Tracking deeper result pages (Top 50 or Top 100) uses more quota per keyword than Top 10 or Top 20 — here's how the math works and how to change it.
Why is my Rank Tracker quota being used up faster than expected?
Your Rank Tracker quota is charged per keyword per tracked position depth, not just per keyword. Each project has a Keyword Tracking Page Depth setting that controls how many result pages are checked for every keyword. Tracking deeper pages costs more quota for the same keyword.
How is quota calculated?
Quota usage scales with the page depth you choose. Each result page covers 10 ranking positions, so tracking more pages per keyword multiplies the quota cost for that keyword:
- Top 10 results (Page 1): 1x quota per keyword
- Top 20 results (Page 2): 2x quota per keyword
- Top 50 results (Page 5): 5x quota per keyword
- Top 100 results (Page 10): 10x quota per keyword
This means a project with 500 keywords set to Top 100 uses the same quota as a project with 5,000 keywords set to Top 10. If your quota is draining faster than usual and your keyword count hasn't changed, a high page depth setting is the most common cause.
Where do I check or change the page depth for a project?
- Open the Rank Tracker project and click the gear icon to edit its settings (the same field also appears when creating a new project).
- Look for the Keyword Tracking Page Depth field. You'll see: Top 10 results (Page 1), Top 20 results (Page 2), Top 50 results (Page 5), Top 100 results (Page 10), or Custom.
- The field includes a note directly beneath it: quota usage depends on the selected refresh interval and tracked page depth, and tracking more result pages per keyword consumes more quota.
- Choose a lower depth to reduce quota consumption, or a higher depth if you need visibility into deeper rankings.
New projects default to Top 20 results (Page 2), which balances visibility with quota efficiency for most use cases.
What happens to keywords that rank outside my tracked depth?
If a keyword's actual ranking position is deeper than your selected depth, it shows as NR (Not Ranked) instead of its real position. For example, if a project is set to Top 20 and a keyword actually ranks at position 35, it will display as NR rather than 35 — the Rank Tracker only checks as far as the depth you've selected.
Reducing your page depth is a real tradeoff: you save quota, but you lose visibility into any keyword ranking beyond that depth. Choose Top 50 or Top 100 only if you specifically need to track long-tail or deeper-ranking keywords.
Which depth setting should I use?
If you mainly track top rankings and movement near the first couple of pages, Top 10 or Top 20 is usually enough and keeps quota usage efficient. If you need visibility into deeper long-tail positions (11–100), Top 50 or Top 100 is worth the extra quota cost — but it's a deliberate choice you should make with the quota impact in mind, not a default to leave unchecked on a large keyword list.
If you're unsure which depth is right for your account or want help estimating quota impact before changing a large project, reach out to us through live chat and we can help you review it.