How to Check If Your Website Is Ranking on Google for FREE

Let’s be honest, pouring your heart and soul into SEO can sometimes feel like shouting into a digital void. You’re curating keywords, crafting content, building links… but is it actually working?

The good news is, you don’t have to guess.

Checking your website’s Google rankings will tell you exactly where you land. Plus, it doesn’t have to be hard or take a lot of time — when you know what to do.

In this guide, we’re going to answer, “How do I check my website ranking on Google?” in easy, simple terms. No tech jargon or crazy expensive tools, just clear steps and affordable (and, in many cases, totally free) rank checkers.

You’ll discover practical solutions that work and don’t break the bank.

Let’s get started.

The “What”: Understanding Google Rankings

Before we dive into how to check your Google rankings, let’s quickly clarify what exactly a Google ranking is. It’s a term we throw around a lot in the SEO world, but let’s break it down in plain English.

Simply put, your Google ranking is your website’s position in search results when someone searches for a particular keyword.

Think of it like this: when you type something into Google, you get a list of websites that Google thinks are the most relevant and helpful for your search. The website listed at the very top is in the number 1 position, the next is in position 2, and so on. This position – that’s your Google ranking.

What does a “good” ranking actually mean?

Generally, the higher you rank, the better. Why? Because:

• More Visibility: Websites on the first page of Google get the vast majority of clicks. Especially the top 3 positions! Think about your own search behavior – how often do you go to page 2 or beyond?
• Increased Traffic: Higher rankings usually translate directly to more organic (free) traffic to your website.
• Brand Authority & Trust: Ranking high, especially for competitive keywords, can build trust and authority in your niche. Users often perceive top-ranking sites as more credible.

What are we actually measuring when we check Google rankings?

When you check your ranking, you’re essentially measuring where a specific page on your website appears in Google for a specific keyword. It’s not a single, universal “website rank” number. You have rankings for many different keywords, and each page on your site can rank for different terms.

The “Why”: The Importance of Google Rankings

Okay, so why should you even bother checking your Google ranking in the first place? Is it just another vanity metric to obsess over? Nope, not at all.

Think of your Google ranking as your SEO report card, and your position is your grade — it tells you if your efforts are paying off or if there’s more “studying” to do.

As we mentioned earlier, the higher you are in SERPs, the better.

Here’s why it’s important to know your Google rankings:

• SEO Reality Check: You’ve invested time and maybe money into SEO. Checking your rankings is the real way to know if your strategy is actually working. Are those keyword tweaks making a difference? Is that new content attracting Google’s attention? Rankings tell the truth.
• Spot Opportunities (and Problems): Rankings aren’t static. They bounce around. But by tracking them, you can spot trends. See a keyword suddenly jump up? Awesome, double down on that! See a dip? Time to investigate – maybe a competitor is getting aggressive, or perhaps there’s been a Google algorithm update you need to adapt to. Rank tracking is your early warning system.
• Know Your Competition (and Beat Them): Ever wonder where your competitors are ranking for the keywords you want to own? Rank checking lets you peek over the fence and see what they’re up to. Identify keywords they’re dominating, and find opportunities to outrank them. It’s digital competitive intelligence at its finest.
• Measure What Matters (Eventually): While rankings themselves aren’t the ultimate goal (hello, conversions!), they are a crucial stepping stone. Higher rankings generally lead to more traffic. More traffic can lead to more leads and sales. Tracking rankings helps you connect the dots and see the ROI of your SEO efforts over time.

In short, checking your Google ranking isn’t just about ego. It’s about making data-driven decisions for your online success.

The “How”: Simple Ways to Check Your Google Rankings

Alright, enough of the “why,” let’s get to the “how.”

Here are 3 straightforward methods to check where your website is ranking on Google, ranging from a quick peek to more in-depth analysis:

1. The Quick & Dirty Manual Check: Incognito Mode

Think of this as the “drive-by” ranking check. It’s fast and easy, but it’s not the whole picture. We’re talking about using incognito mode (or private browsing) in your browser.

Why incognito? Because it minimizes personalization in search results. Google loves to tailor results to your search history and location, which can skew what you see. Incognito helps level the playing field a bit.

Here’s the super simple drill:

1. Open an Incognito window. In Chrome, it’s “New Incognito Window.” In Firefox, “New Private Window.” You get the idea.
2. Go to Google.com. Head to the familiar search engine.
3. Enter your target keyword. Type in the keyword you want to check your ranking for (e.g., “best toys for cats”).
4. Find your website. Now, patiently scroll through the search results pages. Yes, you might have to go past page 1. Look for your website’s URL. Count the positions as you go. If you find yourself on page 5… well, let’s just say you’ve got some SEO work to do.

Let’s look at a quick example.

I wanted to see where the LowFruits website was ranking for the keyword “seo blog list.” So, that’s what I entered into Google. After scrolling down a bit, I found our search listing in position 7. (I counted.)

Now, I know that we rank in position 7 for “seo blog list.”

Important Caveats (Don’t Skip These!):

• Still a Bit Personalized: Incognito helps, but Google is still pretty smart. Personalization isn’t completely eliminated.
• Snapshot in Time: This is just a quick look for one moment, for one keyword. Rankings change constantly.
• Not Scalable: Imagine doing this for dozens of keywords and pages every week? No, thank you.

Bottom line: Incognito manual checks are okay for a quick, rough idea for a handful of keywords. But for serious tracking? You need actual tools. 🧰

2. Google Search Console: Your FREE, Official Ranking Source

Now we’re talking serious (but still free!) tools. Google Search Console (GSC) is your direct line to Google’s data about your website. And guess what? It includes ranking information straight from the source. Think of GSC as your official Google SEO dashboard.

Here’s how to find ranking data in GSC (it’s easier than you think):

1. Head to Google Search Console. Go to search.google.com/search-console and make sure you’ve added and verified your website. (If you haven’t, Google has excellent guides to walk you through it).
2. Click on “Performance.” In the left-hand menu, you’ll see “Performance.” Click it. This is where the magic happens.
3. Look at “Average Position.” By default, you’ll see a graph showing clicks, impressions, CTR, and “Average Position.” “Average Position” is your friend here. It shows you the average ranking of your website for all the keywords it showed up for in Google over the selected time period.
4. Filter by “Queries” (Keywords). Just below the graph, you’ll see tabs like “Queries,” “Pages,” etc. Click on “Queries.” Now you’ll see a list of the actual search terms people used to find your site. And next to each query, you’ll see its “Average Position.” Boom! Keyword rankings, straight from Google.
5. Filter by “Pages.” Want to see the rankings for a specific page on your website? Go back to those tabs and click “Pages.” Then click on the page you’re interested in. Now, when you go back to the “Queries” tab, you’ll only see keywords that rank for that specific page. Super useful for optimizing individual pages.

Key Benefits of GSC for Rank Checking:

• Free and Official: It’s Google’s data, so it’s as accurate as you’re going to get for free.
• Real Keyword Data: You see the actual keywords people are using to find you.
• Track Trends Over Time: You can adjust the date range in GSC to see how your rankings are improving (or declining) over weeks, months, or even years.

Minor Limitations (Just Being Realistic):

• Data Delay: GSC data isn’t real-time. It’s usually a day or two behind. So, don’t expect instant updates.
• Average Position: It shows “average” position, not always the exact position for every single search.
• Not Every Keyword: GSC might not show rankings for super long-tail keywords with very, very low search volume. But it’s going to capture the vast majority of what matters.

Google Search Console is your free, powerhouse ranking tool. If you’re serious about SEO, get comfy with GSC — it’s your best friend.

3. Level Up Your Rank Tracking: Powerful Tools

The internet is overflowing with Google rank checker tools. Just Google it or take a look at our picks of the best SERP checkers. 🔎

These tools check SEO rankings and provide a list of the ranking URLs and their positions in Google.

There are some genuinely useful options out there, and even a budget-friendly paid tool can be a worthwhile step-up when you need a bit more power. Let’s take a look at a free example and a paid one to illustrate what’s available.

Mangools SERPChecker [Free]

Mangools is known for its more comprehensive (and paid) SEO suite, but they also offer a free SERPChecker. This is a great example of a free tool that can be handy for quick spot checks.

What it does: You can plug in a keyword, and it will show you the search engines results pages (SERPs) for that keyword. It’s a visual way to see who’s ranking where, and includes several competitor insights.

Despite being free, you’ll need to create an account to use the Mangool SERPChecker. It’s very fast and easy. (According to Mangools, 30 seconds, which I’d agree with.)

Here’s how to use it:

To get started, navigate to the SERPChecker. Then, enter your keyword and select your location and device type.

Click Analyze SERP.

You’ll reach a new screen that shows the top search results for that keyword. Like we did in Google Incognito, scroll down to look for your website.

Don’t see your website? 🧐

Go ahead and click the button at the bottom of the list (not pictured below) to Load More Results. You can continue clicking this button to get more results. (I’m not exactly sure how high it goes, but I played with it until position 55 and still had the option to load more.)

The cons to this process are that it’s manual. This means it can be time-consuming, especially if you want to check a lot of keywords.

The pros?

It’s free and easy to use.

LowFruits Extract Tool [Paid but Budget-Friendly]

Now, let’s step slightly into the paid realm, but with a focus on accessibility.

LowFruits is an example of a more budget-friendly paid option that can offer a noticeable upgrade from purely free tools.

What it does: LowFruits is known for its keyword research focus, particularly on finding low-competition keywords (hence the name “LowFruits”). It has an Extract tool integrated into the platform, which offers more robust tracking features compared to free tools.

To get started, navigate to the Extract tool from the left menu. Then, click the Ranking tab and enter your domain.

Once you’ve clicked Extract, scroll down until you see your report. (In the example below, I had searched 3 domains, but you can do only 1 if you want.)

Then, click the blue download button to get a spreadsheet of the data on your computer.

Here’s an example of what my report looks like in Excel:

In addition to get a list of all your ranking keywords, you’ll also get their positions and..

• Keyword search volume
• Cost-per-click (CPC)
• Ranking URL

And you got all of this data in less than a minute!

THIS is why rank checkers are worth the investment. Because it’s not just about money, it’s all about time. (Which, technically, when you’re running a business, also equates to money.)

Why it’s a step up (as a paid, but accessible, option):

• More Accurate and Reliable Tracking: At LowFruits, we provide more reliable ranking data than from many free tools.
• Automated Tracking: Paid trackers automate the process of checking rankings regularly, saving you time and effort compared to manual or spot checks. (I’ll tell you more about this next.)
• Historical Data & Trends: LowFruits allows you to track your SEO rankings over time, so you can see how your positions change.
• More Features: When you have a LowFruits subscription, you unlock all the tools available in our platform. You can use the Explorer to find competitors in your niche, the Extract tool to get competitors’ keywords, and the Tracker to monitor your own rankings — and more!

I also want to mention that LowFruits comes equipped with a Rank Tracker, which is the next, natural step for checking your Google rankings.

After all, the whole idea is to keep an eye on them over time! 👀

In Rank Tracker, you can see exactly how your keyword rankings have changed since it last checked Google. (You pick the frequency during the initial set-up.)

You can also expand any keyword to see how your position has changed over time. It’s a very beginner-friendly tool that makes monitoring your website’s Google rankings easy.

Ultimately, whether you stick with free tools for spot checks, or invest in a paid option depends on your needs, budget, and how closely you need to track your Google rankings.

Need help making the decision?

Proceed to the next section. 👇

Choosing Your Rank Checker: Which Method is Right for You?

So, manual checks, Google Search Console, free tools — which one should you use? Here’s a quick guide to help you choose:

• Need a super fast, rough idea for a couple of keywords? Incognito Manual Check. It’s fast, free, and straight from the source. Just remember it can be time-consuming.
• Want reliable, free, and in-depth ranking data? Google Search Console. This should be your go-to for regular tracking and analysis. It belongs in every website owner’s SEO toolkit.
• Want to visually analyze the SERPs and check a few keywords? Mangools SERPChecker. It’s great for fast spot checks and getting quick competitor insights. Just remember that you have to check keywords one-by-one.
• Need more reliable keyword data and automated rank tracking, plus some extra SEO features? LowFruits. With a LowFruits subscriptions, you’ll get access to powerful suite of tools and accurate data. From keyword rankings to position tracking and SERP analysis, it’s an affordable option that’s packed with SEO tools.

FAQs About Website Rankings on Google

Final Thoughts

Checking your Google rankings isn’t just about satisfying curiosity — it’s about gaining actionable insights that guide your SEO strategy. Whether you choose the quick-and-dirty manual method, rely on Google Search Console’s official data, or leverage rank checker tools, the key is consistency and context.

Remember, rankings are just one piece of the SEO puzzle. 🧩

They’re important indicators, but they should always be viewed alongside other metrics like traffic, conversions, and user engagement. Think of rank checking as your SEO compass — it points you in the right direction, but it’s your overall strategy that gets you to your destination.

To navigate your SEO journey and get there faster, sign up for LowFruits today!