SEO Tracker
Monitor your search engine rankings, track keywords, analyze backlinks, and get AI-powered SEO recommendations all in one place.
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Setup & Configuration
Getting started with SEO Tracker takes just a few minutes. Add your first site and PulseGuard will begin collecting ranking data immediately.
Step 1: Add a New SEO Site
Navigate to SEO Tracker > Add Site in your dashboard. Enter the domain you want to track (e.g., example.com). PulseGuard accepts bare domains without the protocol prefix.
Step 2: Auto-Generated GSC Property URL
When you enter your domain, PulseGuard automatically generates the Google Search Console property URL in the format sc-domain:example.com. This is used internally to query the Search Console API. If your GSC property uses a URL-prefix format (e.g., https://www.example.com/), you can override the auto-generated value in the site settings.
Step 3: Connect Google Search Console (Optional)
For the richest data, connect your Google Search Console account. This enables real impression, click, and CTR data directly from Google. See the Google Search Console section below for detailed instructions.
Google Search Console
Connecting Google Search Console (GSC) unlocks real search performance data including impressions, clicks, average position, and click-through rates for your tracked keywords.
OAuth Connection Flow
1. Initiate OAuth. Click Connect Google Search Console on your SEO site's settings page. You will be redirected to Google's OAuth consent screen.
2. Grant permissions. Authorize PulseGuard to access your Search Console data. We request read-only access to your search analytics and site list—PulseGuard never modifies your GSC configuration.
3. Verify property. After authorization, PulseGuard verifies that the auto-generated gscPropertyUrl matches a property in your GSC account. If verification succeeds, data syncing begins immediately.
Troubleshooting
Property URL format mismatch
If PulseGuard auto-generates sc-domain:example.com but your GSC property is a URL-prefix property (e.g., https://www.example.com/), go to your site settings and update the GSC Property URL field to match your actual GSC property exactly.
Insufficient permissions
Ensure the Google account you use for OAuth has at least Full or Owner access to the GSC property. Restricted users may not have API access. Verify your permissions in Google Search Console under Settings > Users and permissions.
No data appearing
Google Search Console data typically has a 2-3 day delay. If you just connected GSC, allow up to 48 hours for historical data to populate. Also verify that your site has search traffic in GSC directly.
Keyword Tracking
Track your most important keywords and monitor how your rankings change over time. PulseGuard supports dual data sources for the most accurate picture of your search visibility.
Adding Keywords
Navigate to your SEO site and click Add Keyword. Enter the keyword phrase you want to track. You can add keywords one at a time or import them in bulk by pasting a list separated by newlines.
Tagging Keywords
Organize your keywords with tags (e.g., "brand", "product", "long-tail"). Tags help you filter and analyze keyword groups. You can assign tags when adding keywords or edit them later from the keyword list.
Dual Data Sources: GSC vs SERP
Google Search Console (GSC)
GSC data comes directly from Google and includes impressions, clicks, CTR, and average position. This is the most authoritative source for understanding how Google sees your site, but has a 2-3 day data delay.
SERP Tracking
SERP data is collected by checking your live ranking position in search results. This provides near real-time position data but does not include impression or click metrics. Use SERP tracking for immediate ranking checks.
Position Tracking & Search Volume
For each tracked keyword, PulseGuard displays the current position, position change over time, and estimated monthly search volume. Position history is charted so you can visualize ranking trends over days, weeks, or months. Search volume estimates are refreshed periodically and help you prioritize high-impact keywords.
Backlinks Monitoring
Monitor your backlink profile to understand who is linking to your site and how your link profile evolves over time. Backlinks are a critical ranking factor and PulseGuard makes it easy to track them.
Viewing Backlinks
The Backlinks tab displays all known backlinks pointing to your domain. Each entry shows the source URL, anchor text, link type (dofollow/nofollow), and when the link was first and last seen.
Referring Domains
The referring domains view groups backlinks by their source domain, giving you a count of total links from each domain. This helps identify your most valuable link sources and spot patterns in your link acquisition.
New & Lost Backlinks (Last 30 Days)
PulseGuard highlights backlinks gained and lost in the last 30 days. New backlinks are marked with a green indicator, while lost backlinks are marked in red. This helps you quickly spot link building wins and investigate any sudden link losses.
Top Referring Domains
A ranked list of your most prolific referring domains, sorted by total number of backlinks. Use this to identify your strongest link partners and find opportunities for deeper collaboration.
Competitor Analysis
Understand how your site stacks up against competitors. Add competitor domains and PulseGuard will track their keyword rankings alongside yours, revealing gaps and opportunities.
Adding Competitors
From your SEO site dashboard, click Add Competitor and enter the competitor's domain. You can add multiple competitors to get a comprehensive view of your competitive landscape. PulseGuard will begin tracking their rankings for your tracked keywords.
Viewing Competitor Keywords
The Competitors tab shows a side-by-side comparison of your rankings versus each competitor for every tracked keyword. You can sort by position difference to quickly identify keywords where competitors outrank you and where you have the advantage.
Keyword Gap Analysis
The keyword gap analysis identifies keywords that your competitors rank for but you do not. This is one of the most valuable features for discovering new content opportunities. PulseGuard compares your keyword list against competitor rankings and surfaces keywords where:
- Competitors rank in the top 20 but you have no ranking
- Competitors rank significantly higher than you (10+ position difference)
- Keywords with high search volume where you are missing out on traffic
AI Insights
PulseGuard uses Gemini to analyze your SEO data and generate actionable recommendations. AI insights are generated based on your keyword rankings, backlink profile, competitor data, and historical trends.
Gemini-Powered SEO Suggestions
Click Generate AI Insights on your SEO site dashboard to get a comprehensive analysis. Gemini reviews your data and provides specific, actionable suggestions tailored to your site. Insights cover content optimization, keyword targeting, technical SEO improvements, and link building strategies.
Actionable Recommendations
Each AI insight includes a clear recommendation with priority level (high, medium, low), the specific pages or keywords affected, and the expected impact. Recommendations are categorized by type: content improvements, technical fixes, link building opportunities, and competitive strategies.
Data Freshness & Refresh
PulseGuard provides freshness indicators so you always know how current your SEO data is. You can also trigger manual refreshes when you need the latest data.
Understanding Freshness Indicators
Each data section in your SEO dashboard displays a freshness badge showing when the data was last updated. A green badge indicates data refreshed within the last 24 hours. An amber badge indicates data that is 1-3 days old. A red badge indicates data older than 3 days that should be refreshed.
Manual Refresh Triggers
Click the refresh button next to any data section to trigger an immediate data refresh. You can refresh keyword rankings, backlinks, domain authority, and competitor data independently. Manual refreshes pull the latest data from all connected sources including Google Search Console.
5-Minute Cooldown
To prevent excessive API calls and ensure fair usage, manual refreshes have a 5-minute cooldown period. After triggering a refresh, you must wait 5 minutes before refreshing the same data type again. The cooldown timer is displayed on the refresh button. Automatic scheduled refreshes are not affected by this cooldown.
CSV Export
Export your SEO ranking data as CSV files for use in spreadsheets, reports, or external analysis tools.
Exporting Ranking Data
Click the Export CSV button on the Keywords page to download a CSV file containing all of your tracked keyword data. The export includes the following columns:
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| keyword | The tracked keyword phrase |
| tag | Tag assigned to the keyword (if any) |
| date | The date of the ranking data point (YYYY-MM-DD) |
| position | Ranking position in search results |
| impressions | Number of times the page appeared in search results (GSC data) |
| clicks | Number of clicks from search results (GSC data) |
| ctr | Click-through rate as a percentage (clicks / impressions) |
| source | Data source: "gsc" for Google Search Console or "serp" for SERP tracking |
# Example CSV output
keyword,tag,date,position,impressions,clicks,ctr,source
"uptime monitoring",product,2025-01-15,3,1250,187,14.96,gsc
"website monitoring tool",product,2025-01-15,7,890,62,6.97,gsc
"server health check",long-tail,2025-01-15,12,340,18,5.29,serp
"api monitoring service",product,2025-01-15,5,720,95,13.19,gsc