Ahrefs Rank Tracker: How To Check And Track Google Rankings

You need to know where your website ranks for important keywords. Checking rankings manually through Google is time consuming and gives you incomplete data. You might rank in position 5 in New York but position 15 in Los Angeles. Without proper tracking, you're flying blind on your SEO performance.

The Ahrefs Rank Tracker monitors your keyword positions across multiple locations automatically. It updates your rankings regularly and shows you exactly how your pages perform in search results. You get accurate data without the manual work, plus insights into ranking changes over time.

This guide shows you how to set up and use Ahrefs Rank Tracker. You'll learn to add your website, configure location settings, organize keywords effectively, and read your ranking reports. We'll also cover the free keyword rank checker for quick position checks without a full project setup.

Why track Google rankings with Ahrefs

The Ahrefs rank tracker gives you precise ranking data that you can't get from manual searches. Google personalizes search results based on your location, search history, and device, which means you see different rankings than your actual customers do. Ahrefs removes this personalization and shows you the true positions your site holds across different locations.

Track rankings across multiple locations

You can monitor up to 10,000 keywords per project in different cities and countries. This matters because your site might rank well in one location but poorly in another. A law firm in Austin needs to know their rankings in Austin specifically, not in Dallas or Houston. Ahrefs lets you target exact locations where your customers search, giving you actionable data for local SEO decisions.

Tracking rankings in your target markets reveals optimization opportunities you'd otherwise miss.

Monitor changes over time

Ranking reports update automatically on schedules you set. You see position changes, traffic estimates, and SERP features without checking manually. This historical data shows whether your SEO efforts work and helps you spot sudden drops that need immediate attention.

Step 1. Set up Ahrefs Rank Tracker

You start by logging into your Ahrefs account and accessing the rank tracker. Find Rank Tracker in the main navigation menu or click "All tools" in the top menu if you've customized your interface. The tool opens with a dashboard showing existing projects or a prompt to create your first one.

Launch your first tracking project

Click the "New project" button to open the setup wizard. This takes you through the configuration process step by step. You'll enter a project name first, which should clearly identify the website you're tracking (like "Austin Law Firm Site" or "Downtown Orthodontics").

Choose descriptive project names so you can quickly identify the right tracking data when managing multiple websites.

The Ahrefs rank tracker lets you create multiple projects based on your subscription tier. Pro accounts include one project, Standard plans support five projects, and higher tiers offer more capacity. Each project tracks one website independently with its own keyword lists, locations, and update schedules.

Step 2. Add your site and target locations

After naming your project, you enter the domain you want to track. Type your website address in the URL field without adding http:// or www (for example: "wilcowebservices.com"). The ahrefs rank tracker automatically detects the correct domain format and prepares it for tracking.

Enter your website domain

You can add either a root domain, subdomain, or specific subfolder depending on what you need to monitor. A root domain tracks your entire site, while a subfolder lets you monitor specific sections like "/blog/" or "/services/". Choose the option that matches your SEO strategy and the content you're optimizing.

Select tracking locations

The location settings determine where Google checks your rankings. Click the location dropdown and search for specific cities, states, or countries. You can select "United States" for national tracking or pick "Austin, Texas" for local search results. Add multiple locations if you serve different geographic markets.

Tracking rankings in your customers' actual locations gives you accurate data for local SEO decisions.

Desktop and mobile rankings often differ significantly. Select both device types in your project settings to see the complete picture of your search visibility. Mobile rankings matter more for local businesses since most people search on phones while looking for nearby services.

Step 3. Add and organize your keywords

You add keywords to track after configuring your domain and locations. The ahrefs rank tracker accepts up to 10,000 keywords per project depending on your subscription plan. You can enter keywords manually, upload them in bulk, or import them from existing keyword research in Ahrefs.

Import keywords in bulk

Click the "Add keywords" button to open the keyword input screen. You have three options for adding keywords efficiently. First, you can copy and paste keywords directly from a spreadsheet or text file, with one keyword per line. Second, you can upload a .txt or .csv file containing your keyword list. Third, you can select keywords from the "Keywords your website ranks for" report that pulls data from Site Explorer.

For bulk imports with organization, click "Keywords with tags" to add keywords and assign tags simultaneously. Format your upload like this:

keyword, tag1, tag2 local seo services, services, local web design austin, services, location logo design texas, creative, location

Organize with tags and groups

Tags help you filter and analyze keywords by category. Apply tags like "brand terms," "service pages," or "location keywords" to group related keywords together. You create tags during the import process or add them later by selecting keywords and clicking "Add tags" from the bulk actions menu.

Organizing keywords with tags lets you track performance by category and identify which content types drive the best rankings.

Update frequency determines how often Ahrefs checks your positions. Standard plans include daily updates, while Pro accounts update every three days. Higher tier plans offer on-demand updates for immediate position checks. Select the update schedule that matches your monitoring needs and budget, knowing you can adjust it later as your SEO strategy evolves.

Step 4. Read reports and use the free checker

Your ahrefs rank tracker dashboard displays ranking data as soon as the first crawl completes. The overview shows total tracked keywords, average position, estimated traffic, and visibility score for your project. You see how many keywords moved up, down, or stayed the same since the last update, giving you a quick snapshot of your SEO performance.

View your ranking overview

The main dashboard breaks down your keyword distribution across ranking positions. You see how many keywords rank in positions 1-3, 4-10, 11-20, and beyond. This distribution helps you identify optimization opportunities where small improvements could move keywords into higher positions. Click any position range to filter keywords and review which terms need attention.

Focus on keywords ranking in positions 4-10 first, since these are closest to the top three spots that drive the most traffic.

Analyze keyword performance

Click individual keywords to open detailed SERP data showing your ranking URL, competitors above you, and SERP features like featured snippets or local packs. The historical chart displays position changes over time, revealing patterns in your rankings. Export this data to spreadsheets for deeper analysis or client reporting by clicking the export button.

Use the free checker for quick checks

Access the Ahrefs free keyword rank checker without creating a project at ahrefs.com/keyword-rank-checker. Enter your domain and up to ten keywords to see current positions across 100+ locations. This tool works for quick audits, checking competitor rankings, or validating data before committing to full tracking. The free checker shows real-time positions but doesn't save historical data or send alerts like the full rank tracker does.

Keep improving your Google rankings

The ahrefs rank tracker gives you complete visibility into your search performance across locations and devices. You now have the tools to monitor keyword positions, identify ranking trends, and make informed SEO decisions based on accurate data instead of guesswork.

Need expert help improving your rankings? Partner with Wilco Web Services for strategic local SEO that delivers measurable growth for your business.