Rank Trackers – The Wonderful World of SEO
backwards, trying to fathom the method in the madness of search engine ranking. Whether you
own a website or work in SEO, one old saying remains true: Knowledge is power.
Knowing the site ranking on a given search engine is the first and most important factor in
improving your sites position. There are an increasing number of websites offering web ranking
tools to the SEO professional and web publishers, and these websites offer a variety of downloads
and software. Some of these are better than others, and the costs vary widely. Advanced Web
Ranking (AWR) is one of the better sites on the market with a good range of packages to suit
different budgets.
For webmasters and publishers the features include a great keyword research tool, which helps
to generate new keywords and to identify the most relevant ones. Keywords can be imported
into Advanced Web Ranking’s tools from existing files, avoiding the need to input manually. The
software also allows you to choose from over 1000 available search engines to finely tune your
campaign.
It is for SEO professionals that AWR really comes into its own. While there are plenty of web ranking
tools available, AWR certainly seems to be one of the more robust with wide range of features that
will appeal to anyone in the industry.
There are four editions of AWR:
• Standard
• Professional
• Enterprise
• Server
Standard is a good basic version, but for SEO professionals the extra $100 for the Professional
version is a good investment, as this edition has some strong additional features, geared particularly
to those working in the industry. These include printable and customisable reports – allowing you
to present a professional image to your clients. Reports are also available by email with this edition.
Added to this is a local search feature which allows for a more effective strategy which is invaluable
to the professional. The professional version will be invaluable to anyone who needs to manage
multiple users or needs to track changes to keyword rankings and websites.
Both standard and professional versions have a built in keyword tool, while the Enterprise version
has a keyword research tool as well. For SEO professionals with a global client base, the Enterprise
version also includes ‘Google Preview Tool’ which allows you to preview results in Google globally,
by select a region or city.
AWR allows you to create a wide range of reports which include the following:
• Current Rank Report: This details the current rank of keywords in the search engines you
have chosen (you can choose from 1000!)
• Keyword Rank Report: Ranking keywords by search engine and website.
• Search Engine Rank: With this report you can view rankings across selected search
engines for selected keywords. The results can be presented in graph form, creating a
straightforward visual perspective on the current rankings of the keywords.
• Top Sites: This report displays the top websites for the keywords you select. You can
add sites from this report to the client sites you are tracking, allowing you to monitor
competition closely.
• Overview Report: This report pretty much combines the other reports as you would
expect. A good report for clients and useful ‘at a glance’ for professionals.
• Visibility Report: A good detailed and easy quick view that reports placing, changes in
rank, ranking itself and gives an overall visibility score.
• Keyword Analysis Report: Good tool for checking keyword density and basic information
on length of page, rank title and Meta information.
• Competition Report: This details the number of competing pages in search engines for the
keywords that you are monitoring.
Overall, each of the reports is highly customisable and offers fantastic detail. Individual SEO
professional use different approaches and methods, and will find some reports more useful than
others. However the level of detail available and the wide range of input criteria make AWR really
stand out.
Before you decide which option to go for, the AWR site is packed with great information. The site
has a really comprehensive comparison section with a lot of useful information on the different
options, giving a feel for the professionalism behind the product. It also features an easy to follow
set of download instructions and a good range of customer support options before and after you
purchase the software. Support options include a FAQ section, online support, an email/phone/chat
support team and blog/forum areas to connect with other users. The user guide which is available
on the website is excellently presented with clear instructions and well illustrated with screenshots
to take you step by step through all of the features, allowing you to familiarize yourself with the
product very quickly.
The four options are competitively priced considering the wealth of features available with the
SEO software. There’s a free 30 day trail period available which allows you to try out the features of all
four levels of the software – any ‘try before you buy’ option is always a good sign that a company is
confident about their product. In the ever changing world of SEO, having the right tools for the job and understanding the market can never be over-rated. Advanced Web Ranking will ensure you are in the best position to optimize your own and your clients’ sites.
