rank-tracker

name	rank-tracker
description	Use when the user asks to "track rankings", "check keyword positions", "ranking changes", "monitor SERP positions", "how am I ranking", "where do I rank for this keyword", "did my rankings change", or "keyword position tracking". Tracks and analyzes keyword ranking positions over time for both traditional search results and AI-generated responses. Monitors ranking changes, identifies trends, and alerts on significant movements. For automated alerting, see alert-manager. For comprehensive reports, see performance-reporter.
license	Apache-2.0
metadata	{"author":"aaron-he-zhu","version":"2.0.0","geo-relevance":"medium","tags":["seo","geo","rank tracking","keyword positions","serp monitoring","ranking trends","position tracking","ai ranking"],"triggers":["track rankings","check keyword positions","ranking changes","monitor SERP positions","how am I ranking","keyword tracking","position monitoring","where do I rank for this keyword","did my rankings change","keyword position tracking"]}

Rank Tracker

SEO & GEO Skills Library · 20 skills for SEO + GEO · Install all: npx skills add aaron-he-zhu/seo-geo-claude-skills

Browse all 20 skills

Research · keyword-research · competitor-analysis · serp-analysis · content-gap-analysis

Build · seo-content-writer · geo-content-optimizer · meta-tags-optimizer · schema-markup-generator

Optimize · on-page-seo-auditor · technical-seo-checker · internal-linking-optimizer · content-refresher

Monitor · rank-tracker · backlink-analyzer · performance-reporter · alert-manager

Cross-cutting · content-quality-auditor · domain-authority-auditor · entity-optimizer · memory-management

This skill helps you track, analyze, and report on keyword ranking positions over time. It monitors both traditional SERP rankings and AI/GEO visibility to provide comprehensive search performance insights.

When to Use This Skill

• Setting up ranking tracking for new campaigns
• Monitoring keyword position changes
• Analyzing ranking trends over time
• Comparing rankings against competitors
• Tracking SERP feature appearances
• Monitoring AI Overview inclusions
• Creating ranking reports for stakeholders

What This Skill Does

1. Position Tracking: Records and tracks keyword rankings
2. Trend Analysis: Identifies ranking patterns over time
3. Movement Detection: Flags significant position changes
4. Competitor Comparison: Benchmarks against competitors
5. SERP Feature Tracking: Monitors featured snippets, PAA
6. GEO Visibility Tracking: Tracks AI citation appearances
7. Report Generation: Creates ranking performance reports

How to Use

Set Up Tracking

Set up rank tracking for [domain] targeting these keywords: [keyword list]

Analyze Rankings

Analyze ranking changes for [domain] over the past [time period]

Compare to Competitors

Compare my rankings to [competitor] for [keywords]

Generate Reports

Create a ranking report for [domain/campaign]

Data Sources

See CONNECTORS.md for tool category placeholders.

With ~~SEO tool + ~~search console + ~~analytics + ~~AI monitor connected: Automatically pull ranking positions from ~~SEO tool, search impressions/clicks from ~~search console, traffic data from ~~analytics, and AI Overview citation tracking from ~~AI monitor. Daily automated rank checks with historical trend data.

With manual data only: Ask the user to provide:

1. Keyword ranking positions (current and historical if available)
2. Target keyword list with search volumes
3. Competitor domains and their ranking positions for key terms
4. SERP feature status (featured snippets, PAA appearances)
5. AI Overview citation data (if tracking GEO metrics)

Proceed with the full analysis using provided data. Note in the output which metrics are from automated collection vs. user-provided data.

Instructions

When a user requests rank tracking or analysis:

1. Set Up Keyword Tracking

   ## Rank Tracking Setup
   
   ### Tracking Configuration
   
   **Domain**: [domain]
   **Tracking Location**: [country/city]
   **Device**: [Mobile/Desktop/Both]
   **Language**: [language]
   **Update Frequency**: [Daily/Weekly/Monthly]
   
   ### Keywords to Track
   
   | Keyword | Volume | Current Rank | Type | Priority |
   |---------|--------|--------------|------|----------|
   | [keyword 1] | [vol] | [rank] | Primary | High |
   | [keyword 2] | [vol] | [rank] | Primary | High |
   | [keyword 3] | [vol] | [rank] | Secondary | Medium |
   | [keyword 4] | [vol] | [rank] | Long-tail | Medium |
   | [keyword 5] | [vol] | [rank] | Brand | High |
   
   ### Competitor Tracking
   
   Track these competitors for benchmark:
   1. [Competitor 1] - [domain]
   2. [Competitor 2] - [domain]
   3. [Competitor 3] - [domain]
   
   ### Tracking Categories
   
   | Category | Keywords | Description |
   |----------|----------|-------------|
   | Brand | [X] | Brand name variations |
   | Product | [X] | Product-related terms |
   | Informational | [X] | Educational queries |
   | Commercial | [X] | Buying intent terms |
   

2. Record Current Rankings

   ## Current Ranking Snapshot
   
   **Date**: [date]
   **Domain**: [domain]
   
   ### Ranking Overview
   
   | Position Range | Keyword Count | % of Total |
   |----------------|---------------|------------|
   | #1 | [X] | [X]% |
   | #2-3 | [X] | [X]% |
   | #4-10 | [X] | [X]% |
   | #11-20 | [X] | [X]% |
   | #21-50 | [X] | [X]% |
   | #51-100 | [X] | [X]% |
   | Not ranking | [X] | [X]% |
   
   ### Position Distribution
   
   

   Position 1: ████████ [X] keywords Position 2-3: ██████ [X] keywords Position 4-10: ████████████████ [X] keywords Position 11-20: ████████████ [X] keywords Position 21+: ██████████ [X] keywords

   
   ### Detailed Rankings
   
   | Keyword | Position | URL | SERP Features | Change |
   |---------|----------|-----|---------------|--------|
   | [kw 1] | 3 | [url] | Featured Snippet | +2 ↑ |
   | [kw 2] | 7 | [url] | PAA | -1 ↓ |
   | [kw 3] | 12 | [url] | None | New |
   | [kw 4] | 1 | [url] | Featured Snippet | — |
   

3. Analyze Ranking Changes

Validation Checkpoints

Input Validation

• Keywords list is complete with search volumes
• Target domain and tracking location are specified
• Competitor domains identified for comparison
• Historical baseline data available or initial tracking period set

Output Validation

• Every metric cites its data source and collection date
• Ranking changes include context (vs. previous period)
• Significant movements have explanations or investigation notes
• Source of each data point clearly stated (~~SEO tool data, ~~search console data, user-provided, or estimated)

Example

User: "Analyze my ranking changes for the past month"

Output:

# Ranking Analysis: [current month, year]

## Summary

Your average position improved from 15.3 to 12.8 (-2.5 positions = better)
Keywords in top 10 increased from 12 to 17 (+5)

## Biggest Wins

| Keyword | Old | New | Change | Possible Cause |
|---------|-----|-----|--------|----------------|
| email marketing tips | 18 | 5 | +13 | Likely driven by content refresh |
| best crm software | 24 | 11 | +13 | Correlates with new backlinks acquired |
| sales automation | 15 | 7 | +8 | Correlates with schema markup addition |

## Needs Attention

| Keyword | Old | New | Change | Action |
|---------|-----|-----|--------|--------|
| marketing automation | 4 | 12 | -8 | Likely displaced by new HubSpot guide |

**Recommended**: Update your marketing automation guide with [current year] statistics and examples.

Tips for Success

1. Track consistently - Same time, same device, same location
2. Include enough keywords - 50-200 for meaningful data
3. Segment by intent - Track brand, commercial, informational separately
4. Monitor competitors - Context makes your data meaningful
5. Track SERP features - Position 1 without snippet may lose to position 4 with snippet
6. Include GEO metrics - AI visibility increasingly important

Rank Change Analysis Framework

Why Rankings Move — Root Cause Taxonomy

Category	Causes	Detection Method
Algorithm Updates	Google core update, helpful content update, spam update	Check Google Search Status Dashboard, SEO news
Competitor Action	New content published, content updated, new backlinks	Monitor competitor pages, SERP changes
Your Changes	Content edit, technical change, migration	Cross-reference with deploy/change log
SERP Feature Changes	New featured snippet, AI Overview added/removed	SERP monitoring tools
Seasonal Patterns	Predictable demand shifts	Year-over-year comparison
Technical Issues	Crawl errors, speed degradation, indexing problems	Search Console, crawl reports
Link Profile Changes	Lost backlinks, new backlinks, disavow	Backlink monitoring

Rank Change Response Protocol

Change	Timeframe	Action
Drop 1-3 positions	Wait 1-2 weeks	Monitor — may be normal fluctuation
Drop 3-5 positions	Investigate within 1 week	Check for technical issues, competitor changes
Drop 5-10 positions	Investigate immediately	Full diagnostic: technical, content, links
Drop off page 1	Emergency response	Comprehensive audit + recovery plan
Position gained	Document and learn	What worked? Can you replicate?

Position Distribution Benchmarks

Click-Through Rate by Position

Position	Desktop CTR	Mobile CTR	Notes
#1	31.7%	24.0%	10x more than position #10
#2	14.7%	13.1%	~50% drop from #1
#3	10.7%	9.5%	Significant value
#4	6.7%	6.1%	Still above fold usually
#5	5.1%	4.6%	Often near fold
#6	4.1%	3.5%	Below fold on most devices
#7	3.4%	2.8%	Rapidly diminishing
#8	2.9%	2.3%
#9	2.5%	1.9%
#10	2.2%	1.6%	Bottom of page 1
#11-20	<1.5%	<1.0%	Page 2 — minimal visibility

Note: CTR varies significantly by query type, SERP features, and industry. These are averages.

CTR Impact of SERP Features

SERP Feature Present	Effect on Organic CTR
Featured Snippet (you own)	+20-30% CTR for your result
Featured Snippet (competitor)	-15-25% CTR for position #1
AI Overview	-10-30% CTR for all organic results
PAA boxes	-5-10% CTR for positions 3-6
Shopping results	-10-20% CTR for commercial queries
Knowledge Panel	-5-15% CTR for navigational queries

SERP Volatility Context

Algorithm Update Impact Assessment

Update Type	Typical Impact	Recovery Time	Response Strategy
Core update	±20-50% traffic shifts	3-6 months (next core update)	Improve content quality broadly
Helpful Content	Content quality focused	1-3 months	Remove/improve unhelpful content
Spam update	Penalizes manipulative tactics	Varies (may require disavow)	Clean up link profile, remove spam
Product Reviews	Review content specific	1-2 months	Improve review depth and expertise
Link Spam	Targets artificial links	2-4 months	Disavow toxic links, build quality links

Tracking Configuration Best Practices

Setting	Recommendation	Why
Check frequency	Daily for top 20 keywords; weekly for others	Balance accuracy vs. API costs
Location settings	Match target market; track local separately	Rankings vary by location
Device tracking	Track mobile AND desktop separately	Mobile rankings differ significantly
Competitor tracking	Track 3-5 competitors for key terms	Context for your own movements
SERP features	Track which features appear	Explain CTR changes
Keyword grouping	Group by topic cluster, intent, funnel stage	Identify patterns, not just keywords

Reference Materials

• Tracking Setup Guide — Configuration best practices, device/location settings, and SERP feature tracking setup

Related Skills

• keyword-research — Find keywords to track
• serp-analysis — Understand SERP composition
• alert-manager — Set up ranking alerts
• performance-reporter — Comprehensive reporting
• memory-management — Store ranking history in project memory