Are you pouring your heart and soul into your website, but it feels like you’re shouting into the void? Do you wonder if anyone is even finding you amidst the vast expanse of the internet? If you answered yes, you’re in the right place. Tracking your keyword rankings is not just some geeky SEO tactic; it’s the lifeblood of online success. Without it, you’re flying blind.
Imagine trying to navigate a busy city without a map. That’s what it’s like trying to grow your online presence without monitoring where you stand for your target keywords. You could be missing out on potential customers, and more importantly, you might be wasting precious time and resources on things that aren’t working. But fear not, because there’s a simple yet powerful solution: keyword rank tracking.
Ahrefs: Your Secret Weapon for SEO Success (Even if You’re Not a Techie)
You might be thinking, “This all sounds great, but how do I actually do it?”. The answer is simpler than you might think and it involves a powerful tool called Ahrefs. This isn’t just another tool; it’s a comprehensive SEO suite that has built-in rank tracking features that can transform your online strategy.
Setting Up Your Rank Tracking Powerhouse: It’s Easier Than You Think
Okay, so you’re ready to see how Ahrefs can help you, but you’re not sure how to use it. Let’s break it down into simple steps:
- Login to Ahrefs: Yes, it’s a paid tool, but think of it as an investment in your online growth, not an expense. Once logged in, you’ll be greeted by a dashboard.
- Create a New Project: Click the “create” option on the dashboard. Here you’ll be able to set up a new project.
- Add Your Website (or Even Your Competitor’s!): You can use Google Search Console to pull in your website if you own it, or manually add it by entering a URL. This feature is useful for scanning competitor websites, even if you don’t have ownership of them. For example, you could add a URL like officedepot.com to see how they are performing.
- Skip the Setup Prompts: You will be asked about installing some things and verifying ownership. For your purposes, you can skip through these by selecting “nope”.
- Set Your Scan Frequency: How often do you want Ahrefs to check your rankings? For most people, once a month should suffice.
- Add Your Keywords: This is where the magic happens! Input the keywords that you want to rank for, such as your business name and the core products or services you offer. You can start with just a few and add more later. For example, if you were tracking Office Depot you might include keywords like “office supplies”, “printer”, or “paper shredder”.
Unlocking the Power of Data: What Ahrefs Shows You
Once you’ve set up your tracking, Ahrefs will start to gather data, and this is where you’ll see the actual value of the tool. Here’s what you’ll be able to track:
- Share of Voice: This shows how much “visibility” you have for your tracked keywords. The larger your share of voice, the more visible you are to potential customers.
- Average Position: This tells you how well you are ranking on average for the keywords you are tracking. Obviously, you want your average position to be as high as possible.
- Traffic: Ahrefs will estimate the traffic that is coming to the site for the keywords you are tracking.
- Keyword Movement: Are your keywords rising in the ranks, or are they falling? This data will show you how the website is performing over time.
- Individual Keyword Rankings: You can see where you rank for each keyword at any given time. For example, you can see if you rank #1 for your business name or if you rank on page 2 for a specific product.
- Cost Per Click (CPC): If you’re running Google Ads, knowing the CPC for your keywords is critical. Ahrefs shows you this data too.
All of this information is useful for making informed business decisions, but perhaps the most useful part is how it can show you your progress over time. For example, if you notice that your rank for a particular keyword goes from position two to position one, you know that you are making progress with your SEO efforts.
Beyond Rank Tracking: Ahrefs is Your All-in-One SEO Solution
Ahrefs isn’t just for rank tracking; it’s a powerful tool that can be used for many aspects of SEO.
Keyword Explorer: Your Gold Mine of Keyword Ideas
Ahrefs has a feature called Keyword Explorer. Simply enter a keyword and you’ll be presented with a treasure trove of related keyword ideas. Imagine you want to sell Apple watches, you can input “Apple watch” and get tons of ideas like “Apple Watch Ultra,” “how to unpair your Apple Watch,” and many more.
Competitor Analysis: Know Your Enemy (and Learn From Them)
Ahrefs allows you to spy on your competitors and see what they are doing well, and even where they aren’t performing so well. By scanning their website and tracking their keywords you can uncover all sorts of things.
SEO Planning and Marketing: All in One Place
With all of these features and more, Ahrefs gives you the power to manage and plan your entire marketing strategy in one place. You can use it to explore keywords, track rankings, and analyze your competitors. Ahrefs provides a streamlined approach to SEO research, planning, and tracking.
But Wait, There’s More: A Free Course to Ignite Your Online Presence!
If all of this sounds a bit overwhelming, don’t worry. There’s a free course to help guide you through the process of establishing an online presence. This course will show you how to:
- Choose an SEO-friendly business name.
- Develop your website quickly and easily.
- Set up your Google Maps listing.
- Start getting Google reviews.
The best part is that this course shows you how to do all of this in a couple of hours for less than 50 bucks. This is the same process that is used for clients by agencies that specialize in this type of work. So don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity, it might not be free forever.
Conclusion
Tracking your keyword rankings is not just some optional task, it is an essential component of any successful online strategy. With tools like Ahrefs, and the free course mentioned above, you can monitor your progress, identify new opportunities, and avoid wasting time on things that don’t work. Whether you’re a seasoned marketer or a new business owner, taking advantage of these tools is a game-changer. So don’t wait – start tracking your rankings today and watch your website grow to its full potential!
FAQs
Is Ahrefs Really Worth the Cost? Ahrefs is a paid tool, but it provides a comprehensive suite of SEO features, including rank tracking, keyword research, competitor analysis, and more. For businesses serious about SEO, the insights and data that Ahrefs provides will more than justify the cost. Think of it as an investment, not an expense. If you’re not ready to invest in tools, you may want to focus on free resources like the course mentioned above.
How Often Should I Track My Keyword Rankings? The video mentions that once a month is adequate for most situations. However, if you’re actively working on optimizing your SEO, you may want to track your rankings more frequently. It’s recommended to start with monthly tracking and then adjust your frequency as needed.
I’m New to SEO – Is Rank Tracking Too Complicated for Me? While SEO can seem daunting, tools like Ahrefs are designed to be user-friendly. Moreover, the free course is geared toward people new to the space, and you can learn everything you need to create a solid online presence in just a couple of hours. The key is to start small, focus on a few key keywords, and gradually expand your efforts as you gain more experience and knowledge.