As an SEO consultant who’s worked for Fortune 500 companies, savvy startups, and all sorts of businesses in between, I’m often asked what I consider to be the best SEO tools for agencies on the market.
Whether you’re looking for the right SEO tools for agencies, marketers and consultants, or small businesses and enterprises, I’ve tested and worked with dozens of powerful search engine optimization software over the course of my 12+ year career doing a variety of work-from-home jobs.
That’s why in this post, I’m covering the best tools for SEO in 2024 for handling all the essential search engine optimization functions, from keyword research and rank tracking, to link building, backlink monitoring, competitive research, and so much more.
So, buckle up, and let’s jump right into it.
*Erik’s Guide is reader-supported and this guide contains affiliate links, so I may earn a commission when you click or make a purchase through links on my site at no additional cost to you. Plus, you may even earn a discount. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. I only recommend products and services I would or do use myself, and I’m incredibly grateful for you and your readership.
The #1 all-in-one SEO platform for agencies, marketers, small businesses, and enterprises provides everything you could ever need and then some, from keyword research and creativity tools to rank tracking, competitive research, backlink tools, white label SEO reports, and so much more. Semrush even makes tools in other business software niches unnecessary by performing social media management, content marketing analytics, and much more.
Pros: Cons:____
What Are the Best SEO Tools?
Sometimes the best way to learn something is to, as they often say, put some skin in the game. That was true for me when learning digital marketing and SEO, where I was able to gain the best insights by investing time and money in eventually getting my partner’s wedding photography company website to rank on Page 1 of Google organic search for some of the most competitive keywords in our region.
To learn SEO the right way – by practicing the art and analysis of your optimized content – you’ll want to invest in SEO performance tools, SEO audit tools, keyword tracking tools, and SEO strategy software that is capable of giving you all the necessary information, insights, and data to better inform your search marketing strategy.
These are the best SEO tools to invest in for the fastest, most impactful results (and most come with a free trial).
Are you unsure about the current state of SEO or completely unfamiliar with the subject?
No worries — we got you.
Discover what search engine optimization is all about today and how you can master it quickly in this detailed guide, What is SEO Now? 7 Top Google Search Trends For Higher Organic Rankings.
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1. Semrush – Best all-in-one SEO platform (perfect for agencies, small businesses, consultants, and enterprises)
SEMrush is by far the best SEO tool on the market because of its wide array of capabilities, making it one of the most popular all-in-one SEO platforms for good reason.
With a suite of SEO tools to help with everything from generating sharp keyword ideas and link-building suggestions to competitive research and site audits, SEMrush offers a comprehensive collection of everything you need for SEO practice and management.
It also has a free website analyzer that can identify areas of your site that need improvement, so you can get tons of value without spending a dime. Whether you’re just getting started with SEO software or you’re a seasoned pro, SEMrush is a stellar SEO tool to have in your arsenal, and many SEO software reviews back that up.
Use SEMrush’s website analyzer right now to get insights into your website’s SEO health. It will identify errors on your sites, such as 404 errors, duplicate content, and more, so you can spruce up your site’s SEO right away. Then, look at the data on your site’s organic traffic, including keywords you rank for, backlinks you’ve earned, where your traffic is coming from and landing, and so much more.
Sign up for a 7-day free trial of SEMrush to test this powerful all-in-one SEO software out for yourself.
Why SEMrush is the best SEO software:
- Keyword research tools: SEMrush offers a comprehensive keyword database that includes over 20 billion keywords to help you find the right keyword ideas to target for your SEO campaign, along with related keywords, keyword suggestions, and detailed search engine rankings so you know your search volume for different search queries.
- Keyword Magic tool: get 14 million ideas for one single keyword with 120 million geographical bases, plus sort results to fine-tune your SEO analysis.
- Competitive SEO analysis: With SEMrush, you can see how your competitors are ranking for various keywords so that you can understand their SEO strategy and stay one step ahead.
- Site audit: SEMrush can help you identify and fix on-page SEO issues and technical SEO problems like broken links that are holding your site back from having a higher search engine ranking in organic search.
- Keyword tracking tools: Track all your most coveted keywords using SEMrush’s market-leading keyword tracking tools, so you know where you currently rank and how your web pages are progressing in the SERPs.
- Social media management: track your social media performance and engagement on the same platform.
- Generate XML sitemaps with ease to submit to search engines.
- Google Analytics integration for comprehensive data tracking.
Semrush Pros
Semrush Cons
Pros of using SEMrush:
- Offers a wide range of features for both small businesses and large enterprises to craft a sound SEO strategy
- Regularly updated to ensure that users are always using the most up-to-date SEO techniques
- Offers a free 14-day trial so you can try out the platform before committing to a paid subscription
- Easy to use interface
- Affordable pricing
SEMrush Cons:
- None – the help center makes it easy to learn all the tools within its vast SEO toolkit
SEMrush Pricing:
Monthly:
Annually:
- Pro plan: $99.95 per month (annual billing) or $119.95 (monthly billing)
- Guru plan: $199.95 per month (annual billing) or $229.95 (monthly billing)
- Business plan: $399.95 per month (annual billing) or $449.95 (monthly billing)
Empower your agency or enterprise and start ranking higher on Google, Bing, and other search engines with the best all-in-one SEO platform, Semrush.
Semrush provides everything from keyword research and ideation tools to rank tracking, competitive research, backlink tools, and so much more.
Try it out yourself with a FREE 7-day trial to test out Semrush’s powerful features and see if it’s the right SEO tool for your blogging journey.
Happy SEO-ing and I’ll see you on Google’s Page 1!
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2. SE Ranking – Top All-in-One SEO tool for agencies (new + comparable to SEMrush & Ahrefs)
Looking for a powerful and easy-to-use SEO platform? SE Ranking is just what you need. This cloud-based, all-in-one search engine optimization software offers a suite of SEO tools to help with everything from researching keywords to link building, all within a simple UI that’s also easy on the eyes.
It also has a free website analyzer that can identify areas of your site that need improvement. This handy search engine optimization tool crawls your website and collects data on a variety of SEO factors, so you can identify issues and fix them accordingly.
To the delight of many marketers, SE Ranking has a free version that can be leveraged for many projects before committing to a paid plan, and the platform is suitable for small businesses and large enterprises alike, with a wide range of features to get you started with SEO strategy.
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SE Ranking’s key features include:
- Crawl your web pages to find broken links, site errors, and other issues
- Identify and fix on-page SEO issues to improve your website’s SE ranking
- Generate XML sitemaps to submit to search engines
- Integrate with Google Analytics for comprehensive SEO performance data tracking
- Keyword research tools: helps you find the right specific keywords and other relevant keywords to target for your SEO campaign
- Competitor SEO analysis: lets you do rank tracking on your competitors’ web pages so you can stay one step ahead
- Site audit: identifies technical issues on your website that could be holding back your SEO strategy
- Social media management: lets you track your social media performance and engagement.
- Reporting and analytics: provides detailed reports on your SEO progress and ROI
- Easy-to-use interface
- Affordable pricing
SE Ranking Pros:
- Free trial for 14 days
- Full suite of SEO tools
SE Ranking Cons:
- Sometimes details are lacking regarding competitive insights
- Like other all-in-one SEO platforms, there is a learning curve
SE Ranking Pricing:
SE Ranking has a unique pricing system in which you can get a 20% discount for decreasing the frequency of your rankings checks from daily to every 3 days, and a 40% discount if you opt for weekly rankings checks. You can also score discounts that increase by 5% increments when you jump from monthly billing to quarterly, every 6 months, every 9 months, or annually, with discounts topping out at 60% when you choose annual billing and weekly rankings checks.
– Essential plan: $18.72 to $39 per month
– Pro plan: $42.72 to $89 per month
– Business plan: $90.72 to $189 per month
Try SE Ranking for FREE!
Discover the power of the top-rated all-in-one SEO platform, SE Ranking, for all your on-page and off-page SEO needs. Start your keyword planning + tracking, backlink analysis, and competitor research over an easy-to-use and eye-pleasing UI. The best part? It’s free to try for 14 days! ✨
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3. RankMath – Best SEO plugin for WordPress (I used to use Yoast but this is better)
When it comes to the best SEO plugins for WordPress, I’ve been a fan of Yoast for years, and it was only recently that I decided to give competitor RankMath a try while building my new site.
So far, I’m incredibly impressed with the experience, all the way down to the emails I get from company co-founder, Bhanu Ahluwalia, which strike a kind and helpful tone while providing immerse value from the start.
RankMath also boasts the fact that it’s the first WordPress SEO plugin to use AI, and while the idea of AI is complex, the tool itself is very easy to use.
That tool would be RankMath’s Content AI, which gives you ideas to further optimize your content using proprietary artificial intelligence, including additional keywords to target, optimization strategies, and more helpful SEO suggestions.
Like Yoast, RankMath comes with a free version, and so far I’ve loved its clean interface and sidebar placement within posts.
It has an easy-to-use SEO snippet editor for making post titles SEO-friendly for SERPs so that they don’t get truncated, setting custom URL slugs to optimize for target keywords, and writing detailed meta descriptions without exceeding character count limits.
RankMath SEO plugin for WP key features include:
- Super-Easy Setup Wizard – Get your WordPress SEO set up fast and easily with RankMath’s step-by-step setup wizard that will guide you through setting everything up for search engine success
- SEO analysis of your WordPress posts and pages – RankMath provides real-time feedback on your SEO progress as you’re writing content so that you can make changes to optimize your post for search engines
- Powerful Schema Markup Tools – Include structured data in your posts by simply pointing and clicking, or grab the schema from any other site on the internet and use it in your own site’s schema markup before validating it with RankMath within your WordPress dashboard
- Content optimization – Yoast helps you optimize your website’s title tags, meta descriptions, images, and other elements to ensure that your site is as visible as possible in the SERPs
- More Quick Edit Options with RankMath’s extra SEO fields
- Advanced Snippet Previews
- Google Search Console + Google Analytics 4 integration
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RankMath Pricing:
- RankMath’s Agency plan for its WordPress SEO plugin is ideal for high-volume agency owners and will run you $499 (ex VAT) per year, including support for 750 client sites and 750 Content AI Credits (valued at about $118 in itself) and 24/7 priority support.
- RankMath’s Business plan is ideal for freelance SEO professionals, business owners, and agency owners, and goes for $199 (ex VAT) per year, including support for 750 client sites and 200 Content AI Credits (valued at about $50 in itself) and 24/7 priority support.
- RankMath’s Pro plan is ideal for bloggers, individuals, and solopreneurs, and is just $59 (ex VAT) per year, including support for unlimited personal websites and 25 Content AI Credits, and 24/7 support.
- All of the above plans come with RankMath’s powerful schema generator SEO tool.
Try RankMath for FREE!
Power your WordPress site to the top of the search engine results pages (SERPs) with the best SEO plugin for WordPress, RankMath.
The best part? RankMath offers a free version that you’ll get tons of value out of before you decide to purchase the premium plugin! ✨
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4. Mangools – Best SEO software for small businesses and start-ups
If you’re a small business or start-up just getting started with SEO, Mangools is a great choice.
The platform offers a full suite of tools and features to help you with your SEO campaigns, including KWFinder for researching keywords, SERPChecker for SERP analysis, SERPWatcher for rank tracking, LinkMiner for backlink analysis, and SiteProfiler for SEO metrics and insights.
Plus, it’s extremely affordable for all that you get, with plans starting at just $29.90/month. This makes it by far one of the best value SEO tools on the market for startups and small businesses who don’t want to break the bank.
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Key features of Mangools include:
- Keyword research: this keyword tool helps you find the right keywords to target for your SEO campaign
- Competitor analysis: lets you see what your competitors are doing so you can stay one step ahead
- Site audits: identifies technical issues on your website that could be holding back your SEO success
- SEO reports: gives you an overview of your website’s SEO progress and performance
- Rank tracking: lets you track your rankings in the search results so you can see how your keywords are performing
Mangools Pricing:
- Mangools Basic – $29.90/month (annual billing) or $49/month (monthly billing)
- Mangools Premium – $39.90/month (annual billing) or $69/month (monthly billing)
- Mangools Agency – $79.90/month (annual billing) or $129/month (monthly billing)
Try Mangools for FREE!
Transform your website with Mangools and its comprehensive suite of 5 powerful SEO tools that will handle everything you need to rise in the search rankings.
From KWFinder for keyword research and LinkMiner for backlink analysis to SERPWatcher and SERPChecker for rank tracking and SERP analysis, along with SiteProfiler for SEO metrics and insights, Mangools has everything you need to succeed in search engine optimization.
The best part? You can try Mangools FREE right now with a 10-day trial, no credit card required.
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5. Surfer SEO – Best SEO tool for on-page optimization + writers
Surfer SEO is the best SEO software for on-page optimization and the perfect companion tool for writers, bloggers, and content creators. It helps businesses create SEO content that can get to the top of Google pages by optimizing each piece’s quality, from the titles, meta descriptions, and paragraphs to images, headings, and more.
Surfer SEO’s key features include:
- Content Editor: Based on your chosen target keyword(s), Surfer will grade your content’s quality on a numerical scale and let you know how much work you have left to make it optimized. Content Planner will help you take topical control of your entire domain, plan content clusters, and keep tabs on your content creation progress.
- SEO Audit: Helps find technical issues on your website that could be holding back your SEO success and opportunities for easy improvements. Analyzes content for word count, number of headings, NLP entities coverage, page speed, keyword density, NLP Sentiment, missing backlinks, referring domains, and meta tags structure.
- Keyword Research: Helps you find countless keyword and content ideas sorted into relevant topic clusters and organized by search intent so you never run out of things to write about on your site.
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With Surfer’s Content Editor feature, you can easily and automatically analyze webpages from competitors in your vertical to identify the most vital target keywords, semantically related keywords, and relevant long-tail keyphrases to include in your content to compete with Page 1 search results.
As you create your content using Surfer’s Content Editor, you’ll see your Content Score increase as you optimize it. In the image above, you can see that the article is trying to rank for the keyword “how to start with SEO” in Spanish, and so far it only has a 34 out of 100.
As they add more words, headings, paragraphs, and images to be within the recommended range, and as they incorporate the recommended terms listed in red, the score will raise closer to 100.
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If you need a helping hand, Surfer’s Keyword Research tool offers tons of topics and phrases related to your industry that are organized in topic clusters and optimized based on monthly search volume and keyword difficulty.
For an additional layer of optimization, use Surfer’s Audit tool to ensure each page within your website is optimized correctly – it’s like having an SEO expert living inside your laptop. You can check the Content Score, missing common backlinks, internal links, page structure, page speed, and more for each of your pages, ideal for ensuring all your content is at the same level of quality.
To stay ahead of SERP competition, use Surfer’s SERP Analyzer with real-time data tracking as you make content updates so you can measure improvements over time. The SERP Analyzer shows how the top-ranked pages stack up in terms of Content Score, Domain Score, word count, and other factors for any keyword you search for.
Surfer SEO Pricing:
- Basic – $49/month (annual billing) or $59/month (monthly billing)
- Pro – $99/month (annual billing) or $119/month (monthly billing)
- Business – $199/month (annual billing) or $239/month (monthly billing)
- Enterprise – Custom price
Try Surfer SEO risk-free!
Surfer SEO is the most life-changing SEO tool for agencies, writers, bloggers, creators, companies, and consultants cranking out copious quantities of content.
The Content Editor makes it worth investing in on its own, and with the addition of Surfer’s Keyword Research, Site Audit, and SERP Checker tools, its value is extraordinary.
The best part? You can try Surfer SEO risk-free right now with a 7-day money-back guarantee.
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SurferSEO is one of our favorite tools, and we use it daily in our remote work lifestyle.
Discover what else we use in our remote tool stack in our guide on the 39 Best Remote Work Tools For Working From Home + Remotely [Essential Software For Distributed Teams].
6. Ahrefs – Best SEO platform for agencies doing keyword research
Ahrefs is yet another popular all-in-one SEO platform that offers a suite of SEO tools to help with everything from keyword research to link building. It also has a free website analyzer that can identify areas of your site that need improvement and give insights into your website’s SEO health by identifying technical SEO errors, such as 404 errors, duplicate content, and more. Ahrefs can also provide data on your site’s and your competitors’ organic traffic, including keywords, search rankings, and more.
Ahrefs also offers an excellent in-depth look at your backlink profile and that of your competitors.
Whether you’re just getting started with SEO or you’re a seasoned pro, Ahrefs is a great tool to have in your arsenal. While Ahrefs’ premium versions are a bit pricier than some of the other options on this list, it is worth checking out before making an investment. Try it out in the free trial and see what you think.
Key Ahrefs features include:
- Keyword research tools – Ahrefs offers a comprehensive keyword database that includes over 20 billion keywords to help you find the right keywords to target for your SEO campaign
- Competitive analysis – With Ahrefs, you can do rank tracking for your competitors for various keywords and understand their SEO strategies so that you can replicate their success
- Site audits – Ahrefs can help you identify and fix on-page issues like broken links and other technical SEO problems that are holding your site back from ranking higher in the SERPs
- Backlink analysis – Ahrefs’ backlink SEO tool allows you to see which sites are linking to your competitors so that you can get quality links for your own site
- Local SEO listings – Claim and manage your business’s local listings to ensure accuracy and improve your visibility in the SERPs
Pros of using Ahrefs:
- Fast web crawling compared to other site auditors
Cons of using Ahrefs:
- No free trial, just limited access to some free tools
Ahrefs Pricing:
When I last checked, Ahrefs prices were displayed in GBP with no way to change them, even though in the FAQ below it says that prices can be displayed in USD, EUR, and JPY, as well. For now, the prices are only shown in pound sterling, and you can get 2 free months if you pay for a full annual subscription upfront (Ahrefs does not offer a free trial or other discounts, typically).
- Lite plan: £74 per month
- Standard plan: £149 per month
- Advanced plan: £299 per month
- Enterprise plan: £739 per month
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7. Moz Pro – Top old-school SEO platform for agencies
Moz is a popular all-in-one platform that offers a suite of SEO tools to help with everything from keyword research to link building. The OG search engine optimization software also has a free website analyzer that can identify areas of your site that need improvement. While it is a bit pricier than some of the other options on this list, it is definitely worth the investment.
Moz’s website analyzer is a great way to get insights into your website’s SEO health. It will identify errors on your site, such as 404 errors, duplicate content, and more. It also provides data on your site’s organic traffic, including keywords, backlinks, and more. While I don’t think Moz is necessarily the best SEO software for me, you may prefer it to my favorite SEO tools of SEMrush and GSC. Check out the free trial for 30 days to see if it fits your SEO needs.
Key Moz features include:
- Keyword tracking tools and keyword research: Moz offers a comprehensive keyword database that includes over 20 billion keywords to help you find the right organic keywords to target for your SEO campaign
- Competitive keyword analysis: With Moz, you can see your competitors’ SE ranking for various keywords and understand their SEO strategy so that you can decipher their plans and stay one step ahead
- Site audit: Moz can help you identify and fix on-page SEO issues and technical SEO problems that are holding your site back from ranking higher on the SERPs and hindering your SEO strategies, such as broken links (internal and external links) as well as see internal and external links and more detailed SEO analysis
- Local SEO listings: Claim and manage your business’s local listings to ensure accuracy and improve your visibility in search results
- Social media management: lets you track your social media performance and engagement
- Reporting and analytics: provides detailed reports used by many SEO professionals on your progress and ROI
Pros of using Moz:
- Access to expert support from Moz engineers
- Regular updates and new features to keep you ahead of the competition
- A 30-day free trial so you can try it before you buy
- Integration with popular digital marketing tools like Google Search Console and WordPress
- Keyword research SEO tools to help you find the right keywords to target
- Competitive analysis to see how you stack up against your competitors
- On-page SEO optimization tools to help you optimize your website for search engines
- Link-building SEO tools to help you increase your website’s authority
Moz Pro Pricing:
Moz offers a 20% discount to any customers who opt to pay for an annual subscription upfront.
- Standard plan: $99 per month
- Medium plan: $179 per month
- Large plan: $299 per month
- Premium plan: $599 per month
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8. Yoast – Top SEO plugin for WordPress bloggers (try it free if you don’t like RankMath)
Yoast is a popular WordPress plugin with free and premium versions that helps you optimize your website and content for search engines. It’s easy to use and set up, and provides a step-by-step guide to help you get the most out of your SEO efforts. For content creators using WordPress, getting the free version of Yoast and learning how to use it is an absolute must.
Yoast was one of the ways I helped learn SEO back in 2015. By constantly referencing it when creating blog posts, you’ll see the evolution of your work from a blank slate to a fully SEO-optimized blog post.
If anything, use Yoast to learn how to create the perfect SEO blog post on WordPress by writing one yourself and using it to cross-check your progress and input ideal Title Tags, Meta Descriptions, and other SEO metadata.
Yoast key features include:
- SEO analysis of your WordPress posts and pages – Yoast provides real-time feedback on your SEO progress as you’re writing content so that you can make changes to optimize your post for search engines
- Readability checker – Yoast’s readability checker ensures that your content is easy to read and understand, which is important for both users and search engine crawlers, so you know if you need to sound smarter or less snooty
- Content optimization – Yoast helps you optimize your website’s title tags, meta descriptions, images, and other elements to ensure that your site is as visible as possible in the SERPs
- Social media integration
- Google Search Console integration
Yoast Pricing:
- The premium Yoast WordPress SEO plugin will run you $99 per year per site, with one year of free updates and support, and it is well worth the price
- Yoast also makes a video SEO plugin, a local SEO plugin, a news SEO plugin, and a WooCommerce SEO plugin, all for WordPress and each running $79/year per site
- You can also bundle and save by getting Yoast SEO Premium with any other of the WordPress plugins in the last bullet for just $145 (save $33) or getting all five Yoast SEO plugins for $229 (save $186).
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9. KWFinder by Mangools – Best SEO tools to use for keyword research (free and paid)
KWFinder is a great SEO tool for both beginners and advanced users alike. A keyword research tool that helps you find long-tail keywords with low SEO difficulty that you can rank for, it’s one of the best SEO tools to perform keyword research with because it’s simple to use and provides accurate results.
KWFinder is also one of the few keyword research SEO tools that offer a free trial version. With the free version, you can perform 10 searches per day and get up to 100 results per search. If you need more searches or want more features, you can sign up for a paid plan starting at $29 per month. You can also check out the SERP overview to see how your competitors are ranking for various keywords.
Key KWFinder features include:
- Keyword analysis and research – KWFinder helps you find keyword suggestions, including long-tail keywords with low SEO difficulty that you can use to improve your website’s ranking in the SERPs
- SERP overview – Get an overview of how your competitors are ranking for various keywords so that you can optimize your website accordingly
- Keyword difficulty checker – KWFinder’s keyword difficulty checker lets you know how difficult it will be to rank for a particular keyword so that you can choose keywords that you have a better chance of ranking for
KWFinder Pricing:
KWFinder is one of five premium SEO tools you’ll find in the Mangools suite of search engine optimisation software, so the prices above reflect your monthly investment for all five.
- Basic – $29.90/month (annual billing) or $49/month (monthly billing)
- Premium – $39.90/month (annual billing) or $69/month (monthly billing)
- Agency – $79.90/month (annual billing) or $129/month (monthly billing)
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10. Majestic – Top SEO software for agencies and enterprises
Majestic is a popular backlink analysis SEO tool that can help you understand the link profile of your website and your competitors. With Majestic, you can see which sites are linking to yours, what kind of links they are, and the quality of those links. You can also use Majestic to find new link-building opportunities, a crucial component of SEO in digital marketing. While Majestic does have a free version, it is fairly limited. For full access to all of Majestic’s features, you’ll need to sign up for a paid plan. Plans start at $49.99 per month.
Key Majestic SEO software features include:
- Backlink analysis – See which websites are linking to yours, what kind of links they are, and the quality of those links
- Link building opportunities – Use Majestic to find new link building opportunities for your website
- Site explorer – Majestic’s site explorer lets you see detailed information about any website, including its link profile
Majestic SEO software Pricing:
- Lite – $49.99/month (billed monthly) or $41.67/month (billed annually)
- Pro – $99.99/month (billed annually) or $83.33/month (billed annually)
- API – $399.99/month (billed monthly) or $333.33/month (billed annually)
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11. Screaming Frog SEO Spider – Best site crawler SEO tool
If you’re looking for an SEO platform that covers multiple bases, Screaming Frog web crawler is a great choice. This handy desktop-based search engine optimization program crawls your website to collect data on a variety of SEO factors, so you can identify issues and fix them accordingly.
Screaming Frog has a free trial version that marketers can leverage for many projects before committing to a paid plan, but it is fairly limited, and the platform is suitable for small businesses and large enterprises alike, with a wide range of features to get you started with SEO.
Screaming Frog’s key features include:
- Crawl your website to collect data about on-site elements like titles and meta tags, h1 tags, and more, as well as find broken links, errors, and other issues
- Site explorer – Screaming Frog’s site explorer lets you see detailed information about any website, including its link profile
- Identify and fix on-page issues to improve your website’s ranking
- Generate XML sitemaps to submit to search engines
- Google Analytics integration for comprehensive data tracking
- Keyword research: helps you find the right keywords to target for your SEO campaign
- Competitor analysis: lets you see what your competitors are doing so you can stay one step ahead
- Site audits: identifies technical issues on your website that could be holding back your SEO success
- Reporting and analytics: provides detailed reports on your SEO progress and ROI
Pros of Using Screaming Frog SEO software:
- Easy to use interface
- Affordable pricing
- Free trial version
Screaming Frog Cons:
- The free trial version only allows for 500 URLs to be crawled, which is plenty for many small businesses and entrepreneurs, but may not be enough for some larger websites
- Some features can be overwhelming for beginners, but Screaming Frog provides tutorials and chat support if any questions arise.
Screaming Frog Pricing:
- Free for up to 500 URLs
- Standard plan: £149 per year (about $190 as of this writing)
- Discounts are available when you purchase multiple licenses
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12. Serpstat – Top SEO keyword research tool
Serpstat is an all-in-one SEO software platform that offers a wide range of features to help with your search engine optimization, from keyword rankings research and competitor analysis to site audits and backlink tracking. It’s easy to use and provides detailed data that can help you track your progress and find new growth opportunities. Plus, it’s affordable, making it a great choice for small businesses on a budget and larger enterprises alike, with monthly or yearly pricing options to suit your needs.
Some of Serpstat’s key features include:
- Keyword research: helps you find the right keywords to target for your SEO campaign
- Competitor analysis: lets you see what your competitors are doing in keyword rankings so you copy them and/or can stay steps ahead
- Site audits: identifies technical issues on your website that could be holding back your SEO performance
- Backlink tracking: keeps track of your website’s backlinks so you can identify and disavow any harmful links
Pros of using Serpstat SEO software:
- Easy-to-use interface
- Affordable pricing
- A comprehensive set of features
Cons of using Serpstat:
- Some features can be overwhelming for beginners, but SERPstat provides tutorials and chat support if any questions arise
SERPstat Pricing:
The above plans show Serpstat pricing when you’re billed annually. You earn a 5% incremental discount for every 3 extra months you pay for in advance. So, you save %5 up to $35 depending on how much you decide to pay for it upfront.
- Lite plan: $45/month (billed every 60 months) to $69 per month (billed monthly)
- Standard plan: $97/month (billed every 60 months) to $149/month (billed monthly)
- Advanced plan: $194/month (billed every 60 months) to $299/ month (billed monthly)
- Enterprise plan: $324/month (billed every 60 months) to $499/ month (billed monthly)
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13. WebCEO – Top SEO all-in-one platform for agency-level SEO analysis
WebCEO is an all-in-one SEO software platform that offers a wide range of features to help with your search volume and SEO strategies, from keyword research and competitor analysis to site audits and backlink tracking. It’s easy to use and provides detailed data that can help you track your progress and find new opportunities for growth. Plus, it’s not gonna break the bank, making it a great choice for small businesses on a budget, and it offers a 14-day free trial to test out its capabilities.
WebCEO’s key features include:
- Keyword research: helps you find the best target keywords for your SEO campaign
- Competitor analysis: lets you see what your competitors are doing so you can stay one step ahead
- Site audits: identifies technical issues on your website that could be holding back your SEO strategy
- Backlink tracking: keeps track of your website’s backlinks so you can identify and disavow any harmful links
- SEO reports: gives you an overview of your website’s SEO progress and performance
Pros of using WebCEO SEO software:
- Affordable pricing
- Easy to use interface
- Comprehensive set of features
Cons of using WebCEO SEO software:
- None
WebCEO Pricing:
- Solo plan: $37 per month (billed quarterly) or $33/month (billed annually)
- Startup plan: $99 per month (billed monthly) or $83/month (billled annually)
- Agency Unlimited plan: $99 per month + scanning fees (billed monthly) or $83/month annually + scanning fees (billled annually)
- Corporate plan: $299 per month (billed monthly) or $251/month annually (billled annually)
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14. Pingdom – Best SEO tool to test website speed
Pingdom is a website speed test tool that lets you see how fast your website loads, a crucial factor in search engine rankings. Simply enter your URL into the platform and Pingdom will provide a report with data on your page load time, the number of requests, and more. Plus, you’ll get specific recommendations on what you can do to improve your website’s speed. Like Google Page Speed Insights, Pingdom is a vital SEO tool for understanding how to speed up your web pages.
Key features of Pingdom include:
- Test your website’s speed
- Get specific recommendations on how to improve the speed at which your web pages load
- Compare your mobile and desktop speeds
- Track your progress over time
Pros of using Pingdom:
- Easy-to-use interface
- Detailed data and recommendations
Cons of using Pingdom:
- None
Pingdom Pricing:
- Synthetic Monitoring: $10/month (billed annually) or $15/month (billed monthly)
- Real-time Monitoring: $10/month (billed annually) or $15/month (billed monthly)
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15. Searchmetrics – Top SEO software for large enterprises
Searchmetrics is an enterprise-level SEO software platform that offers a comprehensive set of features to help large businesses with their SEO analysis. From keyword research and competitor analysis to site audits and backlink tracking, Searchmetrics has everything you need to plan, execute, and track your SEO campaigns. Plus, it’s backed by a team of experts who can provide support and guidance when you need it.
Searchmetrics’ key features include:
- Keyword research: helps you find the right keywords to target for your SEO campaign
- Competitor analysis: lets you see what your competitors are doing so you can stay one step ahead
- Site audits: identifies technical issues on your website that could be holding back your SEO success
- Backlink tracking: keeps track of your website’s backlinks so you can identify and disavow any harmful links
- SEO reports: gives you an overview of your website’s SEO progress and performance
Pros of using Searchmetrics:
- Backed by a team of experts
- Comprehensive set of features
Cons of using Searchmetrics:
- Higher investment than other platforms
Searchmetrics Pricing:
- Contact the company for pricing details
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16. Conductor – Best all in one SEO tools for enterprise keyword research
Conductor is a great choice for enterprise-level businesses that want to focus on keyword research. The platform offers a wide range of features to help you find the right keywords to target, including analysis of search engine results pages (SERPs), competitor analysis, and keyword difficulty tools. Plus, it offers detailed data and reports so you can track your progress and see how your keywords are performing.
Conductor’s key features include:
- Keyword research: this keyword tool helps you find the right keywords to target for your SEO campaign
- SERP analysis: lets you see how your keywords are performing in the search results
- Competitor analysis: lets you see what your competitors are doing so you can stay one step
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17. Ubersuggest – Best free SEO software tool with premium upgrades
Created by SEO expert Neil Patel, whose digital agency I’ve been fortunate enough to consult for, Ubersuggest is a fantastic SEO software choice for businesses on a tight budget that still want access to quality SEO tools. The platform offers a wide range of features, including keyword research, competitor analysis, site audits, and more. Plus, it’s free to use in a limited, but very helpful, capacity!
Key features of Ubersuggest include:
- Keyword tool: helps you research and discover the best keywords to target for your SEO campaign
- Competitor analysis: lets you see what your competitors are doing so you can stay one step ahead
- Site audits: identifies technical issues on your website that could be holding back your SEO success
- SEO reports: gives you an overview of your website’s SEO progress and performance
Pros of using Ubersuggest SEO software:
- Free to use
- Wide range of features
Cons of using Ubersuggest SEO software:
- None
Ubersuggest SEO software Pricing:
- Individual (1 to 3 websites) – $29/month or $290/ lifetime
- Business (4 to 7 websites) – $49/month or $490/lifetime
- Enterprise / Agency (8+ websites) – $99/month or $990/lifetime
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18. Advanced Web Ranking – Best rank tracking SEO software for agencies and enterprises
If you’re an agency or enterprise with a large website, Advanced Web Ranking is a great choice. The platform offers enterprise-level features and tools to help you with your SEO campaigns, including rank tracking, keyword research, site audits, competitor analysis, and more. Plus, it’s very affordable, with plans starting at just $49/month.
Key features of Advanced Web Ranking include:
- Rank tracking: lets you track your rankings in the search results so you can see how your keywords are performing
- Keyword research: this keyword tool helps you find the right keywords to target for your SEO campaign
- Competitor analysis: lets you see what your competitors are doing so you can stay one step ahead
- Site audits: identifies technical issues on your website that could be holding back your SEO success
- SEO reports: gives you an overview of your website’s SEO progress and performance
Pricing for Advanced Web Ranking:
Save 10% when you purchase an annual plan with Advanced Web Ranking.
- Standard – $49/month (monthly billing) or $44/month (annual billing)
- Pro – $99/month (monthly billing) or $89/month (annual billing)
- Agency – $199/month (monthly billing) or $179/month (annual billing)
- Enterprise – $499/month (monthly billing) or $449/month (annual billing)
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18. SpyFu – Best SEO tool for comprehensive competitor analysis and PPC strategy
SpyFu is some of the best SEO software for tracking competitors’ search volume and keyword rankings that can help you boost your SEO efforts by understanding what your competitors are doing and how they’re ranking in the search engine results, as it allows you to see the keywords your competitors are targeting and how they’re ranking for them.
With SpyFu, you can see which keywords your competitors are bidding on in Google Ads PPC campaigns so that you can adjust your strategy accordingly in Google Keyword Planner. You can also see which of your competitor’s Google Ads are performing well so that you can improve your own paid ad campaigns and organic content, as well. In addition, SpyFu provides historic and current data on your competitor’s backlink profile, so that you can identify high-quality link opportunities for your site.
Spy Fu Pricing:
SpyFu offers up to 30% off when you sign up for an annual plan. At the time of this writing, you can also save even more if you sign up for a free trial of ClickCease when you sign up to SpyFu.
- Basic plan – $39 per month (limited-time offer of $9/month when you sign up to ClickCease free trial)
- Professional plan – $79 per month (limited-time offer of $49/month when you sign up to ClickCease free trial)
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What Are the Best Free SEO Tools?
Before moving on to the paid SEO tools listed above, you can learn and get a feel for the practice with the best free SEO tools listed below. You’ll be able to gain sound insights into your SEO metrics from free SEO software providers before investing in a more robust SEO software tool like SEMrush, Ahrefs, or SE Ranking.
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1. Google Search Console – Best free SEO tool (must-use)
If you’re looking for a free platform to help you with your SEO in 2024, look no further than Google Search Console. GSC offers a wealth of information about your website’s performance. You can use it to track your website’s progress, find and fix errors, and much more. This is an essential tool for any marketer or small business website owner serious about SEO.
GSC also gives you insights into how your website is performing in Google Search, allows you to submit your website and sitemap for indexing, and, in conjunction with Google Analytics, provides data on your website’s organic search traffic, including visitor demographics (who), the pages they visit (what/where), and the time and duration of each visit (when/how long).
Whether you’re just getting started with SEO tools or you’re a seasoned pro, Google Search Console is a must-have tool to have in your arsenal.
Key GSC features include:
- Performance reporting
- Search analytics
- Website submission
- Sitemap monitoring
Google Search Console Pricing:
Free
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2. Google Analytics – Best free tool for website analytics (must connect to GSC)
Google Analytics (GA) is a free website analytics tool that gives you insights into how people are finding and interacting with your website. With GA, you can track things like where your traffic is coming from, what pages are being viewed the most, and how long people are staying on your site.
You can also use GA to set up goals so that you can track conversions and other important SEO metrics. While GA is fairly complex for being one of the best free SEO tools, there’s a lot of documentation and support available so that you can get the most out of it.
Pros of using Google Analytics:
- Free to use
- Offered by the most trusted and most used search engine
- A comprehensive set of features
- Easy to use interface
- Detailed data and reports
- No cons to it
Google Analytics Pricing:
Free
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3. Bing Webmaster Tools – Best free SEO tool for tracking on Bing
Bing Webmaster Tools (BWT) is a free service from Microsoft that offers a comprehensive set of features to help you optimize your website for the Bing search engine by providing valuable data about your website. You can use it to track your website’s traffic, submit your sitemap to Bing, and see how Bing views your site. This is a must-use SEO tool for small businesses that want to improve their organic search rankings on Bing.
Bing’s SEO platform includes keyword tools that allow you to see how often certain terms are searched for on their engine and how your website is performing for those queries. This data can be used to improve your website’s ranking on Bing for targeted keywords. It also offers a variety of features to help you optimize your website for better visibility and ranking, including site activity reports, keyword research, and backlink data.
BWT’s key features include:
- Site activity reports: lets you see how your website is performing on Bing, including the number of impressions and clicks your site is getting
- Keyword research: helps you find the right ideas for keyword targeing and specific keywords to target for your SEO campaign
- Backlink data: provides information on the websites that are linking to yours, so you can identify and disavow any harmful links
Pros of using BWT:
- Free to use
- Offered by a trusted, major search engine
- Comprehensive set of features
- Easy to use interface
- Detailed data and reports
Pros of BWT:
- Free to use
Cons of using BWT:
- Limited features compared to other platforms
BWT Pricing:
Free
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4. Google Trends – Best free tool for keyword research
Google Trends is a free keyword tool that allows you to see how popular keywords were over time and in the current moment. You can also use it to see how often certain keywords are being searched for on Google. You can use it to find popular keywords in your industry or niche and use that information to improve your website’s ranking on Google.
One of the best things about Google Trends is that it’s updated in real-time, so you always have the most accurate data. Additionally, you can use it to compare multiple keywords side-by-side to see which one is more popular.
Pros of using Google Trends:
- Free to use
- Offered by the most trusted and most used search engine
- Real-time data
- Ability to compare multiple keywords
Cons of using Google Trends:
- Limited data and features
Google Trends Pricing:
Free
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5. Answer The Public – Best free keyword tool for content ideas
Recently acquired by SEO magnate Neil Patel of Ubersuggest and NP Digital, Answer The Public is a free tool for researching keywords that allows you to see what questions people are asking about your keywords. This information can be used to improve your content strategy and create content that is more likely to rank on Google.
On top of that, Answer The Public offers a visualization tool that shows you the most popular keywords in a mind map. This can help you brainstorm new content ideas or identify new keywords to target.
Pros of using Answer The Public:
- Free to use (and kinda fun, dare I say)
- Offers unique data that other tools don’t
- Mind map visualization tool can be useful for idea generation
Cons of using Answer The Public:
- Limited data and features
Answer The Public Pricing:
Free
6. Google Page Speed Insights – Top free SEO website speed test tool
Google PageSpeed Insights is a free tool that analyzes your website’s speed and provides recommendations on how to improve it. Simply enter your URL into the platform and Google will provide a report with data on your page load time, mobile speed, and more.
Plus, you’ll get specific tips on what you can do to improve your website’s speed, so you can make the necessary changes and see a real difference in your performance.
Key features of Google PageSpeed Insights include:
- Analyze your website’s speed and performance
- Get specific recommendations on how to improve your website’s speed
- Compare your mobile and desktop speeds
- Track your progress over time
Pros of using Google PageSpeed Insights:
- Free to use
- Easy to use interface
- Detailed data and recommendations
Cons of using Google PageSpeed Insights:
- None
Google PageSpeed Insights Pricing:
Free
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What to consider when choosing SEO tools for business?
Most marketing teams, small business and agency owners, and tech-savvy entrepreneurs know that search engine optimization (SEO) is essential to driving website traffic, generating leads, and building brand visibility.
Not to mention the fact that SEO is a highly monetizable skill for freelance writers and content creators to add to their repertoire.
But with so many top SEO tools to choose from in 2024, it can be overwhelming to decide 4which ones are worth your time and money to make the most positive impact on your business, especially when some come with hefty price tags and you’re not an SEO pro.
If you’re wondering what the best SEO tools are for you, the answer depends on a few important factors:
- Budget
- Business size
- SEO needs
- Search engine optimization proficiency
The SEO tool options are constantly changing, with new software coming out every year, so it’s not easy to know what’s best for search engine optimization in your specific situation.
Not to mention that some of the top tools perform the same tasks, but have access to different databases and information feeds, so the results you get for the same keyword could appear different across multiple tools.
But fear not! Based on my extensive experience and throwing down thousands of my own dollars to trial and use certain software for my SEO consulting business, I’ve put together a list of what I consider the best SEO tools for marketers, consultants, agencies, and enterprises that are currently on the market so that you can get started on your search engine optimization journey without any hiccups (cuz who wants those?).
Please know that these are all tools I’ve personally tested and vetted over my career to understand their capabilities and true value, and in most cases, I’ve invested my own hard-earned money to use them to gain insights and generate report data for clients in my SEO consulting business.
In this article, you’ll discover the best SEO tools for search engine optimization, content planning, and digital marketing in 2024, so that you can make an informed decision about which ones to use in growing your agency, enterprise, or career as an SEO expert — and potentially save some serious time and money.
By the end, you’ll know:
- Exactly which SEO tool is best for your business, agency, or enterprise
- Which SEO software you want to test out in a free trial or purchase for 1 month or longer to test out
- If you’re more comfortable outsourcing your search engine optimization strategy to an expert SEO consultant to help you navigate the stormy seas of search
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The best SEO tools for agencies in 2024: Where to start
From free SEO tools from the leading search engines themselves to robust premium platforms that can manage everything you’ll ever need in search engine optimization, the following list will give you ideas for creating the perfect combination of tools to put into your SEO tool stack, no matter what stage you’re at in building your business.
You don’t need to get all the tools in this list, but I do recommend signing up to, linking your site to, and learning how to use Google Search Console, Google Analytics, and Bing Webmaster Tools before you do anything else. These will help give you the lay of the land in SEO and begin get your website visible in the search results.
After that, check out the all-in-one SEO platforms and take them each for a test drive with a free trial. You don’t really need to pay for more than one of these SEO tools when you begin, and the main players like SEMrush, Ahrefs, Moz, and upstart SE Ranking offer many of the same features, so your choice may ultimately come down to price, user experience, and which one looks the best to you. It’s all about nuance with these SEO tools.
My old favorite all-in-one SEO tool was SEMrush, and I still highly recommend it even though I’ve grown to like newcomer SE Ranking as an all-in-one option. (Full disclosure: I like SEMrush so much that I purchased and still own a small number of shares of its stock.) B both SE Ranking and SEMrush have so many remarkable features and both are affordable whether you opt for monthly or discounted annual pricing (but like any digital marketing tools as powerful as these, they are an investment). I’ll be writing full SE Ranking and SEMrush reviews soon, where I delve deep into each platform’s rich features and benefits.
Another great SEO platform is SE Ranking, which I really enjoyed using when I recently tested it out in a free trial, and I also recommend giving it a Wheel of Fortune-style free spin to see if you like it, too. SE Ranking offers many of the same features as SEMrush, and it has its own look and vibe (or UX and UI for you techie marketers out there) that you may prefer.
Currently, I’m also testing out Ahrefs after hearing some great things, and I absolutely love it. It’s very user-friendly for beginners with an easy-to-understand interface, so I highly recommend getting a monthly subscription to do keyword research if you’re an SEO newb.
You can also look into similar SEO platforms like Moz and Ubersuggest, but, in the end, aim to settle on one main all-in-one SEO tool that fits your needs, wants, and budget.
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Best SEO tools for marketers, agencies, and enterprises in 2024: Wrappin’ it up
There you have it! Search engine optimization is a complex and ever-changing field, but the right SEO software can make it a whole lot easier.
This list of the best SEO tools for marketing in 2024 will help you get started on the right foot and track your progress over time, so you can keep your SEO efforts moving in the right direction for your small biz, agency, or enterprise.
Ultimately, the best SEO tool for you depends on your business or project’s needs.
If you want an all-in-one platform that offers a suite of SEO tools, SEMrush is the best SEO tool to choose. If you’re mostly interested in keyword research, KWFinder is a great option. And if you’re looking for a free SEO tool from Google, Search Console is worth checking out to get ideas for your search engine optimization strategy.
Of course, these are just some of the best SEO tools to help you with your SEO in 2024 based on my personal experience with them as an expert SEO consultant for major brands and former Head of SEO & Content for a tech company. If you’re serious about improving your website’s SEO, be sure to check out all of the options on this list to find the best tool for your needs.
No matter which SEO software you choose, make sure to use it regularly to track your website’s progress and take advantage of the insights it provides. With the right SEO tool, you can take your site’s performance to the next level and get traffic that you never dreamed of coming to your site.
I hope you find these SEO tools helpful and that they give you a good starting point for your search engine optimization journey. Happy optimizing!
Looking for more help with your SEO?
Check out my blog for more articles on SEO, content marketing, and copywriting.
And, if you’d like a little more help when it comes to your SEO strategy, hit me uuuuuup:
I’m a passionate SEO professional who is always ready to share my search engine optimization expertise with bold businesses looking to do right in the world.
Contact me today to learn more about how I can help you take your SEO to the next level with expert-level SEO and content strategy consulting.
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