Rank tracking
How to track your Google ranking
Last reviewed 24 August 2026 · 5 steps
The short answer
For a one-off answer, search the keyword in a logged-out incognito window with a VPN set to the target country. For an ongoing answer, use Search Console average position for queries you already rank on, and a tracker that samples a fixed location and device daily for the keywords you are actively working on. Never judge your ranking from your normal browser — it is personalised.
Check a ranking free
Check Google's top 100 in the United States. Cached results may be available without an account; fresh checks require sign-up.
Setting up tracked keywords across engines and locations is what the 14-day trial adds.
The method, step by step
Do a clean manual check first
Open an incognito window, log out of Google, set a VPN to the country you care about and search the keyword. Count organic results only. This is accurate enough to answer "roughly where am I?" once, and free.
Read Search Console for first-party position
In Performance, filter to the query and read average position. This is Google telling you what it actually served, aggregated over your chosen date range. It averages across every location and device that saw you, so treat it as a trend line, not a live position.
Separate brand from non-brand
Brand queries almost always sit at position 1 and will flatter any average you report. Filter queries containing your brand name out before judging whether your SEO is working.
Automate the keywords you are working on
Manual checks do not scale past a handful of keywords and cannot show a trend. Once you have more than about ten keywords, sample them daily against a fixed location and device so you have a history to compare against when something changes.
Watch the SERP, not only the number
Record what sits above you: ads, an AI Overview, a local pack, a video carousel. Position 3 under an AI Overview and three ads is materially lower on the page than position 3 on a clean SERP, and that difference shows up in clicks long before it shows up in position.
Honest limits
What this method will not tell you
- Search Console average position is an average across locations, devices and dates. It will rarely match a tracker sampling one fixed location, and neither number is wrong.
- A manual incognito check still carries approximate location from your IP. A VPN narrows this to the country, not to a city or postcode.
- Neither method reports positions for queries you do not yet rank for at all.
Questions
Frequently asked
Is incognito enough to check my Google ranking accurately?
It removes your account personalisation and search history, but not your approximate location. For a country-level check add a VPN; for city-level accuracy you need a tracker with location targeting.
Why does Search Console show a different position than my rank tracker?
Search Console averages across every location, device and day in your range, and only for impressions you actually received. A tracker reports one clean sample for one fixed location and device. Both are correct measurements of different things.
Can I track my Google ranking for free?
Yes for occasional checks — a logged-out incognito search plus Search Console covers it at no cost. Free tools also handle spot checks, but daily history across many keywords and locations is where paid tracking starts to be necessary.
Keep reading