2023 Best SEO Software For Marketers
The primary goal of search engine optimization (SEO) is to help your website rank higher in search engines, such as Google. This enables you to drive more traffic to your website. To be effective at SEO, however, you’ll need some tools at your disposal. Here is the best SEO software available today.
These SEO tools will help you perform keyword research, optimize your website content and improve your website’s visibility on Google. We hope our guide helps you to find the best tools for your needs and budget.
Best SEO Software 2023
- Ahrefs: Overall Best Overall All-in-One SEO Tool
- KWFinder: Best Value
- WooRank: Best for User-Friendliness
- Semrush: Best for Power Users
- BrightLocal: Best for Local SEO
How To Choose The Best SEO Software
When deciding on which is the best SEO software for you, you will want to consider a few factors. To start, consider your goals and how you plan to achieve them. For example, if you are looking to improve your ranking in search by tweaking site elements such as meta descriptions, copy and title tags you will need to make sure that the SEO tool is compatible with your website’s content management system, such as WordPress or Wix.
Another thing to consider is whether you need ongoing SEO assistance as many of the best SEO tools offer tools to help you improve your site in the long-term with ongoing optimizations, site audits and reports. However, not all are created for this purpose. Some are geared towards helping you better select keywords and craft SEO-friendly content around said keywords.
Methodology
In our analysis of dozens of top SEO software and tools, Forbes Advisor took every effort possible to make sure that we recommend solutions that are priced fairly in light of the value offered, provide the features you need to be successful at SEO and offer the support you require. Knowing that SEO tool users include everyone from beginners to technically advanced professionals, we also considered user-friendliness in our evaluation.
- Features and Functionality: Since the primary goal of SEO is to help your website rank higher on Google, we considered which features were important to help you do that, such as keyword research tools, SERP rank tracking, content evaluation tools, competitor analysis, backlink monitoring and website audit functionality.
- Ease of Use: The best SEO tools are often so feature-rich that they require a bit of a learning curve. Yet, some tools are more user-friendly than others, and we took that into account when creating this list.
- Pricing: While there are some free SEO tools, the most powerful tools come at a price. Forbes considered whether the fees charged for the tools were in line with the value offered.
- Customer Support: The types and quality of support offered via online learning resources and direct support modalities, such as email, chat and phone, matters to customers, and thus, Forbes factored in support features as we created this list of best SEO tools.
Best Free SEO Tools
Businesses on a tight budget might not yet be in a place where they can afford premium all-in-one SEO software. Thankfully, there are a number of excellent free SEO tools available that can provide invaluable insights to help you build or improve your search optimization efforts.
Here are a handful of the best free SEO tools available today:
- SEO Analyzer: Simply type your web address into the SEO Analyzer review bar, and the tool reveals SEO mistakes and ideas for better optimizing your site content. Be patient; it can take several minutes for the Analyzer to process your results.
- Google Search Console (GSC): Use GSC to discover the keywords your site is already ranking for, which pages are ranking for which keywords and to troubleshoot problem areas on your website that may be impacting your Google Search results.
- Google Keyword Planner (GKP): Access GKP within your free Google Adwords account to research keywords that you can use to optimize your content for search.
- AnswerThePublic (ATP): This visual SEO tool offers keyword insights on questions people ask on Google. The free version of ATP gives you up to three searches a day.
- PageSpeed Insights (PSI): If you want to rank higher on Google, it’s essential that your website loads quickly. Google’s PSI tool evaluates your site’s performance on both mobile and desktop devices and then delivers specific suggestions on how to improve site load times.
- SEOquake: Install this free Chrome extension, which gives you an SEO toolbar that provides insights on where the site ranks on Google, backlinks to the site, SERP rankings and more.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Which is the best SEO tool?
Forbes Advisor named Ahrefs the best overall SEO tool. The best tool for you will depend on your exact needs. For example, BrightLocal is perfect for local SEO, while KWFinder is an excellent, budget-friendly SEO tool.
Are SEO tools worth it?
Absolutely. If your business success depends heavily on how much high-quality traffic you drive to your website, you need to master SEO. It’s virtually impossible to improve your Google rankings without using SEO tools for keyword research, backlink monitoring, competitive analysis and website optimization audits.
Is SEO better than Google Ads?
SEO is better for achieving greater visibility on Google in the long run without paying Google Ads’ high advertising fees. Google Ads allows you to increase visibility for your website content immediately, though you’ll pay for that visibility through advertising fees.
What is an SEO service provider?
SEO service providers help you increase your visibility in search engines and thereby assist you in generating more traffic for your website. An SEO service provider may conduct a variety of tasks, including auditing your existing website for SEO effectiveness, conducting a keyword search, developing an SEO plan to outrank the competition and writing SEO copy for your site.
Is SEO software secure?
As with most types of software, the best SEO software programs offer many levels of security. When choosing this type of software, you want to look for security features like documentation that show frequent security updates and patches, intrusion detection, two-factor authentication (2FA) or multifactor authentication (MFA), data encryption, privacy protection and the monitoring of user activities.
Is SEO good for small businesses?
SEO is definitely good for small businesses, especially if your business depends on potential customers finding you online. Optimizing your website for search engines is one of the most cost-effective ways of increasing your visibility to prospective customers who are already searching online for the services or products your small business offers.
How can I improve my website's search ranking?
The best way to improve your website’s search ranking is to make it more authoritative. This occurs by providing authoritative content that web searchers are looking for and find it useful and that other sites also find useful―to the point that they are willing to backlink, or link from their site to your site to the information that you provide. The better the site is that backlinks to your content, the more authoritative your site will appear to the search engines, which will improve your search rankings.