Strategy shapes your success, and tools support your strategy. Especially in the world of small business SEO, there’s no winning without the right tools. As a digital marketing agency for small businesses, we work with SEO tools all the time and have a thing or two to say about which are worth investing in.
Here, we’ll give you the best SEO tools for small businesses in 2024 based on our direct hands-on experience. We’ll also share our paradigm for picking the right tool for your business in case you want to explore on your own.
What we’ll cover in this guide:
- SEO tools for small businesses in 2024
- How to choose the best SEO tools for your small business
- What’s the best SEO tool for small businesses?
Ranq-ing our must-have SEO tools for small businesses in 2024
SEO is a dynamic field, and new SEO tools are being launched regularly. However, small businesses need the most bang for their buck and certainly don’t want something that’s not been tried before.
Here are our top picks for the most tried and tested SEO tools that won’t break your bank. We’ll evaluate each tool based on its key features, pricing, and some pros and cons.
Ahrefs — The best all-in-one SEO tool
For a small business looking to grow its SEO, Ahrefs is the best all-in-one tool out there. We absolutely love Ahrefs because it offers everything you need as well as advanced capabilities. Whether or not you have an understanding of SEO already, Ahrefs is easy to learn and understand—though there’s a bit of a learning curve for non-technical users.
Between its many features and diverse pricing plans, Ahrefs is a comprehensive SEO solution for any business at any growth stage. There’s a reason why Ahrefs has been around so long and why people still recommend it in every one of these review lists—it just works so well. Plus, Ahrefs itself offers tons of resources to help you learn it, such as blogs and a help center.
Key features
Ahrefs has a comprehensive suite of SEO tools. Here are its key features:
- Site Explorer: Examine any website’s backlink profile and organic search traffic.
- Keywords Explorer: Conduct thorough keyword research, analyze search volumes, and discover lucrative keyword opportunities.
- Site Audit: Identify and fix on-page SEO issues to enhance website performance.
- Content Explorer: Explore the most popular content in your niche and discover trending topics.
- Rank Tracker: Monitor your keyword rankings over time and track progress.
It also distinguishes itself with several exclusive features that set it apart in the digital landscape. Here are a few features that you’ll only find in Ahrefs:
- Ahrefs Rank (AR): A unique metric that reflects a website’s overall authority based on the size and quality of its backlink profile.
- Content Gap: Identify topics your competitors rank for but you don’t, revealing opportunities for content creation. Great for small businesses.
- Link Intersect: Discover websites linking to your competitors but not to you, facilitating targeted link-building strategies.
Pricing
Ahrefs offers a range of pricing plans. The Lite plan, priced at $99/month, is an excellent entry point for small businesses. It provides the essential tools for optimizing digital content like Site Explorer, Keywords Explorer, and Rank Tracker. The Lite plan now also offers a new feature for generating keyword ideas using AI.
Stepping up, the Standard plan, priced at $179/month, expands the limits and introduces historical data in Site Explorer. This plan is well-suited for small to medium-sized businesses looking for a more comprehensive SEO strategy in markets that are a bit more mature and saturated.
For users seeking advanced capabilities, the $399/month Advanced plan offers all Standard features with further expanded limits. This plan is tailored for in-house SEO and digital marketing teams of thriving businesses.
Ahrefs also acknowledges the diverse requirements of users, and for larger enterprises or those with specific needs, custom plans are available.
Pros and cons
Ahrefs is a good choice for many reasons:
- Detailed insights into backlink profiles
- Enables effective keyword research.
- Offers content gap and link intersect tools
- Intuitive and user-friendly interface with plenty of tutorials
- Provides regular updates and improvements
However, there are also a few downsides:
- Costly for small businesses
- Learning curve for non-technical users
- No free trial
- No social media analytics
Semrush — Most feature-rich SEO tool
If you’re looking for another great SEO tool, meet Semrush. We like Semrush because it caters to every facet of digital marketing with unparalleled depth and versatility.
When it comes to SEO tools, none can rival Semrush’s sheer amount of features. In fact, Semrush offers so much that it requires an apps center to keep all of it straight. You’ll find apps developed by Semrush and its partners that span everything from keyword analysis to media monitoring to web design. They’ve recently added an AI social content generator, too!
Semrush’s commitment to constant evolution ensures it remains ahead of industry trends. This means it’s poised as the go-to solution for small businesses seeking a single, all-encompassing platform to master their online presence.
Key features
Here are some of Semrush’s notable features:
- Keyword Research: Find valuable keywords, their search volumes, and trends with tools like Keyword Difficulty.
- Competitor Analysis: Analyze competitor strategies, discover their top-performing content, and identify backlink opportunities.
- Site Audit: Conduct comprehensive website audits to identify and address SEO issues affecting site performance.
- Backlink Analysis: Explore backlink profiles, monitor new and lost backlinks, and assess referring domains’ authority.
- Rank Tracking: Monitor keyword rankings across various search engines to gauge the efficacy of SEO efforts.
Here are some exclusive Semrush features:
- Search Intent: Semrush is especially great for categorizing keywords based on search intent, as that is a baked-in feature in this suite.
- SEO Content Template: Designed for SEO content creation, generates data-driven content recommendations.
- Semrush Local: A tool designed to meet all local SEO needs of small businesses ranging from listing and reviews management to map tracking.
Pricing
Semrush’s Pro plan starts at $119.95/month and caters to solopreneurs and startups, providing essential SEO tools and limiting the number of keywords you can track to 500.
The Guru plan at $229.95/month expands capabilities for small to medium-sized businesses, offering historical data and extended limits of keywords to 15,000.
The Business plan, priced at $449.95/month, targets agencies and larger enterprises and provides advanced features, including white-label reporting. White-label reporting allows agencies to rebrand or customize reports and marketing materials.
Pros and cons
Here are some quick pros if you’re considering Semrush:
- Comprehensive and diverse range of tools that cover everything
- In-depth keyword analysis and competitor analysis
- User-friendly and customizable dashboard
- 7-day free trial
Here are some unfortunate cons of Semrush:
- Not great for non-technical users
- Pricey compared to other tools
- Only provides data for Google, not other search engines
Moz Pro — Most data comprehensive SEO tool
Another one of our favorites, and often compared to Ahrefs, is Moz. Moz Pro offers comprehensive analytics, and we love it for its meticulous approach to data. It’ll give you a wealth of insights, covering everything from site audits and keyword research to backlink analysis.
Moz Pro’s commitment to providing a vast and accurate dataset ensures you can make informed SEO decisions to enhance your online visibility. If you’re a small business and just starting out, Moz Academy also offers a wealth of knowledge on a variety of SEO topics for your team.
You can even just get the MozBar for free, which includes the ability to evaluate a website’s Domain Authority (a special stat that only Moz offers).
Key features
Notable features of Moz Pro include the following:
- Site Crawl: Conduct complete site audits, identifying issues affecting SEO performance.
- Keyword Explorer: Discover and prioritize keywords to formulate an effective content strategy.
- Link Explorer: Analyze backlink profiles, assess link quality, and identify link-building opportunities.
- Page Optimization: On-page optimization recommendations, ensuring content aligns with SEO best practices.
- Rank Tracking: Monitor keyword rankings over time and assess the impact of SEO efforts.
Here are some exclusive Moz Pro features:
- Domain Authority (DA): Similar to Ahref’s Rank metrics, it assesses the overall authority of a domain based on its backlink profile, indicating a website’s perceived credibility.
- Spam Score: Moz Pro assigns a spam score to websites, helping users identify potential spammy backlinks and take corrective actions.
Pricing
You can get started with the Standard plan for $99/month, which caters to essential SEO requirements for small businesses. The next rung is priced at $179/month, expanding capabilities for growing businesses and providing enhanced features.
For larger businesses or agencies, the Large plan at $299/month offers advanced tools and increased limits. A Premium plan costs $599/month and offers features like increased crawl speed and increased number of pages crawled a week, suited for larger, more comprehensive websites.
Pros and cons
The benefits of Moz Pro include the following:
- Best tool for competitor and link analysis
- Affordable and first two plans offer a free trial
- Spam Score and Domain Authority features
- Extensive database of learning resources
The drawbacks of Moz Pro include the following:
- A steep learning curve
- Limited social media tracking
- Limited geographical data
How to choose the best SEO tools for your small business
You can’t go wrong with any one of the above three tools, but if you want to explore further, here are a few things to keep in mind.
Choose an all-in-one service over individual tools
If you’re a small business, you just can’t afford to invest in several different tools no matter how amazing they are at specific tasks. Instead, you should be looking for all-in-one tools that can give you the most features at a reasonable price.
Unified platforms—like Moz Pro, Semrush, or Ahrefs—consolidate key features like keyword research, site audit, and competitor analysis. This streamlines your workflow for maximal efficiency. With a singular interface, you save time, ensure compatibility, and gain holistic insights.
Understand your SEO needs front and back
Before selecting SEO tools for your small business, dive deep into your SEO needs. Every tool has its strengths and weaknesses. Clearly outline what you need the tool to do, whether it’s robust keyword research, extensive backlink analysis, in-depth local SEO, targeted content strategy, or comprehensive site audits.
If you don’t have an idea, you can start by filling out Ranq’s free SEO audit. It will give you a quick breakdown of where your business currently stands online and what you specifically need from an SEO tool.
Know what features are necessary
Once you know your small business needs, you can identify essential features crucial to your strategy. Prioritize the features that you need from the tool or what focus is most important to you, like keyword research for those starting a blog strategy or backlink analysis for those looking to boost credibility.
Pinpoint the functionalities integral to your goals and browse through other software, keeping them front and center.
Don’t make cost the deciding factor
Don’t let cost be the sole guiding factor while picking an SEO tool for your small business. You may benefit from a lower price tag each month, but that doesn’t mean you’re getting great value or features from it.
SEO can take your small business to new heights, but that means taking it seriously. It’s better to consider the cost of the tool an investment for a greater future rather than any regular expenditure. Trust us, we know what we’re talking about.
Consider customer support (especially for SEO newbies)
For small businesses, especially those new to SEO, prioritizing reliable customer support is the most important. When selecting SEO tools, consider the level of customer assistance provided, ensuring prompt guidance for any queries or issues.
If you’re not an SEO expert, good customer support can be a lifeline when navigating the complexities of SEO tools. If you’re a complete beginner, not very tech-savvy, or prefer diverting your mental resources elsewhere, you can also consider hiring a full-service SEO agency.
What’s the best SEO tool for small businesses? A full-service SEO agency
We stick by our choices for the best SEO tools for small businesses. However, sometimes partnering with a full-service SEO agency is the best solution when seeking a comprehensive SEO solution.
Agencies bring a wealth of expertise, offering a range of services from keyword research and content optimization to backlink analysis and performance tracking. You could do away with paying for and learning SEO tools and benefit from tailored strategies with knowledgeable execution. After all, SEO tools provide the data, not the experience to put it to good use.
Luckily, that’s what Ranq does best! We can handle the intricacies of SEO, allowing you to focus on growth while being assured that your online presence is in safe hands. If you’re looking for an agency to give your small business an edge in the online landscape, check out Ranq!