Guide · Agent skill
How to use the Rank Tracking agent skill
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
The rank-tracking skill teaches an AI agent to check how your Google search positions changed between two time periods, using the position data Google Search Console actually recorded. It is for site owners and SEO staff who want to see what moved after a traffic change or a Google update, without paying for a rank tracker. After this guide you will know what the skill does, how to install it, how to ask for a ranking check in plain language, and what it needs to run.
Rank TrackingRyze-AI-Adgent/open-seo-mcp-skills · MIT Download the skill Quick start
- 1Download and unzip the skill. Download the rank-tracking ZIP from the directory page and unzip it so you have a folder containing SKILL.md.
- 2Place it in the skills folder. Move the folder to ~/.claude/skills/ for all projects, or to .claude/skills/ inside one project. In the Claude apps, upload the ZIP under Settings → Capabilities → Skills instead.
- 3Add the Ryze connector. Run the claude mcp add command for Claude Code, or add https://connector.get-ryze.ai/mcp as a custom connector in claude.ai, Desktop or Cursor.
- 4Confirm Search Console access. Make sure the Google account connected through Ryze can see the Search Console property for your site.
- 5Ask for a ranking check. Type a plain request such as "what moved this month?" and let the agent choose the property and periods.
- 6Review the verdict and tables. Read the net verdict first, then check the Winners and Losers tables for the queries that matter most to you.
- 7Schedule it if you want weekly checks. Ask the agent to set up a recurring run using Claude Code scheduled tasks or a routine.
What the rank-tracking skill makes the agent do
An agent skill is a set of instructions, stored in a SKILL.md file, that tells an AI agent how to handle a specific task. This one covers rank tracking: it compares your keyword positions across two periods and reports which ones improved, dropped, appeared or disappeared.
By default it compares the last 28 days with the 28 days before them. If you name an event, such as a specific algorithm update, it splits the data around that date instead. Rank trackers usually estimate positions by scraping search results daily; this skill uses the position Google actually served to you, as recorded in Search Console.
- Winners: queries whose position improved by at least 2 spots, with real impressions
- Losers: queries that dropped by at least 2 spots, sorted by clicks lost rather than raw position change
- New: queries that appear only in the recent period
- Lost: queries that disappeared from the recent period
- Optional spot-check of the 3 to 5 most important losers against live search results, if DataForSEO SERP tools are available in your workspace
Install the skill from a ZIP file
Download the ZIP for the rank-tracking skill from the directory page and unzip it. The skill is a folder containing SKILL.md. Put that folder in one of these locations:
For all of your projects, place it in ~/.claude/skills/. For one project only, place it in that project's .claude/skills/ folder.
In the Claude apps, you can instead upload the ZIP under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
- Personal install: ~/.claude/skills/
- Project install: .claude/skills/ inside your project folder
- Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills, then upload the ZIP
Connect the Ryze MCP connector
The skill does not talk to Google directly. It calls Google Search Console through the free Ryze MCP connector, so you must add that connector first. The skill's source lists the connector URL as https://connector.get-ryze.ai/mcp.
In Claude Code, add it with the command below. In claude.ai, Claude Desktop or Cursor, add it as a custom connector using the same URL. You also need access to Google Search Console for the site you want to check.
- Connector URL: https://connector.get-ryze.ai/mcp
- Google Search Console access to the property you want to analyse is required
- Optional: DataForSEO SERP tools in the workspace, for live spot-checks
claude mcp add ryze --transport http https://connector.get-ryze.ai/mcpTrigger the skill with natural requests
You do not need to name the skill or any tool. Ask the way you would ask a colleague. The skill's description is written around phrases like these, so they are good starting points.
If you want a weekly check, ask the agent to schedule it. The skill suggests using Claude Code scheduled tasks or a routine rather than re-running the check by hand.
- "How are my rankings?"
- "What moved this week?" or "What moved this month?"
- "Track my keywords."
- "Did the update hit me?"
- "Since the March update, which keywords dropped?" (the skill will split the data around that date)
What you get back
The report opens with a verdict: whether your rankings went net up or down, and the single biggest move. Below that come four tables (Winners, Losers, New and Lost), each showing the query, positions before and after, and the clicks change.
If you asked about a specific update, the agent answers that question directly with the before and after evidence.
- Verdict: net direction and the biggest single move
- Tables: Winners, Losers, New, Lost, with query, position before → after, and clicks delta
- Page-level movement is also pulled, so you can see which URLs changed
Safety and what the skill needs
This skill runs no scripts. It does use the network, because it queries the Ryze connector, which in turn reads your Search Console data. Only connect the connector and grant Search Console access if you are comfortable with that data flow.
The skill only analyses properties you own and have verified in Search Console. It cannot report on competitors or on locations you do not manage there.
Search Console data lags about two days, so the skill never includes today. Treat the output as a record of what Google served, not as a daily snapshot.
- Runs scripts: no
- Uses network: yes, via the Ryze connector
- Data scope: only your verified Search Console properties
- Data timing: about two days behind, so today is excluded
What people use it for
- Checking whether a Google core update changed your rankings, by comparing positions before and after the update date
- Finding money keywords that slipped a few places and are losing clicks, even if they are not the biggest drops by position
- Reviewing monthly which new queries your pages started to appear for
- Spotting pages whose visibility fell, using the page-level pull
- Running a recurring weekly ranking check without a paid tracker subscription
Frequently asked questions
Is the rank-tracking skill free?
The skill's source does not state a licence fee beyond its own licence, which is MIT. The Ryze MCP connector is described as free in the skill's requirements. Check the connector's own terms before relying on it for commercial work.
What do I need to use the rank-tracking skill?
You need the free Ryze MCP connector added to your tool, access to Google Search Console for the site, and an agent environment that supports skills, such as Claude Code or the Claude apps. DataForSEO SERP tools are optional and only used for live spot-checks.
How do I install an agent skill from a ZIP?
Unzip the download so you have a folder containing SKILL.md, then place it in ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use or in a project's .claude/skills/ folder. In the Claude apps, you can upload the ZIP under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
Can this skill track competitors' rankings?
No. It only reads data from Search Console for properties you own and have verified there, so it cannot report on competitors or on locations you do not manage in Search Console.
How is this different from a paid rank tracker?
Paid rank trackers usually estimate positions by scraping search results, often daily. This skill uses the positions Google served to you, as recorded in Search Console, which lags about two days and shows only what was actually served.
Why are my latest days missing from the report?
Search Console data lags about two days, and the skill is designed never to include today. Very recent changes will not appear until the data catches up.
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Our verdict
This skill suits site owners and SEO staff who already use Search Console and want a clear view of ranking movement after a traffic change or update, at no tracker cost. It is a poor fit if you need competitor tracking, local rank checks for places you do not manage, or daily position snapshots. For those, a dedicated rank tracker is the better choice.
Download the skill