What is the best tool for checking search engine ranking reports? For example I want to check 2 things. 1. Where I rank on major search engines for any keywords. 2. Where I rank on major search engines for specific keywords. Is there any free software that does this or even paid software? Are there any problems with running searches like this? Thanks.
There are many such software packages that will do #2. The best way to find out about words you are ranking for that you might NOT be aware of (i.e. #1) is by checking your server logs or web analytics. Any analytics package (like Google Analytics) will tell you the keyword phrases that users are using to find your site through organic search.
there are a couple of paid tools that are good - the most pricey is Caphyon's Advanced Web Ranking, but it's very versatile. Then there's sheerseo - if you just have one site to check this might be a better option, and there's a free 30 day trial, so worth a look. keywordspy will show you a similar report from a different direction i.e will tell what keywords a given domain is ranking for. If it's still offered, the best free tool is Free Monitor for Google by cleverstat.com