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How we test

How we test

Updated October 12, 2026

SerpTested checks what SEO tools claim against what really happened. This page explains how each test is run, so you can judge the results for yourself.

What we test

Each test takes one claim a tool makes. It might be a traffic estimate, a keyword volume, a backlink count or a price on a pricing page. We compare that claim with a number we can verify.

Where the real numbers come from

  • Google Search Console data from websites we manage, used with the owner’s permission.
  • Subscriptions we pay for ourselves, so prices and plan limits come from real accounts.
  • Manual checks carried out by a person, with the steps written down.

Site names are removed from published results unless the owner agrees to be named.

How a test is run

  1. We choose one claim and write down how we will measure it before we look at the data.
  2. We collect the tool’s number and the real number for the same site, on the same day, for the same period.
  3. We work out the difference for each site and the average for each tool.
  4. We publish the result, the method and the limits of the sample.

Tolerance

Every test states a tolerance, such as within 20% of the real number. A tool passes when it lands inside it. The tolerance is set before the test and printed with the result.

Limits

Our samples are small. A result tells you what happened on the sites we tested, during the period we tested. It is evidence, not proof for every site. Each post lists what its sample cannot show.

Dates and re-tests

Tools change. Every post shows when the test was run and when it was last updated. When we repeat a test, the earlier figures stay on the page.

Independence

  • We pay for the tools we test.
  • Some links on this site are affiliate links. If you buy through one, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Read the affiliate disclosure.
  • A commission never changes a result.
  • Vendors do not see results before publication and cannot pay to change them.

Corrections

If you find a mistake, email contact@serptested.com with the page address and the detail. We check every report, correct errors and note the change on the page.