Stepping into Search Engine Optimization is never a simple task – far from it. At times, it can be very challenging, especially when you invest time, energy, and money into it but the results are still pending. However, this doesn’t mean that you should give up on it. Rather, you need to push harder and find new ways to make it work. Luckily, the world today is filled with SEO experts, tools, guidelines, examples, success stories, etc. So, all you need to do is find the best formula for your business. And to start you off on that journey, we offer you this list of the top-rated tools that SEO experts use and praise when it comes to helping themselves and others grow their business.
12 top-rated tools that SEO experts use
The following tools are all well-established and trial-tested by SEO specialists. They are the absolute best examples of how a piece of software can make your optimization efforts a whole lot easier.
#1: Google Search Console
As the most obvious choice among SEO tools, the Search Console by Google grants you access to stats and the state of your presence in Google SERP (Search Engine Results Page). What makes it even more practical for use is the simple fact that it is free for anyone with a website. So, how does it work?
- You need to verify your website – either by indexing it through Google Analytics or by adding some code to it.
- Even without having an actual account, you can control which of your site pages get indexed and which parts of it search engine bots see.
- As an added benefit, the Search Console as an SEO checker tool can help you to better grasp how Google and its users view your website. As a result of that data, you can further optimize and improve your website, both for users and search engines.
#2: Ahrefs
As a top contender among SEO keyword tools, Ahrefs is only second to Google when it comes to website crawling capabilities. As a top-rated SEO analysis tool currently available, you will find that a large number of SEO experts rely on Ahref’s Site Audit feature. It can easily red-flag the parts of your website you need to resolve to gain a higher ranking on search results. Additionally, the reason why this is on our list of top-rated tools that SEO experts are the competitive edge it gives. You can use it to explore the backlink profile of your competitors and the most popular content in your niche.
#3: SEMRush
When talking about the SEO community favourites among tools, we can’t skip SEMRush. One of the features you need to try out is the Domain vs Domain analysis – a feature that can cross-compare your rankings with that of your top competitors. Of course, the easy access to rankings and any immediate changes only adds to the usefulness of SEMRush. With the analytics reports this on-page SEO checker tool offers, you can easily explore any of the following information:
- Your website’s search data
- Amount of traffic on your web pages
- Competitor SEO efforts and tactics
- Keywords and domains comparison, etc.
Using SEMRush is an established practice in the digital marketing world, especially when you’re searching for ways to boost your online presence. It is excellent for planning out new directions in which to take your business, developing strategies for practically any niche you can think of. One of the examples would be the relocation and logistics industry, where it has proven to be crucial in developing marketing activities for moving companies.
#4: KWFinder
Are you searching for quality long-tail keywords to target without having to battle too much competition for them? If so, then an SEO keyword tool like KWFinder might be the perfect fit for your company. The Rank Tracker tool it uses enables a quick way to pinpoint your rankings based on a single key metric. Plus, a completely new range of keyword ideas will open up to you.
#5: Moz
The continuous up-to-date status and chat option are just two of the most notable reasons why people include Moz among the top-rated tools SEO experts actually use. Moz is a full-service piece of SEO software, with an ocean of useful information, whether you are looking for a site crawl or keyword recommendations.
#6: Majestic
As far as experts in the SEO and marketing industries are concerned, Majestic definitely takes the cake as a marketing SEO tool. With features such as The Majestic Million (ranking of top million websites) and The Site Explorer (overview of your online store and backlinks profile), it offers great insights. Additionally, it functions as an SEO keyword tool. And you can use it to find the best keywords for your particular business to rank for.
#7: Google Trends
Despite begin around for decades, Google Trends is an SEO checker tool that has always been underutilized. However, it can be detrimental in the business growth of any company, no matter the stage. How? Simple – it offers detailed insight into current trends circling around any particular topic that comes to mind. With it, you can get top queries, rising queries, interest over time, and the interest-based on geo-location.
#8: SEOQuake
Are you just starting out your business and don’t really have the funds to invest in the top-rated tools SEO experts actually use? No worries. That’s why there are tools like SEOQuake – rated best among the free SEO tools out there! As an extension of Google Chrome, this tool is phenomenal when it comes to on-page audits, assessing internal & external links, as well as analyzing the competition. Other features:
- Keyword density analysis
- Easy-to-read SEO dashboard
- Export data
#9: Screaming Frog
If you are on the lookout for an SEO tool to help you save time, look into the potential that Screaming Frog offers. When it comes to speed of analyzing websites, there are but a few other tools that can really compare to this one. It is faster than most other solutions out there, making it the obvious choice among top-rated tools that SEO experts actually use. Other data that it offers include duplicate content, errors to fix, bad redirections, and areas of improvement for link building.
#10: CORA
CORA is a preferred choice for those looking for a more advanced-level SEO tool. As far as tools are concerned, it’s definitely not among the cheapest ones out there, but it is all-inclusive. So, you will definitely be getting your money’s worth by opting for using it. In fact, according to current trends and comments, a high number of medium-large businesses tend to use it to discover all the weaknesses and potential improvements for their websites.
#11: Serpstat
There are always those searching for all-in-one tools that can help their businesses grow online. If that is your goal as well, then you should definitely look into the opportunities that Serpstat offers to users. SEO, PPC, or content marketing – this growth-hacking platform manages it all. Simple to use, it offers you an optimal way to:
- resolve SEO tasks;
- analyze competitors;
- manage your team.
When it comes to SEO in particular, Serpstat has proven outstanding for keywords and competition analysis. Among its many features, Missing Keywords is the most popular one. It identifies the keywords your competitors rank for in the top-10 search results and you don’t.
#12: Woorank
A generally fantastic solution for tracking and reporting on marketing data, Woorank comes both in free and paid versions. From discovering the keywords your competitors are targeting to reporting on how certain keywords perform during the course of time, this tool really does live up to its place on this list. And in addition to it all, it helps identify potential issues with your website the likes of duplicate content, downtime, and security issues. And, more importantly, it provides clear guidelines on how to fix them.
Other worthy mentions when it comes to top-rated tools that SEO experts actually use:
- Ubersuggest – keyword tracking tool
- Answer The Public – free SEO tool
- SpyFu – free SEO tool
- Siteliner – SEO analysis tool
- Fat Rank – SEO analysis tool
- Keywords Everywhere – SEO keyword tool
A word to the wise…
Having an extensive list of top-rate tools that SEO experts actually use is great but it is far from a slam dunk. In fact, it is only the first step to crossing a long bridge before actually reaching that place where your business prospers into something lasting. So, you need to consider that next step carefully. Whether you decide to start learning on your own, hire an in-house SEO specialist or an entire SEO agency – the choice falls on you.
For more interesting information and news about the world of SEO and digital marketing, explore our blog further. And if you have any additional questions, we are here to answer them.
