How to see what keywords a website is ranking for depends on one question: do you own the site? If you do, Google will tell you directly, for free. If you do not, the answer comes from a keyword tool that checks search results for a large list of keywords and records which domains appear. The workflow is quick in both cases. The difference is in how much you can trust the numbers, and that should shape what you do with them.
Two sources, two kinds of answer
It helps to be clear about what each source actually measures before you open either.
| Source | Which sites | What it shows | Limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Search Console Performance report | Only sites you own | Real queries, clicks, impressions and average position | Your own data only; no view of competitors |
| Third-party organic keywords report | Any domain | Keywords the site ranks for in the tool’s database, with position and estimated traffic | Estimates, limited to keywords the tool tracks |
| Top pages report | Any domain | Keywords grouped by the page that ranks, in order of organic traffic | Traffic figures are modelled, not measured |
Use the first to understand your own site and the other two to understand competitors. Mixing the two, such as comparing your Search Console clicks with a tool’s traffic estimate for a rival, compares a measurement with a model.
Your own site: the Search Console Performance report
Open Search Console, choose the property and go to the Performance report. The Queries tab lists the searches that showed your pages, with clicks, impressions, click-through rate and average position. Switch to the Pages tab, click a URL and return to Queries to see the keywords one page ranks for.
This is Google’s own record, so it includes long-tail queries no keyword database would think to track. It is the right place to find pages ranking on page two that need a refresh, or queries you never targeted but already appear for. Our guide on how to use Google Search Console covers the filters and comparisons that make the report useful.
Two habits make the report more useful. Compare date ranges, such as the last three months against the three before, to spot queries that are rising or slipping. And filter by query text to group a topic together, so you can see every variant of a keyword and which page Google prefers for each.
Read average position with care. It is averaged across every search where your page appeared, so a page that ranks third for one query and fortieth for another can show a middling figure that matches neither. Click into individual queries before deciding a page is underperforming.
How to see what keywords a website is ranking for when it isn’t yours
For a site you do not own, you need a tool with a keyword database. Ahrefs’ help page on finding the keywords a website ranks for describes a method that maps onto most tools:
- Enter the domain in Site Explorer.
- Open the “Organic keywords” report, which lists the keywords the site ranks for in Google’s top 100.
- Filter by keyword metrics and phrase length, or by SERP features, to narrow the list.
- Open the Top Pages report to see keywords grouped by page, in order of organic traffic.
The top 100 is a long list, and most of it is noise for planning purposes. A page in position 85 is not receiving meaningful traffic. Filter to the first page or two of results first, then widen if you want to see what a site is close to ranking for.
Before you trust a surprising result, check it by hand. Search the keyword yourself in a private window and see whether the competitor’s page is really where the tool says. A mismatch is not always an error, because results vary by location and device, but it is a reminder that every row in the report is a snapshot from the tool’s last check.
Filtering the list into something you can use
A raw organic keywords export for an established site is too long to read. Filters turn it into a short list of decisions.
Phrase length is a quick way to separate head terms from long-tail questions. Filtering for longer phrases often surfaces the specific queries a smaller site can realistically compete on. Keyword metrics such as volume and difficulty narrow it further, though they are the tool’s own estimates and vary between tools.
SERP feature filters show where a site appears in featured snippets, video results or other features. If a competitor holds snippets for a cluster of questions, you can see which page and which format earned them.
The Top Pages report is often the better starting point than the keyword list. It shows which pages carry a site, and every keyword each one ranks for. One strong page ranking for hundreds of related queries tells you more about how to compete than a long list of keywords in isolation. It also shows whether a site’s traffic is spread across many pages or concentrated on a few, which matters if you are weighing up a site to buy or a niche to enter.
Run the same steps on three or four competitors and the overlap becomes a content plan. Keywords several of them rank for, and you do not, are the core of a content gap analysis. Pick competitors that share your search results, not the largest brands in your market; our guide to finding your real SEO competitors explains how. Then feed the shortlist into your keyword research process to check intent and difficulty before you commit to writing.
The limitation: a competitor’s keywords are an estimate
A third-party tool can only report keywords in its own database. If it does not track a query, a site’s ranking for that query is invisible to it, which is why long-tail-heavy sites often look smaller in a tool than they really are. Rankings also move daily, while the tool checks each keyword on its own schedule, and the same keyword can rank differently by location and device.
Traffic figures attached to those keywords are modelled from estimated volume and an assumed click-through rate for each position. They are useful for ranking a site’s pages against each other and for comparing competitors in the same tool. They are not a measurement of anyone’s visits. Our analysis of how wrong traffic estimates can be explains why, and the data archive has more on reading third-party numbers carefully.
Frequently asked questions
How can I see what keywords my own website ranks for?
Use the Performance report in Google Search Console. It shows the real queries your pages appeared for, with clicks, impressions and average position.
How do I check what keywords a competitor ranks for?
Enter their domain in a keyword tool and open its organic keywords report. In Ahrefs, Site Explorer’s report lists keywords ranking in Google’s top 100.
Are competitor keyword tools accurate?
They are estimates. A tool only sees keywords in its own database, and its traffic figures are modelled rather than measured.
Which report shows a competitor’s best pages?
A top pages report. In Ahrefs, it groups keywords by page in order of organic traffic, so you can see which pages carry the site.
The takeaway Search Console measures your own keywords; tools estimate everyone else’s. Start with a competitor’s top pages, filter hard, and treat the traffic figures as a guide.
