SEO stands for search engine optimization. It is the process of optimizing your website to help it rank better on your chosen search engine. As Google is most widely used search enginemost websites focus on ranking on their search engine results pages (SERPs).
SEO is important to businesses because it is a way for potential customers to find them. If you want to bring in new customers, consider investing in SEO software. SEO software can help you determine what changes you need to make to your website to perform better on Google and appear in more searches.
We at the MarketWatch Guides team have personally tested the best SEO software solutions on the market. To decide which software is best for your business, keep reading to learn about the results of our tests.
As mentioned earlier, most websites try to optimize for Google performance. Google even has free tools to help you with this. Most businesses use these tools alongside a paid SEO software because they are limited in their capabilities. But if you have a small budget, you can start with them to get your website up and running.
Here is an overview of Google’s free SEO tools.
Google Analytics
Google Analytics gives you access to your website’s traffic data. Google Analytics 4 launched in July 2023, migrating 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 more integrations with other platforms.
Google Search Console
While Google Analytics provides important traffic insights, Google Search Console looks at search results beyond just traffic. For example, it can tell you what queries users search to find your page. It can also crawl your site to see how you’re doing on the technical SEO front.
Rank tracking is really important for SEO. Using Search Console [helps] track how a page ranks for all the keywords that [it] could be targeted.
Graci George, Senior SEO Analyst at Home Solutions
Google Trends
Google Trends is Google’s free tool for generating keyword ideas. Start by typing a word or phrase in the search field. The tool will generate a list of common searches related to it that you can target.
What is SEO software?
SEO software refers to tools that help website 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 which related keywords to include and which pages to compete with to rank.
However, there are specialized tools that focus on one topic, such as local SEO. In our review, these tools are BrightLocal, AnswerThePublic, and Screaming Frog.
How Much Does SEO Software Cost?
Pricing for SEO software varies depending on functionality, number of users, and other key factors. However, most providers offer several plans to choose from with monthly and/or annual billing.
Here is a table summarizing prices for the providers in our review. It looks at the price of the first paid plan.
| Provider | Starting price | Free trial? | Free plan? |
| Ahrefs | $99.99 per month | ✖️ | ✖️ |
| Moz Pro | $99.99 per month | ✅ | ✖️ |
| Semrush | $129.95 per month | ✅ | ✖️ |
| WooRank | $89.99 per month | ✅ | ✖️ |
| Mangools | $19.90 per month | ✖️ | ✅ |
| BrightLocal | $39 per month | ✅ | ✖️ |
| AnswerThePublic | $9 a month | ✅ | ✅ |
| Screaming Seed | $259 per year | ✖️ | ✅ |
Is There Free SEO Software?
Except for Google’s tools, which are completely free, most tools have a free plan followed by several paid options. The free plan remains free for as long as you want to use it. But it has limited capabilities, so you can quickly outgrow it.
Out 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 understanding what features you need and how much you can afford to spend. From there, you can narrow down your choices by looking at ease of use, reputation, and other secondary factors.
All-in-one platform vs. specialized tool
Some software acts as an all-in-one platform with tools for keyword research, competitor 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 bucket.
As for specialized tools, Screaming Frog helps with website crawling for technical SEO, BrightLocal handles local SEO for small businesses, and AnswerThe Public does in-depth keyword research.
Most businesses choose an all-in-one platform because they need help with multiple aspects of SEO. They can add a specialized tool later if they need more help with something than the generalized platform can provide.
Data source
SEO software gets its data from a variety of sources. For example, Semrush claims a keyword database of over 25 million keywords, while Ahrefs’ database has around 7 million keywords. AnswerThePublic evaluates search terms for Google, Bing, YouTube, and Amazon, while Moz Pro only looks at Google search results.
Reputation and reviews
Although we have tested these SEO tools ourselves, we are a small sample size of their entire customer base. This is where customer reviews come in. Check Capterra, G2 and other review aggregators to see if our consensus matches what other customers are saying. Reading SEO software reviews can help you make a final decision about whether a tool fits your needs.
Customer support
When implementing a new software tool, especially a comprehensive one, there is usually a learning curve. You want to be able to get help if you need it during the setup process. In many cases, the plan level you choose determines the customer service channels you have access to. For example, the starter plan might have a help center and community forum, while the top plan might have 24/7 phone and chat support.
Ease of use
When it comes down to it, you need a tool that you know how to use. After passing the initial onboarding phase, you shouldn’t still be struggling to navigate the platform and find certain features. We know from personal experience that taking advantage of free trials, plans and demos is the best way to evaluate usability.
Essential SEO Software Features
Below are the most common features of SEO software. A platform may have several of these features if it is an all-in-one tool or one or two of these features if it is a specialized tool.
- Website Revision: An audit looks at the current state of your on-page, off-page and technical SEO to show you what you need to work on. On-page SEO is the content on the page. Off-page SEO is all about showing Google that you are a reputable website. This is mostly done through link building (more on backlinks later in this list). Technical SEO includes page speed, accessibility and other aspects of how users interact with the page. Google uses bots to scan pages. These bots look at all three aspects of SEO to determine how you should rank.
- Keyword Research: An SEO tool can generate lists of keyword ideas to try to rank for. The lists tell you how many Google users are searching for each term and how difficult it will be to rank for that term (eg how many other pages exist on this topic).
- Content development: Once you’ve decided on a keyword to target, you can use the SEO tool to get other tips (in addition to using that keyword) to help you rank. For example, it can give you a list of secondary keywords to insert, frequently asked questions to answer, and potential headlines to use.
- Backlink analysis: Backlink analysis helps you understand how many sites are linking to you and what the quality of those sites are (eg, are they household names in the industry? Are they spam sites?). You can use the analysis to reject links you don’t want Google to connect to your site. This is also where you can find opportunities to get more reputable sites to link back to you.
- Local SEO: For businesses with physical locations, local SEO can help you rank for searches in your area. It can also help you with local listings, such as Google Maps.
- Website crawling: Crawling is the action taken by Google’s bots to scan your website. You can use an SEO tool to scan your site periodically to find any technical issues that may prevent bots from crawling your site properly.
In a recent survey we conducted with 200 SEO professionals, 59% of respondents said that keyword research was the most important feature they were looking for in SEO software.
Bottom line
SEO software can be a game changer for your company’s search results. 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? Do you have a limited budget? How will you contact the software provider if you need help?
Once you have the answers to these questions, our guide is designed to help you narrow down your choices. If you’re still stuck between a few software solutions, try their free trials or free plans to gauge how easy they are for you to use. SEO software reviews across the web can be another tool in your evaluation process.
Frequently Asked Questions About SEO Software
Many SEO tools are easy to use for users who are new to SEO. But we gave Mangools the superlative of Best for SEO Beginners because it’s the only all-in-one platform on our list with a free plan. You can use this plan to test its wide range of options.
To determine if your SEO software is worth the cost, look at your return on investment. To measure your ROI, compare what you spent on the software to how much money you brought in as a result of your SEO efforts. For example, maybe you spent $1,000 a year on SEO software and brought in $10,000 in revenue from new customers who found you on Google. That would make the SEO software worth paying because you made a profit of $9,000.
No, neither SEO nor Google Ads are better. SEO is free unless you pay for SEO software. However, you are not guaranteed to rank. With Google Ads, you are guaranteed placement, but you must have an advertising budget.
Technical SEO refers to the parts of your website that affect how Google and visitors perceive you. This can include how long it takes for your home page to load and whether you have captions for visitors who are visually impaired. These elements can affect your ability to rank and your ability to keep visitors on your page.
Method
We at the MarketWatch Guides team spent over 100 hours testing nearly 35 marketing software solutions, including Mailchimp, Constant Contact, Semrush and Google Analytics. These providers help with some or all of the following marketing disciplines:
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
- SMS/Short Message Service (SMS)
- E-mail marketing
We conducted a survey in 2024 of 200 professionals who were currently using marketing software or had marketing HR software within the past year. We analyzed the results of this study to determine the following assessment criteria:
- User experience (7%)
- Prices (8%)
- Features (65%)
- Customer Support (5%)
- Reputation and reviews (15%)
Visit the full marketing methodology page for more details on our rating system.