Typing your keyword into Google and scrolling is the most common way to check rankings — and the least reliable. Here is what goes wrong and what to do instead.
Google personalises results. When you search for your own keyword, it takes into account where you are, what you have searched and clicked before, the device you are on and whether you are logged in. A business owner who visits their own website every day will often see it higher than a stranger would. That is why a client can swear they are "on page one" while their phone barely rings.
| Method | What goes wrong |
|---|---|
| Searching yourself | Personalised by your history, location and clicks: usually flattering. |
| Incognito window | Removes your history but not your location or device, and Google still adapts results. |
| VPN to another country | Changes the IP, but language settings and Google's own country detection often don't match. Slow and inconsistent. |
| Checking by hand every week | It takes ages, nobody does it consistently and you lose the history that tells you when something changed. |
A rank tracker such as Spider asks Google the same question, the same way, every day, from the market you choose — for example Google United Kingdom in English, Google Ireland or Google US — without your personal history in the way. It records the position down to the top 100, the exact URL that ranks and who holds the top 5. Day after day, that becomes a history you can trust.
Google personalises results using your location, search history, clicks and device. A rank tracker checks the same way every day without your personal history, so the number is comparable over time.
Yes. Each Spider project tracks the Google of its market: United Kingdom, United States, Ireland, Canada, Australia, Germany, France, Switzerland, Spain, Mexico and more — 26 country and language combinations.
Down to the top 100 results. Keywords in the top 30 are checked daily; those not ranking yet get a short daily check and a full scan to the top 100 every week.
You pay per check: 1 credit = 1 keyword checked. You get 200 free credits when you sign up, packs start at €9 and plans at €29 a month.
Keep reading: Rank tracker for agencies · Rank tracking API · Affordable rank tracker.