Are you in the market for an SEO tool for your small business or agency? Choosing the best SEO tool can be a bit tricky given that there are so many options out there. Also, the stakes are high– premium, professional SEO suites do not come cheap so you have to make an informed decision before you invest in any of these tools.
A good SEO tool will help you perform deep keyword research, track your performance, run competitor analysis, and audit your site. It will aid in identifying on-page issues, scouting for backlinking opportunities, and recommending top-performing keywords based on customer intent.
In the end, investing in a premium SEO tool takes the hassle out of helping you improve rankings and increase traffic so you can stay ahead of your competitors.
This top 10 SEO tools ranking will cover the very best options in the market. After testing dozens of tools, we’ve come up with an unmatched round-up of the best SEO tools for 2024.
So, without further ado, let’s dive in!
© Gizmodo
How we found the 10 best SEO tools in 2024
As you may already know, there are so many SEO platforms out there. We tested quite a number of them and ended up with a list of SEO tools we believe every serious business owner or marketer should try.
Here are the factors we considered when choosing the top SEO tools for 2024:
Quality Of Features
The first thing we looked at when comparing the tools is the features. We were keener on the quality and usefulness of features than on the quantity.
A professional SEO tool should have a solid array of features that allow you to perform a fully-fledged campaign on a single platform.
Features such as keyword research, traffic analysis, rank tracking, on-page analysis, site auditing, and backlink analysis are a must-have.
Offering lots of features is not enough; the tool should have a reputation for delivering accurate data that, if applied, will help you see real improvements in SEO performance.
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User-Friendliness
SEO on its own is already technical so you don’t want a tool that complicates matters further.
To be sure, some of our top SEO tools picks have a learning curve but are very accessible to newbies and professional marketers alike.
The best tools for website optimization are intuitive- they do the hard work for you by generating data seamlessly and presenting it in an easy-to-understand format.
Reliability of Customer Support
When you invest in a premium SEO tool, you want the peace of mind of knowing you can get the support you need at any time.
In our updated list of SEO tools for 2024, you will find platforms with a reputation for excellent customer support.
Our top choices offer everything from phone support to 24/7 chat, so you’ll never be stranded.
Pricing
Last but not least, before including a tool in our list, we considered whether it offers value for money.
Most of the tools we picked have some form of free trial version, which is always a plus so you can test the waters before deciding whether to invest in the service.
When it comes to the paid plans, all our favorite SEO tools offer plenty of options. Depending on your needs and budget you can opt for an entry-level subscription or an enterprise plan. To get more bang for your buck, you can also take advantage of the offers, sales, and bonuses.
The 10 Best SEO Tools in 2024
Now that you know how we ended up with our selection of the best SEO tools, it’s time to discover them.
1. Semrush
Semrush is the go-to SEO tool if you are serious about taking your campaign to the next level.
It is an all-in-one resource that takes the guesswork out of generating top-ranking keywords, tracking your SERP position, and building backlinks, allowing you to stay ahead of your competitors.
One of our favorites is the Keyword Magic Tool, which is literally a beast when it comes to in-depth keyword research.
© Semrush
Not only does it generate tons of relevant, domain-based keyword ideas that will help your content rank. It also offers extensive insights into the keyword difficulty, volume, and customer intent so you can create powerful content that resonates with your target customer.
There is also an intuitive Link Building Tool that automatically identifies hundreds of authoritative domains for back-linking. It also retrieves the domain owner’s contact information, enabling you to perform an effective outreach campaign.
We really like the Site Audit, a high-speed crawler that will scan your website’s health and generate tons of insights into issues affecting your website. It goes a step further to offer recommendations on how to fix these issues, helping you to significantly improve your site’s SEO.
To be sure, Semrush is quite pricey compared to its competitors. There is a free plan but this is only limited to one project and a maximum of 10 queries a day.
But, being the leading SEO tool in the market and considering all the helpful data it generates, there is no doubt that Semrush’s paid plans offer value for your money.
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2. SE Ranking
The second best tool we came across is SE Ranking. As the name suggests, this software specializes in monitoring your and your competitors’ keywords, and it does an excellent job.
One of the incentives that stood out immediately was that the Keyword Rank Tracker can track rankings across all major search engines including Google, Bing, Yahoo, and YouTube.
We all know that most keyword research and tracking tools are limited to Google SERPs, so SE Ranking is unique in this regard.
© SE Ranking
A small but powerful thing we liked about this leading SEO tool was the notes feature. It allows you to add notes to the graphs and charts generated by the Keyword Rank Tracker, so you can make use of the unfolding data in a way that makes sense to you and your teams.
The On-Page SEO Checker tool succeeds at putting you in control of your pages. It scans your website fast, identifying areas you can improve to boost rankings. From titles to meta descriptions, and backlinks to usability and indexing, you’ll receive actionable insights to outrank the competition.
Other cool tools SE Ranking offers include an intuitive Website Auditing feature, Competitor Analysis, and a Backlink Checker. There’s also a Local SEO tool for businesses looking to optimize their visibility online.
SE Ranking is not as fully-fledged as Semrush; there is still room for improvement in features such as the Site Auditor, Content Management, and Social Media Management tools.
Still, if you aren’t too demanding, SE Ranking will get the job done when it comes to keyword research and monitoring.
With flexible pricing ranging from $44 for entry-level plans up to $191 for larger agencies, you are almost certain to get a return on your investment.
The upside is that you can take advantage of the 14-day free trial to test-drive this SEO software before committing. It is maybe the most user-friendly SEO tool out there, so we’re sure you are going to love it.
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3. Mangools
Third on our list of favorite SEO softwares is Mangools. Even though it is not the #1 rated in 2024, we love this tool for its straightforwardness and ease of use. Sometimes SEO can feel very technical and overwhelming but Mangools does an excellent job of simplifying it all.
Unlike the major players such as Semrush and SE Ranking, Mangools’ SEO suite is limited to just five tools, also known as apps. These are the KWFinder, SERPChecker, SERPWatcher, Link Miner, and Site Profiler.
We’ve tested many keyword research tools and a common trend is that they all tend to suggest variations of the same keywords, which isn’t super helpful.
But, we noticed something interesting with Mangools –its KWFinder not only generates related keywords; it also suggests relevant but unique keywords we would have probably not thought about. Something that explains why it is a very popular SEO tool for people looking for a great way to discover new keywords.
This is interesting because you can stay ahead of the game by quickly identifying these unique keywords before your competitors do.
© Mangools
Sure, Mangools won’t generate thousands of keywords like, say, Semrush or SeRankingAhrefs. But the quality of keyword suggestions is top-notch.
Another cool tool is the SERPChecker, built to provide an in-depth analysis of the search pages for your chosen keyword.
Most tools already have this feature but what really stood out for us is a nifty feature known as the SERP Features Impact.
The SERP Features Impact is a number that tells you how crowded the first page of Google is for a given keyword. The more crowded it is with videos, feature snippets, images, and other SERP features, the higher the number.
With this kind of information, you can easily tell how difficult it would be for you to rank for your given keyword on any of the SERP features.
Mangool’s’ features are limited but one thing that really stood out for us is the affordable pricing, which is such a relief if you are on a budget but still need one of the most reliable SEO tools.
Even with an entry-level plan, which only costs $20 a month, you can get some work done for your small business. Mangools is really the SEO tool that fits most budgets while still offering a wide selection of software to assist you in your online marketing strategies.
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4. Ahrefs
Up next on our list of premium SEO tools for 2024, is Ahrefs, Semrush’s close competitor. This amazing tool offers all the resources you need to optimize your website and rank in your niche all under one roof.
Its AI-driven Keyword Explorer is outstanding. With a single click, it will tell you everything you need to know about a keyword and related keywords including search volumes and difficulty.
© Ahrefs
The Keyword Explorer does a decent job of displaying data in a simpler, easier-to-understand format, although we’ve seen better results with Semrush’s keyword research tool.
The Content Explorer is phenomenal if you want to build a data-driven content strategy that outperforms your competitors. This tool will help you discover top-performing content ideas and the best keywords to boost your content rankings.
Compared to Semrush, Ahrefs is better known for its backlink analysis and tracking capabilities, which are key aspects of search optimization.
Semrush on the other hand is best suited for SERP position tracking, with rankings updated daily compared to every 7 days for Ahrefs. This can be particularly useful if you are looking to optimize your content marketing strategy.
Ahrefs has a steep learning curve; unless you are already proficient in Search Engine Optimization prepare to spend some time to learn how to do SEO with this software.
Another downside is that it doesn’t come with a free plan. The paid plans are not cheap either, which can be off-putting for small businesses on a budget.
Even though Ahrefs is not the best paid SEO tool in 2024, it is still a widely-adopted solution for many Search Engine Optimization experts who want a comprehensive marketing solution.
5. Moz Pro
Moz Pro is among the oldest and most trusted SEO tools in the market. Even though other tools have popped up over the years, marketers still reference Moz Pro metrics such as Domain Authority, MozTrust Score, and MozRank
This all-encompassing tool offers super helpful features such as backlink analysis, rank tracking, site audit, and of course, a keyword research tool.
One of our favorites is the web analysis tool, which lets you do a deep scan on your website, and identify technical issues affecting your site’s performance.
© Moz Pro
The tool also lets you conduct a comprehensive comparison of your competitor’s backlink profile and top-performing keywords so you can identify opportunities to optimize your content.
We like that the web analysis tool performs weekly automatic checks on the site and sends alerts if there are any issues, enabling you to fix problems with your website promptly.
The Link Explorer is the most intuitive and straightforward we have seen yet. Simply enter the ULR you want to generate backlink data for and in a matter of seconds you will receive a report detailing the links pointing to your site, broken links, domain authority, anchor text data, and link-building opportunities.
That said, there are a few downsides to this SEO software. For one, Moz Pro is not the easiest platform to onboard to and navigate. If you are a newbie in digital marketing, you should expect a steep learning curve.
Although there is a free trial, you can only access very limited insights from tools such as Domain Analyzer, Link Explorer, and Keyword Explorer.
You are also required to enter your full billing information before you can enjoy the 30-day free trial.
Despite being a quality option, Moz Pro doesn’t manage to be the number 1 SEO tool in 2024. Its offer could be more accessible to beginners and its price still remains very high.
6. SurferSEO
If you want a single SEO tool that will boost your website or blog content, SurferSEO is a pretty good choice.
Unlike the likes of Semrush, Ahrefs, and Moz, which house numerous tools, SurferSEO does one thing– it helps you optimize your content to appear on the first page of Google.
© SurferSEO
By comparing the on-page SEO strategies of your competitors, you too can apply these same strategies and conquer the SERPs.
A notable feature is the SERP Analyzer, which analyzes the first pages on Google for a specific keyword.
It will compare details such as the page speed, keyword density, and frequency, alt text, average word count, and partial match keywords. It will even show you the number of words above the fold of a blog article, and the number of links and H2 headings on the first pages on Google.
The Content Editor is quite impressive. It analyzes the first pages, identifying LSI keywords, word count, number of pages, and number of paragraphs, then helps you build a content outline based on this data.
After writing your blog, the tool tells you the exact keywords to insert and how many times to use these keywords to get your content to rank.
While other content analyzers scan the first 10 to 20 pages, SurferSEO lets you focus on the exact pages you want to analyze and imitate.
SurferSEO offers a good amount of insights that can help optimize your content. But, its features are limited and incomparable to the likes of Semrush, SeRanking, or Mangools.
The Keyword research tool, for example, is quite basic and doesn’t flesh out a keyword in the same way that a tool like Semrush or SeRanking would.
As one of the top SEO software, SurfeSEO is comparably affordable. It offers value for money if all you need is a solid tool for on-page SEO optimization for your content strategy.
7. AccuRanker
The SERPs are becoming increasingly crowded, couple this with hyperlocalized results and you find that holding the first position on Google no longer guarantees traffic.
This is where a tool that specializes in rank tracking comes in handy, and AccuRanker is one of the best there is in 2024.
It boasts of being the fastest and most accurate keyword ranker and for the most part, it does live up to its promise.
We like how minimalistic the interface is, which takes the complexity out of doing SEO and makes your work more pleasant.
When you input the keyword to track, the tool spews a host of data in a matter of seconds.
© AccuRanker
In nice, neat graphs, you will get insights such as a keyword’s average rank, ranking distribution, and so much more.
Another really impressive highlight is the fact that aside from the major search engines including Google and Bing, AccuRanker also lets you perform rank analysis for other search engines such as Yandex, Baidu, and YouTube. This is something that really makes it stand out from its competitors and justifies its position in our top 10 of the best SEO tools.
Other nifty features that will help your campaign include the vast integration with third-party tools such as HubSpot, Databox, and of course, Google. There are also automatic, personalized reports for each domain and share of voice analysis which shows you the performance of your top-trending keywords.
That said, our tests show that AccuRanker would be overkill for a small site with fewer than several thousand keywords with a good search volume. Instead, this premium SEO software is best for bigger sites with many pages and plenty of keywords to track.
Although pricey for just keyword tracking, we found AccuRanker’s pricing model to be very unique and transparent.
How much you pay monthly depends on the number of keywords you want to track, with the least being 1000 keywords for $116. That’s why we concluded that this tool is best suited for larger sites.
8. Screaming Frog
Screaming Frog is one of those stand-alone softwares that really surprise you with what they can get done.
This website crawler will scan your website’s pages and tell you everything that needs fixing so you can boost your SEO.
© Screaming Frog
Screaming Frog provides insights into broken links and errors that could be derailing traffic to your website. You can also check for and fix problematic redirects that may be channeling website visitors to other sites.
What’s more, you get insights into slow-loading pages so you can take the necessary steps to minimize downtimes before this affects your rankings on the SERPs.
The paid version will give you access to amazing features such as Crawl with OpenAI & Gemini, Search Console Integration, and Google Integration among others.
At $259 per year, Screaming Frog’s paid plan is quite affordable when you consider all the perks that come with it to help elevate your campaign.
Screaming Frog is not on top of our ranking of the best SEO tools because it is too specific to fixing issues on your website. It does not let you do many things that Semrush or Seranking would offer. Yet, it is an extremely useful SEO software that is widely adopted by most SEO experts for their everyday missions.
9. Majestic
We all know that any SEO strategy is incomplete without a backlink analysis. While tools such as Semrush and SE Ranking or Mangools will get the job done, if you really want to narrow down your backlink analysis, you should go for a specialty tool such as Majestic.
Majestic tracks your site’s performance in real-time and compares your competitor’s backlink profile to generate charts and insights you can easily understand.
© Majestic
One of the tools we like about this reputable SEO software is the Site Explorer which makes it a complete breeze to understand the performance of a domain, whether you are on the free or paid plans.
In a single glance, you can see data points such as the number of links pointing to your domain, links from your site, and how these numbers keep changing over time.
Another nice little feature is the Citation Flow against Trust Flow graph, which calculates the Link Profile, an important metric in link analysis. With the Link Profile, you can quickly tell whether a URL is trustworthy based on the number of external links pointing to it.
The pricing tier ranges from $49.99/month for the entry-level Lite plan to $399.99 for the API option.
The Lite Plan will get the job done for most businesses but the API package offers amazing perks including full API, the ability to create OpenApps, and access to Custom Monthly data.
A shortcoming we encountered during our SEO tools test is the slow response time. The fact that there is no phone support makes it even worse if you need an urgent resolution of an issue.
All in all, Majestic’s large database containing more than 9 trillion URLs translates to more accurate and valuable results than most other backlink analysis tools. As one of our favorite SEO tools, Majestic is a must-have for a well-built link-building strategy.
10. SEOptimer
Last but not least in our review of the best premium SEO tools for 2024, we have SEOptimer. To be sure, SEOptimer is not your one-stop shop for demanding optimization tasks but it is one of the most affordable platforms for website auditing.
A feature we found particularly interesting is the embeddable auditing widget, which you can integrate with your website for real-time data on leads, technical issues that need fixing, and SEO tasks to address according to urgency.
© SEOptimer
Aside from conducting a full and deep website analysis, the tool also generates an easy-to-understand SEO report card detailing your site’s health, assigning a grade, and providing recommendations to boost performance.
One thing we like about SEOptimer is its clean, clutter-free, and easy-to-use interface that’s friendly even for newbies.
Despite being a respected SEO tool, there are some areas where this platform falls short.
For one, we noticed that SEOptimer doesn’t update itself in real-time and may fail to reflect the changes you make to your website.
Let’s say you update all your metatags and crawl the website, SEOptimer may not show these changes immediately, which can be awkward when you are trying to track how well your optimization efforts are working.
For a tool of its kind, SEOptimer is pocket-friendly and will do a good job of crawling your website and making recommendations for improvement.
However, for more advanced services such as professional keyword research, content management, on-page optimization, and backlink analysis, a tool like Semrush would be your best option.
Conclusion
As our round-up of the best SEO tools for 2024 has revealed, there are many wonderful tools out there from which to choose. Your choice depends on your SEO needs.
Semrush is our top choice if you are looking for an all-around, professional suite you can use whether you are just starting or are a growing enterprise.
This premium SEO tool is the industry standard. It offers everything you need to take your digital marketing strategy to the next level including a powerful keyword analyzer, backlinking tools, site auditor, rank checker, and more. There are also a host of impressive content management and social media management tools at your disposal.
Ahrefs and Moz Pro are good choices but they are also notoriously pricey.
On the other hand, if you are looking for the best SEO tool on a budget, we recommend Mangools for a full on-page optimization experience that is sure to boost your SEO strategy.
In the end, the choice of a good SEO suite will depend on your needs and budget. Happy choosing!
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