Search Engine Optimization Tools
Search Engine Optimization is a multi-faceted process with as many ways to succeed at it as there are to fail. Fabulous search engine optimization can result in an unending flow of interested, relevant, targeted and – most notably: free – traffic to your sites. Poor search engine optimization can mean total obscurity for the remainder of your sites’ meager and hopeless existence.
The products reviewed in this section of our website are comprehensive SEO solutions – suites, if you will, of programs for facilitating and even automating the incredibly complex but equally promising tasks of search engine optimization.
The following are some of the more common and valuable tools included in most decent SEO tool kits. If the package of SEO tools you’re considering doesn’t include some aspect of all of these functionalities, you might as well continue your search, as so many of these products contain all of the following and more:
Keyword Tools – for building and editing lists of keywords to promote your site around. With keyword tools, you ordinarily enter in a single keyword or phrase and the software generates huge lists of similar and related words. Tools that help you evaluate the real-time popularity of each of the keywords culled (both among searchers and competitors) are best.
Other keyword tools include Keyword Density Analyzers that indicate how well each individual portion of your pages – ie. tags, headers, text, links, etc. – is optimized for your chosen keywords.
HTML Validator – for checking that you’ve made no errors in coding your web pages to appear exactly as you’d like them to. HTML errors on web pages are like typos in reports. They’re mistakes that stand out like sore thumbs on your pages and typically lead your visitors and potential customers to think poorly of you and what you have to offer them.
Search Engine Submitter – for automatically submitting your listings to every search engine, directory/portal site under the sun. By providing simple fill-in-the-blank templates, you only have to enter in your relevant information once and the software fills in each engine’s submission forms on your behalf accordingly.
Link Popularity Improver/Reciprocal Link Exchange Tools– for scouting out those sites that already receive traffic from your desired audience, then wooing those sites into entering into mutually beneficial reciprocal link partnerships with you. These type of software tools should also include checkers for determining whether your “partner” is actually listing your link how and where promised as well as for determining whether any partner links you’ve added to your pages are actually dead links (a bummer to your visitors that ends up making you look bad).
Rankings Checkers – for monitoring and tracking the progression of your rankings on each and every engine you’re listed on, and for each and every listing included. A good ranking checker will also generate tips and suggestions on ways to improve your rankings right away.
ROI Calculator – for determining the actual cost for each visitor or conversion you get. Knowing this information is the first step towards improving it.
Pay Per Click Manager – for managing all your pay per click campaigns from one intuitive interface.
Scheduler – for taking any of the SEO tasks facilitated by these tools and setting them up in advance to run at designated dates and times or at designated intervals ongoingly, without ever again requiring your presence at the computer to execute them.
Traffic Tracking – for monitoring each and every one of your links and collecting those crucial stats (like unique and repeat hits) that tell you which ones to kill, which to tweak, and which to leave the heck alone.
A solid suite of SEO tools should also include a variety of ways to “spy” on your competition – to see which of them achieved your desired rankings for your chosen keywords and discover how and why they got there instead of you. This kind of information is priceless as it empowers you to at the very least copy and at most improve upon your competitor’s strategies.
All SEO tools should also include Reporting features that compile in a neat and orderly format, lists of your recent results along with assistance in analyzing them and making appropriate changes.
As a search engine marketer seeking as much free, targeted traffic as you can get for your efforts, you have two basic choices. Buy each of the tools included in these SEO suites separately or save some money and pick a fully-integrated all-in-one solution for all your search engine optimizing needs. The choice is yours.
We know what we’d do.
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