Discover the position in Google of your website’s keywords

It’s the #1 habit of every website owner: Open an Incognito tab, type in your main keyword, and pray to see yourself at the top.

Sound familiar? Well, I have bad news: What you see in Incognito is not real.

Google personalizes results based on your location (IP), browsing history, and device. Just because you see yourself at #1 doesn’t mean your customers do (if you want the full technical breakdown, read why your rank tracker doesn’t match live Google searches).

If you want to check your website’s real position in Google, you need objective data, not a “private” browser. In this guide, I’ll teach you the three reliable ways to do it: an instant free SERP check, Google Search Console’s historical averages, and automated daily tracking.

Quick Method: Free SERP Checker (Instant & No Signup)

If you just want to see where your website ranks on Google right now for a specific keyword without your IP address or cookies skewing the results, use our free SERP checker:

1. Enter the keyword you want to check.
2. Select the target country, language, and device (Mobile or Desktop).
3. See the clean, unpersonalized Google Top 10 in seconds, no account required.

Method 1: Use Google Search Console (The Free Way)

If you only want to check past data, Google Search Console (GSC) is your best friend. It’s Google’s official tool and tells you how many times you appeared and your average position.

How to check your average position:

1. Go to your GSC property.
2. Navigate to the Performance tab.
3. Check the orange box that says Average Position.
4. Scroll down to the queries table and filter by the keyword you are interested in.

The problem with GSC: It gives you an “average.” If you were at position 1 in the morning and position 10 in the afternoon, GSC will tell you that you are at 5. It is useless for checking your exact position in real-time. Also, the data usually has a 2-day delay.

Method 2: Accurate Monitoring with TrueRanker (The Pro Way)

If you need to check if your ranking goes up or down today (not two days ago) and see exactly what position you hold in specific cities or devices, you need a Rank Tracker (or our dedicated Bing rank tracker if you target Microsoft Search and Copilot).

Here there are no “averages.” TrueRanker simulates a real, clean search to tell you the truth.

Step 1: Set Up Your Project

First, tell the tool what you want to track.

• Enter your domain.
• Choose the country (e.g., USA) and, very importantly, the specific city if you are a local business (e.g., New York).
• Choose if you want to track results on Mobile or Desktop.

Step 2: Add Keywords to Track

What terms do you want to be found for? Add keywords like “buy sneakers” or “legal services”.

If you don’t know which ones to choose, remember you can use our Suggested Keywords feature to generate them automatically.

Step 3: Analyze Your Rankings Table

Once processed, you will see the dashboard. This is your SEO “photo finish.”

Look at the key columns:

• Current Position: The exact number where you appear right now.
• Best Position: The highest peak you have ever reached (great for seeing if you are losing momentum).
• Volume: Is that keyword worth it? If it has 10 searches a month, maybe don’t obsess over it.

Is My Website Ranking Well? (Visibility Index)

Don’t obsess over a single word. SEO is a marathon.

To check the general health of your project, look at the Visibility Index chart in TrueRanker. If the line goes up, it means that, overall, your website is becoming more relevant to Google.

Bonus: Check if Competitors Are Outranking You

Are you at position 4 and they are at 3? The difference in clicks can be huge. In the same rankings table, activate the competitor view to see, keyword by keyword, who is above you.

If you want to dive deeper into this, check out our guide on how to spy on your competitors.

Stop Guessing and Start Tracking

Checking your Google position isn’t vanity; it’s control. If you don’t measure it, you can’t improve it.

Leave Incognito mode for other things and start tracking your results professionally.

Frequently Asked Questions About Checking Your Google Position

How can I check my website’s position on Google for free?

You have two reliable free options: run an instant live search with TrueRanker’s free SERP checker to inspect the clean Top 10 by country and device, or open the Performance report in Google Search Console to view your historical average position across queries.

Why do I see a different ranking when I search manually on Google?

Google tailors search results to your IP address (your city or neighborhood), device type, language settings, and past click history. Even in Incognito mode, Google still uses your IP location, so your browser rarely matches what a customer in another city sees.

How do I check my Google ranking in another city or country?

To see your true ranking in another location without physically being there, you need a tool that queries Google from that geographic point. Use our free SERP checker for a quick country-level snapshot, or set up daily city-level tracking in TrueRanker’s Rank Tracker.