13 Best SEO Tools for Small Businesses

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13 Best SEO Tools for Small Businesses - 99signals

Being a small business owner is not easy. It's like David taking on Goliath every day. Imagine if you had a reliable SEO tool to help you compete with the big players.

Wouldn't that be amazing?

But here's the catch: finding the right SEO tools can be a major challenge for small businesses. With limited resources and constantly changing search engine algorithms, it often feels like you're always a step behind the big brands.

That's why we've rounded up 13 of the best SEO tools tailored for small businesses. From keyword research to site optimization, these tools are designed to help you boost your online visibility without draining your budget.

In this post, we'll break down each tool, explaining what it does best and how it can support your SEO strategy. Let's dive in and find the perfect SEO toolkit for your small business.

Top 13 SEO Tools for Small Businesses

1. Semrush

Semrush

Semrush is a leading SEO and online marketing tool designed to meet the needs of small businesses and larger enterprises alike.

It offers a wide range of features that can help you with all aspects of your SEO strategy, from keyword research and technical SEO audit to competitor analysis.

Top Features

  • Keyword Research: Semrush provides extensive keyword data and features, allowing you to find high-traffic keywords and analyze their potential.
  • Site Audit: This feature identifies technical SEO issues on your website, helping you optimize for better rankings.
  • Competitor Analysis: You can analyze your competitors' SEO strategies, backlinks, top content, and keyword rankings to stay ahead in your industry.
  • Backlink Analysis: Understand your backlink profile and discover new link building opportunities to improve your domain authority.
  • Content Marketing Toolkit: Plan and execute content strategies to attract more visitors and increase engagement.
  • Position Tracking: Monitor your website's keyword rankings over time to evaluate the effectiveness of your SEO efforts.
  • Semrush Local: Designed for businesses with a local focus, Semrush Local helps you optimize your website for local search, track local rankings, and manage local business listings.
  • ContentShake AI: An AI-powered content creation tool designed to help you generate topic ideas and create engaging content. As a Semrush user, you gain free access to ContentShake AI, allowing you to easily create optimized content for your website or blog.

Pricing

  • Semrush Pro: Starting at $139.95 per month, this plan is suitable for small businesses and provides essential SEO tools, including keyword research, site audit, and backlink analysis.
  • Semrush Guru: At $249.95 per month, this plan includes additional features like branded reports, historical data, and the content marketing toolkit.
  • Semrush Business: Priced at $499.95 per month, this plan is designed for larger companies with more complex SEO requirements.

If you opt for annual billing, you can get a discount of 17% on any of the above plans.

Click here to sign up for a free 14-day trial of Semrush Pro

Why Semrush Is Ideal for Small Business SEO

  • All-Inclusive SEO Toolkit: Semrush offers a complete suite of SEO tools, covering everything from keyword research and technical SEO audit to backlink analysis and competitor tracking. This is perfect for small businesses looking to manage all aspects of their SEO strategy in one place.
  • Content Marketing Support: With a built-in content marketing toolkit, Semrush supports small businesses in creating and promoting content that drives traffic and engagement. This feature helps small businesses develop effective content strategies that align with their SEO goals.
  • Local SEO Focus: Semrush includes features specifically designed for local businesses, such as business listing management and review monitoring. This focus on local SEO helps small businesses attract nearby customers and improve their visibility in local search results.
  • Community and Learning Resources: Semrush has a large user community, offering a wealth of shared knowledge and learning resources to help small businesses grow.

Areas for Improvement

  • Price Considerations: The subscription fees can be a significant investment for small businesses, particularly those in the early stages of growth. Despite the Pro plan offering a lower entry point, the overall cost might still be a concern.
  • Technical Complexity: With its extensive features, Semrush may require some time and effort to fully understand, which might be challenging for those with limited SEO experience.

Final Verdict

Semrush is a top choice among a sea of SEO tools for small businesses. If you need an all-in-one solution that can grow with you, offer in-depth insights, and support your content and local SEO strategies, then Semrush could be exactly what you're looking for.

Despite its premium price, its all-inclusive features and community support make it ideal for businesses that want a reliable, growth-oriented SEO solution.

Sign up for Semrush

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Recommended reading: Semrush Tutorial: The Ultimate Guide

2. SE Ranking

SE Ranking

SE Ranking is an all-in-one SEO platform designed to meet the needs of small businesses and marketing agencies, offering a range of tools to help you improve your website's search engine visibility.

With a user-friendly interface and affordable pricing, SE Ranking provides small businesses with all the SEO tools they need to succeed in a competitive digital landscape.

Top Features

  • Keyword Rank Tracking: SE Ranking lets you monitor your keyword rankings across different search engines and locations, providing insights into how well your SEO efforts are working.
  • Backlink Monitoring: SE Ranking offers detailed backlink analysis, allowing you to track your backlinks and discover new link building opportunities.
  • Website Audit: This feature helps you identify technical SEO issues on your website, including broken links, missing metadata, and other elements that can affect your search engine rankings.
  • Competitor Analysis: You can analyze your competitors' SEO strategies, track their backlinks, and monitor their keyword rankings to find opportunities to improve your own SEO performance.
  • Marketing Plan: This feature provides a step-by-step guide to help you implement SEO best practices and improve your website's visibility.
  • White Labeling: SE Ranking offers white-label features specifically tailored for agencies or businesses that want to customize the SEO reports with their branding.

Pricing

  • Essential Plan: Starting at $55 per month, this plan offers basic SEO tools, including keyword rank tracking, website audit, and backlink monitoring.
  • Pro Plan: At $109 per month, this plan includes advanced features like competitor analysis and extended keyword tracking.
  • Business Plan: Priced at $239 per month, this plan offers the most comprehensive features, including unlimited competitor analysis and white-labeling options.

SE Ranking also offers discounts for annual subscriptions, allowing you to save on your SEO investment over time.

Click here to start your 2-week trial of SE Ranking

Why SE Ranking is Ideal for Small Business SEO

  • Affordable Pricing: SE Ranking has flexible pricing options that are accessible for small businesses with limited budgets.
  • User-Friendly Interface: The platform is designed with a simple and intuitive interface. This makes it easy for users with little or no SEO experience to navigate and use the tools effectively.
  • Extensive Feature Set: SE Ranking provides a wide array of tools, including keyword rank tracking, website audit, competitor analysis, backlink monitoring, and marketing planning. This comprehensive feature set allows small businesses to manage all aspects of their SEO strategy within a single platform, streamlining their SEO efforts.

Areas for Improvement

  • Limited Customization: Although SE Ranking offers white-labeling options in the higher-tier plans, the level of customization is limited compared to some other platforms. Small businesses or agencies looking for extensive customization might find this a drawback.
  • Data Update Frequency: Depending on the chosen plan, the frequency of data updates may not be as high as some businesses would prefer. This could affect real-time tracking and SEO analysis, especially for businesses that need more frequent updates to stay ahead in competitive markets.

Final Verdict

With features like keyword rank tracking, website audit, and competitor analysis, SE Ranking is an ideal budget-friendly alternative to Semrush.

While it may have some limitations in customization and data update frequency, its user-friendly interface and extensive feature set make it a solid choice for small businesses aiming to improve their search engine visibility.

SE Ranking Free Trial (14 Days)

Get 14-day free access to SE Ranking's complete toolkit.

(No credit card required)

Try SE Ranking for Free

3. Google Analytics

Google Analytics

Google Analytics is a free tool provided by Google that allows you to track and analyze your website's traffic and user behavior. It's a must-have SEO tool for small businesses looking to gain a deeper understanding of their online audience.

Top Features

  • Traffic Analysis: Google Analytics provides insights into your website's traffic sources, user demographics, and behavior.
  • Goal Tracking: You can set and track goals, such as conversions, sign-ups, or sales.
  • Custom Reports: Create custom reports to analyze specific metrics and data points.
  • Integration with Other Google Tools: Google Analytics can be integrated with other tools like Google Ads and Google Search Console to optimize online marketing efforts.

Pricing

Google Analytics is free to use, making it accessible to businesses of all sizes.

Why Google Analytics is Ideal for Small Business SEO

  • In-depth Website Analytics: Google Analytics provides a wealth of data points to help you understand various aspects of your website's performance, such as traffic sources, user demographics, and behavior flow.
  • Free to Use: Google Analytics is completely free, which makes it highly appealing for small businesses with tight budgets. You can access a vast array of analytics without breaking the bank, allowing you to focus your budget on other important aspects of your business.
  • Customizable Reports: Google Analytics offers the ability to create custom reports, enabling you to track specific metrics and set goals that align with your business objectives.

Areas for Improvement

  • Learning Curve: Google Analytics can be complex, especially for those new to analytics or data interpretation. This is even more true with Google Analytics 4, the latest version of the platform.
  • Limited SEO Features: While Google Analytics is excellent for website analytics, it isn't designed specifically for SEO. It lacks advanced SEO tools like keyword rank tracking, backlink analysis, and competitor research. Small businesses looking for SEO-specific features will need to supplement Google Analytics with other platforms.

Final Verdict

Google Analytics is a powerful, free tool for tracking website traffic and understanding user behavior. It offers robust data analysis and customizable reports, making it ideal for small businesses.

However, it has a steep learning curve and lacks advanced SEO-specific features, so you may need additional tools for advanced SEO insights.

Sign up for Google Analytics

4. BuzzSumo

BuzzSumo Influencer Marketing Tool

BuzzSumo is a content and social media analysis tool that helps you discover trending topics and analyze social media engagement. It's a valuable tool for creating content strategies and understanding what resonates with your audience.

Top Features

  • Content Discovery: BuzzSumo allows you to find popular content in your industry and identify trends.
  • Social Media Analysis: This feature helps you track social media engagement and see which platforms and content types perform best.
  • Content Alerts: Set alerts for specific topics or keywords to stay updated on the latest trends.
  • Influencer Marketing: Identify key influencers in your industry and build relationships to promote your content.

Pricing

  • Content Creation: Priced at $199 per month, BuzzSumo's Content Creation plan is designed for individuals or small businesses. It provides essential features, including content discovery, social media analysis, and basic competitor insights.
  • PR & Comms: At $299 per month, this plan offers more advanced features, including enhanced social media monitoring, content alerts, and additional export options.
  • Suite: Priced at $499 per month, this plan is tailored for teams and offers advanced reporting, unlimited content alerts, and expanded influencer identification tools.
  • Enterprise: Priced at $999 per month, the Enterprise plan offers a no-holds-barred access to BuzzSumo. It's ideal for big brands and large agencies, offering higher usage limits and integrations.

For any of these plans, you can pay annually and get a 20% discount.

Click here to start your BuzzSumo trial

Why BuzzSumo is Ideal for Small Business SEO

  • Content Discovery: BuzzSumo allows you to discover trending content in your industry or niche, helping you stay ahead of the curve and identify popular topics. This feature is invaluable for small businesses looking to create engaging content that resonates with their audience.
  • Social Media Monitoring: The platform provides tools for tracking your social media performance and monitoring brand mentions across various platforms. This capability allows small businesses to understand their social media impact and engage with their audience more effectively.
  • Competitor Analysis: BuzzSumo offers competitor analysis features that enable you to see what content is performing well for your competitors. This information can help small businesses refine their content strategy and identify new opportunities for growth.

Areas for Improvement

  • Expensive: BuzzSumo's pricing can be high, especially for small businesses with limited budgets. The cost of some advanced features might be prohibitive, making it less accessible for those looking for affordable content and social media tools.
  • Limited SEO Features: While BuzzSumo excels at content discovery and social media analysis, it doesn't offer a comprehensive suite of SEO tools. This limitation could be a drawback for small businesses seeking a more holistic SEO platform that includes features like backlink analysis, keyword research, and site audit.

Final Verdict

BuzzSumo's ability to identify popular topics and track social media engagement is particularly valuable for small businesses aiming to level up their content marketing game.

However, its pricing can be steep for businesses on a tight budget, and it lacks broader SEO features like traffic analysis and keyword research. While BuzzSumo is excellent for content insights, you may need additional tools for a complete SEO strategy.

Sign up for BuzzSumo

5. Ahrefs

Ahrefs

Ahrefs is a popular SEO toolset known for its excellent backlink analysis and competitive research capabilities. It's widely used by SEO professionals and digital marketers to track website performance and analyze competitors.

Top Features

  • Backlink Analysis: Ahrefs provides detailed insights into your backlink profile, helping you understand where your backlinks come from and how they impact your site's authority.
  • Keyword Explorer: This feature allows you to find high-traffic keywords and analyze their difficulty, making it easier to choose the best keywords for your SEO strategy.
  • Site Audit: Ahrefs can scan your website for technical issues that might be affecting your search engine rankings.
  • Rank Tracker: Monitor your keyword rankings over time and compare them with your competitors.
  • Content Explorer: This feature lets you discover the most popular content in your niche based on social shares, backlinks, and organic traffic. It can be a valuable tool for content ideation and understanding what resonates with your audience.

Pricing

  • Lite: Priced at $129 per month, this plan provides basic SEO tools like backlink analysis and keyword research.
  • Standard: At $249 per month, this plan includes additional features like content explorer and advanced competitor analysis.
  • Advanced: Priced at $449 per month, this plan offers more comprehensive tools for larger businesses.

By choosing an annual billing plan, you can get an extra two months of Ahrefs access for free.

Why Ahrefs is Ideal for Small Business SEO

  • Detailed Backlink Insights: Ahrefs offers one of the most detailed backlink analysis tools in the industry, allowing you to understand your backlink profile and how it impacts your site's authority. This feature is crucial for small businesses looking to build a strong online presence through high-quality backlinks.
  • Rich Keyword Research Tools: Ahrefs' Keyword Explorer provides robust functionality for finding high-traffic keywords and assessing their difficulty. This makes it easier for small businesses to choose effective keywords for their SEO strategy, leading to better search engine rankings.
  • User-Friendly Interface: Despite its powerful tools, Ahrefs is designed with a user-friendly interface, making it accessible even to those new to SEO. This allows small businesses to focus on improving their SEO without spending excessive time learning how to use the platform.
  • Competitor Analysis: Ahrefs' competitor analysis tools enable you to explore your competitors' SEO strategies, giving you insights into their backlinks, keyword rankings, and top-performing content. This information can help small businesses refine their approach and stay competitive.

Areas for Improvement

  • Usage-Based Pricing: Ahrefs can be expensive, especially for small businesses with limited budgets. It uses a usage-based pricing model, which can result in unpredictable costs, making it especially challenging for small businesses to manage their expenses.
  • Limited White-Labeling: The platform has limited white-labeling options, which can be a drawback for small businesses or agencies that want to customize the platform with their own branding. This limitation might be noticeable when providing client reports or integrating with other tools.

Final Verdict

Ahrefs is a top-notch SEO tool that stands out for its robust backlink analysis, keyword research, and competitive analysis capabilities. Its extensive feature set and user-friendly interface make it a strong choice for businesses looking to enhance their SEO strategies.

However, the pricing structure, especially with its usage-based model, can be a significant barrier for small businesses on a budget. The unpredictable costs might require careful monitoring to avoid overspending.

6. Sitechecker

Sitechecker

Sitechecker is an easy-to-use SEO tool designed to help you audit your website and identify areas for improvement. It's a great option for small businesses that need a quick and easy way to check their site's SEO health.

Top Features

  • Site Audit: Sitechecker scans your website for technical issues, offering suggestions on how to fix them.
  • Backlink Monitoring: This feature helps you track your backlinks and assess their quality.
  • Rank Tracking: Monitor your website's keyword rankings and see how they change over time.
  • On-Page SEO Checker: This feature analyzes individual pages to ensure they are optimized for search engines.

Pricing

  • Basic: Priced at $49 per month, this plan provides basic SEO audit features.
  • Standard: At $199 per month, this plan includes backlink monitoring and advanced site audits.
  • Premium: Priced at $399 per month, this plan offers more comprehensive SEO tools and reports.

You can enjoy 2 months of free access to Sitechecker by choosing the yearly billing option.

Click here to start your 14-day trial of Sitechecker

Why Sitechecker is Ideal for Small Business SEO

  • Simple Interface: Sitechecker's design is intuitive and user-friendly, making it accessible for those who are new to SEO. Small business owners and teams can navigate the platform with ease, allowing them to focus on improving their websites without a steep learning curve.
  • Affordable Pricing: Sitechecker's basic plan is competitively priced, making it an attractive option for small businesses with limited budgets. This affordability allows businesses to access essential SEO tools without breaking the bank.
  • Quick Site Audits: The site audit feature in Sitechecker is both fast and effective, providing quick assessments of your website's technical SEO issues. This helps small businesses identify problems and implement actionable recommendations to improve their search engine rankings.

Areas for Improvement

  • Limited Features: Sitechecker doesn't offer the extensive range of tools that some other SEO platforms do. This limitation might be noticeable for small businesses looking for more advanced capabilities, such as in-depth backlink analysis, extensive keyword research, or competitor analysis.
  • No White-Labeling: Customization options for branding and white-labeling are not available in Sitechecker. This might be a drawback for small businesses or agencies that wish to maintain a consistent brand identity across all client reports and communications.

Final Verdict

Sitechecker is an accessible and user-friendly SEO tool designed to help small businesses quickly audit their websites and identify areas for improvement. Its competitive pricing and simple interface make it a solid choice for those new to SEO.

However, it lacks advanced features like in-depth backlink analysis and white-labeling, which may limit its appeal to businesses with more complex SEO needs.

Sign up for Sitechecker

7. Ubersuggest

Ubersuggest

Ubersuggest is a cost-effective SEO platform designed to help businesses with keyword research, backlink analysis, and site audit. It's a good choice for small businesses that need essential SEO tools without a high price tag.

Top Features

  • Keyword Research: Ubersuggest allows you to find relevant keywords and explore their search volume, difficulty, and other metrics.
  • Backlink Analysis: This feature helps you understand your backlink profile and discover new link building opportunities.
  • Site Audit: Ubersuggest can scan your website for technical issues and provide recommendations for improvement.
  • Content Ideas: Find content suggestions based on popular topics in your industry.

Pricing

  • Individual: Priced at $12 per month, this plan offers basic SEO tools, including keyword research and site audit.
  • Business: At $20 per month, this plan includes additional features like backlink analysis and content ideas.
  • Enterprise: Priced at $40 per month, this plan provides more comprehensive SEO tools for larger businesses.

Why Ubersuggest is Ideal for Small Business SEO

  • Budget-Friendly Pricing: Ubersuggest is one of the most affordable SEO platforms, making it ideal for small businesses with limited budgets. Its low cost provides access to essential SEO tools without requiring a significant investment.
  • Easy to Use: The platform's interface is simple and user-friendly, which makes it accessible even for those who are new to SEO. Small businesses can quickly understand how to use Ubersuggest, allowing them to focus on improving their SEO strategy.
  • Robust Keyword Research Tools: Despite its low cost, Ubersuggest offers strong keyword research capabilities.

Areas for Improvement

  • Limited Features: Ubersuggest doesn't offer as many advanced tools as some other SEO platforms.
  • Data Update Frequency: The data in Ubersuggest might not update as frequently as other platforms. This could affect real-time tracking and analysis, especially for small businesses that need regular updates to stay competitive in their SEO efforts.

Final Verdict

Ubersuggest's budget-friendly plans and easy-to-use interface make it ideal for small businesses with limited budgets or SEO experience.

However, it lacks some advanced features and has slower data updates, which may limit its appeal for businesses requiring more complex SEO insights.

Sign up for Ubersuggest

8. Google Search Console

Google Search Console

Google Search Console is a free web service from Google that helps website owners monitor and maintain their site's presence in Google Search results. It's an essential tool for small businesses that want to understand how Google perceives their website and improve their SEO performance.

Top Features

  • Search Performance: Provides insights into which keywords drive traffic to your website, along with click-through rates, impressions, and average search rankings.
  • Index Coverage: Identifies indexing issues, helping you understand which pages are indexed and which aren't.
  • Mobile Usability: Alerts you to mobile usability issues, ensuring your website offers a good experience on mobile devices.
  • Manual Actions and Security Issues: Notifies you if Google has taken action on your site or detected security problems.

Pricing

Google Search Console is entirely free to use, making it an accessible tool for small businesses of all sizes.

Why Google Search Console is Ideal for Small Business SEO

  • Free to Use: There is no cost to use Google Search Console, allowing small businesses to leverage its insights without impacting their budgets.
  • Direct Insights from Google: As a Google product, Search Console offers direct information on how your site is indexed and ranked, providing valuable insights to guide your SEO strategy.

Areas for Improvement

  • Learning Curve: Some features can be complex, requiring time and expertise to fully understand.
  • Limited Analytics: While it offers useful SEO data, it lacks the comprehensive analytics features found in dedicated traffic analysis tools like Semrush and SE Ranking.

Final Verdict

Google Search Console is a must-have for small businesses aiming to improve their website's visibility in Google Search results. It offers valuable insights into search performance, indexing, and mobile usability, all for free.

Although there's a learning curve, and it lacks the depth of dedicated analytics tools, its direct information from Google makes it indispensable for any SEO strategy.

Sign up for Google Search Console

9. WP Rocket

WP Rocket - Caching Plugin

WP Rocket is a premium caching plugin for WordPress that helps improve website performance and speed. It's designed to be user-friendly and is compatible with most WordPress themes and plugins.

Top Features

  • Page Caching: WP Rocket creates cached versions of your pages to reduce load times and improve site speed.
  • Database Optimization: The plugin cleans up your WordPress database, removing unnecessary data to boost performance.
  • Lazy Loading: WP Rocket implements lazy loading for images and videos, which means these elements only load when users scroll to them.
  • Minification and Optimization: It reduces the size of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files, enhancing your website's speed.

Pricing

  • Single: Priced at $59 per year, it allows you to use the plugin on one website.
  • Plus: At $119 per year, this plan supports three websites.
  • Infinite: At $299 per year, it allows unlimited usage across multiple websites.

Why WP Rocket is Ideal for Small Business SEO

  • Improves Website Speed: WP Rocket's caching and optimization features help small businesses deliver a faster website experience, which can boost SEO and user engagement.
  • User-Friendly: The plugin is designed for ease of use, allowing even non-technical users to optimize their WordPress sites.
  • Reduced Bounce Rates: Faster load times can reduce bounce rates, keeping visitors on your site longer and improving conversion rates.

Areas for Improvement

  • Premium Pricing: WP Rocket is a paid plugin, which might not be suitable for small businesses with tight budgets.
  • WordPress-Only: The plugin is designed exclusively for WordPress, making it incompatible with other content management systems.

Final Verdict

WP Rocket is a top-notch caching plugin for WordPress that can dramatically improve your website speed and performance. Its easy-to-use features like page caching and lazy loading can significantly boost site speed and SEO. However, the premium price might be a drawback for small businesses, and it's exclusively for WordPress users.

Sign up for WP Rocket

10. Yoast SEO

Yoast SEO

Yoast SEO is a popular SEO plugin for WordPress that helps you optimize your content for search engines. It provides real-time feedback on your content and offers a range of tools to improve your site's SEO.

Top Features

  • On-Page SEO Analysis: Yoast SEO analyzes your content for SEO factors like keyword usage, meta descriptions, and readability.
  • XML Sitemaps: The plugin automatically generates XML sitemaps to help search engines crawl and index your site.
  • Social Media Integration: Yoast SEO allows you to set social media meta tags, ensuring your content appears correctly when shared on platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
  • Redirect Management: The premium version provides tools to manage redirects, helping you avoid broken links and improve SEO.

Pricing

Yoast SEO has both free and premium versions:

  • Free: The basic plugin is free to use and offers essential SEO features.
  • Premium: Priced at $99 per year, this plan includes advanced features like redirect management, internal link suggestions, and content insights.

Why Yoast SEO is Ideal for Small Business SEO

  • Comprehensive SEO Features: Even the free version provides a wide range of SEO tools, allowing small businesses to optimize their content without additional costs.
  • Guided Optimization: Yoast SEO offers real-time suggestions, making it easier for users to optimize content without extensive SEO knowledge.
  • Popular and Trusted: As one of the most widely used SEO plugins, it has a large user base and a strong support community.

Areas for Improvement

  • Limited Advanced Features: The free version lacks some advanced features, which are only available in the premium version.
  • WordPress-Only: Like WP Rocket, Yoast SEO is designed exclusively for WordPress, limiting its usability for other platforms.

Final Verdict

Yoast SEO is an excellent tool for WordPress users, offering a range of features to optimize content for search engines. Its on-page SEO analysis, XML sitemap generation, and readability checks make it easy to improve site visibility.

Try Yoast SEO for free

11. Mailshake

Mailshake - Blogger Outreach

Mailshake is a sales engagement and email outreach platform that helps businesses automate their email campaigns and improve communication with prospects. It is especially useful for small businesses seeking to generate leads, build strong backlinks, and establish connections with potential clients.

Top Features

  • Email Outreach Automation: Mailshake streamlines email campaigns, enabling you to contact multiple prospects with personalized messages, essential for building quality backlinks.
  • Personalization: The platform's ability to customize emails ensures that your outreach appears personalized, improving the chances of connecting with website owners and content creators.
  • Follow-up Sequences: Mailshake's follow-up feature allows you to create custom sequences, crucial for nurturing relationships and securing guest posting opportunities.
  • Analytics and Reporting: The platform provides detailed analytics on email open rates, click-through rates, and responses, helping you measure the effectiveness of your campaigns.

Pricing

  • Starter: Priced at $29 per month, this plan includes basic email outreach features.
  • Email Outreach: At $59 per month, this plan offers additional features like email personalization, browser extension, and advanced scheduling & throttling.
  • Sales Engagement: At $99 per month, this plan offers advanced features like LinkedIn automation and lead temperature.

You can opt for annual billing on any of these plans to enjoy cool discounts.

Why Mailshake is Ideal for Small Business SEO

  • Boosts SEO Outreach: With Mailshake's automation and follow-up features, you can efficiently manage your link building campaigns, reaching out to a broader network of site owners and bloggers.
  • Enhances Backlink Acquisition: The personalization and follow-up capabilities help improve response rates, aiding in acquiring quality backlinks for better search engine rankings.
  • User-Friendly Interface: The intuitive design makes Mailshake accessible, even for those new to email outreach for SEO purposes.
  • Affordable Pricing: Mailshake offers cost-effective pricing plans, making it an accessible choice for small businesses. The range of plans ensures that you can find an option that suits your budget without compromising on essential SEO outreach features.

Areas for Improvement

  • Limited CRM Integration: While Mailshake offers CRM integration in its higher-tier plan, the range of compatible CRMs is limited compared to some other platforms.
  • Email Sending Limits: The platform has email sending restrictions, which could be a bottleneck for small businesses managing extensive outreach campaigns.

Final Verdict

Mailshake is a valuable tool for SEO professionals looking to automate their outreach and link building efforts. Its robust email automation, personalization, and follow-up capabilities make it ideal for connecting with site owners and building backlinks.

However, limited CRM integration and email sending limits may pose challenges for larger campaigns. Overall, Mailshake is a practical choice for SEO-focused outreach and link building.

Sign up for Mailshake

12. Serpstat

Serpstat

Serpstat is an all-in-one SEO platform that provides a comprehensive suite of tools for keyword research, competitor analysis, backlink monitoring, and more. It is designed to help businesses improve their search engine visibility and optimize their SEO strategy.

Top Features

  • Keyword Research: Serpstat allows you to discover relevant keywords and assess their search volume, keyword difficulty, and related keywords.
  • Competitor Analysis: The platform provides insights into your competitors' SEO strategies, allowing you to analyze their keyword rankings, backlinks, and top-performing content.
  • Backlink Analysis: Serpstat offers a detailed analysis of your backlink profile, helping you understand your website's authority and discover new link-building opportunities.
  • Site Audit: Serpstat's site audit feature identifies technical SEO issues, broken links, and other factors that could affect your search engine rankings.

Pricing

  • Individual: Priced at $59 per month, this plan is suitable for individuals or small businesses with basic SEO needs.
  • Team: At $119 per month, this plan includes more advanced features like keyword batch analysis and AI content tools.
  • Advanced: Priced at $479 per month, this plan offers white-label reports and additional account limits.

Start your 7-day free trial of Serpstat

Why Serpstat is Ideal for Small Business SEO 

  • Comprehensive SEO Tools: Serpstat offers a wide range of SEO features, allowing small businesses to manage keyword research, competitor analysis, and backlink monitoring in one platform.
  • User-Friendly Interface: The platform is designed to be accessible, even for those new to SEO, allowing small businesses to optimize their SEO strategy without extensive training.
  • Affordable Pricing: Serpstat's pricing plans are competitive, providing value for small businesses with limited budgets.

Areas for Improvement

  • Limited Data Refresh Rates: Depending on the plan, the frequency of data updates may not be as high as some businesses would prefer, impacting real-time tracking.
  • Custom Plans are Expensive: The custom enterprise plan can be costly, which might be prohibitive for smaller businesses looking for advanced features.

Final Verdict

Serpstat is a versatile SEO platform offering a wide range of tools for keyword research, competitor analysis, and backlink monitoring, making it a solid choice for small businesses. Its user-friendly interface and affordable pricing plans make it accessible to those with varying levels of SEO experience.

However, data refresh rates might be slower than desired, and the cost of custom enterprise plans could be a barrier for smaller businesses seeking advanced features.

Try Serpstat for free

13. Mangools

Mangools

Mangools is an all-in-one SEO toolkit designed to be user-friendly and affordable. It provides a complete suite of SEO tools for keyword research, rank tracking, backlink analysis, and more.

Mangools is especially popular among small businesses due to its simplicity and cost-effective pricing.

Top Features

  • Keyword Research (KWFinder): Mangools' KWFinder allows you to find relevant keywords with detailed metrics such as search volume, keyword difficulty, and trends over time.
  • Rank Tracking (SERPWatcher): This feature helps you monitor your website's keyword rankings across multiple search engines, providing insights into your SEO performance.
  • Backlink Analysis (LinkMiner): Mangools offers detailed backlink analysis, allowing you to explore your backlink profile, check link quality, and find new link-building opportunities.
  • Site Analysis (SiteProfiler): The platform includes site analysis features to help you understand your website's authority and track metrics like domain authority and page authority.
  • SERP Analysis (SERPChecker): This tool lets you analyze search engine results pages (SERPs) to understand the competitive landscape for specific keywords.

Pricing

Mangools offers several pricing plans:

  • Basic: Priced at $49 per month, this plan is ideal for individuals or small businesses, providing access to the full suite of Mangools tools with limited daily credits.
  • Premium: At $69 per month, this plan offers more daily credits and additional features.
  • Agency: Priced at $129 per month, this plan includes the maximum number of daily credits, ideal for agencies or businesses with higher usage needs.

Mangools also offers annual billing options with discounted rates for businesses willing to commit to a yearly subscription.

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Why Mangools is Ideal for Small Business SEO

  • User-Friendly Design: Mangools is designed with a simple and intuitive interface, making it accessible even for those new to SEO.
  • Comprehensive Toolset: Mangools offers a wide range of SEO tools, including keyword research, rank tracking, and backlink analysis. This allows small businesses to manage all aspects of their SEO in one place.
  • Affordable Pricing: Mangools' pricing plans are competitively priced, providing excellent value for small businesses with limited budgets. The different plans offer flexibility, allowing businesses to choose the one that best suits their needs.

Areas for Improvement

  • Limited Daily Credits: Depending on the plan, Mangools may limit the number of daily credits, which could restrict usage for businesses with high-volume SEO activities.
  • Advanced Features: While Mangools offers a comprehensive toolset, it may lack some advanced features found in other platforms, such as extensive competitor analysis and detailed site audits. This could be a limitation for businesses seeking more robust SEO capabilities.

Final Verdict

Mangools is an all-in-one SEO toolkit known for its ease of use and affordability, making it a popular choice for small businesses. However, Mangools' plans come with daily credit limits, which might restrict usage for businesses with high SEO activity.

Additionally, it may lack some advanced features offered by other platforms, such as in-depth competitor analysis and extensive site audits.

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Final Thoughts on SEO Tools for Small Businesses

Choosing the right SEO tools can feel overwhelming, especially with so many options out there. This list of 13 SEO tools gives you a solid starting point, whether you're looking for all-in-one platforms like Semrush or specialized tools for tasks like page caching and email outreach.

Think about your business's specific needs and budget when deciding which tools to use. You might find that a combination of a few tools works best to cover all your SEO bases.

No matter which ones you choose, the goal is to give your small business a fighting chance to stand out in the crowded digital landscape. With the right tools, you'll be better equipped to compete with larger businesses and grow your online presence.

Editor's Note: This article was first published on May 7, 2024 and has been updated regularly since then for relevance and comprehensiveness. 

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Sandeep Mallya
Sandeep Mallya is the Founder & CEO of Startup Cafe Digital, an award-winning digital marketing agency in Bangalore, India. He is an active member of the startup community, having worked with several early-stage startups and accelerators. 99signals is Sandeep's online marketing blog. The blog currently features 200+ in-depth articles, how-to guides, and hacks on a wide range of online marketing topics such as SEO, social media marketing, content marketing, blogging, and more.

3 COMMENTS

  1. I just finished reading this article. Honestly, a freelance SEO consultant already using half of these tools would do a great job for their clients. Tools like Semrush, Ahrefs, and Google Analytics offer a wide range of features for keyword research, competitor analysis, and website optimization. Great choice, keep it up Sandeep!

  2. With small businesses facing budget constraints, which SEO tools combination should I prioritize for maximum impact—starting with free options like Google Analytics and Search Console, or investing in premium tools like Ahrefs and Semrush?

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