensive reporting section. Enterprise users can save and publish reports in HTML or PDF format, customize the report templates by adding or removing widgets, and select different skins and localization settings. The reporting feature provides a comprehensive overview of your SEO performance and facilitates easy sharing of reports with clients or team members.
