SEO is a slow process that requires patience and the right tools to monitor what works and what doesn’t. In order to reach your goals, there are several metrics you have to consider: keywords driving organic traffic, link building campaigns, competitors strategies and conversions.
With hundreds of SEO tools available, only a few stand out in front of the crowd with great features that can provide meaningful insights about your website. Choosing the right ones can be hard, but this is why I will try to show you the best ones you should try today.
SEO tools to try in 2014
There are two kinds of SEO’s. Those that know what works and manage to stay in the top of the search engines no matter what updates Google does, and those that are using sloppy methods and wonder why their websites are not ranking well.
Remember that SEO is a very slow process that requires patience and results can’t come overnight. Create a long term plan, and you will have positive achievements. Bellow I will show you a list with my favorite tools for SEO.
1. MonitorBacklinks.com
This is a the must have SEO tools for everybody who is serious about ranking high in Google. On every SEO campaign, you have to keep track of your backlinks, and this is where Monitor Backlinks is extremely helpful.
When your website gains new links, Monitor Backlinks sends you an email alert, with all the backlinks received in that day. You can easily track all of your new backlinks and know what works best for your rankings, and which one drives the most traffic.
For each account, you can add your main competitors, for which Monitor Backlinks will track their backlinks profile to. You can easily keep up with your competition link building strategy.
Everything is 100% automated, and it takes about 2 minutes to create an account.
Why is Monitor Backlinks on this list?
This tool is 100% automated, unlike many SEO tools. That means you connect your domain, and the rest is done automatically. You get detailed reports for your SEO campaigns and email alerts when your website or competitors are gaining new backlinks.
2. SEO PowerSuite
If you are looking for a complete SEO tool to download on your PC or Mac, this is the best one you can have.
The SEO PowerSuite has 4 different tools:
- Rank TrackerIt can check your keywords rankings in all major search engines for top 1000 rankings. The keyword research feature is also very useful, and it can help you find long-tail keywords and new opportunities.
- Website AuditorChecks for problems on your website and helps you index your content on search engines easily.
- SEO SpyGlassThis one is one of the best parts of SEO PowerSuite. It helps you find a lot of quality websites, from which you can get backlinks.
- LinkAssistantHelps you manage your link building campaigns and keep track of your backlinks profile.
Why is SEO PowerSuite listed here?
This tool is the best SEO tool you can download on your computer and have it accessible at any time. The most important features are: rank tracking for top 1000 and SEO SpyGlass.
3. Open Site Explorer from Moz.com
Every SEO has heard and probably tried Moz tools at least once. They offer numerous tools, but one of the best ones is “Open Site Explorer”. You simply add your website URL and get a list with all the backlinks sorted by Page Authority or Domain Authority.
On Open Site Explorer, you have access to almost every piece of information you need for a website. The feature I like the most is called “Compare Link Metrics”, which allows you to compare your website with 4 competitors. You can easily understand what are the differences between your website, and find ranking patterns to improve your visibility on search engines.
Why is Open Site Explorer on this list?
Comparing your website with your competitor is vital for any website. This tool helps you understand where there is room to improve your SEO strategy.
4. SemRush.com
SemRush can provide priceless details about your competition. When you search for a domain, you can find what are the most popular landing pages, and what keywords are driving the most traffic.
Download the list of keywords from which your competitors are getting the most traffic, and find hundreds of new opportunities to rank for.
Why is SemRush on the list?
It’s the best tool for keyword research.
Conclusion
There are many other SEO tools that could have been mentioned on this list, but this is a list with the most important 4 tools to use to monitor your SEO campaigns.
Have you tried the tools in this list? What is your favorite one?