Mobile rank tracking

A mobile rank tracker for Google’s mobile results.

A mobile rank tracker records where your pages rank in Google’s mobile results, which can differ from the desktop ones. Serpel stores a device with every keyword, so you can track a keyword on mobile, on desktop or on both. Each project has a default device, and you add a location and a depth on top.

Mobile, desktop or both
Default device per project
Local results
Depth up to 100

Start for free See pricing

serpel.app/p/northwind/rankings

NNorthwind Roasters (Demo)/Tracked keywords

Email reportKeywordsCtrl K

Visibility12.6%+59%

Avg. position9.1−37%

Keywords in top 1011 of 17+57%

Keywords

17 of 500 slots used · Location United States · checked every 3 days at 6 AM

Keyword	Position	URL	Volume	Device	AI Overview
specialty coffee beans	2↑3	/beans	6,600	Desktop	Cited
single origin coffee	3↑5	/single-origin	4,400	Mobile	Not cited
coffee subscription	4↑2	/subscription	12,100	Desktop	Not cited
best espresso beans	5NEW	/espresso	8,100	Desktop	–
pour over coffee guide	7↓1	/guides/pour-over	2,900	Mobile	Cited
light roast coffee	9↑4	/light-roast	3,600	Desktop	–
fresh roasted coffee online	11↑8	/	1,900	Desktop	–

How mobile tracking works in Serpel

A device per keyword
Every keyword is stored with its own device and keeps its own position history.
Locations
Track nationwide or from a city, postal code or region, on mobile just as on desktop.
Depth
Check the top 10, 20, 30, 50 or 100 results. The depth is a project setting and applies to both devices.

Why do you need a mobile rank tracker?

Results can differ between desktop and mobile for the same keyword, so a tracker that checks one device can miss changes that your other visitors see. Serpel therefore treats the device as part of the keyword. The same keyword on mobile and on desktop is tracked as two entries, each with its own history, URL and position.

Mobile rank tracking is not a separate product in Serpel. It is the keyword rank tracker with the device set to mobile, so schedules, reports, competitors, the API and the CLI all work the same way.

How does Serpel set the device for a project?

Every project has a default device, desktop or mobile. A new project starts on desktop. New keywords take the default unless you choose a device when you add them. Each keyword keeps the device it was added with, so changing the project default later doesn’t change keywords you already track.

Situation	Device that is used
You add a keyword and choose a device	The device you chose
You add a keyword without a device	The project’s default device
You change the project default later	Existing keywords keep their device, new keywords take the new default
Serpel checks a prompt on Google	The project’s default device

That last row is why the default matters beyond rankings: AI Overview results for your prompts are searched on the project’s device.

How do you track a keyword on mobile and on desktop?

Set the device with --device when you add a keyword, or with the field device in the API. To track one keyword on both devices, add it twice.

Mobile and desktop for one keyword

serpel projects update <project-id> --device mobile
serpel rankings add --project <project-id> --keyword "mobile rank tracker" --device mobile
serpel rankings add --project <project-id> --keyword "mobile rank tracker" --device desktop

In the REST API, POST /api/v1/projects/{id}/rankings accepts device next to country, language and locationCode, and PATCH /api/v1/projects/{id} sets the project default rankDevice. The rank tracking API page lists every endpoint.

How do locations and depth work with a mobile rank tracker?

Setting	Options	Where the default comes from
Device	Desktop or mobile	The project’s default device
Location	Nationwide, or a city, postal code or region	The project’s default location
Country and language	43 countries and 22 languages	The project’s market
Depth	Top 10, 20, 30, 50 or 100	A project setting that applies to every keyword

Search for a place by name or postal code, then set it for a keyword or as the project default. Serpel prints the location it picked, so you can confirm it before the first check.

Local mobile rankings

serpel rankings locations Bochum
serpel rankings add --project <project-id> --keyword "eyebrow studio" --device mobile --location 44789

A keyword outside the checked depth reads “not in top N” instead of a guessed position. The same keyword can be tracked for several places, and each place uses its own slot.

What does mobile rank tracking cost?

A mobile check costs the same as a desktop check. A scheduled check up to the top 50 uses 2 credits per keyword (€0.02), and a check you start by hand uses 5. Tracking one keyword on both devices uses two slots and two checks. All prices are on the pricing page.

Frequently asked questions

Is mobile rank tracking separate from desktop?

Yes. Each keyword carries a device, and each device has its own position history. Track a keyword on both devices to compare them side by side.

How do I change the device of an existing keyword?

A keyword’s device is fixed when you add it. To switch, add the keyword again with the other device and remove the old entry if you no longer need its history. Removing an entry deletes its history.

Why does my mobile position differ from what I see on my phone?

Positions come from live Google searches for the keyword, device and location you set. Personalisation, your real location and the time of the search can still make your own results differ.

Does the site audit check the mobile version of my site?

By default, the crawler fetches pages as a mobile browser and identifies itself as SerpelBot. It also measures Core Web Vitals on mobile and on desktop, and it flags a missing viewport tag.

Updated 10 Oct 2026