SEO tools we use and recommend
There is no shortage of SEO software and most of it is sold on a promise. These are the tools we recommend to the businesses we build for — and we will tell you plainly which ones we earn from.
Semrush — keyword and competitor research
This is the one we point people at when they need to know what they are genuinely competing against. It covers keyword research, competitor analysis, site audits, rank tracking and backlink checking in one place, and the free tier is enough to work out whether it suits you before you pay for anything.
It is not the cheapest option available and it is not pretending to be. It is the one that answers the question most site owners actually have — why is that other site outranking me?
What to check before you buy any SEO tool
- Does it tell you what to do next, or just show you numbers? A dashboard nobody acts on is a subscription, not a tool.
- Can it audit your own site? Most of the wins on a small business website are technical faults, not keywords.
- Does it track local results properly? If you serve Grimsby, Cleethorpes and Immingham, a national rank tracker is measuring the wrong thing.
- What happens at renewal? Annual plans discount hard and then renew at the full rate. Check the renewal price before the introductory one.
If the audit says your site needs work rather than a tool
That is what we do. A free audit tells you the faults and the order to fix them in, and you are welcome to take that list and act on it yourself. Get in touch if you would rather we did it.
Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
