What is SEO Software?
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is a process designed to improve a website’s rankings in search engine results page without the need of paying the search engine provider. SEO software is a tool used to help with this. They allow companies specific SEO insights via different features, all of which guide a company’s marketing strategy in order to improve their website’s position.
Some of these softwares include data about competitors and wider industry analysis so that this can act as a point of comparison.
What Defines a SEO Software?
In order to feature in the SEO category, products must include at least one of the following functions:
- Rank tracking – These tools monitor how a website is performing in SERPs for a given keyword.
- SEO audits – SEO auditing checks the SEO “health” of a website, giving a diagnosis for what can be improved such as any content-based or technical issues which might be affecting their search ranking.
- Content optimisation – Through this tool, features such as SEO automation, semantic SEO and artificial intelligence can help businesses enhance their content.
- Keyword research – This enables businesses to identify relevant keywords for their company or product and analyse the search volume for each of those terms.
- Link building – With these tools, companies can improve their website’s off-page SEO by identifying new opportunities for link building as well as monitoring existing backlinks.
Some software solutions will also offer local SEO software features. This hones in specifically on local search pages and listings to help businesses assess how they are performing on a local scale.
Other SEO software products can offer paid search optimisation tools for those looking to pay to improve their position. These tools can include pay-per-click (PPC) ad optimisation, ad placement and conversion metrics.
The 5 Best SEO Software Services
1. Semrush
- Detailed metrics including engagement, search rank and return
- Keyword suggestions including their respective search volume
- SERP rank tracking
- Link-building and backlink monitoring
- Competitor analysis
2. SE Ranking
- Social Media
- Rank tracking
- Keyword suggestions and keyword position tracking
- Link-building and backlink monitoring
3. Surfer
Surfer’s useful tools and smart algorithms will allow you and your company to plan and edit your content months in advance in order for your SEO to optimised to the fullest extent. Surfer uses a data-driven model, which is a viable choice for busy SEOs, marketers, and content creators. Data-driven SEO is about making decisions based on the datasets provided by Surfer instead of typical industry standards. When you use Surfer you can see what’s working for top-performing pages and use that knowledge to outrank them.
Features:
- Content Editor and Planner so you can optimise your content for SEO purposes.
- SERP Analyser
- SEO Audit reports
- Keyword Research tool as well as a “Keyword Surfer,” an extension tool for your browser.
4. Conductor
- Audience insights
- Metrics including engagement and ranking
- Keyword suggestions including volume of traffic
- Link-building and monitoring
5. Moz Pro
Moz Pro users are given specific insights into their website and its performance. Companies can use specific Research Tools which enable them to analyse their competition as well as identify strong keywords and highlight opportunities for link-building outreach. With Campaigns, you can assess your website’s health, keyword performance and link building, with the overall goal of maximising your SEO success.
Features:
- Keyword suggestions including search volume
- SERP rank tracking & localisation
- Link-buidling and backlink monitoring
- Competitor analysis
What Does SEO Software Include?
In order to be classified as a SEO software solution, a product needs to:
- Be focused on improving free, organic search listings
- Provide reports based on optimisation-related metrics
- Perform at least one of the following SEO functions: content optimisation, keyword research, link building, SEO audits, rank tracking, backlink monitoring
Who Uses SEO Software?
SEO software is primarily used by product and marketing teams of a company. Additionally, SEO specialists within a company can use this software in order to identify areas of improvement in order to produce higher rankings in search engines. Typically, a company will have a designated person or team to focus on SEO.
Content Creators – this broad term can encompass many figures, all of whom are hoping to optimise their content and make sure that it is performing as best as possible on a given platform. SEO tools can help these creators track their performance using hashtag tracking and brand mentions. In an increasingly competitive sphere, SEO software can help find a niche to help their content perform.
Content Marketers – Content marketing teams within an organisation are responsible of ensuring that content is optimised in order for potential buyers to find the products via search engines. Search engines are typically the first port of call for potential buyers to find services and products.
Does My Business Need SEO Software?
SEO software is encouraged for any businesses looking to stay relevant in an increasingly saturated space. Staying at the forefront of a user’s search results is crucial if businesses want to gain clients. For this, they need to pay special attention to their content and keep up with SEO best practices, which are constantly changing. It is just as important for the larger companies to help them stay relevant as it is for smaller businesses hoping to maximise their online presence, bring traffic to their website and generate new clients.
Analyse content – The majority of SEO software solutions allow users to analyse their content and their overall website to assess performance. Through this analysis, they are able to plan how to optimise their websites, identify relevant keywords to rank for and even review their formatting to make sure everything is supporting the overall increased performance of the website. Thorough analysis also enables organisations to stay on top of ranking changes so that they can act fast and make any changes.
Stay visible – Staying relevant is crucial for any business, especially as more and more companies are created daily. Improving visibility in search engines is the best way to drive traffic to the website and help potential clients find your products and services. SEO software can help with this by finding the most appropriate keyword to generate maximum traffic, generating great content and helping to develop and manage a backlink strategy. For small businesses, these solutions help them maximise their presence across multiple channels.
Keep up with the competition – SEO software services often allow analysis of competitors as well as the broader industry to detect trends and see what type of keywords are being competed for. Investing in these services can help your online presence compete with similar companies and ensure that your business is appearing first.
How Much Does SEO Software Cost?
The cost of SEO software will depend from platform to platform. Usually there is a tier system associated with SEO softwares meaning that you can choose the option which is best suited to your company’s needs. The majority of SEO software services operate on a monthly subscription plan and will depend largely on the features that you need.
SE’s most basic plan (Optimum) is around one of the cheapest on the market at a monthly cost of $39, although this limits the amount of websites, search engines, backlinks and pages you are able to audit or track. Semrush is thought to be one of the most comprehensive plans on the market with prices for their Pro subscription working out at $119.95 monthly.
Moz Pro and Ahrefs standard subscription plans both start at $99 per month.
Can I Get SEO Software For Free?
Many SEO software services offer either a free trial period or a free option with a limited service. For example, Semrush has a free version which includes the position tracking of 10 keywords per day, site audit of 100 pages monthly, the tracking of social media profiles up to a limited number of posts. Additionally, they offer an on page SEO checker and domain & keywords analytics up to a certain amount.
Moz Pro offers a 30-day free trial to its users allowing the option of trying out the software before investing in their subscription model.
Ahrefs also offers its basic Webmaster Tools at zero cost meaning that users can monitor their website health, keywords and backlinks.
