We are happy to have you aboard! 🚀

As soon as you sign up and log in for the first time, our onboarding wizard will guide you through setting up your account and data.

Let's get started! 🪄

Step 1: Adding Website

Let's start by logging into your account and adding your website's URL. Everything else you set up (such as keywords and site audits) will be linked to this URL.

Follow these steps to start adding URLs:

Enter the URL, and select the URL Group,
If you wish to create a new group for better organization, click on the folder icon to the left of the URL Group field.
Once done, click Next.

Setting up your URL and group organization from the start lays the foundation for a smooth tracking journey. This initial setup will make it easier for you to manage and analyze your data as your project grows. You can add more URLs or adjust their settings at any point.

Read more about it here: Adding new URLs

Step 2: Setting your primary target market

Now, let’s pinpoint your primary target market. This is crucial as it tailors the keyword discovery and tracking to your specified region and audience.

Select the country and language relevant to your website. This will be our starting point for keyword discovery later.
If you wish to track your keywords locally (say, in Boston), specify this in the Precise Location settings. Otherwise, your keywords will be tracked nationally (like across the US).

Nightwatch tracks locally on a keyword level, so you can adjust the location of each keyword when adding them in step 4.

Set up your Google Places listing if you'd like to track your Google My Business rankings. We use this information to track the Local Pack in Google and Maps rankings.
Click Next.

Step 3: Import your existing keywords and traffic data

Now, it's time to bring in your existing keywords and traffic data to Nightwatch. Connect your account with your Google Analytics (GA) and Google Search Console (GSC) account to synchronize organic search results data with Nightwatch and see all the data you need under a single dashboard.

Click on Connect your Google account. A popup from Google will appear. Accept the permissions to authorize the connection.
Select the properties associated with the website,
Click Next.

With the connection set, you can import keywords directly from Google Search Console in the upcoming step. This linkage is your ticket to having all pertinent data at your fingertips.

Read more about it here: Connecting Google Analytics and Google Search Console with Nightwatch.

Step 4: Import and Manage Keywords

After syncing with Google Analytics and Search Console, everything is set for the most exciting part—managing your keywords! Here, you’ll add, tweak, and prime your keywords for tracking.

Upon diving in, thanks to our Keyword Discovery feature, you’ll notice some keywords already listed. This feature gives you a head start by allowing you to find new keywords as soon as you link your website.

Here’s how you can add and manage keywords:

Importing Keywords from Google Search Console: One of the most popular and easiest ways is to simply import your keywords from Google Search Console. This is a great way to kickstart your analysis with data already available from your website's performance on search engines.
Add Keywords Manually: Type or paste your keywords, one per line, in the provided field.
Upload a CSV File: You can conveniently add your keywords with all the settings using the CSV file.
Here is what the file should look like:
Column 1: Keyword
Column 2: Country
Column 3: Precise Location (if you don't track locally, leave blank)
Column 4: Search Engine
Column 5: Language (in the form of EN, FR, SI, etc.)
Column 6: Device (mobile, desktop)
Column 7: Tags
Column 8: Translation
You can access the template in Google Sheets here.

After that, you can continue adjusting settings before saving your keywords.

Configuring Keywords:

Adjust Country: Change the country if it differs from your primary target market.
For local tracking (e.g., New York), enable Precise Location; otherwise, tracking is national. Remember, Nightwatch enables you to track your rankings down to the ZIP code level!
Select Search Engine: The default is Google, but options include YouTube, Bing, Yahoo, Google Places, and DuckDuckGo.
Set the Language.
Select the Device: Choose between desktop or mobile.
Tagging: Assign and manage tags to categorize keywords, aiding in separate observation.
*Optional - Add the translation for the keyword (better management for global campaigns and accessibility for international teams and clients)

Leverage AI Tags:

Click Apply AI Tags to auto-categorize keywords into four intent groups: Informational, Navigational, Commercial, and Transactional.
This powerful feature dissects the purpose behind each search query, offering a lens to view a searcher’s journey—from initial info gathering to transaction readiness.

What are AI Tags, and what is the benefit of applying them?

AI Tags are a powerful tool in search engine optimization. The four primary intent categories are:

Informational,
Navigational,
Commercial, and
Transactional.

When you have your keywords listed, you can click the Apply AI Tags button, and Nightwatch will automatically and efficiently categorize your keywords based on the specific purpose or goal behind a user's search query.

This categorization process enables you to analyze keywords according to their intent, providing valuable insights for your strategy. Each keyword's assigned intent type can reveal whether a searcher is in the early stages of information gathering, seeking a particular website, exploring brands and products, or actively looking to perform a transaction, such as making a purchase.

By utilizing intent tags, you can tailor your content and marketing efforts to better align with your audience's intentions, ultimately improving your online visibility and engagement.

Keyword Management:

Fine-tune, duplicate, delete, or batch-select keywords for bulk adjustments before saving the keywords.

Read more about it here: Adding and Tracking Keywords

Step 5: Adding Competitors

Now, let’s stride into the final phase of the onboarding journey - stacking up against the competition. Here, you’ll add competitors to observe how your keyword rankings measure up to theirs.

Thanks to our Competitor Discovery feature, a list of potential rivals will already be populated for you. Here’s how you can manage it:

Managing Competitor List:
- Add More: Click Add Competitor to add more to your list.
- Remove Any: If there’s a competitor you wish to remove, hit the bin icon next to it.
Detailing Competitors:
- Google Rankings: For each competitor, you can enter their Google My Business and Google Carousel rankings.
- Custom Name & Subdomain Tracking (Optional): Assign a custom name for easy identification and decide if you want to track their subdomains.
Competitor Cap:
- You can track up to 5 competitors within your account. You can always revisit and revise this list in your settings later.

Read more about it here: Tracking competitors

Step 6: Start Tracking!

Congratulations! 🎉 In just five straightforward steps, you’ve geared up your first website on Nightwatch, and now it's time to let the tool work its magic. Hit the Finish button, and Nightwatch will spring into action, fetching your ranking data and crunching the digits for your website.

Here's what happens next:

Daily Data Refresh:
- Your data gets a fresh update daily. It might take a moment for your initial rankings to appear, so hang tight!
Optimal Update Timing:
- Our system pinpoints the prime time for updating rankings, rolling out refreshes every ~24 hours. While on-demand updates and custom timings may sound appealing, they can trigger data discrepancies if rankings refresh irregularly. A steady update rhythm for all keywords is the secret sauce to accurate data, making Nightwatch a trusted choice among experts.
Priority Processing (Optional):
- If you want fresh data at the beginning of the processing queue (Midnight UTC), you can opt for our priority processing service. Contact us at [email protected], and we’ll create a personalized quote and guide you through the setup!

Now that you've set everything up, you're ready to explore the data and insights Nightwatch provides. Your journey into understanding and improving your SEO has begun. 🚀

Getting started with Nightwatch in 5 steps