Which SEO tools are the best?

As Google uses hundreds of ranking factors, it is impossible to assess everything using human judgement alone without reliable data. SEO tools are very important, but which ones are any good? The answer is that no single tool provides all the answers. A combination of tools offers greater insight, but because all these SEO tools use different definitions, it’s still like comparing apples and oranges. 

Free online SEO tools

Not everything that’s free is necessarily any good. Many SEO tools have a free version, but this usually only allows you to add a single URL with limited functionality. They deliberately provide just under enough data. The most obvious questions are answered, but it is precisely in the details that the answers lie for staying ahead of the competition and monitoring them. 

Google Search Console is certainly a valuable SEO tool. All Google collects from you is data. Google offers a limited number of paid services, but it collects and analyses data through all its free services. All the internet giants, such as Facebook and Amazon, do the same, so Google is no exception in this respect. 

Many others free SEO tools provide advice that has not been used as a ranking factor for many years. We always receive a fair number of enquiries about this. Our clients often turn to these free tools when they feel things aren’t moving fast enough. Unfortunately, SEO is an online marketing tool that takes time to show results.

Paid SEO tools

Ahrefs, WebCEO and SemRush are SEO tools that we have used extensively over the past 15 years. All these tools have their pros and cons. They all analyse a URL and provide feedback on how to improve the website, both technically and in terms of content. Keyword analysis, backlinks, landing page optimisation and tracking rankings are all extremely valuable, but if you want to achieve success, it’s ultimately the result that counts.

Understanding search behaviour

What SEO Ninja always wants to guard against is fixating on focus keywords. If a client wants to be found for a specific search query such as ‘sales training’ and notices that their rankings are lagging behind, they often fail to realise that their customers are searching more for ‘negotiation skills training’. General search terms face fierce online competition and are at the very start of the customer journey. People often do their research online first, before finally making a decision to purchase days, weeks or months later. From a conversion perspective, it is better to identify which keywords prospective customers use once they know which training course they want to purchase.

SEO tools are invaluable, but bear in mind that good data is valuable. Free tools can be useful, but paid tools provide you with more data, allowing you to monitor and analyse not only your own website but also those of your online competitors over a longer period. Only with the right insights can we continue to achieve results. Want to find out how your website could be improved? Let SEO Ninja carry out a a good SEO audit carry out.