If you're looking to boost your website's ranking on Google, having the right SEO tool in your tech toolbox is essential. Ahrefs is one of the most powerful SEO tools available, offering a comprehensive set of features to help you identify the keywords your customers are searching for, evaluate the volume and difficulty of those keywords, and track keyword rankings on search engine results pages (SERPs). It also allows you to monitor website backlinks (sites that link to your website) and audit your website for SEO optimization. Ahrefs' extensive feature set may take some time to learn, but its user-friendly control panel makes it easier to navigate than other advanced SEO tools.
The Ahrefs Lite plan is usually sufficient for small businesses. To take full advantage of Ahrefs, you'll need to choose a standard or advanced plan, which includes more features such as the Site Browser, Content Browser, Domain Comparison, and the ability to track six months to two years of backlink and ranking data. Ahrefs also provides plenty of online resources to help you master the platform and SEO. The Online Help Center contains dozens of articles and troubleshooting guides, while the Ahrefs Academy offers a variety of video tutorials.
Forbes Advisor has named Ahrefs the best overall SEO tool on the market. With four plans to choose from, Ahrefs is suitable for all types of users, from beginners to advanced technical users. KWFinder doesn't have as many features as power tools like Ahrefs or Semrush, but its set of essential SEO tools makes it an ideal choice for those on a budget. Plus, it's easy to use even for beginners.
However, the best tool for you will depend on your specific needs. For example, BrightLocal is perfect for local SEO while KWFinder is an excellent and affordable SEO tool. SEO tools provide data and alerts about the overall status and success of your website. We spoke with Julia Nesterets, founder of the SEO tracker Jetooctopus (opens in a new tab), to understand what an SEO crawler is, why it's so important, and many questions about backlinks in general.
Keep in mind that SEO and SEO marketing tools won't be as effective unless your website is user-friendly. SEO software prices can vary greatly, but try not to go for cheap software as it may come at the cost of quality. In addition to these benefits, SEO optimization tools can help you accurately evaluate and manage the SEO strategies and performance reports of multiple websites, eliminating any possibility of human error. When you combine all the available SEO tools at your disposal, you'll be much closer to achieving a successful SEO campaign.
To help you choose the best SEO tool for your needs, we've looked at 12 of the top tools for SEO optimization – starting with a comparison table of key information for each one. Sometimes following SEO experts can help you learn more about the topic including new Google and SEO developments as they happen. Generate an SEO score for your site and a practical “marketing checklist” that outlines steps you can take to solve any problems with your site's SEO. Users and SEO experts agree that Semrush is one of the most powerful and feature-rich SEO tools available today – offering a comprehensive application for tracking keywords & alerts of critical issues for your SEO strategy as well as information on competitors' backlink strategies.
Using an SEO tracker can help you detect these issues during routine audits so that you can avoid major problems in the future. Complying with Coalition for Better Ads (CBA) regulations is essential for SEO since CBA is what Google uses to promote integrated ad filtering in Chrome and its advertising experience report in Google Search Console (its main SEO tool). The right tool for your needs – free or paid – is one that supports your content & SEO strategies.
