When it comes to SEO, there are many things to keep in mind. How much time should someone dedicate to implementation and research? What keywords work best? How nicely do your pages rank? There are plenty of SEO tools to help you make the correct decisions.
Search engine optimization tools are crucial for multiple reasons, including:
- Keyword Research
- Website Optimization
- Tracking & Reporting
- Competitive Analysis
- Link Building
- Content Optimization
Having access to easy-to-use, accurate, and reliable search engine optimization tools will only make your SEO plan stronger. Read our comprehensive blog to learn more about some of the best and most effective tools to guide you further.
What Are SEO Tools?
SEO, also known as Search Engine Optimization, is the practice involved in enhancing a website’s ranking to boost its chances of being visible through appropriate organic searches.
SEO tools are commonly used to guide website owners in ranking higher in SERPs. These tools are used to research content on the internet for backlinks, keywords, and other measurable data.
Why Use SEO Tools?
Now, we are going to look at the most typical tasks SEO professionals
use tools for:- Keywords: One major advantage of using SEO tools is researching keywords in depth to boost your website’s traffic. You will be able to analyze what search questions and terms might be related to your search & which terms are being searched the most. This will help you to optimize your content and website.
- Backlinks: Backlinks are an essential part of SEO’s behind-the-scenes tasks. Many SEO tools help you edit and track backlinks and also let you create your own.
- Content: Unfortunately, no SEO tool will write articles for you. However, there are some SEO tools that will help you guide your content and shape your blogs.
- Ranking: Many search engine monitoring tools help you track your website’s ranking. Additionally, you can check out your rivals to see what they are doing and what type of content is working for their sites.
- Social Media: Some SEO tools help you analyze and monitor data coming from social media platforms. They can also inform you of what blog posts you have that are being shared on multiple social media platforms. It will also help you see the latest trends by routinely searching for trending keywords.
- Traffic: This is another important task that you will be doing with the SEO tools.
Advantages Of SEO: The Budget Friendly Growth Formula
What Makes An SEO Tool Best?
Since SEO tools can fall into different categories, determining what makes them great can be a little complex. We have reviewed quite a few products to help you determine a perfect search engine optimization tool. Check out our list of quality criteria that can apply to any category.
- SEO-centric functionality: Every tool has to have some functionalities relating to some factors of SEO. They should perfectly fit into one of the categories specializing in functions like competitor analysis, keyword analysis, content ideation, on-page performance troubleshooting, and website performance reporting.
- Integrations: Digital marketers tend to utilize multiple software products, and therefore, integration plays a major role in SEO automation tools. It is important for the users to be able to integrate these tools perfectly. Some typical platforms for related tasks are reporting, meetings, scheduling, and customer relationship management (CRM).
- Value: SEO tools with certain use cases should be useful enough to justify subscriptions for users of more extensive tools. Extensive tools should also include a comprehensive feature suite and paid tools should be more helpful than free ones.
- User Experience: How easy is the tool to learn, use, and integrate? The learning path should make it easy for users to access any feature without making the process difficult.
List Of The Best SEO Tools 2024
Now that you know what SEO tools are, why they are important, and why experts use them, it is time to explore the list of tools. We will also tell you what they are best for, their features, and, of course, their pricing.
1. SEOClarity (Best AI Assistant SEO Tool)
seoClarity is one of the best AI SEO tools, and it has an impressive suite of optimization and content creation tools. Just like Clearscope, you can easily turn keywords identified by ideation and research features into blog posts within the interface. The Content Fusion feature permits you to either start content from scratch or load an existing URL with a keyword. From there, you can develop a brief for another writer and then access the module on content management.
One impressive feature of seoClarity’s Intelligent Assistant is Sia. It is a GPT-powered generative AI feature that allows writers to develop optimized content. Sia can also automatically generate optimized meta descriptions and post titles backed by existing seoClarity search data. It can then develop outlines and grow individual sections into complete text with a click.
SEOClarity features:
- Rank monitoring
- Search trend insights
- Actionable diagnostic insights
- Performance scoring
- Page error and Inefficiency detection
- Topic exploration
- Traffic potential projections
- Competitor analysis
All these features make seoClarity the most expensive SEO tool on the list and the most extensive one. This tool is not for every company, but it beneficially combines various SEO tool types into a platform for those who can afford it.
With an extensive range of content optimization and general SEO features and an AI assistant, it can surely replace multiple other SEO tools for many users out there.
SEO Tool Category: All-in-one
Advantages:
- A comprehensive suite of SEO analysis tools
- Generative AI assistant
- Rich content optimization tools
Disadvantages:
- Fairly bare-bones interface
- Unclear or custom pricing for the highest and lowest tiers
- Expensive middle-tier plans
seoClarity Pricing:
- Essentials (custom)
- Core (starts at $3,000/month)
- Professional (starts at $4,500/month)
- Agency (by request)
2. Surfer (Best SEO Tool For AI Integration)
Surfer is one of the most unique SEO tools on the list. It is basically an SEO auditing tool, and its in-depth insights make it very useful for keyword research.
Surfer offers a simple suite of 5 tools, including:
- Keyword research
- Domain planner
- Content Editor
- Auditing
- SERP analyzer
Surfer makes the tools more actionable by effectively integrating AI into it. For example, its keyword research tool divides topic ideas into clusters arranged by user intent. After that, you can load them into the AI-driven content editor. Then, you can use the SUrfer AI to write the article, drop in an outline, and optimize it. Additionally, you will see content scoring, real-time structure ratings, and related term suggestions so you can improve the on-page SEO strategies.
3. Additional Information about Surfer:
Additionally, there is a nifty outline tab suggesting heading ideas and questions. When you are done with it, you can collaborate with your team members or can also export it straight to WordPress.
Also, the SERP Analyzer is miles ahead of multiple competitors in terms of comparable tools. It has an interactive chart showing the average of links in the top 48 positions for metrics like partial keywords, word counts, keyword density, and character counts. Below that, you can also sort SERP links to analyze how your competitors stack up for factors like common backlinks, popular keywords, phrases, and other keywords.
Its AI utility is not enough because Surfer also blends with Jasper to make your content creation look super artificially intelligent. However, Jasper’s integration is available at every tier, whereas Surfer AI costs $29 per article. Integrated with the high subscription fee, Surfer is surely a premium tool that is completely worth it.
SEO Tool Category: SEO Audit
Advantages:
- Straightforward AI integration
- Exports content straight to WordPress
- Unique SEO insights
Disadvantages:
- Its AI feature is charged by the article
- Fairly expensive
- It needs credit that does not roll over
Surfer Pricing:
- Essential ($89/month)
- Advanced ($179/month)
- Max ($299/month)
- Enterprise (custom)
SEOptimer (Best SEO Tool For SEO Audits)
SEOptimer is an SEO Audit Tool that performs a comprehensive SEO analysis across 100 website data points. It also offers actionable and clear recommendations for steps you can easily take to boost your online presence and eventually rank better in SERPs.
SEOptimer is ideal for website designers, owners, and digital agencies that want to enhance their own sites or those of their clients. It specializes in analyzing SEO-related performance problems with a site or individual page and comes with several basic tools to help analyze them.
You just have to plug a webpage into SEOptimer’s dashboard. You will experience an orderly sequence of performance grades on the scale of A+ to F, normally in a minute or so. This offers you a picture of where your page can lose traffic based on-page SEO indicators, social media connectivity, user experience, and overall performance.
Additionally, you will see a list of suggestions for solving issues and increasing your grade. These suggestions are widely actionable, insightful, and specific, which is the suggestion trifecta. That, for example, A-social presence, controls from lacking a linked Instagram profile and a missing Facebook pixel code. It enables Facebook ads retargeting.
The Performance score is highly effective. It provides comprehensive load speed insights and notes particular factors, such as JavaScript errors, image optimizations, and image compression, that might keep those speeds down.
SEOptimer Tools:
- Code minifies and meta tag
- Keyword and XML sitemap generators
- Favicons
- Font sizes
- Noindex tags
- SERP presentation
- Canonical tags
- Keyword ranking
SEO Tool Category: SEO Audit
Advantages:
- Reasonably priced
- Effective and simple SEO diagnostics
- Extensive range of tools for testing particular SEP elements
Disadvantages:
- Many tools are quite complex
- Limited suite of tools to solve issues
SEOptimer Pricing:
- DIY SEO ($19/month)
- White Label ($29/month)
- White Label & Embedding ($59/month)
4. Semrush (Best SEO Tool for Rank Tracking)
Most of its features cater to page ranking metrics, keywords, and SERP analysis. It has a highly comprehensive dashboard with personalized widgets that offer a thorough overview of how well a tracked domain is doing in terms of metrics like organic keywords, authority, traffic, backlinks, and average time on site.
Semrush is primarily synonymous with SEO. This rank tracker’s features and insights are scalable and robust enough to manage virtually all performance monitoring requirements for enterprises and SMBs.
Semrush additional tools:
- Backlink Gap: Compares backlink profiles of distinct domains or web pages.
- Keyword Gap: Compares domains or webpages to see missed keyword possibilities.
- Keyword Magic Tool: Suggests keywords automatically related to a provided search term.
- Position Tracking: Customizable everyday updates on how your competitors and site are ranking for particular keywords.
SEO Tool Category: Rank Tracker
Advantages:
- Customizable dashboard
- An extensive suite of high-end keyword and rank-tracking tools
- Enterprise-level functionality
Disadvantages:
- Not as feature-rich as all-in-one tools
- Premium pricing
Semrush Pricing:
- Pro ($129.95/month)
- Guru ($249.95/month)
- Business ($499.95/month)
5. Ahref (Best SEO Tool For Competitor Research)
In the domain of SEO tools, Ahref is a slightly cheaper option for competitor analysis. As a premium rank tracker, it has similar features to Semrush. You can scrutinize particular domains or webpages to analyze how they rank for specific keywords over time, find historical ranking data with personalized charts, and perform site audits.
It also has some attractive bonus features, such as Web Explorer. It helps to show you ranking statistics for web pages for given keywords.
As a competitor analysis tool, Ahref is much more useful than all the other SEO tools on this list. This tool caters to keyword research and content optimization.
It offers a Content Gap tool, which shows you an in-depth keyword comparison of particular competitors who are ranking. It also shows which SERP elements they are winning, like Google image packs.
Additionally, it offers a Link Intersect Tool that shows which pages are linking to your rivals.
When you search potential competitors using one of its tools or by finding who is ranking for specific target keywords, you can explore these web pages and domains further.
By exploring which pages in a particular domain earn the most backlinks, which keywords bring the most value, and which keywords earn the highest traffic, you can gain valuable details about the content that wins for your niche.
Ahrefs Review (2024): Premium Analysis, Is It Worth Your Money?
SEO Tool Category: Rank Tracker
Advantages:
- Detailed keyword analytics
- Timely and accurate ranking data
- Less pricey than Semrush
Disadvantages:
- The tool is mostly limited to monitoring and analysis
- Limited reporting tools
Ahref Pricing:
- Lite ($99/month)
- Standard ($199/month)
- Advanced ($399/month)
- Enterprise ($999/month)
6. Clearscope (Best SEO Tool For Content Optimization)
If you like Surfer’s AI-powered content editor, you will surely love one of the most focused SEO tools, Clearscope. Its dashboard is arranged a bit differently than most products. Its primary asset is not links or keywords but reports.
You begin by inputting a keyword into a report and bringing up the content optimization interface. Within that area, you can load a template, begin writing, drop the text from an existing post, or extract content from a URL.
Then, you quickly get an overall content grade, an extensive list of related keywords, and a readability rating. Clearscope rates each of the options by relevancy and how often they appear in posts that rank for the targeted keywords.
The interface of content editing is pretty good. It offers common text editing options, highlights your target keyword within the structure, and integrates with Docs and WordPress.
Additionally, you can toggle the keyword tab for additional citations and questions with a research tab and an outline tab breaking down the post structure for contending posts. The term map interface is highly attractive, offering a visual representation of related keywords your rivals use.
Clearscope has quite a few helpful performance analysis tools, including:
- Page stats
- Content decay modules
- Position tracking
These tools show how good your website as an individual or whole webpage is doing on key metrics like links, traffic, and SEO value stats, rendering page success into a calculated dollar value.
Meanwhile, its keyword discovery tool utilizes Intelligent Language Algorithms to determine viable keyword opportunities based on topi URLs or ideas.
SEO Tool Category: SEO Audit
Advantages:
- Page performance tracking
- Highly detailed content insights
- Keyword discovery tool
Disadvantages:
- Premium price
- A very limited tool suite
- Monthly credit allotment
Clearscope Pricing:
- Essentials ($170/month)
- Business (custom)
- Enterprise (custom)
7. BuzzSumo (Best SEO Tool For Content Ideation)
BuzzSumo is one of the best keyword research SEO tools, offering better SERP monitoring, search trend reporting, and topic idea generation than most all-in-one products.
You can do good keyword research on rank tracking and all-in-one platforms, but BuzzSumo offers you what you pay for with a feature-rich suite of keyword tools. Its keyword tool is much decent, and you get basic volume metrics and a CPC list.
You also get along with a handy “Articles Published” element to analyze how much competition it has with a small line graph of volume trends. Every keyword suggestion below introduces itself with its own profile. It consists of detailed search volume charts, question concepts, and article ideas.
You get a content generator for which you have to enter a topic. Further, you will get evergreen topic ideas by linking domain stats and engagement scores, along with basic topic-related questions. After that, you will see a detailed analysis of what your content will require to accomplish based on ranking posts. It includes post type, word count, and content format. You also get recommendations for scheduling and publishing times and multiple social media platforms on which to share it.
BuzzSumo’s Features:
- Robust content monitoring
- Outreach resources
- Social media influencer ideas
- Content analyzers for webpages, Facebook pages, YouTube posts, and backlinks
- Automatic content brief generators
For proper content ideation and research, BuzzSumo is a worthy option in providing subscription plans.
SEO Tool Category: Keyword research
Advantages:
- Unparalleled content idea tools
- Rich keyword data
- A rich suite of content analysis tool
Disadvantages:
- Limited reporting features
- Premium price
BuzzSumo Pricing:
- Content Creation ($199/month)
- PR & Comms ($299/month)
- Suite ($499/month)
- Enterprise ($999/month)
8. LetterDrop
In a world of similar SEO tools, Letterdrop has its own category. Part keyword research tool, part SEO auditor, and part content management solution. It’s a different product that does quite a few things. However, one really special feature is how this tool integrates content automation capabilities.
Letterdop begins and ends with the content and also has a good keyword research tool. This tool offers rich insights into your on-page performance by connecting the platform to individual blog posts or websites.
Additionally, it has a great one-stop sitewide performance-optimizing tool, with internal linking factors to replace internal links, fix broken links, and add links to keywords.
The Pages to Refresh feature suggests pages that need refreshing. Those pages that are almost ranking can be split into various pages or cannibalized keywords.
You can also turn to keyword research and content suggestions when writing new posts. It will turn them into fully optimized posts with almost questionable ease. Letterdrop has eight preloaded blog templates. It can offer you a fast head start on outlining basic frameworks like X vs Y posts listicles, and you can also develop your personal templates to help develop content at scale.
However, Lettersrop’s standout feature is a special ability to turn video content into blogs. You just have to drop a link to a Loom or YouTube video. You can also upload your personal video file, choose an appropriate template, give instructions, and have the blog post ready.
SEO Tool Category: Hybrid
Advantages:
- Has capabilities to manage content
- Turns video content into blog posts
- Finds and replaces feature changes internal links in batches
Disadvantages:
- Diagnostic and reporting tools are not as robust as some competitors
- Not as feature-rich as the other competing all-in-one SEO tools
LetterDrop Pricing: By request
9. AnswerThePublic (Best SEO Tool For Content Research On A Budget)
AnswerThePublic is a self-proclaimed tool for learning what people are discussing about. It offers users access to unique, useful search details for a bit of the cost of high-end keyword tools.
One of the best features of ATP is that it utilizes keyword research down to its actual essence, the user’s search behavior. Some of the typical keyword research SEO tools tend to feel somehow detached from the actual users who drive the specific metrics with the common keyword difficulty (KD) and CPC (cost-per-click), making search terms more like website assets other than user signals. ATP reports on these metrics. However, its data segmentation and presentation allow marketers to get closer to the depth of user intent.
In ATP, when you type a search query, you receive an instant overview of CPC and volume. You also get a visual breakdown of how nicely the query ranks in terms of transactional intent and volume potential.
Additionally, you can manage searches into projects, take and save data details to compare them with historical data, hide irrelevant keyword trees, and allow search trend attention so you miss on timely chances.
All these robust features come at a price of $9 per month with a very attractive $99 flat fee for accessing the individual plan for a lifetime. For raw keyword research, we don’t think that there is another tool better than AnswerThePublic.
SEO Tool Category: Keyword research
Advantages:
- Unique data visualization
- Affordable with lifetime offering with low tiers
- Search trend alerts and monitoring
Disadvantages:
- Only includes search data for Bing, YouTube, and Google
- Only limited to keyword research data
AswerThePublic Pricing:
- Individual ($9/month or $99 lifetime)
- Pro ($99/month)
- Expert ($199/month)
Comparison Of The Best SEO Tools:
Let us now look at the differences between the SEO tools to help you choose the best for you:
SEO Tools | Best For | Standout Feature | Pricing |
seoClarity | SEO AI Assistant | A native generative AI assistant | Custom |
Surfer | AI Integration | SERP insights and AI-powered content | Starts from $89 monthly |
Semrush | Rank Tracking | Modular dashboards | Starts from $129.95 monthly |
SEOptimer | SEO Audits | Actionable diagnostic suggestions | Starts from $19 monthly |
Ahrefs | Competitor Research | Content Gap Tool | Starts from $99 monthly |
Clearscope | Content Optimization | AI-powered content optimization | Starts from $170 monthly |
LetterDrop | SEO Content Creation | Video to post automation | By request |
BuzzSumo | Content Ideation | Content generator tool | Starts from $199 monthly |
AnswerThePublic | Budget-Friendly Content Research | Distinct keyword data grouping | Starts from $9 monthly |
Final Line:
Choosing from a wide library of SEO tools is surely going to be tough. However, with our extensive guide, we are sure that it will be much easier for you to choose the best tool for yourself. Picking the right tool for your needs will depend on elements like your organization’s size, your budget, and, of course, the tool’s ability to integrate with the software you rely on.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
SEO tools help website owners rank higher on the search engine result page (SERPs).
seoClarity, Surfer, Semrush, Ahrefs, Clearscope, LetterDrop, SEOptimer, and AnswerThePublic, among others, are some of the best SEO tools.
Yes, you can do SEO for free with the Ahrefs SEO toolbar Chrome’s extension.
There is no cost to appear on an organic search engine result page like Google’s.