The market for SEO position tracking tools is dominated by American or British players. In this landscape, Monitorank holds a unique position: it is a French tool, developed and hosted in France, that has made daily keyword tracking on Google its core business. With the arrival of AI Overviews in search results, the question of what “position” really means has changed, and Monitorank has had to adapt its technical approach to remain relevant.
Capturing AI Overviews: a technical problem that few tools solve
Since the gradual rollout of AI Overviews by Google, blocks generated by artificial intelligence appear at the top of results for an increasing number of queries. The problem for position tracking tools is concrete: these snippets load asynchronously, after the initial page rendering.
Monitorank has addressed this constraint by using a real browser to capture AI Overviews, whereas many older tools rely on standard HTTP requests that do not trigger the loading of these blocks. The difference is technical, but its consequences are direct: without this method, a tool displays an incomplete SERP and skews the visibility diagnosis.
As detailed in our Monitorank review on Geekob, this capturing capability distinguishes the tool in a segment where reliable data is still lacking. Field feedback varies on the detection quality of different competing tools, but using a real browser constitutes a more robust approach than simple HTML parsing.
Pricing for AI Overviews tracking: a keyword-based model
Most position tracking tools charge based on the total volume of keywords, without distinguishing the type of result tracked. Monitorank has adopted a different model for tracking AI Overviews: billing is done per keyword, with an entry point of €0.50 per month for 10 keywords.
For a larger volume, the price is around €40 excluding VAT per month for 1,000 keywords tracked daily on this module. The tool also offers a package of 100 keywords free “for life” for the AI Overviews module, a strategy clearly aimed at freelancers and small businesses wanting to test without heavy financial commitment.
This pricing decoupling between standard position tracking and AI Overviews tracking raises an interesting question for SEO agencies managing hundreds of clients. The cost remains moderate for targeted use, but it adds to the base fee for standard position tracking.
Multi-engine tracking and types of Google results
Monitorank is not limited to classic web search. The tool allows tracking keywords across multiple platforms and types of results:
- Google Search (web, images, videos, news, Maps) with separate desktop and mobile positions
- Third-party platforms like YouTube, Bing, Amazon, as well as Yellow Pages and Tripadvisor, useful for tracking local visibility or e-commerce
- The various types of enriched results in Google SERPs: PAA (People Also Ask), zero position, local pack, Ads, to map the actual presence of a site beyond the simple blue link
This multi-engine coverage is particularly relevant for local businesses or brands present on marketplaces. Tracking a keyword only on Google Search gives a partial view of the actual visibility of an online activity.
French hosting and GDPR compliance: a substantial argument
In a context where GDPR compliance is becoming a selection criterion for European companies, hosting data in France is no longer just a marketing argument. American SEO tracking tools generally store data on servers located in the United States, raising legal questions since the invalidation of the Privacy Shield and uncertainties surrounding the Data Privacy Framework.
Monitorank, as a French tool hosted in France, avoids this issue. For SEO agencies working with institutional clients or regulated sectors (health, finance, public sector), choosing a GDPR-compliant tool by design simplifies the compliance chain.
The available data does not allow concluding that all American tools are non-compliant, as some have implemented regulated transfer mechanisms. However, the location of servers in France eliminates the issue at its root, which represents a real administrative time-saving for organizations subject to strict documentation obligations.
KPI and analysis of positioning data
Beyond simple rank in results, Monitorank offers indicators that refine the analysis:
- The pixel position, which measures the actual distance between the top of the page and the displayed result, a more representative indicator of effective visibility than a simple position number
- A “yoyo” indicator that detects keywords whose position fluctuates significantly, a potential signal of algorithmic instability or insufficiently consolidated content
- Comparison of data over two customizable periods, with cross-filters by keyword group, location, or type of search
The pixel position better reflects actual visibility than a raw rank, especially since Google has multiplied snippets (AI Overviews, PAA, Ads, featured snippets) that push organic results down the screen. A site in position 3 may end up below the fold if three enriched blocks occupy the top of the page.
Integration with Looker Studio and API access allow technical teams to automate reporting and cross-reference positioning data with other sources (analytics, Search Console). This interconnectivity capability, included in the offer, avoids the need for third-party paid connectors.
SEO position tracking remains an exercise in interpretation. A tool, no matter how comprehensive, provides raw data. What makes the difference is the ability to transform this data into concrete editorial or technical decisions. Monitorank provides the raw material with fine granularity and a technical grounding adapted to recent changes in Google SERPs, including those related to generative AI.
