Setting Up Position Checks: Regions, Devices, Goals
The accuracy of position tracking is determined by the settings, not the service: the same query in a different region or on a different device ranks differently. Below is what to set in the project to reflect your reality, and how much it will cost.
What is Set During Configuration
All parameters are collected in the project settings block. On mobile, it is collapsed under the header 'Project Settings' so that positions are closer to the top of the page — click on the header to expand.
| Parameter | How to Choose |
|---|---|
| Search Engine | Positions are checked in Google |
| Regions | Countries where clients are located; you can select multiple, and there is a 'globally' mode without country binding. For local businesses, the region radically changes the output |
| Devices | Mobile and desktop — different outputs; if traffic is mainly mobile, track it. You can select both |
| Check Depth | Top-10, top-30, top-50, or top-100. The deeper, the more pages of output may be needed, and the more expensive the check |
| Position Goal | Realistic: aiming for first place from 40th is pointless, aiming for top-10 is meaningful. Progress towards the goal is visible in the project header |
| Cluster | A group of queries for one page — this way, you can see the movement of the group rather than by a single keyword |
Each combination of 'region + device' is a separate check, meaning a separate deduction. The project considers no more than eight such combinations. Under the settings, it indicates how much checking one keyword currently costs and how many pages of output it may take.
How Many Queries to Take
Not all at once. The working set includes queries for which you are already showing and are close to the goal, plus a few flagship ones for control. It is convenient to take the list from Search Console: it shows what actually brings impressions. The project allows up to a thousand queries, but a hundred meaningful ones are more useful than a thousand random ones.
Import from Search Console automatically filters out the excess: queries for which the site is already within the top-30 on average, or those that brought at least 3 clicks are imported. Queries where the site is ranked 60–100 and has no clicks are not imported — otherwise, you would be paying for checks that almost always show 'not found'. A project created by import gets a 'globally' mode — change the region in the settings if necessary.
Find Unpromising Keywords
Above the keyword table, there is a button 'Find Unpromising'. It marks keywords for which the site has not been found in any combination of region and device for the last 30 days (with three or more checks) and which are also not seen in Search Console within the check depth. Checking such keywords further is a waste of money. The button itself does not delete anything: review the marked list and, if you agree, click 'Delete'.
Frequency of Checks
- Daily makes sense in competitive niches and during active work.
- Once a week — a normal mode for most projects: daily fluctuations are still noise.
- Before and after changes — mandatory: without a reference point, you won’t understand what worked.
The frequency is set in the 'Auto-check' field: 'Manually', 'Daily', or 'Weekly'. In 'Manual' mode, checks are started only by the 'Check' and 'Check All' buttons. In auto-check mode, the project is checked on a schedule as long as there is enough balance; the time of the last auto-check is visible next to the setting.
The 'Enable Auto-check' Banner
If the project is in manual mode and has had at least one check, a banner appears saying 'Enable Auto-check — and positions will update automatically'. The buttons indicate the approximate monthly cost for weekly and daily checks. It is calculated based on the number of keywords, the number of 'region + device' combinations, and your actual deductions for checks, so it varies between different projects. The mode is activated with one click, and it can be disabled at any time in the project settings.
How Money is Deducted During Auto-check
- Deductions occur based on actual — for the pages of output received. Unsuccessful checks and our repeated requests in case of failures are not paid.
- The balance is checked before each request. If there is not enough money for the entire depth, as many pages of output are checked as the remainder covers; when there is not enough for even one page, auto-check stops.
- You will receive a notification 'Position auto-check stopped: balance insufficient', and if the balance is less than enough for three days of checks — a warning of how many days it will last. Both come to the cabinet and to the email, no more than once every three days.
- If you top up the balance within 20 hours after a scheduled auto-check, the unchecked keywords will be checked automatically, without waiting for the next schedule. Later — the check will occur at the next scheduled time, and earlier you can start it with the 'Check All' button.
More about payment — in the overview of Rank Tracker.
What to Set Up Additionally
Notifications about entering and exiting the top — so you don’t have to check the report every day. Additionally, after an auto-check, a notification comes to the cabinet when keywords first enter the top-10, and with auto-check enabled, a report is sent by email once a week — if positions have shifted over the week. The connected Search Console will add real frequency and average position data from Google to the queries and show missed traffic. An overview of the service as a whole — Rank Tracker, reading graphs and tables — how to read position dynamics.