Top 17 SEO tools you should know (paid & free)

Are you struggling to rank higher on search engines? Is SEO a pain for your business? Fear not!

There are plenty of SEO tools available to help you improve your website’s ranking and drive more traffic to your page.

Here are some of the top SEO and keyword research tools you can use to take your game to the next level in 2024.

What are SEO tools?

SEO tools are paid or free software services that help companies improve their online presence and optimize for search results.

They come with many functions, including website audits, keyword research, search engine result page (SERP) tracking, and more.

Why do we need SEO tools?

Without SEO tools, it becomes very difficult very quickly when you’re looking to improve your website.

Many of the things you need to do to optimize your page are not common sense, intuitive, or easy to see with the naked eye.

SEO tools find every possible way to optimize your website, and in a snap!

Take a look at some of the main reasons you need SEO tools if you want to hit the top of the search page.

• SEO tools help increase organic traffic with keyword research, which is nearly impossible to do without some robotic help.
• Technical issues that happen behind the scenes are easily picked up and explained to us by SEO tools, which saves a ton of time and takes the guesswork out of the equation.
• With SEO software, you can easily track our competitors, see their keyword rankings, discover what content is working best for them, and see how they appear on SERPs. All of this knowledge is vital to creating your own marketing campaigns.
• When you use SEO tools, you can quickly and conveniently optimize your content for search intent, target specific keywords that will help you rank easily, and learn the expectations of your target audience.
• Want to see how your website has improved? SEO tools provide tons of valuable data that lets you know how far you’ve come, and what still needs to be improved.

Are you convinced yet? Read on to learn about the best SEO tools on the market in 2024!

Top 17 SEO tools

1. Mangools

If you want to boost your SEO strategy with a powerful and affordable set of tools, you should check out Mangools.

Whether you’re a blogger, marketer, or SEO professional, our SEO suite provides everything you need to take your SEO game to the next level.

You can do keyword research, track your positions, analyze your backlinks, and more:

And if you ever need any help or advice, you can reach out to the awesome Mangools support team via live chat or email.

But that’s not all.

Mangools also provides free tools that you might find useful on a day-to-day basis:

• SERP Simulator – a simple tool that lets you see how your organic snippets would actually look in Google Search. You can enter your title tags, URLs, and meta descriptions and check out how well they are optimized from the on-page perspective.
• Google Location Changer – a free SERP switcher tool that allows you to check out SERPs for any search query from more than 52k locations worldwide. You can simply enter any keyword, select the location, and see what kind of search results are currently displayed in the given region.
• Share of Search tool – an online tool that can calculate the search share of your branded keyword in Google Search and compare it with the branded keywords of all of your competitors (a.k.a. with the overall share of search in the industry).
• SERP Volatility Checker – SERP analyzer that can detect any significant changes in SERPs caused by Google algorithm updates.

Sign up for a Mangools free trial and get all these benefits today!

2. Ahrefs

Ahrefs is a well-known tool that is highly respected in the SEO community.

You’ll get a wide range of features such as keyword research, site audits, backlink analysis, and content analysis.

The tool is perfect for content creators, bloggers, and SEO professionals looking to expand their reach online. So if you’re looking for a good jumping-off point with a lot of features, Ahrefs is a good choice.

One of the standout advantages of Ahrefs is its extensive data coverage.

Users appreciate the vast amount of data available, which allows for detailed backlink analysis and accurate keyword research.

This wealth of information enables users to make informed decisions and uncover new growth opportunities.

Another major pro of Ahrefs is its user-friendly interface.

Users find the tool easy to navigate, thanks to its intuitive design. The well-organized dashboard and clear presentation of data make it accessible for both beginners and experienced SEO professionals.

As far as pricing goes, Ahrefs plans run from $99 to $999 per month.

3. Surfer SEO

If you want to create and optimize content that ranks high on Google, you need Surfer SEO.

This tool uses Content Intelligence to help you plan, write, and improve your content based on real-time data and analysis.

You can also use Surfer SEO to spy on your competitors and find out what makes them successful.

What makes Surfer SEO different from other SEO tools?

For one thing, it uses natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning to understand the context and intent behind every keyword.

It also analyzes over 500 web signals to give you the most accurate and relevant guidelines for your content. And it works in any language and any niche, so you can reach every audience.

When it comes to pricing, Surfer SEO offers plans starting at $49 per month, making it an affordable choice for smaller businesses or individuals looking to enhance their content optimization efforts.

4. BrightLocal

BrightLocal is a must-have for local businesses looking to improve their online presence.

This comprehensive local SEO platform helps to improve your local search rankings, manage your online reputation, track keyword rankings, and audit your website for SEO errors.

The platform also offers tools for monitoring your local search rankings and traffic, and ways to manage your Google My Business profile.

One aspect that is lacking with BrightLocal is the absence of a SERP simulator, which can give you insight into how you or your competitors show up on local SERPs all around the world.

BrightLocal plans start at $29 a month, and go up to $79 a month, which makes it a good option for smaller businesses.

5. SEMRush

SEMrush is another all-in-one marketing toolkit that offers a plethora of SEO tools, including keyword research, site audit, backlink analysis, and rank tracking.

SEMRush users can analyze their competitors’ SEO strategies, track keyword rankings, and optimize content for search engines.

Users can also benefit from tools for PPC advertising, social media management, and content marketing.

SEMRush is basically a Swiss-army SEO tool, with tons of features and capabilities, so beginners may have some trouble navigating their way around. Pricing can also be a bit steep for businesses that are just starting out, with plans starting at $119.95 a month.

Many features, like the writing assistant, are locked behind subscription walls, so if you want all the bells and whistles, you’re going to have to make an investment.

6. Raven Tools

Raven Tools has a little bit of everything — keyword research and SERP tracking, link building, site auditing, and social media tools are just a few of the main features.

The keyword ranking feature allows you to apply filters for a more detailed analysis, and Raven Tools can integrate with other programs like Google, Moz, and Majestic.

If you’d like to try Raven Tools, you can take advantage of a 7-day free trial before committing to plans that start at $39 a month, and go up to $399 a month.

Be aware — if you’re new to the SEO game you might get a little lost in these features.

7. SE Ranking

This cloud-based SEO software specializes in services to improve website visibility and attract more traffic. SE Ranking’s main benefits are keyword position tracking, website audit, backlink monitoring, competitor analysis, and social media management.

With SE Ranking, you can also generate detailed reports and white-label them with your own branding.

SE Ranking is a great all-in-one tool with a user-friendly interface, affordable pricing, and good report making capabilities. However, there are limited options for on-page optimization and social media integration.

Looking to become a SE Ranking user? You can benefit from a 14-day free trial, and plans start at €31 a month for the Essential plan, and go up to €151 a month for the Business plan.

8. Moz

Moz, another very popular SEO tool, offers a suite of features to help you improve your website’s search engine visibility.

Moz’s main functions are keyword research, tracking website rankings, analyzing backlinks, auditing your website, and more.

Moz also offers a handy Chrome extension that provides on-page analysis and suggestions for improvement.

Moz also has other products to purchase for specific needs, like Moz Local, and a host of free tools for all your SEO goals.

Moz is another tool that might not fit into smaller budgets, as the most basic plan is priced at $99 per month, and top off at $599 per month.

Fortunately, Moz Pro’s free trial is longer than average, lasting an entire 30 days!

9. CognitiveSEO

CognitiveSEO hosts many features, such as site explorer, keyword research, content optimization, backlink analysis, and competitor research. A stand-out feature is its in-depth breakdown of anchor text distribution, toxic backlink detection, and automated site structure recommendations.

CognitiveSEO may have a steep learning curve, but this is offset by the possibility of having one-on-one training sessions with a company expert, and the ability to customize your plans.

Plans start at $129.99 per month for the Starter plan and go up to $499.99 per month for the Elite plan, with a 7-day free trial.

10. ClearScope

ClearScope is a content optimization tool that uses data-driven insights to help improve the quality and relevance of your content.

The tool analyzes your content and provides real time, on-page feedback with metrics like keyword usage, content structure, reading level, and an overall letter grade from A through F. This tool is great for in-depth analysis of your content, especially if you miss getting high marks in school!

Prices start at $170 a month for the Essentials plan, so it may be better suited for companies with larger wallets.

11. SEOPressor

With this WordPress plugin, you can easily track your keyword density, add metadata to your pages and posts, and get suggestions for improving your content.

The plugin also has a built-in LSI keyword tool to help you find related keywords to include in your content.

Two major benefits of SEOPressor are its always-on SEO health monitor, and unlimited domains and on-page analysis features. However, SEOPressor is only available as a WordPress plug-in, so if you’re not on WordPress, this one’s not for you.

Another great factor is that this tool’s pricing starts at just $9 a month!

12. WooRank

WooRank is your one-stop shop for SEO tools. WooRank users can easily track their website’s progress over time, and get suggestions for improving SEO metrics.

Their main features include actionable SEO and keyword tasks, technical SEO analysis with site crawling, lead generation tools, and the ability to create white-label reports.

While WooRank excels in being an all-in-one service with detailed actionable insights, keyword tracking, and customization options are limited on the lower-level plans.

WooRank offers a 14-day free trial, after which plans start at €79.99 a month

13. Keyword Hero

Keyword Hero focuses on keyword analysis and mapping.

It aims to solve the problem of “(not provided)” data in Google Analytics by matching your organic search data with your website’s URLs to provide accurate keyword data.

Keyword Hero also offers features such as data visualization, keyword grouping, and competitor keyword analysis.

Keyword Hero users praise this product as having very accurate data, great data visualization and keyword grouping, and good competitor keyword analysis features.

You can use Keyword Hero for free up to the 2000 sessions/month. The paid plans start at $9 for 10 000 sessions/month + conversion tracking.

14. SEO PowerSuite

SEO PowerSuite is just that – a suite of tools designed to help you fly to the top of the search engine results page.

Not only do they have a robust keyword research tool, but you will also get the benefit of rank tracking, website auditing, backlink management, and improvements for on and off-page SEO. Users can also generate white-label reports and store up to 400 projects on the cloud.

SEO PowerSuite also allows you to track multiple projects and websites, generate customizable reports, and get regular updates and support.

While the capabilities are strong, users may need to have some technical expertise to use some of the features effectively.

SEO PowerSuite has a free version available with limited features, a Professional version starting at $299 a year, and an Enterprise version starting at $699 a year.

15. Google Keyword Planner

If you’re playing the SEO game, you should know about Google Keyword Planner.

It’s a free tool that helps you find the best keywords for your website, so you can climb those search rankings with ease.

Not only does it suggest keywords, but it also gives you stats on search volume, competition, and cost per click (CPC).

People love Google Keyword Planner because it’s easy to use and integrates with other Google tools like AdWords. But the number 1 reason people love this tool?

It’s completely free! But before you jump to the download page, be sure to create a Google Ads account.

16. Long Tail Pro

Long Tail Pro focuses on finding long-tail keywords for your website.

With this intuitive keyword research tool, you can quickly and easily identify profitable, low-competition keywords that you might not have found otherwise.

Additionally, you can easily track your keyword rankings and monitor your competition’s keyword strategies.

Monthly or yearly plans are available, starting at $59.99 a month and topping off at $299.99 a month

17. SpyFu

SpyFu is an SEO and PPC research tool that allows you to spy on your competitors’ keywords and ad campaigns.

It has a user-friendly interface and provides in-depth insights on SEO and PPC strategies. When you become a SpyFu user, you can track your rankings, monitor your backlinks, and discover new keywords to target.

It also offers a competitive analysis tool that lets you compare your website’s performance to your competitors’.

Plans start at $16 a month and go up to $299 a month for larger companies.

SEO and all the vocab it involves can be hard to wrap your head around. Check out our SEOpedia to learn all the fancy lingo.

Frequently Asked Questions