A tracking is one domain followed in one location on one device. You create it in three steps: the domain with its locations and devices, then the keywords, then a confirmation. SERPWatcher shows the first rankings a few minutes later.
Every location and every device multiplies the tracked keywords you use. Check the counter in step 2 before you start. How tracked keywords are counted explains the rule.
Start a new tracking
In SERPWatcher, select New Tracking in the top menu. If you have no trackings yet, SERPWatcher opens this page on its own.
Step 1: domain, location and device
Under Tracked domain, type or paste your domain, for example
example.com. SERPWatcher removeshttps://,www.and anything after the first slash.Under Locations, choose a location. The default is Anywhere. Open the list and start typing a country, state or city, for example London or United States.
To track more locations, select Add location and choose another one.
Under Search platform, tick Desktop devices, Mobile devices or both.
Select Next step: Keywords.
A tracking always covers a whole domain or subdomain. You cannot track one folder, such as example.com/blog, or a single page. To follow one page, filter the tracking's keywords by the matching URL later.
Track several locations or both devices
Basic, Premium and Agency can choose several locations and both devices in one go. SERPWatcher then creates one tracking for each location and device.
On the Free and Free+ plans, you can choose one location and one device. On those plans, Add location opens a pop-up that says "This feature is available in Basic, Premium and Agency plans."
Track your Google Business listing
To see your business in the Google map results, open Advanced settings in step 1. Under Google My Business listing name, search for your business, or paste its Place ID if the search does not find it. This setting is marked BETA. The field has no plan restriction in SERPWatcher.
After the tracking starts, its Filter panel has a Map pack trackings filter.
Step 2: add your keywords
Type your keywords in the box and press Tab or Enter after each one. You can also paste a list with one keyword per line, or separated by commas. SERPWatcher changes keywords to lower case, removes duplicates, and ignores keywords shorter than 2 characters. A keyword can be up to 100 characters long.
To import keywords instead, use the File, KWFinder list or Search Console button under the box. Add keywords from a file, KWFinder, Search Console or SE Ranking explains each source.
SERPWatcher may also show "We've found" a number of keywords your domain already ranks for. Select Show keywords to pick from them. Their positions are estimates, not tracked rankings.
Opening Show keywords uses 1 keyword lookup, the same as a KWFinder search. Skip it if you have few keyword lookups left.
Under the box, a counter reads like "5 entered (5 spent = 1 location, 1 device) | 45 left". It shows the keywords you typed, the tracked keywords they will use, and how many you have left.
For example, 10 keywords in 3 locations on desktop and mobile use 60 tracked keywords. Keywords above your limit turn red and are left out.
Step 3: start tracking
Select Start tracking. SERPWatcher shows "Tracking was created" and "Your ranks will be ready in about" a number of minutes. In our tests, one tracking showed "in about 14 minutes" and another "in about 1 minute".
Select Go to tracking. Until a keyword has its first rank, its Rank cell shows a spinning icon. Point at it and it says "Evaluating rank for this keyword".
While the ranks are being checked, the tracking also says "We are currently processing your keywords. Your data should be available soon. Reload the tracking to see the newest data." If a keyword has no rank yet, reload the tracking after the time SERPWatcher gave you.
The same screen says "You will receive weekly ranking report next Monday" by email. SERPWatcher sets up two email reports for every new tracking, both to your account's email address: "Weekly report", sent every Monday, and "Monthly report", sent on the 1st of the month.
To change or delete them, select Change on that screen, or later open Reports & Alerts in the tracking. See Email reports and rank alerts.
"Tracking already exists"
You cannot create two trackings with the same domain, location and device. When you choose one location and one device, SERPWatcher checks for this and shows "Tracking already exists".
Select Add to existing tracking to add your new keywords to the tracking you already have. To create a separate tracking instead, select Back and change the location or the device.
"Invalid domain format"
SERPWatcher shows "Invalid domain format, we expect something like example.com" when the domain field holds something that is not a domain. You cannot select Next step: Keywords until you fix it. Type the domain on its own, without spaces, for example shop.example.com.
"You've reached the limit of tracked domains or keywords"
SERPWatcher shows "You've reached the limit of tracked domains or keywords." when you select New Tracking with no tracked domains or no tracked keywords left. The screen offers Upgrade my plan instead of step 1. Free+ includes 1 tracked domain, so on Free+ this screen appears as soon as your first tracking exists.
After you create the tracking
The first rankings appear after the wait SERPWatcher gave you. On Basic and Premium, rankings then update once a week. On Agency, they update every day.
See How often SERPWatcher updates your rankings. If a rank looks stuck, read Rankings missing, stuck on 'processing' or showing 101+.