How to Check Website Traffic for Any Site (8 Best Tools)

Have you ever wondered how many people visit a website? You might be curious about who visits your own site or one of your competitors. Understanding website traffic is one of the best ways to measure your success and gain insights into your competition.

At WPBeginner, we regularly use traffic data to learn how users engage with our site. This helps us make informed decisions about how to improve our website’s content and user experience.

Over the years, we’ve tried a lot of different tools for tracking traffic, and AIOSEO’s Search Statistics feature is by far our favorite. We like that it is beginner-friendly and also comes with tons of useful SEO features.

That said, we know that every online business has unique needs. So, in this guide, we will show you how to check website traffic for any site using various online tools.

Website Traffic Tool Comparison Chart

If you are in a hurry, then you can use this comparison table to quickly see which tools match your needs and budget.

#	Tool Name	Best For	Pricing	Free Version
🥇	All in One SEO	Your own site + competitors + SEO	$199.60/year	✅
🥈	Semrush	All-in-one solution + advanced data	$129.95/month	✅
🥉	SimilarWeb	Competitor websites	$199/month	✅
4	Google Search Console	Your own site + Google SEO + advanced users	Free	✅
5	SEO PowerSuite	All-in-one + Bing + Yahoo + YouTube	$299/year	✅
6	Ubersuggest	Competitor sites + very beginner-friendly	$29/month	✅
7	Serpstat	All-in-one solution + digital marketers	$59/month	✅
8	Ahrefs	Competitor sites + SEO professionals	$129/month	❌

Why Should You Check Your Website Traffic?

Checking your website stats lets you easily see how your website is performing. Your traffic data can show you where your visitors are coming from, how they engage with your site, and which digital marketing strategies are working.

By regularly tracking your site’s visitors, you will learn where your site currently stands and what you can do to improve.

This can help you build your email list, increase sales, and get more traffic to your website.

Why Should You Check Your Competitor’s Website Traffic?

Analyzing your competitor’s website traffic can reveal a lot of helpful information, like the pages and posts that bring them the most traffic, the keywords they rank for, and the channels that drive the most traffic to their sites.

This information can be used to improve your content marketing strategy, link building, keyword research process, and more.

Your goal isn’t to simply copy your competitors. But by understanding what brings them the most traffic, you can target those same keywords and topics to generate more traffic for your website.

How We Test and Review Website Traffic Tools

There are lots of free and paid traffic-checking tools. During testing, we found that many have unique features, so combining several tools will provide the most complete traffic statistics.

When selecting the best tools to use to measure website traffic, we kept these factors in mind:

• We used and tested each tool: We use many of these tools to measure traffic on our own websites to thoroughly check website traffic patterns. This lets us see if traffic is poor or falling for specific posts so we can adjust content for improved SEO performance. We tested other tools on demo sites.
• We checked user reviews: We also considered feedback from actual users to assess each tool’s effectiveness in checking website traffic, which helped us decide which tools to recommend with confidence.
• We made sure they are easy to use: Website analytics can be difficult, so beginners need access to user-friendly tools. We prioritized tools that make it easy to check website traffic featuring easy-to-use interfaces and helpful documentation.
• We allowed for different use cases: Not all tools are perfect for every situation. Some tools are better at measuring your own website traffic, while others can provide detailed visitor data on any website.

Like most experts, we use multiple tools to check website traffic estimates, and we recommend you try at least two different tools. As your WordPress site and budget grow, you can invest in multiple tools to gain more insights and dominate your market.

With that said, let’s explore the best tools to check website traffic for any site.

1. All in One SEO for WordPress (AIOSEO)

All in One SEO (AIOSEO) lets you easily track website traffic with its Search Statistics feature. It’s perfect if you’re looking for a website traffic checker alongside a powerful yet beginner-friendly SEO platform.

We use this plugin on our own website and have thoroughly tested it. You can read about our experience in our complete AIOSEO review.

The great thing about AIOSEO is that it helps you optimize your site for search without learning any complicated SEO jargon.

We also like the way it can take complex analytics data from other tools and present it in an easy-to-understand way right inside your WordPress dashboard.

For example, you can easily add your WordPress site to Google Search Console (mentioned below) using AIOSEO and then view its charts and data from the plugin’s Search Statistics addon.

That way, you can view SEO statistics, track keyword rankings, discover your top-performing content, and more without leaving your site.

As an alternative, you can use the MonsterInsights tool (also mentioned below) to view your keyword rankings inside the WordPress admin area using Google Search Console data. For more details, see our guide on how to see keywords people use to find your WordPress site.

We also like how AIOSEO lets you check any website’s traffic. Its SEO Analysis tool helps you discover how your competitors grow their organic traffic. On the ‘Analyze Competitor Site’ tab, simply enter your competitor’s URL and click the ‘Analyze’ button.

This will give that website an SEO score and display a preview of the title and meta description as it will appear on search engine results pages (SERPs).

The plugin will also identify keywords your competitor is targeting. You may want to target some of the same search terms on your own website to improve your rankings.

For detailed instructions, see the first method in our guide on how to do an SEO competitor analysis in WordPress.

The SEO Analysis tool is available in the free version of AIOSEO, but you will need the $199.60/year Pro plan of AIOSEO to access the Search Statistics and other powerful SEO features that will help your website rank higher in search.

Pros of All in One SEO:

• Provides traffic statistics about your own site and your competitors
• Presents data in an easy-to-understand way right from the WordPress dashboard
• The premium version integrates with Google Search Console
• Can view traffic data for individual posts and pages
• Offers a comprehensive SEO toolkit

Cons of All in One SEO:

• Not all web traffic tracking features are available in the free version

Why we recommend All in One SEO: All in One SEO (AIOSEO) offers a user-friendly way to check website traffic on your own site or your competitors. It is an excellent choice for bloggers and small business owners who want to improve SEO and see traffic data without leaving WordPress.

2. Semrush

Semrush is an all-in-one traffic analysis and competition research tool. In our opinion, it is a fantastic option if you need access to advanced data and you can afford the subscription, which is on the pricier side.

We have used this tool at WPBeginner for keyword research, tracking keyword rankings, and a lot more. We have written a detailed Semrush review where you can learn about all its features.

Once you enter a competitor’s URL, you’ll get a detailed breakdown of their total traffic.

You’ll be able to see important website metrics like the volume of monthly traffic over time, traffic distribution by country, the keywords that bring them the most traffic, and more.

The ‘Traffic Analytics’ tab gives you the number of unique visitors, total visits, average visit duration, number of pageviews, and the bounce rate the site receives.

In our opinion, this feature is like looking into your competitor’s Google Analytics account, which can help give you an edge.

Another feature we really like is called Bulk Traffic Analysis. It lets you analyze traffic levels for multiple competitors at once.

Depending on your pricing plan, you can compare up to 200 websites. This gives you a big-picture view of your niche, the websites getting the most traffic, and any traffic opportunities you can act on.

You will also find detailed traffic analytics reports that give you information like which sites are sending the most referral traffic, which pages on their site are the most valuable, and which locations bring them the most traffic.

For detailed instructions on tracking visitors with Semrush, see Method 2 of our guide on how to do an SEO competitor analysis in WordPress.

You can use our Semrush coupon code to take advantage of the free premium trial or the free (but limited) plan, which gives you access to basic website data.

If you want full reports, then the premium plans start at $129.95 per month, which gives you full access to competitor traffic sources, rankings, social media, and more.

Pros of Sumrush:

• Provides detailed traffic analytics, including estimated visits, traffic sources, and geographical distribution
• You can easily check and compare traffic data for your competitors’ websites
• Shows traffic from various sources, including organic search, paid search, referral, and social media
• Links traffic data with keyword performance, providing valuable SEO insights

Cons of Semrush:

• Traffic data is based on estimates and may not always be 100% accurate
• Its many features can be overwhelming for beginners
• Does not provide real-time traffic data
• Paid plans are expensive

Why we recommend Semrush: Semrush allows users to estimate traffic for virtually any website, including competitors. While its traffic data is based on estimates, it can provide valuable insights into market trends and competitor strategies, which makes it a great “all-in-one” option for advanced users. That said, it is one of the more expensive options on our list, so you’ll need a bigger budget to get it.

3. SimilarWeb

Do you need to hone in on your competitors? SimilarWeb is an online website traffic checker that gives you an overview of your competitor’s traffic and which channels are the most valuable.

Instead of just providing traffic from search, we like how this tool provides detailed reports of a website’s entire traffic strategy.

Once you run a website through the tool, you’ll get a breakdown of the overall traffic, including a country-by-country report.

You will get engagement metrics like bounce rate, number of pages viewed per visit, average visit duration, and the top traffic sources for that website.

Beyond organic search traffic, you’ll find what paid keywords bring the website traffic, what social channels are the most valuable, and the display networks the site uses to monetize.

Finally, you’ll get a detailed breakdown of the site’s audience, what kind of other sites they’re interested in, the top referring sites, and a list of competitor sites for you to research further.

The free version of the tool provides you with useful traffic data. If you require more detailed reports, then paid plans start at $199/month and enterprise accounts have custom pricing.

Pros of SimilarWeb:

• Provides extensive traffic data, including total visits, average visit duration, pages per visit, and bounce rate
• Allows you to easily compare traffic data across multiple websites, which is useful for competitive analysis
• Offers detailed insights into traffic sources, including direct, referral, search, social, and display advertising
• Offers demographic and interest-based data about website visitors
• Beginners will find it easy to use

Cons of SimilarWeb:

• Data is based on estimates and may not always be 100% accurate
• Does not provide real-time traffic data
• The free version is quite limited, and paid plans are expensive

Why we recommend SimilarWeb: SimilarWeb provides estimated traffic insights for virtually any website, making it useful for competitive analysis. It is ideal for marketers who wish to understand their competitive landscape and identify growth opportunities

4. Google Search Console

Google Search Console is a free tool from Google that lets you analyze your search engine traffic. It provides a complete picture of how your site is viewed by search engines. That’s why it’s perfect for anyone who wants to boost organic traffic from Google.

We have used this tool extensively over the years, so we have seen just how powerful it can be. The ‘Performance’ tab shows the number of impressions, clicks, click-through rate (CTR), and the average position of your keywords in the search engines.

This helps you understand what keywords you are ranking for and the search volume they bring in. All of this information can help you improve your traffic.

For example, if you find that you’re ranking in position 11, then you can optimize the blog post to try to move it to the first page of the search results. You can also see which pages are indexed if any errors are present, and more.

Once you add your site to Google Search Console, you can start viewing your website data. The downside is that it’s a complex tool, and in our experience, most website owners find it easier to understand AIOSEO’s Search Statistics reports (above).

Pros of Google Search Console:

• Provides accurate data directly from Google about your site’s search performance
• Shows which search queries are driving traffic to your site
• Shows which pages are performing best in search results
• Completely free, making it accessible to all website owners
• Integrates well with Google Analytics and other Google services
• Easily integrates with All in One SEO Pro for easy-to-read reports inside WordPress

Cons of Google Search Console:

• Does not offer built-in tools for comparing your site’s performance against competitors
• Data is not real-time and typically has a delay of 2-3 days
• Only provides data for the last 16 months
• New users may have difficulty understanding the data

Why we recommend Google Search Console: Google Search Console is the official source of Google Search performance data. It provides accurate, direct insights into how a site performs in Google’s search results and is available free of charge.

5. SEO PowerSuite

SEO PowerSuite is a collection of desktop apps that includes Rank Tracker, Website Auditor, SEO Spyglass, and LinkAssistant. We think it’s a great option if you are looking for an all-in-one solution that offers advanced insights into less common search engines like Bing, Yahoo, and YouTube.

During our research, we found that you can quickly check traffic stats using the Rank Tracker tool, which mainly provides keyword research and rank-tracking functionality.

Under the Domain Analysis tab, you’ll see a data-rich dashboard with multiple graphs and charts.

We noticed that, by default, this dashboard shows information about the project domain. Still, we love how you can enter any URL to check organic traffic, keywords, the number of backlinks, and domain strength (SEO PowerSuite’s alternative to PageRank).

If you would rather start your research with a keyword than a URL, then you can do that in the SERP analysis module. The software will crawl the SERP and provide insights for the top 50 results, including organic traffic, backlinks, keyword difficulty, and more.

The handy option here is that you can change the preferred search engine, either for a local version of Google or for Bing, Yahoo, and even YouTube.

There are many other features in Rank Tracker, including dozens of keyword research methods (with the rare TF-IDF option), the competitor research dashboard (to check for the keyword gap and competitor’s top content), and, of course, a rank-tracking dashboard to monitor your progress alongside the competition.

You can use most features in Rank Tracker for free, but if you need to save and share the project data (locally or to the cloud), then you will need a paid plan starting from $299/year.

Pros of SEO PowerSuite:

• Provides a comprehensive SEO toolset
• Offers detailed rank tracking, which can help you understand your search visibility and potential traffic from specific keywords
• Can analyze competitors’ rankings and visibility, giving insights into potential traffic sources
• Offers a limited free plan

Cons of SEO PowerSuite:

• Does not offer real-time traffic information
• This is primarily desktop software, which may not suit all users
• Includes multiple tools, which can be overwhelming for beginners

Why we recommend SEO PowerSuite: SEO PowersSuite’s Rank Tracker tool provides keyword research, rank monitoring, and competitor analysis under one hood. It lets you create unlimited projects and monitor unlimited keywords. It can also be perfect if you want to look into the data from search engines like Bing, Yahoo, and YouTube.

6. Ubersuggest

Ubersuggest is a free and premium tool that offers a ton of useful website traffic data. It is straightforward to use, and the interface is built for beginners. So, if you have never done keyword research or traffic analysis before, then this tool makes it incredibly simple.

When testing out this tool, we found that the traffic analyzer feature gives you a detailed breakdown of your competitor’s traffic over time, the keywords bringing them the most traffic, and the most popular pages on the site.

All you have to do is enter the website URL you want to analyze and click ‘Search.’

The ‘Traffic Overview’ page gives you the total number of organic keywords the site ranks for, the organic monthly traffic, domain authority, and the total number of backlinks.

We love that you can dive deeper into each section of the traffic report. For example, you can expand the ‘Top Pages’ results to get a breakdown of each published page on the site and the estimated amount of traffic it brings in every month.

The results also give you the estimated number of backlinks, along with the number of Facebook and Pinterest shares. This data provides you with a general overview of what you’ll have to do to outrank that page in the SERPs.

The free version of the tool gives you access to the last 3 months of data. Premium plans start at $29 per month, making it one of the cheapest tools on this list.

Pros of Ubersuggest:

• Its simple, intuitive design is accessible to beginners
• Provides a good general overview of a website’s traffic, including estimated visits, traffic sources, and top pages
• Can easily check and compare traffic data for competitor websites
• Offers detailed keyword data, helping you understand which keywords drive traffic to a site
• Suggests content ideas based on popular topics in your niche
• Affordable pricing

Cons of Ubersuggest:

• Traffic data is based on estimates and may not always be 100% accurate
• Lacks more advanced features that experienced SEO professionals may need

Why we recommend Ubersuggest: Ubersuggest is a user-friendly tool developed by renowned digital marketer Neil Patel. It offers a simplified yet comprehensive overview of website traffic data, which is helpful for beginners and small businesses.

7. Serpstat

Serpstat started as a simple keyword research tool, but it has grown into an all-in-one website analysis tool, offering a wide range of SEO features. Due to its advanced traffic analysis features, we think it’s a great option for digital marketers.

When testing this tool, we discovered that you’ll get backlink analysis, site auditing, and rank-tracking tools alongside traffic-checking features.

However, even though it is packed with features, we still found it very easy to use. Just enter the URL, and the tool will generate a traffic report.

The traffic analysis features give you all kinds of useful website data. This includes the organic and paid keywords that are driving traffic, the average number of visitors the site gets per month, and the pages that get the most traffic.

You’ll also find trend information so you can see how the site’s rankings, traffic, and keywords are performing over time.

The free version of the tool gives you access to a portion of the total data that is available for a domain name. Premium plans start at $59 per month and give you access to all of the data the tool provides.

Pros of Serpstat:

• Provides estimated traffic data, keyword rankings, and backlink information
• Has keyword research capabilities that help identify traffic opportunities
• Offers competitor analysis tools
• Competitive pricing options

Cons of Serpstat:

• Traffic data is based on estimates and may not always be 100% accurate
• The wide range of features can be overwhelming for beginners
• Does not provide real-time traffic information

Why we recommend Serpstat: Serpstat provides a comprehensive suite of SEO tools, including traffic analysis. It is suitable for digital marketers, SEO professionals, and businesses who need an all-in-one SEO platform that includes traffic analysis.

8. Ahrefs

Ahrefs helps you see how much traffic your competition is getting and why they rank so high. Since it offers a comprehensive suite of SEO features, it’s perfect for SEO professionals.

We are impressed that Ahrefs crawls more than 8 billion web pages every day and has more than 200 million websites in its index. It can use all of this data to provide actionable insights that help you outrank your competitors and get more traffic.

When testing, we found the interface very simple and user-friendly. Simply enter the website URL in the search field, and the tool will pull all available website information.

The search overview report gives you a summary of the organic search traffic a site receives, the domain authority, the biggest competitors, and much more.

You can filter the report to view the traffic stats for the year, the last 30 days, or all time.

Even though there’s a ton of data present, it is easy to filter and find the website metrics you’re looking for. But, keep in mind that the traffic data only shows organic search data and not other sources like social media.

There’s a free membership to the Ahrefs webmaster tools, but for the full suite, plans start at $129 per month if paid annually. Considering the amount of data you have access to, our experience shows that it’s worth the cost.

Pros of Ahrefs:

• Provides data on estimated organic traffic, paid traffic, and traffic value
• Allows you to compare traffic data across multiple domains, including competitors
• Strong keyword research tools help identify traffic opportunities
• Keeps data fresh by regularly updating its database
• Has an easy-to-use interface

Cons of Ahrefs:

• Traffic data is based on estimates and may not always be 100% accurate
• Does not provide real-time traffic information
• Its range of features can be overwhelming for beginners
• One of the more expensive SEO tools on the market

Why we recommend Ahrefs: Ahrefs provides a comprehensive suite of SEO tools, including traffic analysis. It suits SEO professionals and marketers looking for in-depth SEO insights alongside website traffic data.

Bonus: MonsterInsights

If you only need to analyze your own website traffic, Google Analytics is the industry leader. However, setting up Google Analytics by yourself and analyzing your own data can be difficult. That’s why we recommend MonsterInsights as a beginner-friendly solution to get the power of Google Analytics in WordPress.

This WordPress plugin is used by over 3 million sites, including Microsoft, Yelp, PlayStation, and more. At WPBeginner, we also use it to track our conversions, referral links, and other website statistics. For more information on our experience with the tool, see our full MonsterInsights review.

It allows you to easily set up Google Analytics in WordPress and view your traffic data directly in your WordPress dashboard.

We love how you can add annotations directly to your MonsterInsights reports each time you make key changes to your website.

That way, when you publish a new blog post, run an ad campaign, or send an email newsletter, you can easily track how those events impact your traffic.

After you use other tools in our showcase to track your competitors’ traffic and keywords, this is the perfect way to analyze whether their strategies are working for your own website.

You’ll also be able to see your top-performing posts, pages, landing pages, homepage traffic, visitor demographics, and more. This helps you understand user behavior and makes it much easier to grow your WordPress blog.

Pros of MonsterInsights:

• Simplifies the process of adding Google Analytics to WordPress sites
• Provides an easy-to-understand dashboard within WordPress
• Offers real-time traffic data 

Cons of MonsterInsights:

• Many useful features are not available in the free version.

Why we recommend MonsterInsights: MonsterInsights easily integrates Google Analytics data into the WordPress dashboard. It is helpful for bloggers who find the standard Google Analytics interface confusing and difficult to use. We have included it as a bonus option on our list because you can only use it to check traffic on your own website.

Alternative: OnePageGA is another tool that makes your Google Analytics 4 data easier to understand. It offers a simple and streamlined dashboard with 25+ built-in reports, customizable key metrics, revenue tracking, and more. Plus, there’s no plugin to install.

What Is the Best Tool for Checking Website Traffic?

Monitoring your own website traffic will show you if your SEO, social media, and other traffic generation strategies are working. Checking competitor traffic will give you insights into your market and what you can do to get more traffic.

You can check website traffic using a comprehensive SEO tool or specialized tools that offer real-time tracking of visitors to your own website or estimate your competitors’ traffic.

If you are already using All in One SEO to optimize your site for search engines, then you can also use it to check traffic. Its premium Search Statistics feature will show you Google Search Console data for your own website, and its SEO Analysis page lets you analyze a competitor site.

If your goal is to do in-depth competitor research and you want to check traffic on any website, then Semrush is our top choice. Not only will it give you accurate traffic data, but it is one of the best SEO tools in the market.

The best specialized tool to check your own website traffic is MonsterInsights. It lets you view your website’s Google Analytics traffic data in an easy-to-understand dashboard within WordPress.

FAQs About Website Traffic

Our readers often ask us about the best way to check website traffic. Here are brief answers to the questions we are asked most often.

What is website traffic?

Website traffic refers to the number of visitors and visits a website receives in a certain period of time. Important traffic metrics include pageviews, unique visitors, and session duration.

Why is it important to check website traffic?

Monitoring traffic helps you understand your audience, plan your marketing efforts, discover your most popular content, and make informed decisions to improve your website’s performance and reach.

What are the best tools for checking website traffic?

You can obtain accurate traffic data for your own website using Google Analytics and Google Search Console. However, plugins like All in One SEO and MonsterInsights let you access this data right from your WordPress dashboard.

Other popular third-party tools include Semrush and Ahrefs. The best tool depends on your specific needs and budget.

Is it possible to check a competitor’s website traffic?

Yes, tools like AIOSEO, Semrush, Ahrefs, and SimilarWeb provide estimates of competitors’ traffic. However, you should keep in mind that these estimates may not be 100% accurate.

How accurate are third-party traffic estimation tools?

While third-party traffic tools are useful for competitive analysis, their estimates can vary in accuracy. They are best used for general insights rather than precise measurements.

How often should I check my website traffic?

Our recommendation for most websites is to check your traffic at least weekly. However, eCommerce sites and websites running active campaigns might benefit from daily checks.

What is the difference between pageviews and unique visitors?

Pageviews count the total number of pages viewed, including repeat views. Unique visitors count individual users who visit your site, regardless of how many pages they view.

Can I check traffic for free?

Yes, tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console offer comprehensive traffic data for free. Many other tools also offer free versions with limited features.

How can I increase my website traffic?

Common strategies include improving SEO, creating quality content, using social media, running paid ads, and optimizing for mobile users.

Best WordPress Guides on Website Traffic

We hope this article helps you learn how to check website traffic on any site. You may also want to take a look at some other guides related to website traffic:

• How to Track Website Visitors to Your WordPress Site
• How to Do an SEO Competitor Analysis in WordPress
• How Much Traffic Can WordPress Handle? (+ Expert Scaling Tips)
• How to Increase Your Blog Traffic – The Easy Way
• How to Double Your SEO Traffic in 6 Months (With Case Studies)
• How to Drive 10,000 Extra Site Visitors a Month (Case Study)
• WordPress Plugins That Will Quickly Help You Get More Traffic

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