9 Best SEO Tools for Small Business (2024)

Looking for a budget-friendly SEO tool for small businesses? 

In this post, I compiled the best SEO platforms for keyword research, competitor analysis, performance tracking, content research, link building, and more — without breaking the bank. 

Let’s get started!

1. Semrush Keyword Magic Tool

Keyword Magic Tool by Semrush is the internet’s go-to keyword research tool. It will help you build a diverse list of lucrative target keywords that can fuel your SEO, be it for content creation, on-page optimization, or link building. 

After entering your seed keyword, Keyword Magic Tool will generate a comprehensive list of relevant keyword suggestions. To help you measure the SEO value of each keyword, the page includes important metrics like search volume, Keyword Difficulty (KD), and user intent. 

Keyword Magic Tool Features

• Find low-competition, long-tail keywords that are easy to rank for. Long-tail keywords are more specific, target a narrower audience, and are less competitive than broad keywords — making them easier and more profitable for small businesses in terms of SEO.
• Filter keywords based on user intent to find high-quality leads. Use Keyword Magic Tool to find “commercial” or “transactional” keywords, which are used by people who are more likely to become customers.
• Advanced filters to find the exact keywords you need. Keyword Magic Tool lets you filter keywords based on included terms, KD, user intent, search volume, and more. 

Keyword Magic Tool Pros and Cons

Pros

• Easy to use. 
• The comprehensive filters let you find the perfect keywords for your SEO.
• Switch between keyword types (questions, broad match, phrase match, etc.) in one click.
• Get keywords in multiple languages.

Cons

• Requires a Semrush account to be used (get a 14-day FREE TRIAL here). 

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2. Semrush Content Marketing Platform

Also from Semrush, the Content Marketing Platform is a collection of tools that can help with important aspects of SEO content creation. This includes SEO topic research, content planning, and writing. 

For example, the “SEO Content Template” tool lets you save hours from the content planning and outlining processes. Just plug in your target keywords and click ‘Create content template’ to instantly generate an SEO-friendly content brief. 

The SEO template contains useful details like keywords, optimization ideas from competitors, recommended word count, and basic content recommendations (title, meta description, and H1 tag).” It’s like having your own SEO content specialist, but fully automated and responsive.

Content Marketing Platform Features

• Instantly identify your top SEO competitors. The Content Marketing Platform instantly reveals the top competitor pages based on the keywords you have entered. 
• Real-time optimization assistant to streamline your content creation. Semrush’s Content Marketing Platform works seamlessly with the SEO Writing Assistant — a text editor that provides instant optimization suggestions and scoring features.
• Highlight competitor keyword strategies. Skip the brainstorming step and check how competitors use your target keywords in key content elements. 

Content Marketing Platform Pros and Cons

Pros

• Ensure SEO objectives when working with a team of content writers.
• Save money by cutting the need to hire an SEO content specialist or strategist.
• Instantly export content templates as an editable Word document. 
• Accelerate content optimization with the SEO Writing Assistant.

Cons

• Similar to Keyword Magic Tool, you can only use Content Marketing Platform with a Semrush subscription.

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3. Mangools

Mangools is a suite of SEO tools designed for specific tasks, like Search Engine Results Page (SERP) analysis, backlink analysis, and keyword research.

My personal favorite is SiteProfiler, which conducts an in-depth analysis of a website’s SEO performance. 

The SiteProfiler report includes crucial SEO data, including metrics like Domain Authority (DA), Facebook shares, total backlinks, and total referring domains. It also lists their most-used anchor texts for backlinks and top-performing content.

Mangools Features

• Research profitable keyword ideas with KWFinder. Use KWFinder to find profitable, long-tail keyword ideas based on your seed keyword or competitor domain.
• Analyze what works on Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs). Using the SERPChecker, you can easily identify the most effective tactics your competitors use.
• Analyze your competitor’s backlinks to find your own link-building opportunities. Check a competitor’s website’s backlink profile and get potential link sources to elevate your search engine rankings.

Mangools Pros and Cons

Pros

• User-friendly, clutter-free interface.
• Affordable pricing (compared to other SEO tools).
• Reliable, up-to-date SEO data.
  

Cons

• There’s no way to purchase the tools separately.
• There are not as many keyword research and website analysis features.

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4. Google Search Console

Google Search Console is a free tool designed to guide website owners through the technical aspects of SEO. It provides a detailed view of SEO factors like performance, user experience, indexability, and more. 

The performance page underlines top-level SEO metrics, like impressions, average Click-Through Rate (CTR), and average organic position. Google Search Console lists down your most effective keywords/queries in terms of getting clicks and impressions.

Google Search Console Features

• Submit a sitemap to speed up the indexing process. You can add your website’s sitemap to Google Search Console, which helps the search engine discover and index your pages.
• Fix issues that affect page indexation. Google Search Console reports issues that prevent your site or page from being indexed — as well as provides actionable tips on how to deal with them. 
• Optimize your content for Google rich results. Make your website stand out in search engine results by optimizing for rich results (sitelinks, recipes, breadcrumbs, etc.), and that’s something Google Search Console can help you with under the “Enhancements” menu.

Google Search Console Pros and Cons

Pros 

• It’s 100% free.
• Tons of actionable information to improve on-page SEO.
• Track and improve the user experience on mobile and desktop with Core Web Vitals.

Cons

• It can be confusing for first-time users.

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5. Google Trends

As the name suggests, Google Trends is specifically designed to help you spot trending topics and queries in search results. 

Just enter a topic and click ‘Explore’ to find topics that will get you some search traffic.

You’ll get a trend chart along with a list of related topics and queries. These are useful for creating SEO content that will attract the online audience’s attention.

If you want a more powerful tool for spotting trending topics, consider looking into Exploding Topics. In addition to accurate search demand growth tracking, this tool helps branch out your SEO research with categories and related topics.  

Google Trends Features

• Compare two or more search terms to gauge popularity. If you can’t decide between two SEO topics, use the comparison feature to measure them side-by-side in terms of popularity. 
• Check the demand by region to identify local SEO opportunities. For local businesses, check the region breakdown data for local SEO keywords on Google Trends to find topics that will intrigue potential customers. 
• Find trending queries for image search, news search, Google Shopping, and YouTube. Google Trends will also help you find trending topics not just for organic search SEO but also for YouTube, Google Shopping, images, and news queries.

Google Trends Pros and Cons

Pros 

• It’s 100% free.
• Very easy to use.
• It can quickly help you find trending topics for a quick boost in SEO traffic.

Cons

• Only useful for discovering trends (doesn’t include keyword metrics).
• Not useful for creating content with evergreen value. 

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6. SpyFu

SpyFu is an SEO and PPC analysis tool fine-tuned to help you leverage the performance data of competitors. You can analyze competitor keywords, PPC keywords, SERPs, backlinks, keyword rankings, and more. 

A great way to use SpyFu for SEO is to use the “Kombat” tool, which lets you find gaps between your and your competitors’ strategies. 

SpyFu Features

• Consolidate your link-building efforts into one tool. After finding potential link sources, SpyFu also helps you run and manage your outreach campaign with the website owners’ contact information and prospecting tools (notes, priority ratings, and labels). 
• Create instant lists for actionable SEO planning. SpyFu automatically creates lists of top domains, keywords, and business leads to speed up your SEO planning. 
• Instantly reveal the top target referring domains for keywords. Skip hours of SEO research and use SpyFu’s massive database to identify high-quality backlink sources.

SpyFu Pros and Cons

Pros

• A competition-focused database filters out “junk” keywords and backlink sources. 
• It is one of the best competitive SEO analysis tools with an affordable price tag. 
• The in-depth keyword research tool is on par with Semrush.

Cons

• Not as many features as Semrush.
• Lack of SEO content tools. 

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7. RankIQ

RankIQ is a lightweight SEO content tool that will help you turn keywords into outlines and optimize content (old and new) for maximum rankings. 

It’s purposefully built for bloggers, so every feature you’ll find in RankIQ caters to content-related tasks. Start by building your keywords list and RankIQ will walk you through each step of creating a top-performing piece, including topic research, title creation, and keyword optimization. 

RankIQ Features

• A curated list of profitable keywords for small-medium brands. RankIQ curates up-to-date keyword lists for a comprehensive collection of niches, so you don’t have to worry about keyword research. 
• Lightweight and precise SEO content writing assistant. The RankIQ writing assistant provides actionable suggestions that can boost the SEO-friendliness of your drafts. 
• Squeeze value out of old, underperforming blog content. RankIQ works just as well with old posts in your blogroll, unlocking opportunities to increase organic traffic quickly. 

RankIQ Pros and Cons

Pros

• Skip a lot of number-crunching and dive straight into producing quality SEO content.
• Intuitive UI design allows for speedy SEO content development. 
• More affordable than other tools in this category.

Cons

• It is not meant for in-depth SEO keyword research. 
• Lacks other features outside of content optimization (backlink analysis, domain analysis, etc.).

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8. Surfer

Surfer is also another SEO tool that focuses on content creation. However, unlike RankIQ, it also has a lot to offer in terms of keyword research and SEO domain analysis. 

The centerpiece of Surfer’s toolset is the Content Editor, which also works as a Google Docs extension. This allows you to get real-time feedback and actionable SEO suggestions for your content, like word count, images, keywords, headings, and more.

Surfer Features

• Content-oriented keyword research. Surfer’s built-in keyword research tool automatically translates keywords into content ideas.
• Run advanced site audits for on-page optimization. Get an actionable checklist of on-page suggestions to boost the SEO of specific pages.
• Analyze SEO tactics that work for your keywords. Use the SERP Analyzer to reveal how your top competitors rank for valuable target keywords. 

Surfer Pros and Cons

Pros

• Generate a content plan within minutes. 
• Works great if you use Google Docs for content creation.
• Surprisingly powerful site audit and keyword research tools.

Cons

• You need to use Google Docs to take full advantage of the Surfer Content Editor.

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9. Google Analytics 4

Finally, Google Analytics 4 is a must-have tool for every website owner who wants to excel not just in SEO, but in all aspects of digital marketing.

Google Analytics 4 gives you a bird’s-eye view of your website’s performance. This includes your website’s traffic performance, conversions, audience demographics, traffic sources, and advertising campaigns. 

Google Analytics 4 Features

• Real-time insights for quick and agile decision-making. Google Analytics 4 offers real-time reporting on metrics that affect SEO, like pageviews, session duration, and bounce rate. 
• Get to know your audience with in-depth audience demographics. Analyze your audience on a deeper level with data like users by age, gender, interests, and location. 
• Make data more readable with explorations. Google Analytics 4 simplifies data analysis with ready-to-use data visualization templates or “explorations.” 

Google Analytics 4 Pros and Cons

Pros

• 100% free to use.
• A whole range of performance analytics data to improve user experience.
• Gathers real-time data.

Cons

• Can be difficult to set up without the help of third-party plugins.
• Doesn’t offer tools for backlink analysis or keyword research.

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Final Words

As a small business, you have a budget disadvantage against competitors who can outspend you in the SEO game.

A great, cost-effective SEO tool levels the playing field by providing crucial features without charging a hefty price.

In my personal experience, Semrush, Surfer, Mangools, and SpyFu — along with free Google products (Trends, Analytics, and Search Console) — are more than enough to give small businesses the lift they need to become relevant in SERPs. 

Don’t forget to use my links to get exclusive benefits and discounts!