10 SEO tools you can’t afford to ignore

Finding one SEO tool that everyone agrees on is the best is pretty much impossible, hence why I didn’t include ‘best’ in the title. However, there are lots of SEO tools that have their strengths and weaknesses which is why a lot of SEO’ers tend to use a few simultaneously. Here’s a few I picked out to be on top of their SEO game.

1. Majestic
The planet’s largest Link Index database.

Whilst Majestic isn’t ‘an all-in-one SEO toolkit’ like a lot of the others, it is the largest backlink analysis platform out there…which considering backlinks are very important for your Google rankings Majestic is shining in its niche. The important information to look out for in this tool is the Citation Flow, Trust Flow and Tropical Trust Flow; key metrics in measuring the number of backlinks to a page, the quality of them and significance of the page within its industry. While being great for analyzing your backlinks, its interface isn’t as user-friendly as other tools so if you’re a newbie to link building, I’d advise you to start with a tool such as Ahrefs first to get a better understanding of how to really utilize a backlinks tool.

2. KWFinder 
Easy-to-use keyword research tool bringing perfect keyword ideas.

KWFinder is a keyword research tool created by the team over at Mangools. What’s great about this tool is that the team have really put UX (user experience) design first to create something that is aesthetically pleasing to the eye whilst still making sure the functionality is top-notch. Aside from its clean interface, KWFinder provides a Keyword SEO Difficulty score to guide you in whether it’s a good idea to try and position yourself on a certain keyword. Digging a bit deeper, once you type in your keyword, you get your suggestions on the left-hand side and the SERP view on the right, all on one page (no need for any scrolling!).
The only slight downside is that it’s very much a traditional keyword research tool, meaning you can’t look at the search terms your competitors are ranking for.

3. Moz Pro
Higher rankings, quality traffic, measurable results.

Rand Fishkin, Mozbar, SEO, Whiteboard Fridays…Moz is an all-round SEO powerhouse. What’s more is that their Moz Pro groups together all the essential tools for optimal search engine optimization. Keyword research to rank tracking to on-page optimization to site crawls to backlinks, Moz’s toolkit is the full package. You don’t need to be an expert to use their tools as it has a simple design and not super technical, overall very well aimed at marketers. Prices are a little steep starting from $99 and the most expensive account at $999 but if it’s a tool you’ll be using most days, it’s worth it.
However, now with the former Moz wizard gone, Rand Fishkin, it’ll be interesting to see what Moz has in hold for the future.

4. SEMrush
For marketers, by marketers.

Now there’s a lot of debate around SEMrush (nearly everyday on Reddit!) in terms of the data, cost and usability but nevertheless it still rests a powerful SEO tool. Not only does their tool help you plan and track your SEO efforts, it also can do this for your PPC advertising which is a particularly good feature having everything under one platform. One of the great aspects of SEMrush is that it excels in competitor analysis. You can see what keywords your competitors are ranking for, how much they’re spending and buying on their PPC campaigns, and even discover what keywords they’re not using…for then you to take advantage of that for your keyword optimization! Again one of the more expensive tools out there starting at $99.95 per month so might be a little out of budget for SMBs but not a tool to ignore straight away.

5. Cocolyze
Be found on the web. Easily.

Obviously this one has got to be included in the list, not just because I’m a little bit bias but also because it genuinely is a really high-performing SEO tool. The homepage starts with asking what keyword you want to be positioned on and after going through the quick initial set-up, you get a real-time overview of your position in the SERP on that keyword, alongside your competitors. But it doesn’t stop there! The robots also analyze all the SEO factors that could impact your rankings for the targeted keyword providing a to-do list with structured advice of the next steps to take.
Cocolyze produces instant results, is reliable and makes SEO accessible for everyone.

6. Ahrefs
We think big, start small and move fast.

Now, I personally was well and truly overwhelmed when I first used Ahrefs because there were so many sections in the menu…but that’s not to say it won’t work for you and help you in your SEO work! Ahrefs has a complete SEO toolkit so if you don’t want to be paying for several tools at once then you’ll be able to find everything here. Its particular strength is its backlinks database, Moz and SEMrush do well here as well as Majestic, but hats-off to Ahrefs who has the largest live index. They crawl 6 billion pages every 24 hours and their index is updated every 15 minutes. It’s worth testing out (that costs $7 for a week’s trial) as I feel it’s one of those tools that’ll either work perfectly for you or be lacking in simplicity.

7. Ryte
Simplify your digital marketing toolset.

Ryte, formerly onpage.org is definitely one to test out. Their tool analyzes every part of your website and unlike the others who point out the errors and how to fix them, the Ryte robots actually explain why these errors need fixing. The basic service is free of charge which is great if you want to spend some time testing it out and then paid monthly subscriptions start from $99.90…a little steep for a basic package but worth it if you’re looking for a tool with a simple and easy-to-use interface.
The one (maybe big) downside is the fact that analyzes aren’t instant…I’m not just talking 10 mins but a few hours so if you’re wanting results fast, this may be something to take into account when shopping around.

8. Site Analyzer
Built by SEO experts for SEO experts.

Site Analyzer is a lesser-known SEO tool but one that I think deserves a bit more credit for what it offers. Their platform has all the essential tools; Rank Tracking, Page Analysis, Keyword Research, Backlinks analysis and Crawl. Personally I think it’s their Page Analysis which is their strongest tool as it provides a score of your chosen page with a priority list with the issues that need to be fixed. Some other very good aspects of this tool is that their Crawl interprets Javascript (a significant advantage over competitors) and reports can be exported in PDF or csv. In comparison to other tools it’s very reasonably priced starting at $49 per month.

9. Woorank
Helping you get found online.

Woorank is a great toolkit that provides an ‘instant website review’ (that’s once you’ve signed-up for a free 14-day trial ) providing a detailed analysis of the state of your website with how to optimize, promote and measure your website. What’s even better is that the summary is on one page so makes it easy to navigate, and each section comes with clear explanations. I’d definitely recommend this tool if you’re looking for a simple, clear interface with information that’s easy to digest! Plans range from €59.99 to €249.99 so makes it one of the cheaper tools out there if you decide this is the tool for you.

10. AnswerThePublic
We’re all searching for something.

Now the people behind this tool really caught onto something good. AnswerThePublic is a search insight tool i.e. it provides data on what people are searching for in search engines around a particular word. The team behind this tool realized the benefits of the auto suggest results provided by Google and decided to create this tool so that marketers can be given huge insights into what the public needs answers from. There’s a free version which is ideal for bloggers and solo marketers looking for content ideas a few times a month or a paid version at $99 per month for those that have ongoing content projects.
(Personally the free version does the job very well !)

Conclusion

‘So where shall I start?’ might be the question you’re asking yourself but don’t panic! There’s so many platforms out there all presented in a different way and all offering slightly different features. Test a range of tools and you’ll soon find the one that suits you the most. After that, go get optimizing!