Mobile Rank Tracker: How to Check Mobile Rankings

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When most people think of tracking ranks, they usually think of a simple process:

1. Target keywords on your website.
2. See how high your site ranks for those keywords.

If only it were that easy!

In reality, rank tracking is much more complicated than that. We must consider the searcher’s location, search engine, and device type.

This is where mobile rank tracking comes into play. We have to track both traditional search results AND mobile search results. We’re fighting a losing battle if we’re not tracking mobile rankings.

This article will show you why you should be tracking mobile rankings. Then, we’ll give you some actionable tips on how to do it well.

We’ll cover:

• The Difference Between Normal and Mobile Rank Tracking
• Why Mobile Rank Tracking Is Important
• What to Look for in a Mobile Rank Tracker
• How to Use ProRankTracker for Mobile Rank Tracking
• Frequently Asked Questions

The Difference Between Normal and Mobile Rank Tracking

People new to SEO mistakenly think that all rank tracking is the same. However, standard and mobile rank tracking are very different processes.

With standard rank tracking, you’re only considering one type of device: computers. However, since computers using the same search engine rank results in the same ways, this is a relatively straightforward process.

On the other hand, mobile rank tracking has to track several different devices:

• Apple phones
• Android phones
• iPads and other tablets

Each device ranks SEO results differently from the others, so it can quickly complicate your keyword-tracking process. You have to consider different devices IN ADDITION to the other considerations of traditional rank tracking:

• Location
• Search engine
• Search phrase

In short, the mobile keyword ranking system functions differently than the desktop system, so it takes a different approach to track it well.

Why Mobile Rank Tracking Is Important

Is tracking your mobile search results worth it?

Could you save yourself the expense of using a mobile rank tracker and just do standard rank tracking?

You could, but we highly recommend against it.

Mobile rank tracking is not only different, but it’s also essential for your business. After mobile-first indexing was introduced, the need for mobile rank tracking has increased even more.

For many companies, tracking mobile rankings is MORE critical than tracking desktop rankings.

Let’s look at 3 big reasons you should drop everything and start tracking mobile rankings now.

Mobile Search Is Huge (and Growing Fast)

Perhaps the biggest reason to start tracking your mobile ranks is that mobile search is enormous.

Just how massive is mobile search?

By the end of 2022, there were 4.97 BILLION active mobile internet users around the globe. That’s over half of the population of the entire planet!

That means about 58.5% of all website traffic comes from mobile devices, whereas only 31.16% of website traffic came from mobile in 2015. That means mobile traffic takes up almost TWICE the market share of total online traffic compared to less than a decade ago.

That means mobile search not only outweighs traditional search, but it’s also growing extremely quickly.

In the next few years, mobile traffic will likely grow to well beyond 60% of all web traffic.

In other words, your business can’t afford to ignore mobile rank tracking!

Each Type of Mobile Device Ranks Results Differently

Mobile rank tracking is also essential because each type of mobile device ranks search results differently.

Your potential customers who are iPhone users will see different search results than those who are Android users.

That means mobile search tracking is significantly more complex than standard rank tracking. 

You will quickly get lost in the added complexity of mobile SEO without mobile rank tracking, and staying up-to-date on your ranks will become impossible.

On the other hand, using a mobile ranking checker to keep up with your different mobile rankings will help you manage your SEO strategy and make positive changes.

Reach More Customers

Finally, mobile rank tracking is vital because it can reach more customers.

Not only is mobile search more common than desktop search, but it also allows you to reach a different demographic. Ignoring mobile search will instantly alienate you from the younger demographics online.

For many young searchers, their mobile device is their primary connection to the internet–they rarely use a laptop or desktop. So, to target those people, your business MUST target mobile searches and tracking mobile rankings.

Otherwise, you will miss out on a huge population that could have become your customers.

What to Look for in a Mobile Rank Tracker

Mobile rank tracking is essential for your business, so deciding what tools to use is crucial.

Without the right tools, tracking mobile rankings is impossible. There are too many factors to consider to do it well.

If you can find a mobile rank tracker that does a few key things well, you can quickly take control of your mobile ranks. 

This section will focus on 4 things you should look for in a mobile rank-tracking tool.

Accuracy

When talking about tools, people take for granted that any tools on the market will be accurate.

Unfortunately, that just isn’t the case.

Some tools use inaccurate or outdated data. For example, you might not be able to see daily updated data.

In the ever-changing world of mobile search, inaccurate data should be unacceptable for your business’s mobile rank tracking.

ProRankTracker offers 100% accurate data updated daily at a minimum (with additional on-demand updates available in some plans). You should never have to worry whether the data your mobile rank tracker is giving you is accurate.

You should NEVER settle for any tool that provides anything less than 100% accurate data.

Different Mobile Types Available for Tracking

One of the key differences we discussed between mobile rank tracking and traditional tracking is the variety of devices. Each device ranks search results slightly differently, which adds complexity to your rank-tracking process.

When looking for a tool, finding one with a simple distinction between desktop and mobile tracking is not enough when looking for a tool. Just having “mobile tracking” isn’t specific enough!

As a business owner, you need to have specific tracking for each type of mobile device:

• Androids
• iPhones
• Tablets (Apple or Android)

Each device type ranks search engine results slightly differently, so your rank-tracking tool needs to have the option to track each device type separately!

ProRankTracker allows you to specify the type of mobile device, so you’ll always understand exactly where you rank for each type of device.

Ease of Use

Imagine you have the world’s most accurate and in-depth mobile rank-tracking tool. Now imagine it’s so complex you can’t figure out how to use it.

What good will it do you?

None!

Seriously! 

The best tool is accurate and precise but should also be easy to use. If it isn’t, it will hinder your rank tracking more than help it.

Ease of use is why we ALWAYS recommend trying out a tool for a trial period before paying for it. During a trial, you can figure out how complex the tool is. Then, you can decide if it’s simple enough to use effectively.

Try signing up for ProRankTracker’s free trial to see how its newly redesigned user interface can make tracking mobile rankings more straightforward for your business!

Location-Specific Results

One of the reasons that mobile search is becoming more common is that people can access the internet from anywhere.

Think about how often you’re in a new city and you use the search phrase “(something) near me.” If you’re anything like me, it’s practically a daily occurrence.

These types of local searches are crucial for businesses. In fact, more than 50% of all these “near me” searches result in a visit to a local store.

What does that mean for your business and your search for a mobile SERP checker?

It means you need something that can track location-specific SEO from mobile devices (including mobile SERP features)! You must ensure you’re targeting the best keywords for your location–especially if you have a brick-and-mortar storefront.

ProRankTracker offers precise, location-specific rank tracking (even allowing you to track specific zip codes!). Location data allows you to target mobile users in a way that’s impossible without local rank tracking.

 

How to Use ProRankTracker for Mobile Rank Tracking

Now that we’ve looked at the general concepts behind mobile rank tracking, let’s get a bit more specific and talk about tools.

Your mobile rank checker is your most important tool for honing in your strategy to target mobile searches online. ProRankTracker is an excellent option for anyone looking for an accurate, easy-to-use tool with mobile tracking capabilities.

In this section, we’re going to walk you through a step-by-step process of how to use ProRankTracker for mobile rank tracking.

If you sign up for the ProRankTracker free trial, follow along with these steps to start tracking mobile rankings with ProRankTracker.

Add Wizard

The simplest way to add your terms for tracking on ProRankTracker is using the Add Wizard tool. This tool makes adding search terms for mobile tracking a straightforward process.

First, click “Add Wizard” on the left-side toolbar to get to the Add Wizard tool.

1. 1. Fill in your URL and targeted keywords
   2. Assign groups and tags if desired. 
   3. Choose where to track your new terms, including search engines, local search, and device types.

   In step 2, you can choose to track 3 different device types:

   • Desktop (traditional SEO)
   • Android
   • iPhone

   If you want to track on mobile, select Android, iPhone, or both. ProRankTracker will automatically create additional data points in your Rankings Views for each mobile device.

   Advanced Add

   What if you need more device options than iPhone or Android?

   That’s where Advanced Add comes in.

   Advanced Add is similar to Add Wizard but allows for more customization and specificity.

   First, click “Advanced Add” on the left-side toolbar.

   

When filling out the information in Step 1, you’ll need to select “Mobile” if you want to add mobile tracking.

Whereas the Add Wizard only allows you to choose between iPhone and Android, the Advanced Add tool allows you to choose between 4 device types:

• iPhone
• Android
• iPad
• Android tablet

Choosing from these 4 options allows you to get super-specific mobile search results in your rankings views.

Rankings Views

I’ve mentioned Rankings Views a couple of times, but what exactly are they?

Your Rankings Views form the backbone of your SEO analysis on ProRankTracker. They allow you to analyze your mobile (and traditional) ranking data differently. There are 5 Rankings Views:

• Dashboard
• URL View
• Term View
• Daily View
• Full SERPs

Each of these 5 Rankings Views allows you to visualize your data slightly differently.

• The Dashboard shows you a summary of ALL your URLs and terms. It quickly gives you a rundown of your total SEO health without delving into the details.

• URL View organizes your data by URL, showing you each tracked term for each URL. If you have a URL with terms you’re tracking for mobile searches, you can see those terms here.

• Term View is the opposite of URL View. It organizes your ranking data by terms and then shows each URL where that term is being tracked. So, if you’re tracking mobile search terms across multiple URLs, you can quickly compare them here.

• The Daily View gives a historical graph of each term’s performance over your selected period. When tracking mobile search terms, you can understand how they’ve performed recently by looking at these graphs.

• Finally, the Full SERPs page allows you to look at the SERP for any tracked terms and URLs. ProRankTracker will act as a mobile SERP checker for your mobile search terms, allowing you to see exactly what the mobile user sees.

These 5 Rankings Views will enable you to fully understand your mobile ranks and make sound strategic decisions for your company’s mobile SEO.

Groups and Tags

Groups and tags allow you to sort your URLs and terms together for easy manipulation later.

For example, let’s say you have a website and a few separate landing pages with different root domains. You can sort all of your URLs into a single group and quickly find those URLs by adding the “Group” filter to your Rankings Views.

Tags allow you to group your terms in the same way. For example, if you have a set of terms for a URL you’re tracking on mobile search, you can group those terms into a tag and name it “Mobile Search Terms for URL.”

Later, you can filter for those terms on the Rankings Views to take an exclusive look at your mobile ranking health.

Filters

We mentioned using filtering to look at your groups and tags, but you can do a lot more than that with filtering.

To filter your results in your Rankings Views, just click the “Filter” button at the top-left corner of the page. You’ll see a range of filtering options appear:

• Groups
• Tags
• Device type (desktop or mobile)
• Location
• Search engine
• URL (exact or general URLs)
• Volume
• Recent changes

You can quickly access your mobile terms by filtering the Rankings View pages.

To save yourself time in the future, save your filter for quick access by adding it to the “Saved Filters” tool. You can quickly access saved filters by clicking on the Quick View icon (shaped like an eye) on the top-left corner of the page.

 

Reports

Reports are a great way to keep yourself updated on any changes in your ranks without needing to check every day.

Select from any of ProRankTracker’s 20+ reports, and you can receive emails with all the most important details at your chosen frequency.

There are two basic types of reports:

• Scheduled reports
• Triggered notifications

Scheduled reports are sent on your chosen schedule–regardless of whether anything changes. You can even establish mobile-specific reports to further improve your mobile ranking strategy.

Triggered notifications are only sent when a specific parameter is met. You can set the trigger to be almost anything:

• Rank increase
• Rank decrease
• Reaching a certain rank
• Hitting the top position on the SERP

If you’re an SEO agency, you can customize these reports with your colors and logo and send them to your clients.

Insta-Check

What about when you want to check on your mobile ranks quickly, but you don’t want to add those URL/keyword combos to your long-term tracking list?

There are plenty of reasons someone might want to do this:

• Doing a quick check on competitor keywords
• Scouting new keyword targets for an upcoming campaign
• Keeping a list of secondary keywords and assessing whether you want to add them to your main list

In those cases, Insta-Check is the best tool to use. You can quickly check ranks without adding anything to your long-term tracking list. You just pay for the credits you need right now, then save the leftover credits for later.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a rank tracker?

A rank tracker is a tool that automatically scans search engine results pages (SERPs) to see where each page ranks for a given search term (keyword). In addition to reporting what rank your pages occupy, most rank trackers also provide useful tools to:

• Research keywords
• Do competitor research
• Generate reports.

How do I track my Google ranking?

The best way to track your Google ranking is with a specialized rank-tracking tool. If you’re targeting mobile users, you should specifically look for a tool with excellent mobile rank-tracking capabilities as we mentioned above.

What is the cheapest rank tracker?

There are some rank trackers that are free to use, but we highly recommend spending some money to get a higher-quality tool. ProRankTracker is the best cheap rank tracker for small businesses and major SEO agencies alike.

Ready to Track Your Keyword Rankings on Mobile?

To be good at SEO, you MUST be tracking mobile rankings. No business can afford to ignore mobile search rankings.

In the years ahead, mobile rank tracking will only become more critical. Make sure you’re prepared for the future by setting up mobile rank tracking ASAP.

As the most accurate ranking tracker on the market, ProRankTracker is an excellent option to start tracking your mobile ranks. Using the tips outlined in this article should put you on your way to being a mobile rank-tracking pro!

Good luck!