SEO Tools: A Comprehensive List for Marketers

Want your business to rank well in the SERPs?

Google uses more than 200 factors in their search algorithms, which include user intent, trust, and credibility. It requires a lot of time and effort to optimize your site for a majority of those ranking factors.

And with the increasing number of websites, it’s extremely difficult to beat the competition and rank higher in relevant searches. You need to use appropriate SEO tools to identify issues and optimize your website for better results.

There are many such powerful tools available in the market. In this post, I’ve put together a list of tools and the ways in which they can help you.

Disclosure: This content has a few affiliate links, which means if you click on them, I will get a commission (without any extra cost to you).

SEO Tools for Traffic Tracking

If you want to drive more targeted traffic to your website, you need to track your organic search traffic. This will help you analyze sources that actually drive more traffic.

Let’s take a look at some tools that can help you track your website traffic and see where it comes from.

1. Semrush

Semrush brings you a complete kit of tools that can help with search engine optimization.

Their traffic analytics feature allows you to track the website traffic and search performance of any website. You can use this feature to track your own progress as well as to keep an eye on your competitors’ activities.

You can use Semrush to get insights into how your content is performing in search results and if it is helping you drive qualified traffic and leads.

Pricing

Plans start at $83.28 per month for annual billing and $99.95 per month for monthly billing.

Image via SEMrush

2. Alexa

Alexa helps track and improve your search engine rankings and results. You can use their SEO checker tools to find more opportunities to increase organic traffic. Alexa allows you to uncover content gaps to find topic ideas that can help drive more traffic.

And the best part is that you can track your progress to analyze the effectiveness of your search marketing campaigns.

Pricing

Free for 14 days and then plans start at $149 per month.

Image via Alexa

3. SEOptimer’s DIY SEO

SEOptimer’s DIY SEO software empowers you to improve the organic search performance of your website. You can track your organic traffic and overall search performance to identify what’s working and what isn’t.

You can use this tool to see how your keywords are performing over time and spot any ranking changes that helped improve your site’s traffic. Gaining valuable insights about the growth of your traffic can help you take charge of your search visibility.

Pricing

14-day free trial after which plans are $19 to $59 per month.

Image via SEOptimer

4. Moz’s Site Crawl

Moz’s Site Crawl tool helps you track and monitor your website’s search rankings and traffic. You can use these insights to optimize your site so that your site gets maximum visibility in the SERPs.

This tool automatically crawls your site weekly and alerts you about any critical issues that can impact your site’s search rankings and traffic.

Pricing

30-day free trial after which MozPro pricing is $99-$599 per month. 20% discount available when paid yearly.

Image via Moz

SEO Tools for Technical SEO

It is important to use the right set of tools to identify technical issues that can impact your website’s organic search rankings.

There are many tools that can help you identify issues with your website’s speed, crawling, and indexing. Some of the tools that can help you with technical SEO include:

5. Searchmetrics Essentials

Searchmetrics Essentials gives you instant access to your website’s SEO performance and rankings. You can also use it to check the performance of your PPC campaigns.

This tool allows you to keep a close eye on your search rankings, search visibility, and relevant competitors. You can check how your website is performing, discover relevant keywords, and analyze your link profile.

Pricing

Contact their team or schedule a demo for pricing information.

Image via Searchmetrics Essentials

6. Screaming Frog SEO Spider Tool

Screaming Frog SEO Spider Tool is a powerful tool that enables you to crawl both small and large websites efficiently.

You can use this tool to find broken links, site errors, and redirects. It also helps you analyze and audit your site for technical issues so that you can make informed SEO decisions.

Price

The basic plan is available for free. Paid plan costs $149 per year.

Image via Screaming Frog

7. SEO PowerSuite

SEO PowerSuite is an all-in-one solution for all of your SEO needs. It enables you to track unlimited websites, keywords, search results rankings, and backlinks in one place.

You can rely on this tool for keyword research, on-page optimization, link building and management, and backlink research. It can also help you automate site audits and reporting tasks.

Pricing

Free trial available.

Image via SEO PowerSuite

8. SEOptimer

SEOptimer is one of the most powerful SEO audit and reporting tools that offers free website analysis. It can help you identify issues that might be preventing your site from ranking higher in the SERPs.

Along with pointing out issues, SEOptimer also recommends clear and actionable ways to improve your site’s search rankings.

You can save hundreds of hours that you spend in manual website audit and reporting.

Price

Free trial available. The basic plan is $19 per month.

Image via SEOptimer

9. SEO Site Checkup

SEO Site Checkup enables you to check your website for all major search ranking factors. It provides instant access to reports on how your site is performing. You can identify SEO issues and work to improve them.

You can also use this tool to analyze your competitors’ SEO strategies. This will help you identify improvement opportunities and learn how to beat them in the SERPs.

Pricing

Free trial available. Plans are $24.95-$79.95 per month. 10% discount available when paid annually.

Image via SEO Site Checkup

10. Botify

Botify is a leading SEO crawler that helps you ensure that the search engines crawl the most important pages of your website effectively. You can use this tool to identify and remove broken links and site errors.

It also enables you to improve user experience so that you can achieve higher rankings in relevant search results. You can use Botify to build websites that can boost your organic growth.

Pricing

Contact them or schedule a demo for pricing info.

Image via Botify

11. Sitechecker

Sitechecker helps you analyze your website’s SEO score and discover technical SEO errors. Identifying issues can help you overcome them and improve the overall search rankings of your site.

You can use this tool to check if your website meets all of the major on-page ranking factors. You can also find broken links and redirects and test the speed of your website using Sitechecker.

Pricing

7-day free trial. Paid plans are $29-$99 per month. 20% discount available when paid annually.

Image via Sitechecker

12. Varvy

Varvy enables you to check how well your website follows Google’s guidelines for search rankings. It gives you a detailed report on which ranking parameters does your website meets properly and which ones need improvement.

Check your website for speed, responsiveness, hierarchy, links, title tags, alt tags, redirects, content quality, and more.

Pricing

Free.

Image via Varvy

13. Raven Tools Site Auditor

Raven Tools Site Auditor helps diagnose technical issues with your website that can be impacting your search rankings.

This tool helps you identify page server errors, redirects, meta issues, content issues, broken link issues, and page speed issues. Raven Tools Site Auditor also gives you an actionable, easy-to-follow checklist to improve the performance of your website in organic search results.

Price

Free trial available. Paid plans start at $49 per month for monthly billing and $39 per month for annual billing.

Image via Raven Tools

SEO Tools for Keyword Research

Keyword research is the foundation of any search campaign. You need to compile a list of keyword ideas you want your business to rank for. This list should include a mix of high-converting keywords with mid to high search volume and keywords with comparatively lower competition.

There are plenty of tools that can help you with keyword research and keyword ideas such as:

14. Google’s Keyword Planner

Google’s Keyword Planner is a keyword research tool that allows you to search for words or phrases related to your brand, products, and/or services to find keyword ideas that are relevant to your business. These keywords can help you reach your target audience.

You can check the search volume for each keyword which means how often people search for that particular keyword. This can help you narrow down your keyword list to terms you really want to rank for.

Pricing

Free.

Image via Google

15. Keywords Everywhere

Keywords Everywhere keyword research tool lets you find keyword ideas with their accurate monthly search volume, cost-per-click (CPC), and competition data. You can easily add it to your Chrome or Firefox browser.

This keyword research tool can save you a lot of time as you don’t have to copy keyword data from one website and then find their search volume from another.

Pricing

Pay as you go. Buy credits in packs of $10 and up.

Image via Keywords Everywhere

16. WordStream

WordStream is one of the best keyword research tools. It allows you to research keywords that your business needs to target to drive relevant traffic. You just need to enter words or phrases related to your business or enter the URL of your website.

This tool will generate a list of hundreds of relevant keywords specific to your industry. You can prioritize keywords based on their competition score, estimated CPC, and opportunity score.

Pricing

Free.

Image via WordStream

17. Mangools’ KWFinder

Mangools’ KWFinder is another of the best keyword research tools. It allows you to find long-tail keywords with low SEO difficulty scores. You can either search using words and phrases or using a domain. You can also look for the keywords your competitors are targeting.

Mangools’ KWFinder allows you to prioritize your list of keywords based on their exact search volumes and accurate keyword difficulty scores.

You can track your search rankings for various keywords and analyze the overall organic traffic they drive.

Pricing

10-day free trial available. Plans are $49-$129 per month or $29.90-$79.90 per month when billed annually.

Image via KWFinder

SEO Tools for Content Optimization

There’s no substitute for great content. You need to create content that is valuable, authentic, easily readable, and grammatically correct.

Thankfully, there are plenty of tools that can help you write compelling content that ranks higher in the SERPs. Here are some such tools to help you optimize your content for better rankings and traffic:

18. Grammarly

Grammarly’s AI-powered writing assistant allows you to write clear, concise, error-free content that your audience and the search engines will love. This tool helps you eliminate all type of errors, ranging from grammar to spelling, style, and tone.

You can add it as an extension to your Chrome browser. The best part is that you can start using it for free and later opt for its paid plans to improve your writing further.

Pricing

Free plan available. Paid plans start at $12 per month.

Image via Grammarly

19. SmallSEOTools

SmallSEOTools is a complete set of writing tools that help you create refined content for your business. You can use it to check your content for plagiarism, run grammar and spell checks, and change text case.

You can use it for free to identify writing issues and eliminate them.

Pricing

Paid plans are $9.80-$59.80 per month.

Image via SmallSEOTools

20. SEO Tools Centre

SEO Tools Centre brings you a set of tools that can help you optimize your content for search ranking algorithms. You can use this tool to run plagiarism, grammar, and spell checks on your content.

This tool can also help you identify where a particular website places their keywords on a web page or blog post. You can use this feature to analyze keyword positioning of top-performing content in your niche. You can then use these insights to rank your content higher in the SERPs.

Pricing

Contact their team for pricing information.

Image via SEO Tools Centre

SEO Tools for Link-Building

Link-building is a tedious process that requires you to find and target relevant publishers, vet them, and then reach out to them through well‐crafted emails. And it doesn’t end there. You need to follow up until your link gets live.

There are tools that can help you simplify the process and scale your link-building initiatives. Let’s look at a few of them and discuss how they can help you improve your link profile.

21. Link Intersect by Ahrefs

Link Intersect by Ahrefs allows you to discover websites that are linking to your competitors but not to you. This will help you identify your missing link opportunities. You can reach out to these sites with guest posting or infographic outreach requests.

If your website has a high domain authority (DA), you can also propose a link exchange collaboration.

Pricing

7-day trial available for $7 after which ahrefs is $99-$999 per month. Get 2 months free when you pay annually.

Image via Ahrefs

22. Guest Post Tracker

Guest Post Tracker provides a list of blogs that allow you to contribute to their sites in the form of guest posts. You can use this platform to identify guest posting opportunities and leverage them to improve your link profile.

This platform gives details about how much each publisher charges for guest posting and helps you track all of your guest posts in one place.

Pricing

Contact their team for pricing info.

Image via Guest Post Tracker

SEO Tools for Backlink Analysis

If you want to boost your search results rankings, it is crucial to build a strong link profile. You need to examine your current profile, get rid of toxic links, and earn high-quality links from authoritative websites.

Let’s take a look at some tools that can help you conduct a backlink analysis to get an inside view of your link profile.

23. Majestic Backlinks

Majestic Backlinks allows you to see all of the incoming links to your website and dive deep into the data. You can discover all of the domains and links pointing to your site.

This tool also helps you analyze which topics drive you the maximum number of backlinks. You can also check the credibility of each of those links to get a better idea about your link profile.

Price

The Lite plan starts at $49 per month.

Image via Majestic

24. Serpstat’s Backlink Analysis Tool

Serpstat’s Backlink Analysis Tool gives you a detailed backlink analysis report of any domain. You can use this tool to analyze the credibility of each of the links pointing to your site.

Along with this, you can also check the backlinks data of your competitors to analyze their link-building strategies. This can help you identify link-building opportunities you might be missing out on.

Price

The basic plan costs $19 per month.

Image via Serpstat

25. LinkResearchTools

LinkResearchTools (LRT) help you identify toxic links that can impact your search rankings and organic traffic. You can use this tool to identify the most beneficial link-building opportunities to boost your link profile.

This tool also allows you to learn from your competitors' link behavior, mistakes, and successes. You can use LinkResearchTools to significantly grow the number of your high-quality backlinks.

Pricing

Pricing starts at $17 for 7 days, then $499 and up per month.

Image via LinkResearchTools

26. Monitor Backlinks

Monitor Backlinks is a free backlink checker tool that allows you to discover all of the links pointing to any website. You can then filter results by their citation flow, trust flow, and number of external links from the page to identify good links.

This tool also lets you check if a link is a do-follow link or a no-follow one. You can also see how your newly-earned backlinks are impacting your search results rankings and organic traffic.

Pricing

30-day free trial. Paid plans start at $47.40.

Image via Monitor Backlinks

27. Linkminer

Linkminer helps you find the most powerful backlinks of any business. You can use this tool to evaluate the strength of the backlinks of your competitors. This can help you identify profitable link-building opportunities.

You can filter results by citation flow and trust flow to check the authenticity of each of your backlinks. You can also filter results by their sources such as blogs, Q&As, and forums.

Pricing

10-day free trial. Paid plans start at $49 per month when paid monthly and $29.90 per month when paid annually.

Image via Linkminer

FAQ

Q1. What are SEO tools?

A. They help improve website rankings on search engine results pages by optimizing keywords, content, backlinks, and other rank-impacting factors. They help track website rankings, estimate site traffic, identify traffic sources, SEO audit sites, discover profitable keywords, analyze link profiles, and many other things.

Q2. Which tools are used for SEO?

A. Among the current crop of tools used for SEO, the top ones are:

• Semrush
• Alexa
• SmallSEOTools
• Ahrefs
• Moz’s Site Crawl

The top SEO tools for backlink analysis are:

• LinkResearchTools
• Linkminer
• Serpstat’s Backlink Analysis Tool
• Monitor Backlinks

The most popular link-building tools are:

• Guest Post Tracker
• Link Intersect by Ahrefs
• Link Search Tool

Tools for content optimization include:

• Grammarly
• SEO Tool Center

Q3. What are the best SEO tools?

A. The most popular SEO tools include:

• Semrush
• Alexa
• SmallSEOTools
• Ahrefs
• Moz’s Site Crawl

Some of the best tools for technical SEO are:

• SEO PowerSuite
• Searchmetrics Essentials
• SEOptimer
• Botify
• Sitechecker

Q4. Which is the best free SEO tool?

A. Semrush is one of the best free SEO tools in the market today. It is loaded with advanced features to track website traffic, ranking, keywords, competitors, and backlinks. Using this free SEO tool, you can discover your best-performing keywords, traffic sources, and backlinks.

Q5. Is SEO free of cost?

A. If you are on a tight budget, you can do SEO on your own for free by using free SEO tools like Google Keyword Planner and Semrush. These free SEO tools offer comprehensive tutorials for first-timers and hand-hold you through your website optimization.

But since most of these free SEO tools have a learning curve, it’s easier (but costlier) to delegate your SEO to expert agencies. You can also buy paid tools like Ahrefs and Moz that offer advanced features and frequent updates.

Q6. What are the best tools for SEO analysis?

A. For SEO audits, Google’s Keyword Planner is a great tool. It is a free SEO tool and generates detailed reports about your target keywords, search rankings, search visibility, and website traffic. It also analyzes how your backlinks are performing and which traffic sources are getting you maximum traction.

You can also use it to analyze your competitors’ keywords and how you stack up against them. For a free tool, Google Keyword Planner is surprisingly full-stacked in terms of services and support.

Q7. What SEO tools do you regularly use?

A. There are different SEO tools for different purposes.

For backlink analysis, the best SEO tools are:

• LinkResearchTools
• Linkminer
• Serpstat’s Backlink Analysis Tool
• Monitor Backlinks

The most popular link-building tools are:

• Guest Post Tracker
• Link Intersect by Ahrefs
• Link Search Tool

For content optimization, these tools have standout features:

• Grammarly
• SEO Tool Center

Some of the best tools for technical SEO are:

• SEO PowerSuite
• Searchmetrics Essentials
• SEOptimer
• Botify
• Sitechecker

If you need an all-in-one type SEO tool, you can opt for Semrush or Ahrefs.

Q8. Are Bluehost SEO tools worth it?

A. Bluehost SEO tools offer great value for money. These tools start by evaluating your website’s SEO, generating a Bluehost Search Engine Equipment Score, and end by submitting your Bluehost-hosted site to the search engines.

Here are the main features/benefits of Bluehost tools:

• Personalized advertising record
• Direct submission to top search engines
• Search Phrase Exploration tool
• WordPress hosting expertise

All in all, Bluehost tools are a great (albeit, costly) investment. If they are out of your price range, you can look at cheaper (or free) alternatives like the Yoast SEO plugin or Semrush.

Q9. How do I use Google Webmasters tools for SEO?

A. Google’s free Webmasters tools (available in the Google Search Console) can be used to improve your SEO in the following ways:

• They can notify you when there’s an issue with your website. To receive email alerts, change your Webmaster settings by enabling email notifications.

• They can send more relevant and targeted traffic. To let Google know about your target audiences, change your “Site Settings” in the Webmaster tool. You can set your audience’s location by choosing the appropriate option in the “Geographic target” drop-down.
• You can set your preferred domain by changing the site settings as shown in the above screenshot. If you’re a WordPress user, you can find this setting in Settings>General>WordPress Address (URL).
• You can find your most profitable search queries and keywords by accessing the “Search Queries” menu under “Search Traffic” in “Settings.”
  
• You can track your inbound links and internal links. You can find out which websites link to you, which web pages get maximum internal traffic, and which links are corrupt or broken.
  

As you can see, Google’s Webmasters tools can provide you with a wealth of SEO information.

Which Tools Are the Best for SEO?

Using the right set of tools can help you scale up your search marketing efforts. They help make the process easier, faster, and more reliable (free of human error).

Which SEO tools are best depends on your specific needs. You can use these tools to free up your time. You can then use the time you save to come up with other effective strategies for your business.

Do you know of any other tools for SEO that should be added to this list? Please feel free to mention them in the comments below.

Disclosure: This content has a few affiliate links, which means if you click on them, I will get a commission (without any extra cost to you).