Search engine optimization today is more challenging than ever. Many Web professionals have opted to take advantage of SEO software to minimize the learning curve and help manage their overall Internet marketing campaigns. While some purists might argue that there is no substitute for manually optimizing your site, the truth is that minimizing the often dull and repetitive tasks (checking rankings, finding new link partners) often associated with SEO can be reduced dramatically, leaving more time strategic thinking that makes for a great business. Let's review some of the most popular SEO software solutions on the market now.
Link-Assistant is a serious competitor in the SEO software space offering four distinct solutions; Rank Tracker (keyword research and rank tracking), WebSite Auditor (site analysis and content optimization), SEO SpyGlass (competitive research and link building strategies and LinkAssistant (link building and link management). These services are sold seperately for $87 each or purchased as a complete set of SEO tools for $268. Free editions are available for Link-Assistant.
Editor's Choice: Traffic Travis is the most recent SEO software program we've tested at Website Magazine. The downloadable software offers a suite of 11 tools for finding keywords, analyzing pages for SEO factors, identifying inbound links, reporting on traffic and position, and provides a decent competitive research mechanism. Perhaps the most noteworthy feature of TrafficTravis is that it is not just for SEO but for paid search as well. The solution identifies which keywords competitors are bidding on and the performance of that ad over time.
SEO Administrator is an increasingly popular solution with quite the rich feature set. The Ranking Monitor tracks site position in all major search engines (even checking web positions in all 50+ Google data centers), a robust link popularity checker (which checks, compiles and even analyzes competitive websites), tools for site analysis and indexing, a log analyzer, and an HTML analyzer as well. A free trial is available for download. There are three editions of SEO Administrator; Standard ($129), Professional ($169), and Expert (($199).
Internet Business Promoter (IBP) offers a suite of professional website promotion tools. Also known as Axandra, IBP is a downloadable software capable of supporting multiple projects. Users have access to Arelis (a link popularity software program) and many SEO specific tools, including those for keyword research, directory and search engine submission, link building, and position checking. A free trial is available, but professional versions range between $250 for the standard edition and $450 for the business-class level.
WebPosition Gold is a long-time and respected provider of SEO software. The software program aids in the optimization of web pages through its keyword research tools, reports search rankings, submits to top search engines, and even tracks search engine rankings and website traffic, helping users to analyze conversions (through a Web Trends integration). A free trial is available. Versions range from $150 for the standard edition to $400 for the professional edition.
SEO Elite offers a impressive suite of tools. It reports search engine rankings, monitors reciprocal links on partner sites, conducts backlink search, displays pages indexed by major search engines, uncovers penalized sites you may be linking to, finds link exchange partners, and submits articles to article directories.
Web CEO is perhaps the current leader in SEO software, offering the most robust suite of search engine marketing tools in one software program. Users are able to find the best keywords, edit and optimize sites in a WYSIWYG editor, submit to search engines, find link partners, and even manage paid search campaigns. Web CEO also enables its users to check rankings, track and analyze visitors (over 120 live analytics reports) and know who links to a site. A free edition is available, and the SmallBiz and Professional Editions range from $199 to $389 respectively.
Late addition: RankSense is an SEO software featuring more than a domen tools. Users are able to discover rankings, analyze search engine coverage, identify problem pages, build sitemaps, select and appraise keywords, conduct link structure analysis and a whole lot more. RankSense offers a free 30 day trial and 60 day money-back guarantee and starts at just $29.95 per month.