The Rank Tracker monitors your Google search positions for specific keywords over time. Unlike tools that charge monthly subscriptions regardless of usage, NitroShock charges per check—you pay only for what you track.
Each project tracks one domain. You can track your own site or competitor sites.
From the project Overview tab:
Keywords are checked automatically based on frequency. First check runs immediately after adding.
The target selector at the top defines what combination of location, device, and schedule you're viewing. A single project can have multiple targets—for example, tracking the same keywords for both US/Desktop and UK/Mobile.
Target Info Bar shows:
Six metrics summarize current performance:
Avg Position - Mean ranking across all tracked keywords. Lower is better.
Top 3 - Keywords ranking positions 1-3. These drive the majority of clicks.
Top 10 - Keywords on page one. Position 10 gets roughly 10x fewer clicks than position 1.
Top 20 - Keywords on pages one and two. Still visible, but declining click-through.
AIO Cited - Keywords where your site appears in Google's AI Overview. This metric gains importance as AI Overviews appear for more queries.
Winning - Keywords where you outrank all tracked competitors. Shows competitive position.
Visualizes ranking changes over time. Two view modes:
You Only - Shows your average position trend. Y-axis is inverted (lower = better).
vs Competitors - Adds competitor trend lines for comparison. Your line is solid; competitors are dashed.
Date range options: 30d, 60d, 90d, 1y, All
The main data table with all tracked keywords.
Column Definitions:
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Keyword | The search query, with frequency indicator (colored dot) |
| AIO | AI Overview status: checkmark (cited), warning (present but not cited), circle (none) |
| Int | Search intent: I (Informational), C (Commercial), T (Transactional), N (Navigational) |
| Prev | Position from previous check |
| Pos | Current position. Color indicates direction (green=improved, red=dropped) |
| Diff | Position change. Shows +N, -N, NEW, LOST, or — |
| Competitor columns | Position for each tracked competitor. Green if you're winning, red if losing |
| KD | Keyword Difficulty (0-100). Higher = harder to rank |
| Vol | Monthly search volume |
| Checked | Time since last position check |
Column Visibility - Click the Columns button to show/hide columns. Preferences persist across sessions.
Sorting - Click any column header to sort. Click again to reverse.
Filtering - Use the Intent dropdown to filter by search intent type.
Search - Type in the search box to filter keywords by text match.
Ranking Positions display with context:
Add up to 5 competitor domains per project. Their positions display alongside yours in the table.
Competitor Column Headers show favicon-style icons with domain on hover.
Cell Values show competitor's current position. Hover to see their position change.
Color Coding:
Click the refresh icon on any keyword row to check position immediately. Costs 5 credits (instant checks cost more than scheduled checks due to API priority).
Click the chart icon to see position history for a specific keyword. Shows:
Select multiple keywords using checkboxes:
Download keyword data as CSV for reporting or analysis.
The Est. Cost button shows projected monthly tracking costs:
Instant refreshes (5 credits each) are additional and not included in estimates.
Daily Tracking - Use for:
Weekly Tracking - Use for:
Google's AI Overviews appear for many queries, displaying AI-generated summaries above traditional results. Being cited in an AIO can drive traffic even without a top-10 ranking.
AIO Status Icons:
AIO Position - When cited, hover shows your citation position (e.g., "Cited #1 of 5").
Start Focused - Track 20-50 keywords initially. Expand after establishing baselines.
Mix Intent Types - Track informational, commercial, and transactional keywords to understand full-funnel visibility.
Include Brand Terms - Track your brand name to catch reputation issues or competitors bidding on your terms.
Review Weekly - Rankings fluctuate daily. Weekly reviews show meaningful trends without noise.
Act on Declines - Keywords dropping consistently warrant content review, technical audit, or competitive analysis.
Last updated: January 2025