Do you want to improve your search performance? Are you interested in gaining more visibility through the organic search engine?
If yes, then you’re the reason why I spent time to test each of these SEO tool that will totally redefine how you do search engine optimization in 2017.
And after you get the right tools in place, you’ll also want to have a comprehensive strategy for building links and improving your SEO results.
Of course, when you learn how to use each tool and put it to good use, you will definitely reach a larger audience and take your revenue to the next level.
Let’s dive in.
1. SEMrush
SEMrush is one of the few SEO tools that I recommend to my clients and students. SEMrush works in a unique way, by showing you who your competitors are, their keywords, inbound links, referring domains, and more.
Instead of wasting time trying to find best keywords to target, just enter your competitor URL into SEMrush and you’ll lay your hands on every single keyword phrase that’s bring them organic traffic and top rankings.
Yes SEMrush is a paid tool, but you can use the free version to launch a full-blown SEO campaign.
2. Ahrefs
Ahrefs is a backlink analysis tool. I’m yet to find any SEO expert or blogger who hasn’t used this tool. Beyond tracking your own links and checking how healthy your link profile is, you can also spy on your competitor.
Ahrefs is huge. It currently has over a trillion links in its index, which is updated several times in a week, sometimes once a day. The simple user interface and index makes Ahrefs a tool that anyone can use.
3. Open Site Explorer
Open Site Explorer is the brainchild of Moz. It’s a link analysis tool that’s bundled with Moz Pro.
If you’re familiar with Domain Authority (DA) and Page Authority (PA); two powerful metrics that have become a popular mantra in the SEO world, then you can’t ignore OSE.
If you want to develop a healthy link profile, you need to find link building opportunities as well as get rid of broken or damaging links that are pointing to your domain name. Use the Open Site Explorer to simplify the entire process.
4. Raven Tools
As someone who’s interested in search engine optimization, it’s important to understand how SEO works, the factors that affect rankings, and how to fully take advantage of them.
In other words, site audit is an all-important SEO practice. Raven Tools Site Auditor will help you discover on-page SEO issues that have hindered your web pages from ranking in Google’s top results pages.
On the flip side, the Raven’s Online Marketing Tools are designed to help you get the best of social media, paid search, as well as save you time and money.
5. Screaming Frog Link Analyzer
Screaming Frog is a robust SEO spider tool. You need to install it locally on your PC, Linux or Mac. It can crawl your CSS, scripts, images, website links, and apps to pinpoint possible on-page issues.
The Screaming Frog Log File Analyzer is an important tool in the package, which is used by SEOs to scan, analyze, and understand the state of their links and overall link profile.
The Screaming Frog SEO Log File Analyzer analyzes your files, and also shows you how search engine spiders from Bing and Google sees your site and pages, and possible ways to make improvements.
6. CognitiveSEO
Are you analyzing your links properly? If you still need a handy SEO tools suite, why not consider CognitiveSEO?
I recently discovered the tool and have been using the “Unnatural Link Detection” feature to identify risky backlinks that could trigger a penalty.
7. Market Samurai
Market Samurai has been in the trenches for a long time. It’s a Keyword Analysis tool. It also shows you the level of competition which you’re up against.
Once you’ve downloaded it, you’ll be able to generate laser-targeted long-tail keywords with low competition. This makes it easier to create content that motivated organic buyers to your website.
Truth is, selecting the right keyword is an uphill task. With Market Samurai, keyword research is easy and rewarding.
8. KeywordTool.io
This is one of my favorite keyword research tool. KeywordTool.io is powerful, because it scrapes Google Autosuggest results, thus giving you the very best keywords in its long form variations.
Although Google have plans of restricting access to Autosuggest search query index, but for now the tool is still scraping it and working perfectly.
I use the tool each time I want to build a niche site. The long-tail keywords that you’ll generate with the tool may not be found with other tools. You can bet on it.
9. LinkResearchTools
For most people, link building starts with finding potential opportunities and studying extensively to know what makes a particular link better than the other.
LinkResearchTools is your most accurate backlink profiler that produces fresh results all the time.
As a Link Data Platform, you can combine up to 24 link analysis tools into one, and compare the results. Isn’t it priceless!
10. Moz Local Listing Score
Do you run a local business? What’s your score in the organic listings?
Do you know how search engine bots see your website online?
Moz Local Listing Score is calculated using data from more than 15 credible sources, such as Foursquare, Facebook, and of course Google – to gauge and score your brick-and-mortar business.
11. Schema Creator
It’s your responsibility to customize how you want your search results to appear. If you’re looking to generate more organic traffic, and improve rankings, then you need the Schema Creator tool.
The Schema Creator tool enables you to create custom code, so that the customer reviews, organizations, events, and every information about your product or page are displayed the way you want on search engine results pages.
After creating your Schema code, you need to copy and paste it on your website. Better yet, you can install the free WordPress plugin for a quicker implementation.
12. SERPs Rank Checker
Do you know where your website is ranking for its primary keywords? Sadly, not every webmaster knows this. But it’s important.
Most people are simply excited because of the organic traffic their keywords are generating, and forget that tracking results is often better than the results itself. Why?
Because in the event of an algorithm update, it’s difficult to make improvements if you don’t know your keywords’ current positions.
The SERPs Rank Checker can solve this problem for you. Just enter your website URL and keyword to get ranking positions.
13. Browseo
Do you know how a search engine bot sees your website?
Well, that’s what the Browseo SEO tool will help you actualize. When you enter your website URL, this handy tool will remove some of the irrelevant elements on your page and reveal the things that search engines see.
With Browseo, you can see the order of resources on your website. If you need to make changes based on how things are arranged on your page, you can easily do that.
14. SEO Site Checkup
It’s high time you score your website? But it begins with an website audit.
SEO Site Checkup will help you scan your entire web pages, and give you a comprehensive data on possible errors that hinder your web pages from ranking highly in Google.
During and after the site audit, you’ll see important fixes, semi-important fixes, and passed checks, as in the example chart above.
When you click on the “Improve Your Score” you’re shown possible ways to fix these errors, especially the important ones. The higher your score, the better.
15. AuthoritySpy
AuthoritySpy is my favorite “Authority hacking” SEO tool. If you want to reach influencers in your niche, this tool will show you who the top influencers are. How? The tool will scour through top industry directories and portals, such as AllTop, FollowerWork, and Twitter.
In essence, AuthoritySpy doesn’t only find influential people that you can reach out to, but also industry blogs with potential that you’re looking for.
16. Buzzstream
Buzzstream is a link building and digital PR tool. Trust me, it’s huge! You need a tool like Buzzstream if you’re looking to build massive links, or collaborate with a team in securing authority links.
Yes you can reach influencers quickly, build strong relationships and manage them easily, as well as conduct personalized outreach that produces dramatic results.
You may not need another influencer outreach tool. Buzzstream is powerful enough.
Don’t believe me? All right, Leadsmasher.com, a lead generation agency, took a Local Pest Control company to the top of Google for their money keywords and tripled their revenue using Buzzstream.
17. Citation’s Lab Broken Link Finder
How do you find broken links on the web?
For most people, they do it page-by-page. Of course there’s nothing wrong with that, but what about the wasted time?
Can you make it easier? Sure you can. The Citation’s Lab Broken Link Finder will search the web for broken links. Just enter your keyword and the tool will scour the web and show you dead links that you can take advantage of.
Armed with these links, you can use Wayback Machine to see what was on those pages initially, so that you can create a similar content – and earn your link.
18. Disavow.it
After Google rolled out the Penguin update, the Disavow theory was introduced, to help website owners and SEOs fix unnatural and spammy links.
Disavow.it is simple. Though it doesn’t find spammy links, but when you have a list of spammy links, Disavow.it turns them into a disavow file that Google can further use to reinstate your websites back in the SERPs, or lift the penalty on your website.
19. Guest Post Tracker
Since links are pivotal to organic search rankings, and guest blogging happens to be a proven link building strategy, it’s important that you understand how it works and where to find opportunities.
Guest Post Tracker is a paid tool that shows you 1000+ websites and industry blogs that currently accepts quality guest posts. You can even track these websites, and reach out to the editor to discuss future partnership opportunities.
All of the websites in their database may not be high quality, but majority of them are. I have used the Guest Post Tracker in 2015, and will continue to use it in the coming years.
20. Outreachr
Content promotion can be challenging, especially when you don’t have the right tool.
The truth is, if you aren’t marketing your content and getting links to your web pages, you would find it very difficult to rank in Google’s top 10 results pages.
The good news is, you can use Outreachr. Outreachr is a SEO tool that will scour the web for websites and influencers that accept your content and link back to you, as well as PR opportunities on any niche.
The great feature within Outreachr allows you to adjust your settings to high Domain Authority sites. This way, you’ll only reach out to trusted and active blogs.
21. Google Alerts
Google Alerts can help you achieve your SEO related goals. However, you need to use it consistently to fully understand how it works. One of the critical things that you can do is set up alert to monitor your top 3 competitors.
This way, you’ll be alerted on your email when they are mentioned or linked to by another website, blog, or web outlet. And you can take advantage of that to earn your own links as well.
Additionally, you can set up alerts for your branded keywords (e.g., Backlinko SEO, Neil Patel quicksprout). Why? Because you want to know when these keywords are mentioned by other sites for the purpose of link earning.
When you do get alerts, remember to send a quick email to the blogger, marketer, or author, who mentioned you and request a link.
I know brands that spend huge amount of money on SEO. In fact, nearly 60% of B2B marketers say that SEO has the biggest impact on lead generation. More importantly, organic leads convert better.
Don’t be left behind. There are several aspects of SEO that can be automated, and these 21 tools can help you do that.
Whether you’re doing SEO for a national brand or local company, if you learn and master how to use one or a handful of these tools, it will enhance your SEO strategy, and give you better results.
What tools would you add to the list?
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