# A mobile rank tracker for Google’s mobile results.

URL: https://serpel.app/features/mobile-rank-tracking

Updated: 2026-10-10

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.

## 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](https://serpel.app/features/rank-tracking) 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](https://serpel.app/features/ai-overview-tracking) 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.

```bash
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](https://serpel.app/developers/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.

```bash
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](https://serpel.app/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.