The Best SEO Tools for Small Businesses

SEO—it’s one of those terms small business owners hear all the time. You might know a little about it or have a lot of questions.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of improving your website’s visibility on search engines like Google. With good SEO, your site will rank higher in search results for keywords related to your business, so more people find your site organically, without paid ads. For small businesses, SEO is a game-changer. It drives traffic, attracts customers, and helps you compete with larger companies online.

The good news? You don’t have to be an SEO expert to benefit from it. Here are the best SEO tools for small businesses.

The Best On-Page SEO Tools 

On-page SEO means optimizing elements on your website to improve rankings. This includes keyword optimization (using relevant search terms in your content), title tags and meta descriptions, high-quality, engaging content, internal linking (linking between pages on your site), image optimization (file size, alt text, descriptions), and URL structure (clear, readable URLs). 

Google Search Console

This is one of the most important SEO tools because it tells you how your site is performing in Google Search, helps with indexing, and provides insights into search performance. It shows which keywords are bringing traffic, alerts you to website errors (broken links, mobile issues, etc.), and helps you understand what Google sees on your site.

Surfer SEO

Best for fine-tuning your content based on what's already ranking on Google, Surfer SEO analyzes top-ranking pages for your target keywords, gives you real-time suggestions for keyword placement, content length, and headings, and helps you beat competitors by writing better-optimized content.

Yoast SEO for WordPress Users

Yoast SEO is one of the best WordPress plugins for on-page SEO because it helps with meta descriptions, title tags, and keyword optimization. It also gives you a readability score and SEO checklist for each page or blog post.

The Best Off-Page SEO Tools

Off-page SEO includes actions taken outside your website to boost its credibility and rankings, like backlinks (getting links from other reputable websites), social media signals (shares, mentions, and engagement), guest blogging, and influencer marketing. 

Technical SEO improves the backend of your site for better performance. It includes mobile-friendliness, page speed optimization, secure website (HTTPS instead of HTTP), structured data, and fixing broken links and errors. If you want a deeper dive into technical SEO, read our article, Technical SEO Services: The Ultimate Guide to Optimize Your Website. 

We've grouped off-page and technical SEO because these two tools do double duty.  

SE Ranking 

This all-in-one SEO platform— designed for both technical, on-page, and off-page SEO efforts—is one of our favorites, and we often use it for our clients. SE Ranking's Website Audit tool scans your site to identify technical issues such as broken links, duplicate content, low page speed, and redirect chains. It's On-Page SEO Checker looks at individual pages against 94 parameters, including title tags, content length, keyword density, and more. It also provides competitor analysis, backlink monitoring, customizable reporting, and more.

Ahrefs

We use this at Digital Peak Studios to conduct weekly audits on our and clients' sites to identify any issues that need fixing. It’s a comprehensive SEO suite that also offers site audits, keyword research, and competitor insights. The Ahrefs Site Audit tool finds 404 errors, redirect issues, and site speed problems. It can also identify indexing issues and help optimize internal linking to improve SEO structure.

Semrush

An all-in-one SEO platform covering on-page, off-page, and technical SEO, Semrush analyzes backlink profiles to see where competitors get their links, helps you find outreach opportunities to get quality backlinks, and tracks brand mentions. It can also perform powerful audits by crawling your site to detect errors like broken links, duplicate content, and slow-loading pages.

Best Tools for Local SEO

Local SEO is crucial for small businesses because it involves optimizing your online presence for local searches. This includes optimizing your Google Business Profile (previously Google My Business), getting local citations (mentions of your business name, address, and phone number across directories), getting customer reviews and ratings, and using localized keywords (e.g., "SEO experts in Truckee").

Google Business Profile

Optimizing your Google Business Profile increases your chances of appearing in Google's Local Pack, allows you to manage customer reviews (a ranking factor), and drives traffic through Google Maps and Search.

BrightLocal 

A tool for tracking local rankings and managing citations, BrightLocal tracks local keyword rankings to see how you perform in specific locations. It also helps you find and fix incorrect business listings across directories, and monitors online reviews and helps with reputation management.

Moz Local

To ensure your business info is consistent online, Moz Local distributes your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) across directories, fixes incorrect business listings, and helps track Google Business Profile insights and reviews.

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SEO might seem overwhelming at first, but with these best SEO tools for small businesses, you don’t have to go it alone. Regular audits, content updates, and strategic keyword use will keep your business ahead of the competition. SEO isn’t a one-time fix; it’s an ongoing process. Using the right SEO strategies, small businesses can punch above their weight, reach their target audience, and grow organically. If you’re still looking for help, our team would love to get your site running smoothly and optimized for better results. Reach out, and let’s work together.