As an online business owner, ranking well for the right terms on the likes of Bing and Google will drive droves of new traffic to your business. And, that means more sales.
To rank well in search engines, creating engaging content that offers direct value to your audience is essential. It’s also vital to use the right keywords and phrases—that’s where search engine optimization (SEO) comes in.
Knowing where to start with website optimization keyword research can be daunting for budding online business owners but, the good news is: there are plenty of SEO tools out there to help you with your efforts.
Here we’re going to look at the five best SEO tools available today—but, first, let’s consider how to go about choosing the right platform for your business.
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How to choose the right SEO tool for your business
81% of the world’s population carries out online product research online before committing to a purchase. A testament to the importance of getting your SEO efforts right.
Choosing the right SEO tool for your business can seem like a minefield, but with the right approach, you will find a platform that suits your specific needs.
Here’s what to consider when choosing an SEO tool for your business:
- Choose a reputable SEO platform with experience in your industry or niche, if possible.
- Think about how you expect your company to evolve and scale, committing to a tool that can meet your needs as you grow.
- Invest in an SEO tool with a good customer support team and processes.
- Go with an SEO tool with an interface that you find easy to understand and navigate.
Ahrefs review
Ahrefs is a user-friendly search engine optimization (SEO) and SEM tool used by big digital brands, including Facebook, Adobe, Netflix, and LinkedIn. An all-in-one SEO tool, Ahrefs’ accessible interface makes it easy to audit your business’s website, conduct competitor research, and find the right keywords for your content.
Features
A five-pronged platform, Ahrefs allows you to take charge of your core SEO from one visual dashboard. It’s most powerful features include a top-performing industry content explorer, intuitive website analysis features, a search engine rankings progress tracker, and of course, a logical keywords explorer and comparison engine.
Pros
- Easy to set up and roll out across the business
- Offers a wealth of business-boosting tools in one place
- Excellent tutorial content and customer support
Cons
- A steep learning curve to leverage the platform’s more advanced features
- The local rankings tracker and some content optimization features lack depth
Ahrefs pricing
Ahrefs recommendation
If you’re digitally literate and have some previous SEO or marketing experience, this is a tool that offers a great deal of scope when it comes to optimizing your website for search engines. If you have a retail or eCommerce site with several product pages to consider, this could be the tool for you.
SEMRush review
Trusted by the likes of Tesla, Samsung, and Forbes as well as countless startups and SMBs, SEMRush is a platform with the scope to scale with a growing business. Boasting essential SEO capabilities as well as features and functionality based on social media and advertising, SEMRush’s popularity has skyrocketed in recent years.
Features
As well as a highly-visual chart-based keyword planning & comparison tool, SEMRush also offers a wealth of visual features including a PPC ad spend optimization tool as well as advanced social media scheduling and analytics capabilities. The platform’s SEO toolkit also offers the ability to analyze the backlink profile of any domain with ease.
Pros:
- Excellent customer service and Facebook group support
- Superior social media-based SEO optimization capabilities
- Powerful site auditing and local SEO tools
Cons:
- Some areas of the interface are a little tricky to navigate
- The platform can workout costly for agencies with multiple platform users
SEMRush pricing
SEMRush recommendation
For businesses looking to boost their social media profile in addition to improving their search engine authority, SEMRush makes a practical and cost-effective option. If you have a small in-house team looking to use the platform frequently, you will get your money’s worth—but if you’re looking for something to complement your existing marketing efforts, a simpler tool will do.
Site Checker review
Site Checker is a comprehensive yet straightforward SEO-based tool used by Sony, Airbnb, and Microsoft among many other high-profile teams. With Site Checker, you can check the health of various web pages, launch audits, and benefit from personalized SEO-boosting instructions, all in one place.
Features
Site Checker is a solid SEO tool known for its swift and simple domain analysis search bar. The platform’s analytics interface is also well-balanced—designed for gaining easy access to valuable data and transforming insight into action. Site Checker’s round the clock real-time website performance & changes checker features are also incredibly valuable.
Pros:
- Easy to use and learn tools, features and functionality
- Powerful SEO-optimization and site auditing capabilities
- Effective real-time site health and performance checker
Cons:
- The platform’s training content is not as extensive as some competitors
- Platform or app integration options are limited
Site Checker pricing
Site Checker recommendation
For slightly more novice digital business owners looking to hit the ground running, Site Checker’s accessible platform and wealth of practical tools make it an excellent option. The tool’s scope also means that it’s suitable for small marketing agencies, budding SEO specialists, and web developers looking for a viable analysis platform.
Moz review
As a leading all-in-one SEO intelligence and optimization tool, Moz is recommended by businesses including 99designs, Zillow, and Trivago. In addition to its popular SEO tool, Moz is one of the web’s leading authorities on Search Engine Optimization, offering tutorial content for budding business owners and marketing experts alike.
Features
Moz is renowned for its simple yet effective visual keyword planner and research tool, complete with an easy-to-understand breakdown of the terms that will work best for your content. The platform’s other notable features include an on-page optimization guide, webpage SEO performance checkers, and detailed link crawling tracking and analytical capabilities.
Pros:
- Some of the best training and support tools on the market
- Accurate and effective keyword planning and research features
- Powerful content weakness analysis and recommendations
Cons:
- Higher price points than some other SEO tools
- Lacking some mobile optimization depth
Moz pricing
Moz recommendation
For SMBs looking to keep tabs of their SEO health, progress, and rankings in a SEO-passive way, Moz’s browser-based alerts, analytics, and updates are worth the investment. For businesses that are looking to improve their search engine rankings specifically rather than juggle a wealth of features, this is also one of the best tools for the job.
Google Search Console review
Google Search Console is one of the world’s most widely adopted SEO tools. Developed and updated by Google’s top team of web developers, this tool covers all essential SEO optimization and reporting basics while offering access to a comprehensive library of training resources.
Features:
The search console’s central dashboard offers access to a wide range of reporting, tracking, and performance measuring features. From this dashboard, you can drill down into site crawling errors, examine page performance data, explore data related to your website’s user experience (UX), and check the health of your content for both desktop and mobile.
Pros:
- The console’s data and visualizations are accurate and reliable
- Easy to set up and jump into SEO optimization activities
- Supports multiple domains and websites
Cons:
- You have to conduct keyword research on a separate platform (Keyword Planner Tool)
- The platform lacks the range of scope and features as some of its competitors
Google Search Console pricing
Google Search Console is free to set up and use for online businesses across industries. A big plus-point for brand new online businesses with limited marketing budgets.
Google Search Console recommendation
As mentioned, Google Search Console is free. That said, for budding online businesses looking for a cost-effective way to find their feet with SEO while making those vital early enhancements to their website, this tool is perfect. As you grow and scale, you may want to keep running the platform while investing in an extra SEO tool that offers more scope.
SEO FAQs:
Q: What does SEO Stand for?
A: SEO stands for search engine optimization. A vital branch of marketing, SEO refers to a mix of methods and strategies to enhance a business’s search engine rankings (on the likes of Bing and Google) for relevant keywords or terms.
Q: What is SEO?
A: SEO, or search engine optimization, is a branch of marketing that focuses on the measures, methods, and strategies that will boost a brand or business’s search engine rankings for the right keywords and terms.
The most common SEO strategies include keyword research and content optimization, user experience (UX) and design improvements, link-building & guest (blog) posting, and entire marketing campaigns based around a particular set of keywords or terms.
Q: Why is SEO Important?
A: SEO is not only an important, but vital, part of any online business’s marketing & growth strategy as it will make you more visible to the right audience while making you an authority in your niche. And, when that happens, you will accelerate your commercial growth while boosting your bottom line.
With a solid SEO strategy, you can:
- Boost your website traffic
- Improve your organic search rankings
- Raise brand awareness and authority
- Expand your commercial reach
- Enhance your content marketing strategy
- Streamline the usability of your website & offer more value to your audience
- Make more money
Q: What are SEO tools?
A: SEO stands for search engine optimization. A branch of online marketing focused on boosting a brand’s organic as well as paid rankings on search engines like Google and ultimately, earning better brand awareness as well as more sales, SEO is essential for the long term success of any modern businesses.
SEO tools are essentially digital apps and platforms designed to help business owners or marketers select the right keywords for their web pages, enhance their content, understand their customers on a deeper level, and earn the search rankings they deserve.
Most of today’s SEO tools are fairly user-friendly and come with a mix of features and functions for analyzing, measuring, tracking, and creating content that will help you get the top spots on search engine results pages (SERPs).
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