If you've ever wanted to check your Google ranking, but don't want to shell out $300 for Webposition or Ranking Manager, check out Free Monitor for Google.

I found this neat little program while browsing the SEO Chat forums, where one crabby member is lamenting the Jagger update. Or so it seems. But as far as free SEO programs go, this one is a gem. After giving it a quick test drive, here's what I've found.

Pluses:

1. Free
2. Export capabilities
3. Ability to check multiple keywords at once
4. Manages keyword campaigns
5. Checks as far down in the results as you want (verified up to 500)
6. Stores SERP results for easy reference
7. Tracks rankings over time

Minuses:

1. Doesn't check Yahoo! or MSN
2. Only works with the Google API
   
   Not true, it works without the API as well (comment by CleverStat)
3. Quite limited in scope

This is an awesome tool... Especially if you just created a website and published it to Google. This will search your keyword and find what position you are on Google for that keyword so you don't have to manually go in and search hundreds and hundreds of pages.


Getting to the top of a search engine can be a real battle, and there are many things you need to consider in order to do so.
One of these is keywords. These are the terms that accurately describe the content of your website, and are used to match your site to the words users enter into a search engine.
Simply enter a web address and a list of keywords into Free Monitor for Google, and the software will query Google in real time. A list of results will be returned detailing exactly where your site is in relation to others for the keywords entered.
There is no limit to the number of keywords or sites that can be entered, and the results can be copied to the Windows Clipboard or exported as a CSV file.
You will need to register for a Google account before you can use the software, but this is free and can be done from within the software.
Upgrade to the more advanced Accurate Monitor for Search Engines and you'll get results for all the popular search engines.
This gives you a real insight into your Google success.