How to use SE Ranking: from first project to first scheduled report

How to use SE Ranking: the five jobs in order

To use SE Ranking, create a project for one website, add the keywords and search engines you want tracked, run a Website Audit, connect Google Search Console, and build a scheduled report in Report Builder. Rankings then update once a day without further action.

The steps below follow SE Ranking's help center as read on 3 October 2026. This site has not used the product hands-on, so treat the menu names as the documentation gives them.

What you need first: an account, a plan and four inputs

You need an SE Ranking account. The 14-day trial needs no credit card, and the pricing page lists its starter usage as up to 10 projects and 750 tracked keywords a day. The paid plans are Core, Growth and Enterprise. Core covers 10 projects and 2,000 keyword targets a day, and every step on this page works on it.

Gather these before you start:

• The domain, plus a decision on whether to track the whole domain with its subdomains, one directory, or one exact URL.
• A keyword list, with the page you want each keyword to rank.
• The countries, cities or postal codes and the devices you care about.
• Three to five competitor domains.

For step 6 you also need access to the site's Google Search Console property.

Steps to create a project, track keywords and send a report

1. Create a project. A project is a workspace for one website. Set the domain type: the domain with its subdomains, one directory path, or an exact URL.
2. Add search engines and regions. Choose from Google, Google Mobile, Bing, Yahoo! and YouTube, set the location down to city or postal code, and pick the interface language.
3. Add keywords. Put each keyword in one group, add tags for intent, and set a target URL so you can see when the wrong page ranks.
4. Add competitors. Use the Add Competitor button or Find My Competitors. The limit is 20 per project.
5. Run the audit. Website Audit can start automatically when the project is created. In its settings, schedule it weekly or monthly and choose the page source: site pages, subdomains, the XML sitemap or your own list. The audit setup guide covers those settings.
6. Connect Google Search Console. Do this in Analytics & Traffic to see clicks, impressions and keywords you are not yet tracking.
7. Read the Rankings tool. Positions are checked once a day. Use Recheck Data if you need a fresh check sooner.
8. Build a report. In Reports, pick a template, choose the project, date range and format (PDF, XLS or HTML), set a daily, weekly or monthly schedule, and press Save report. See the Report Builder guide for sections and templates.

Worked example: 100 keywords on two devices and two locations

SE Ranking's quota counts each keyword and search engine pair, not each keyword. The help center gives this example: 100 keywords tracked on Google Desktop and Google Mobile in one region use 100 x 2 = 200 units. Add a second location and the same list uses 100 x 2 x 2 = 400 units.

On the trial's 750 tracked keywords a day, that project fits with 350 units to spare. On Core's 2,000 units, it leaves 1,600. Five client sites set up the same way would use 5 x 400 = 2,000 units, which is the whole Core allowance even though Core allows 10 projects. Plan the keyword budget per client before you add locations. The Rank Tracker setup guide goes deeper on project structure.

A mistake to avoid: deleting a search engine to free up quota

When the quota runs short, do not start by removing a search engine or region from a project. The help center warns that deleting a search engine or region also deletes its ranking history, and that the data cannot be recovered. Export the rankings first if you may need them later.

Two related points from the documentation:

• Deactivating a project does not free its keywords. They still count until you delete the keywords or the whole project. Treat that deletion as a step you cannot undo, and export first.
• The daily check frequency cannot be changed, so tracking less often is not a way to save units. Trim keywords, locations or search engines that no longer matter instead.