Rank Tracker

Rank Tracker

Tracks keyword positions, SERP feature ownership, and AI visibility over time.

Quick Start

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

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

Skill Contract

Expected output: a ranking report or delta summary plus the standard handoff summary for memory/monitoring/.

• Reads: current rankings, prior baselines, target keyword list, market/device, and any user-provided or tool metrics.
• Writes: a user-facing monitoring deliverable and reusable summary.
• Promotes: significant changes, confirmed anomalies, follow-up actions, and pending decisions to memory/open-loops.md.
• Done when: every tracked keyword shows current position vs baseline with a labeled delta (or N/A); each position cites its source (tool export / user-provided / estimated); and biggest movers and likely causes are named.
• Primary next skill: alert-manager when recurring monitoring should become automated.

Handoff Summary

Emit the standard shape from skill-contract.md §Handoff Summary Format.

Data Sources

All integrations optional (see CONNECTORS.md). With tools, pull rankings from ~~SEO tool, impressions from ~~search console, traffic from ~~analytics, and AI citations from ~~AI monitor. Without tools, ask for positions, volumes, competitor data, and SERP feature status.

Decision Gates

Stop and ask the user when:

• No target keywords are provided and none can be inferred from CLAUDE.md or prior monitoring records — offer: (1) supply a keyword list, (2) track the domain's top known terms, (3) cancel.

Continue silently (never stop for):

• No prior baseline exists — record the current run as the baseline, label all positions as the first snapshot, and proceed (do not invent a "previous" position).
• Missing optional tool data (SERP features, AI citations) — mark N/A and proceed.

Instructions

When a user requests rank tracking or analysis:

1. Set Up Keyword Tracking — configure domain, market, device, language, update frequency, priorities, and competitor watchlist. 2. Record Current Rankings — output a position table where every row cites its source (tool export / user-provided / estimated), with position ranges, ranking URLs, feature ownership, and movement vs baseline. 3. Analyze Ranking Changes — highlight biggest wins, declines, stable terms, new rankings, lost rankings, likely causes, and recovery ideas; each delta labeled against its baseline. 4. Track SERP Features — compare ownership of snippets, PAA, image/video packs, local packs, and related feature shifts. 5. Track GEO / AI Visibility — monitor AI Overview presence, citation rate, citation position, and trend; mark each value Measured (from an ~~AI monitor) or N/A if unobserved. 6. Compare Against Competitors — report share of voice, head-to-head comparisons, and threat levels. 7. Generate Ranking Report — output overall trend, key wins, concerns, opportunities, SERP feature changes, GEO visibility, and recommendations, with each metric carrying its source tag.

Label every metric Measured (tool/export), User-provided, or Estimated (model inference); never present an estimate as measured; if a required metric is unavailable, mark it N/A — do not invent it.

Reference: See Ranking Analysis Templates for the complete output templates for all seven steps.

Example

Sample outcome: average position improves from 15.3 to 12.8, top-10 keywords rise from 12 to 17, and the report highlights the biggest winners, biggest drops, and next actions.

Tips for Success

Track consistently, segment by intent, watch competitors, and include SERP feature plus GEO signals.

Rank Change Quick Reference

Response Protocol

Reference: See Tracking Setup Guide for tracking setup, root-cause taxonomy, CTR benchmarks, SERP feature impact, and algorithm-update assessment.

Save Results

Ask "Save these results?" If yes, write to memory/monitoring/ — see Skill Contract §Save Results Template.

Reference Materials

• Tracking Setup Guide — Setup rules, feature tracking, and interpretation guidance

Next Best Skill

Initial setup (no baseline) → alert-manager. Subsequent runs (baseline exists) → Terminal. Visited-set rule applies per skill-contract.md.

Ranking Analysis Output Templates

Compact templates for rank tracking setup, movement analysis, SERP features, GEO visibility, competitors, and reporting.

1. Setup And Snapshot

## Rank Tracking Setup
**Domain**: [domain] | **Location**: [country/city] | **Device**: [mobile/desktop/both] | **Language**: [language] | **Frequency**: [daily/weekly]

| Keyword | Volume | Current Rank | Type | Priority | Target URL |
|---------|--------|--------------|------|----------|------------|
| [keyword] | [vol] | [rank] | Primary/Secondary/Brand | H/M/L | [URL] |

**Competitors**: [domain 1], [domain 2], [domain 3]
**Categories**: Brand [X], Product [X], Informational [X], Commercial [X]

## Current Ranking Snapshot -- [date]
| Position Range | Count | Share |
|----------------|-------|-------|
| #1 | [X] | [Y]% |
| #2-3 | [X] | [Y]% |
| #4-10 | [X] | [Y]% |
| #11-20 | [X] | [Y]% |
| #21-50 | [X] | [Y]% |
| #51-100 | [X] | [Y]% |
| Not ranking | [X] | [Y]% |

| Keyword | Position | URL | SERP Features | Change |
|---------|----------|-----|---------------|--------|
| [kw] | [pos] | [URL] | [feature] | [+/-] |

2. Movement Analysis

## Ranking Change Analysis
**Window**: [start] to [end]

| Metric | Start | End | Change |
|--------|-------|-----|--------|
| Avg position | [X] | [Y] | [+/-Z] |
| Keywords in Top 10 | [X] | [Y] | [+/-Z] |
| Keywords in Top 3 | [X] | [Y] | [+/-Z] |

| Segment | Keyword | Old -> New | Est. Traffic Impact | Hypothesis | Action |
|---------|---------|------------|---------------------|------------|--------|
| Improvement | [kw] | [old -> new] | [+X/mo] | [possible cause] | [protect/expand] |
| Decline | [kw] | [old -> new] | [-X/mo] | [likely factor] | [investigate/refresh] |
| New | [kw] | [none -> pos] | [estimate] | [new content/intent] | [monitor] |
| Lost | [kw] | [pos -> none] | [estimate] | [index/intent/competition] | [recover] |

Hypotheses are based on available signals, not confirmed causes.

3. SERP Feature And GEO Tracking

## SERP Feature Tracking

| Feature | Your Count | Competitor Avg | Opportunity |
|---------|------------|----------------|-------------|
| Featured snippets | [X] | [Y] | [win/defend] |
| People Also Ask | [X] | [Y] | [answer gaps] |
| Image / video / local pack | [X] | [Y] | [asset need] |

| Keyword | Feature | You Own? | Current Owner | Winnable? |
|---------|---------|----------|---------------|-----------|
| [kw] | [feature] | Y/N | [domain] | H/M/L |

## AI/GEO Visibility
| Keyword | AI Overview Present | You Cited? | Citation Position | Content Gap |
|---------|---------------------|------------|-------------------|-------------|
| [kw] | Y/N | Y/N | [pos] | [definition/stat/source gap] |

**Citation rate**: [your citations] / [AI Overview keywords] = [Z]%

4. Competitor Comparison

## Competitor Ranking Comparison

| Domain | Keywords Ranked | Avg Position | Visibility Share |
|--------|-----------------|--------------|------------------|
| [your site] | [X] | [Y] | [Z]% |
| [competitor] | [X] | [Y] | [Z]% |

| Keyword | Your Rank | Competitor Rank | Winner | Threat / Opportunity |
|---------|-----------|-----------------|--------|----------------------|
| [kw] | [rank] | [rank] | [domain] | [note] |

| Competitor | Keyword | Movement | Threat Level |
|------------|---------|----------|--------------|
| [domain] | [kw] | [+/- positions] | H/M/L |

5. Ranking Performance Report

# Ranking Performance Report
**Domain**: [domain] | **Period**: [start] to [end] | **Generated**: [date]

## Executive Summary
**Overall trend**: [Improving/Stable/Declining]

| Metric | Value | vs Last Period | Status |
|--------|-------|----------------|--------|
| Total tracked keywords | [X] | [+/-Y] | [status] |
| Keywords in Top 10 | [X] | [+/-Y] | [status] |
| Average position | [X] | [+/-Y] | [status] |
| Estimated traffic | [X] | [+/-Y]% | [status] |
| AI citation rate | [X]% | [+/-Y] | [status] |

**Wins**: [list]
**Concerns**: [list]
**Opportunities**: [list]

| Timing | Recommendation | Expected Impact |
|--------|----------------|-----------------|
| Immediate | [action] | [impact] |
| This month | [action] | [impact] |
| Next quarter | [action] | [impact] |

**Next report**: [date] | **Focus areas**: [areas]

Rank Tracking Setup Guide

Configuration checklist and interpretation rules for reliable rank tracking.

Tool Setup

Keyword Selection

Skip zero-volume terms unless strategic, terms with no target content, broad one-word terms, and low-volume misspellings.

Grouping

Recommended hierarchy: Business unit -> Topic cluster -> Intent -> Priority tier.

Frequency and Alerts

Reporting Cadence

Interpretation Rules

Data Quality Checks

Migration / Tool Switching

1-2 position variance between tools is normal. Document any systematic bias before comparing historical trends.