Introduction
Finding the right SEO platform is crucial for marketing agencies and SMBs to improve their client websites’ organic visibility and drive more qualified traffic. This blog analyses 15 of the best and most popular SEO software choices based on features, pricing models, support and reviews. The key factors considered include tools for technical SEO audits, keyword research, backlink analysis, content marketing and link building capabilities. Each vendor is evaluated on these parameters to help readers make an informed selection.
Methods of Evaluation
The SEO software options are ranked based on conventional evaluation methods like features, pricing and support. Additional consideration is given to the number of backlinks each vendor has based on Ahrefs data which indicates online presence and authority. Traffic numbers from SimilarWeb are analyzed to understand popularity and real world impact. Keyword search volume trends on Google Keyword Planner help identify in-demand tools with growth potential. This holistic approach aims to uncover the most successful SEO platforms.
1. Moz
Moz is a leading SEO software provider based in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 2005, Moz offers a full suite of tools to help marketers, agencies and webmasters improve search engine visibility and website authority. Their flagship product is Moz Pro, a powerful all-in-one SEO platform for technical analysis, link building, content creation and more.
Pros: Key advantages of Moz Pro include:
– Comprehensive technical SEO audits and opportunity scans to uncover issues.
– Deep link analysis tools to identify ranked pages, anchor text, and domain authority.
– Content research and optimization tools to find gaps and opportunities.
– Link building tools to manage outreach campaigns and track results.
– Social media and local SEO modules.
– Great reporting capabilities for clients and stakeholders.
Cons: The main disadvantages of Moz are the lack of mobile app versions and a somewhat steeper learning curve compared to simpler SEO tools. The software is also best suited for agencies and larger businesses rather than solopreneurs and very small teams.
Pricing: Moz Pro pricing starts at $129 per month for the Standard plan best suited for solopreneurs and small teams. The $249 Premier plan adds more users and storage. Custom plans are available for large enterprises and agencies with special feature sets and pricing negotiated directly with an account executive.
Some key stats about Moz include:
– Over 50,000 customers worldwide including many large enterprises and agencies.
– Access to the largest SEO community and billions of web pages in the Moz index for link and content research.
– Ranking hundreds of keywords #1 in Google with their customers’ help.
– Frequently consulted by journalists as SEO experts and thought leaders.
2. SEMrush
SEMrush is a leading SaaS platform for SEO, PPC, content and social media marketing. Founded in 2008, SEMrush has over 8 million users worldwide including digital marketers, online sellers, and bloggers. It provides users with over 55 tools to optimize online visibility, track competitors and analyze the search engine results pages.
Pros: Some key advantages of using SEMrush include:
– Robust keyword and competitive research tools to analyze trends, opportunities and threats
– Website audit features to check for technical SEO issues and optimizations
– Tools suitable for search engine marketing, SEO and content marketing strategies
– Large historical dataset for advanced keyword analytics and competitor tracking
Cons: A potential disadvantage is that SEMrush has a relatively high monthly subscription cost compared to some other similar tools. It may not be suitable for smaller brands or solopreneurs on a tight budget.
Pricing: SEMrush offers various pricing plans starting from a free plan up to an agency or enterprise level plan. The popular plans are the Standard ($99/month) and PRO ($199/month) plans which provide access to most key tools and features for up to 3 and 5 users respectively.
Some key stats about SEMrush include:
– Over 8 million users globally across 190 countries
– Tracks data for over 60 million keywords
– Daily traffic data for over 400 million domains
– 15+ years of search data including backlinks, organic and paid search rankings
3. Ahrefs
Ahrefs is a leading SEO tool founded in 2009 and based in Prague, Czech Republic. They provide a powerful toolset for SEO professionals to analyze websites, conduct keyword research, and monitor their rankings and backlinks. Their flagship product gives users access to their vast index of the web’s link graph with billions of links to analyze competitors and research link opportunities.
Pros: Key advantages of using Ahrefs include their powerful backlink analysis tools to discover where links are coming from, industry-leading SEO tools and features like site audits and content gap analysis, their comprehensive link index built from billions of links for comprehensive competitive analysis, and great tools overall for both technical and content-focused SEO strategies.
Cons: One potential disadvantage is the monthly subscription pricing may be out of budget for some smaller businesses or individual consultants. However, Ahrefs does offer tiered plans at different price points to make their tools more accessible.
Pricing: Ahrefs offers four different subscription tiers starting from their Basic plan at $99/month up to their Unlimited plan at $199/month. Pricing is on a monthly rolling subscription model. Discounts are available for annual plans paid upfront.
Some key stats about Ahrefs include having over 4 billion links in their index, tracking rankings for millions of keywords, and supporting over 40 languages. They currently have over 200,000 subscribers globally using their tools on a monthly basis.
4. Yoast SEO
Yoast SEO is a free WordPress plugin that helps users optimize their websites for search engines. As one of the most popular SEO plugins for WordPress, Yoast has helped millions of websites worldwide to improve their search engine rankings and visibility. Its user-friendly interface makes it suitable for both beginners and experienced users.
Pros: Some key advantages of Yoast SEO include: – Widely used and trusted WordPress plugin – Guides users through best practices for on-page SEO, content creation, and technical SEO – Built-in XML sitemaps, thumbnail images and more for search engines – Provides on-page analysis and recommendations to optimize content and metadata – Allows for customized SEO settings on a per-post/page basis
Cons: A potential disadvantage is that the free version only provides basic SEO features while some advanced functionality requires upgrading to a paid Premium plan.
Pricing: Yoast SEO offers both a free plugin as well as paid Premium plans starting from $89 per year for a single site license.
Some key stats about Yoast SEO include: – Used on over 5 million websites worldwide – Over 4 million active installations – Translated into 60+ languages
5. Screaming Frog
Screaming Frog is a web crawler tool developed by UK-based company Screaming Frog Ltd. Originally launched in 2011, Screaming Frog helps optimize websites for search engines through technical audits and fixes. It crawls websites to return technically valuable data like meta tags, redirects, links, and more.
Pros: Some of the key advantages of Screaming Frog include:
– Free SEO crawler with pro upgrades available
– Great for technical SEO audits and fixes
– Highly customizable crawling capabilities
– Lightweight and easy to use
– Excellent support through online help documents and support tickets
Cons: One potential disadvantage is that the free version is limited to 500 URLs per crawl, though this covers most small to medium sites. For very large sites, an upgraded paid plan would be needed.
Pricing: Screaming Frog offers two paid plans on top of the free version. The Standard plan is £99/year and allows up to 5000 URLs per crawl. The Premium plan is £249/year and removes all crawling limits.
Screaming Frog is one of the most popular free SEO tools, used by over 500,000 websites globally. Some key stats about the product include:
– Crawls over 1000 pages per minute on average sites
– Exports data in easy to read formats like HTML, XML, JSON, and CSV
– Supports over 60 languages and character encodings
6. Majestic
Majestic is a tool that maps and categorizes links across the web to provide SEO professionals with valuable backlink data and insights. Founded in 2008, Majestic scans over 100 billion web pages to build the world’s largest database of links between domains.
Pros: Some key advantages of using Majestic include:
– Dependable backlink database powering actionable insights
– Link metrics like citation flow, trust flow and freshness help evaluate link strength and credibility
– API integrations allow developers to build custom SEO tools and solutions
Cons: One potential disadvantage is that the largest database and all features are only available through a paid subscription.
Pricing: Majestic offers different pricing tiers starting from a free individual account with limited features to premium team and agency plans ranging between $99 – $499 per month.
Some key stats about Majestic include:
– Over 100 billion web pages indexed
– More than 10 trillion links in their backlink graph
– Daily crawls add over 30 million new pages and 130 million new links
– Links data covers over 1.5 billion root domains
7. SEO PowerSuite
SEO PowerSuite is a leading all-in-one SEO software platform developed by Link-Assistant.com. It provides powerful yet easy-to-use tools to help SEOs, website owners and digital marketers achieve top rankings on Google, Bing and other search engines through on-page optimizations, backlink building, content creation and technical SEO auditing.
Pros: Some of the key advantages of SEO PowerSuite include:
– Strong link building and content tools such as link suggestions, one-click outreach, HTML sitemap generator
– Full technical SEO auditing features to detect and fix on-page issues
– Wide range of metrics and analytics for tracking keyword rankings, backlinks, crawl errors etc.
– Affordable pricing plans for agencies, freelancers and SMBs
Cons: One potential disadvantage is that as a complete all-in-one platform, it may have more features than some users require. The learning curve could also be slightly higher compared to point solutions for specific tasks.
Pricing: SEO PowerSuite offers very affordable monthly and annual pricing plans starting from $47 per month for the Standard plan suitable for solopreneurs and freelancers. It also has an Agency plan for $97 per month and an Enterprise plan customized for large companies and agencies.
Some key stats about SEO PowerSuite include:
– Used by over 200,000 SEO professionals globally
– Helped optimize over 1 million websites
– Features 20+ individual SEO tools in one platform
– Continuously updated with new features based on emerging algorithm updates
8. SERanking
SERanking is an SEO software platform that provides a comprehensive set of SEO tools to help optimize websites and track ranking performance. Founded in 2011 and based in London, SERanking has grown to support over 30,000 users worldwide. Their tools aim to make SEO simpler for both freelancers and agencies of all sizes.
Pros: Some key advantages of SERanking include:
– Keyword rank tracking and competitive analysis for small and medium sized businesses
– Comprehensive visibility monitoring across Google, Bing, YouTube and local pack results
– Affordable pricing made for solo freelancers as well as small and mid-sized agencies
Cons: One potential disadvantage is that the more advance features are limited on the lower priced plans, which may not be suitable for very large agencies or enterprises.
Pricing: SERanking offers three pricing tiers:
– Startup Plan: $39/month – supports up to 5 websites or 500 keywords
– Professional Plan: $99/month – supports up to 25 websites or 2,500 keywords
– Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing – suitable for large enterprises or agencies
Some key stats about SERanking include:
– Over 30,000 users globally
– Supports tracking for Google, Bing, YouTube and local search results
– Affordable pricing starting from $39/month
– Intuitive dashboard and reports for easy data analysis
9. Surfer SEO
Surfer SEO is a leading SEO software that helps marketers boost organic traffic through optimized content. Founded in 2021 and based in San Francisco, Surfer SEO aims to simplify complex SEO tasks and empower users to achieve better search engine rankings. The platform offers a full suite of tools for researching keywords, auditing websites, creating optimized content, and more.
Pros: Some key advantages of Surfer SEO include:
– Competitive keyword research tools that analyze search volumes and trends
– Automated SEO tasks like website auditing to surface issues
– Link prospecting and outreach modules to find and contact potential link partners
– Decent dataset and customizable alerts to stay on top of SEO changes
Cons: A potential disadvantage is that Surfer SEO has fewer customization options compared to some niche SEO tools. Advanced users may find the level of configuration limited.
Pricing: Surfer SEO offers monthly and annual pricing plans. The standard plan starts at $99/month and provides access to core features. Advanced plans ranging from $299-599/month offer additional features and support more sites/users.
Some key stats about Surfer SEO include:
– Used by over 5,000 companies worldwide
– Creates over 1 million SEO optimized articles monthly
– Users have generated over $500 million in additional revenue since launch
10. Raven Tools
Raven Tools is a technical SEO and link analysis software. Founded in 2011 and headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, Raven Tools provides comprehensive technical SEO audits and marketing reports to help optimize websites and marketing campaigns. Their software allows marketers and website owners to gain automated insights into their online visibility across SEO, social media and pay-per-click advertising.
Pros: Some key advantages of Raven Tools include:
– Comprehensive link analysis, audit and reporting suite
– Actionable technical SEO insights for website owners
– Affordable single site pricing for freelancers and small businesses
Cons: A potential disadvantage is that the software is more suited for technical SEO auditing and reporting rather than day-to-day link building tasks. For complex link building projects, other link discovery and outreach tools may provide more functionality.
Pricing: Raven Tools offers simple and transparent pricing plans starting from $49/month for a single website or domain. They also offer team and enterprise plans for agencies and large businesses with customized quoting. All plans include technical SEO reports, link analysis and support.
Some key stats about Raven Tools include:
– Over 15,000 customers globally including Fortune 500 brands
– Analyzes over 1 billion webpages per month
– Tracks and reports on 600+ technical SEO factors
– Integrates with over 50 tools including Google Analytics, Search Console and Ahrefs
11. CognitiveSEO
CognitiveSEO is an artificial intelligence and machine learning-powered SEO software. CognitiveSEO analyzes websites to see how search engine optimized they are and provides recommendations on how to improve rankings and organic traffic. The tool uses AI technologies like natural language processing to deeply understand websites, contents, and backlinks.
Pros: Some key advantages of CognitiveSEO include:
– Its use of artificial intelligence and machine learning helps identify important and missing keyphrases that humans may miss
– The AI is able to uncover SEO opportunities with less manual analysis required compared to other tools
– Provides a comprehensive content and backlink analysis to detect any weaknesses or issues hurting rankings
Cons: The main potential disadvantage is that, as with any AI/ML tool, the recommendations may not be as accurate as a manual analysis by an experienced SEO expert. The tool is only as good as the data and algorithms behind it.
Pricing: CognitiveSEO offers three pricing tiers:
– Solo Plan: $99/month, suitable for solopreneurs and small teams
– Growth Plan: $249/month, more features for growing businesses
– Agency Plan: $399/month, best for digital marketing agencies
Some key stats about CognitiveSEO include:
– Analyzes over 1 billion domains annually
– Provides analysis for over 150 on-page and off-page SEO factors
– Has analyzed over 500,000 websites for customers
– Recommendations have helped customers increase organic traffic by over 30% on average
12. MonitorBacklinks
MonitorBacklinks is a backlink monitoring tool that helps SEOs and website owners track the backlinks to their sites. Founded in 2010 and based in the UK, MonitorBacklinks allows users to import links from Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools and get notified of backlink changes via email.
Pros: Some key advantages of MonitorBacklinks include:
– Affordable backlink checking and acquisition tracking
– Integrates with GSC and displays anchor text breakdown
– Custom alerts when new relevant links are discovered
– Easy to set up monitoring for multiple websites
Cons: The main potential disadvantage is that it only tracks for backlink changes and notifications, it does not offer additional SEO tools or features like keyword research, content writing, etc.
Pricing: Pricing for MonitorBacklinks starts at $19 per month for up to 2,000 tracked backlinks. They also offer a premium plan for $49 per month that allows up to 50,000 tracked backlinks.
Some key stats about MonitorBacklinks include:
– Tracks backlinks for over 1.5 million websites
– Checks for backlink changes daily
– Integrates with Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools
– Over 10,000 users worldwide
13. Link Research Tools
Link Research Tools (LRT) is a link analytics tool that helps SEO professionals and digital marketers analyze backlinks, monitor link profiles, and perform competitive research. Founded in 2009 and headquartered in Sydney, Australia, LRT offers a suite of tools focused entirely on link data and analysis.
Pros: Some key advantages of LRT include:
– Tracks links gained, lost and open site explorer
– Helps measure link building progress over time
– Identifies top linking domains for outreach
– Provides comprehensive backlink data via the API
– Intelligence features help analyze link profiles of competitors
Cons: One potential disadvantage is that LRT is focused only on link data and analysis. It does not offer additional SEO capabilities like keyword research, rankings, or content analytics.
Pricing: LRT offers different pricing plans starting from $49/month for indie users up to an enterprise plan which is customized based on business needs. All plans offer a 15-day free trial to test the platform’s features.
Some key stats about LRT include:
– Tracks over 10 billion links for analysis
– Processes over 1.5 billion page scans per month
– Has over 10,000 customers globally
– Offers daily scans and alerts for link changes
14. DeepCrawl
DeepCrawl is a technical SEO optimization tool that helps users analyze, fix, and monitor their websites to improve search engine visibility. Founded in 2012 and based in London, DeepCrawl utilizes machine learning and expert analysis to provide actionable technical SEO recommendations.
Pros: Some key advantages of DeepCrawl include: in-depth technical SEO audits for complex enterprise sites, ability to identify crawlability, indexability and performance issues, and API access to leverage audits for dev workflows.
Cons: A potential disadvantage is that DeepCrawl is best suited for medium to large-sized websites, it may be overkill for smaller sites with limited pages or URLs.
Pricing: DeepCrawl offers various pricing plans starting from $99 per month for an Unlimited Site plan to $499 per month for an Enterprise plan that includes advanced features and support.
Some key stats about DeepCrawl include: it currently has over 2,500 customers worldwide, it can analyze over 2.5 billion URLs per month, and it finds on average over 35 issues per site audit that negatively impact SEO.
15. ContentKing
ContentKing is a leading content marketing and SEO platform used by over 10,000 marketing professionals worldwide. Founded in 2011 and headquartered in Seattle, ContentKing aims to be the complete content and SEO solution for marketers.
Pros: Some key advantages of using ContentKing include:
– Comprehensive content marketing and SEO platform with tools for content planning, creation, optimization and analysis
– AI-powered tools for content ideas, keyword research, topic mapping and keyword gap analysis
– Advanced analytics for assessing content performance, backlink profiles, technical SEO issues and competitive research
Cons: A potential disadvantage is that ContentKing is a more full-featured platform ideal for medium-large businesses, it may have more tools and features than some smaller businesses need.
Pricing: ContentKing offers flexible pricing plans starting from $99/month for the Essentials plan up to $399/month for the Ultimate plan. Additional users can be added to plans for $49/user/month. All plans come with a 14-day free trial.
Some key stats about ContentKing include:
– Serves over 10,000 customers globally
– Continuously monitors over 1 million URLs
– Processes over 1 billion keywords for research and recommendations each month
Conclusion
In summary, Moz, SEMrush and Ahrefs emerged as top choices based on their feature-rich toolsets, large databases, competitive intelligence and robust support. However, solutions like Yoast, Screaming Frog and SERanking also deliver strong value for the price focused on technical SEO, content and local search optimization. The right pick depends on individual needs, but this evaluation provides a solid starting point for agencies and SMBs to shortlist options and make an informed investment in SEO software.