As mentioned above, most sites are trying to optimize their performance for Google. Google itself has free tools to help with this. These tools have limited functionality, so most businesses use them in conjunction with paid SEO software. However, if you have a low budget, these tools can help you get your website up and running.
Here's an overview of Google's free SEO tools:
Google Analytics
Google Analytics gives you access to your website traffic data. Google Analytics 4 was released in July 2023, moving away from the Universal Analytics experience that Google previously offered. The new Google Analytics 4 collects both web and app data, uses event data instead of session data, and has better integration with other platforms.
Google Search Console
While Google Analytics gives you important insights into your traffic, Google Search Console looks at more than just your search performance – it tells you what queries people are searching to find your pages, and it can crawl your website to see how your technical SEO is performing.
Google Trends
Google Trends is a free tool from Google to generate keyword ideas. Start by entering a word or phrase into the search bar. The tool will generate a list of related common searches to target.
What is SEO software?
SEO software refers to tools that help site owners understand and optimize their search rankings. Most SEO tools work the same way: they collect data on millions of Google searches and tell you what related keywords you should include and what sites you should compete with to rank higher.
However, there are also specialist tools that focus on one subject, such as local SEO. In our review, these tools are BrightLocal, AnswerThePublic and Screaming Frog.
How much does SEO software cost?
The price of SEO software varies depending on features, number of users, and other key factors, but most providers offer multiple plans to choose from, with monthly or annual billing.
Below is a table summarizing the pricing for the providers we reviewed, showing the prices for the first paid plan.
Provider | Starting price | Free Trial? | Free plan? |
Arlephus | $99.99/month | ✖️ | ✖️ |
Mozpro | $99.99/month | ✅ | ✖️ |
Sem Rush | $129.95/month | ✅ | ✖️ |
Woorank | $89.99/month | ✅ | ✖️ |
Mangool | $19.90/month | ✖️ | ✅ |
Bright Local | $39/month | ✅ | ✖️ |
Respondent | $9/month | ✅ | ✅ |
Screaming frog | $259/year | ✖️ | ✅ |
Is there free SEO software?
With the exception of Google tools, which are completely free, most tools have a free plan followed by some paid options. The free plan is free to use for as long as you want, but it has limited functionality and you might quickly outgrow it.
Of the providers on our list, Mangools, AnswerThePublic, and Screaming Frog have free versions.
How to Choose the Best SEO Software
The key to choosing the right SEO software for your business is to know the features you need and your budget. From there, you can narrow down your choices by considering ease of use, reputation, and other secondary factors.
All-in-one platform and specialized tools
Some software acts as an all-in-one platform with tools for keyword research, competitive analysis, link building, and other key components of SEO. Other tools are more specialized. Semrush, Ahrefs, WooRank, Mangools, and Moz Pro fall into the former category.
As for specialist tools, Screaming Frog helps with site crawling for technical SEO, BrightLocal handles local SEO for small businesses, and AnswerThe Public conducts in-depth keyword research.
Most businesses choose an all-in-one platform because they need help with many aspects of SEO, sometimes adding specialist tools later if they need more support than a generic platform can provide.
Information source
SEO software gets data from different sources: for example, Semrush claims a database of over 25 million keywords, while Ahrefs has around 7 million in its database, AnswerThePublic evaluates search terms from Google, Bing, YouTube, and Amazon, while Moz Pro only looks at Google search results.
Reputation & Reviews
Although we've tested these SEO tools ourselves, our sample is small compared to our overall customer base. That's where customer reviews come in. Check out Capterra, G2, and other review aggregators to see if our opinion aligns with what other customers have to say. This will help you make a final decision on whether the tool is right for your needs.
Customer Support
When adopting a new software tool, especially a comprehensive one, there's usually a learning curve. You want to be sure you have support when you need it during the setup process. The plan level you choose often determines what customer service channels you have access to. For example, a starter plan might have a help center and community forums, while a top plan might have 24/7 phone and chat support.
ease of use
After all, you need a tool that you can understand how to use. After the initial onboarding stage, you shouldn’t have a hard time navigating the platform or finding specific features. We know from personal experience that taking advantage of free trials, plans, and demos is the best way to assess ease of use.
Must-Have SEO Software Features
Below are the most common features of SEO software: If the platform is an all-in-one tool, it may have more than one of these features, while dedicated tools may have one or two of these features.
- Site Audit: The audit looks at the current state of your on-page SEO, off-page SEO, and technical SEO to show you what you need to work on. On-page SEO is the content on your page. Off-page SEO is how you show Google that your site is trustworthy. This is primarily done through link building (we'll talk more about backlinks later in this list). Technical SEO includes aspects like page speed, accessibility, and how users interact with your page. Google uses bots to scan your pages. These bots look at all three aspects of SEO to determine how to rank them.
- Keyword research: SEO tools can generate a list of keyword ideas to try to rank for, showing you how many Google users are searching for each term and how difficult it would be to rank for that term (for example, how many other pages there are on this topic).
- Content Development: Once you've decided on the keywords you want to target, you can use SEO tools to help you rank better with tips beyond just using that keyword, such as a list of secondary keywords to include, common questions to answer, or a list of possible headline names to use.
- Backlink Analysis: Backlink analysis helps you understand how many sites are linking to yours and the quality of those sites (for example, are they well-known in your industry or are spammy). You can use this analysis to disavow links that you don't want Google to connect to your site. It can also help you find opportunities to get more reputable sites to link back to you.
- Local SEO: For brick-and-mortar businesses, local SEO can help you rank higher in local searches, and it can also help with local listings like Google Maps.
- Crawling your site: Crawling is an action taken by Google's bots to scan your website. You can use SEO tools to scan your website regularly to find any technical issues that may be preventing the bots from crawling your website properly.
In a recent survey we conducted of 200 SEO professionals, 59% of respondents said keyword research was the most important feature they wanted in SEO software.
Conclusion
SEO software can dramatically change the search performance of your business. The best SEO tool for you will depend on your specific needs and preferences. For example, are you looking for a comprehensive or specialized tool? Are you on a tight budget? How will you contact the software provider if you need help?
Once you know the answers to these questions, our guide will help you narrow down your options: If you’re still torn between several software solutions, try out a free trial or free plan to evaluate their ease of use.
SEO Software FAQs
Many SEO tools are easy to use for beginner SEO users. However, Mangools is rated as the best tool for beginner SEOs because it is the only all-in-one platform on our list that offers a free plan, which you can use to test out a wide range of features.
To determine if SEO software is worth the cost, you need to look at the return on investment. To measure the return on investment, compare the amount you spend on the software to the revenue you get as a result of your SEO efforts. For example, let's say you spend $1,000 a year on SEO software and get $10,000 in revenue from new customers you find on Google. In this case, you'll earn $9,000 in profits, so your SEO software is worth the cost.
No, neither SEO nor Google Ads is better than the other. SEO is free unless you pay for SEO software, but it doesn't guarantee rankings. Google Ads guarantees placement but requires an advertising budget.
Technical SEO refers to the parts of your site that affect Google and your visitor's experience. This can include things like how long your homepage takes to load or whether you have image captions for visually impaired visitors. These factors can affect your ability to rank and keep visitors on your page.
methodology
The MarketWatch Guides team spent over 100 hours testing about 35 marketing software solutions, including Mailchimp, Constant Contact, Semrush, Google Analytics, and more. These providers can help with some or all of the following marketing areas:
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
- Text/Short Message Service (SMS)
- Email Marketing
We surveyed 200 professionals in 2024 who currently use marketing software or have used marketing HR software within the past year. We analyzed the survey results to determine the following evaluation criteria:
- User Experience (7%)
- Pricing (8%)
- Functionality (65%)
- Customer support (5%)
- Reputation and reviews (15%)
For more information on our rating system, please see our complete marketing techniques page.