What are the best tools to help you get your website to the top of Google Search? Getting ranked or positioned on the first result page of a search on Google is the penultimate goal for any webmaster. Depending on the specific keyword or key term used, that search could easily generate tens of thousands of page views per month for your site. However, where you rank on that page – if you’re able to get there to begin with – really comes down to how well you optimize your site and content.
Search Engine Optimization (aka SEO) is a category that draws billions of marketing dollars annually from around the globe. To get started, you need to know three things:
- Who is your ideal site visitor?
- What are they looking for that you offer?
- How are they using Google Search to find what they want?
These are the basics you’ll want to tackle to prepare yourself for any SEO strategy. If you get stuck or don’t have the time to handle answering those questions, we’re always here to help and you’re welcome to get in touch here.
The following are our four favorite SEO tools that we’ve used:
SEMRush
Starts at $99.95 per month ($83.28 per month when billed annually)
Their Competitor Overview Report is hands-down one of my favorite things about SEMRush. Sure, the interface is not as modern as its competitors, but the depth of information and ease of use make it a great experience.
UberSuggest
Starts at $29 per month ($290 for a lifetime subscription)
This relatively new kid on the block is the youngest child of SEO OG, Neil Patel. Now, Neil knows his stuff, and he developed a tool that is clean, friendly, and started off as completely free. Now you’ll need to pay for more in-depth plans, but this will feel intuitive if you’re a bit hesitate about handling SEO on your own.
Moz
Starts at $99 per month ($79 per month when billed annually)
The one name that translates directly to SEO online is Moz. The site has been around for as long as Facebook has, and they have an in-depth knowledge base if you have the time to spend. They claim that they are the most accurate of SEO tools, but we haven’t found any significant difference when comparing analyses with the others listed here.
Ahrefs
Starts at $99 per month ($82 when billed annually)
If you’re looking for a platform that makes you feel like a SEO start out of the gate, Ahrefs is your destination. They have developed their user interface in a way that gives the appearance of being in full control and the master of all you survey … at least when it comes to SEO on your site.
I’ll go more in depth for each of these – and the other, smaller competitors, at a later time, but this should be enough to get you started.