7 Best SEO Tools for Small Business 2024 (#1 SEO Software)

by Chris Von Wilpert, BBusMan • Last updated August 26, 2024

Expert Verified by Leandro Langeani, BBA

Editorial Disclosure: We buy, test and review products featured on our website using a 3-step rating methodology. If you buy through our links, we will get a commission. Read our rating methodology and how we make money.

Today there are 372 different SEO tools for small businesses. We spent 117 hours comparing the top 50 to find the seven best you can use to boost your traffic and search engine rankings.

What is the Best SEO Tool for Small Business?

  1. Mangools — best of the best
  2. Semrush — best for keyword research
  3. SpyFu — best for competitive analysis
  4. Ahrefs — best for backlink analysis 
  5. Moz — best for on-page SEO optimization
  6. Long Tail Pro — best for long-tail keyword research
  7. Majestic — best for link building

Our Verdict — Best Of The Best

Price: Starts at $49/month

Mangools is the best solution for small businesses that need to juice up their organic rankings. We think it’s the best because of its amazing location-based SEO features.

The Best Part:

  • Location-specific SERP analysis. Mangools allows you to analyze search results and uncover insights specific to over 52,000 locations, helping your small business reach top search results on your location.

The Worst Part:

  • Limited rank tracking functionality. SERPWatcher, Mangools' rank tracking tool, does not allow simultaneous tracking of both your domain and search competitors. This limitation requires you to set up separate tracking systems for each.

Get it if you want a comprehensive SEO toolset for your small business, with features designed to help you dominate local search results.

I recommend you start with the 10-day free trial, then get the Mangools Basic plan for $49/month.

(10-day free trial)

Best For

Mangools is best for small businesses that want an affordable, easy-to-use SEO toolset to improve their organic traffic.

Top Features

  • Uncover hidden gems with KWFinder. Discover low-competition, high-impact keywords to help your small business rise above the competition.

  • Always know your next step with SERPChecker. Dive deep into the search engine results pages (SERPs) and make data-driven decisions to boost your online presence.

  • Keep an eye on your rankings with SERPWatcher. Stay informed about your website's search engine rankings and tweak as needed to climb the ranks.

  • Amp up your business presence with LinkMiner. Dig up powerful backlinks that give your small business' website a competitive edge.

  • Assess your online authority with SiteProfiler. Get an insightful snapshot of your website's overall performance and identify areas for improvement to strengthen your online presence.

Pricing

Mangools offers three pricing plans:

  • Mangools Basic: $49/month for small business owners who need essential tools to get started with SEO.
  • Mangools Premium: $69/month for growing small business owners who want unlimited keyword suggestions and deep data access within Mangools
  • Mangools Agency: $129/month for digital agencies and experienced SEO professionals who require high limits and additional seats.

Annual plans provide a 35% discount.

Try Mangools today with a free 10-day trial.

Our Verdict — Best For Keyword Research

Price: Starts at $119.95/month

Semrush is the ultimate tool for small businesses that are experienced with SEO. We think it’s the best for keyword research because of its in-depth competitive and keyword research capabilities.

The Best Part:

  • Unrivaled keyword research capabilities. Semrush is widely regarded as the best in the market for keyword research, making it easy for you to discover top keywords and bring in more visitors to your website.

The Worst Part:

  • Steep learning curve. Semrush comes loaded with tons of awesome features, but getting the hang of all of them may take some time.

Get it if you want to tap into Semrush's unbeatable keyword research capabilities and shoot your small business rankings to the top.

I recommend you get started with our exclusive offer of a 14-day free trial, then get the Pro plan for $119.95/month.

(14-day free trial)

Best For

Semrush is best for small business owners who want a comprehensive toolkit to gain a competitive edge with tons of new keyword opportunities.

Top Features

  • Draw in new customers. Use Semrush's Keyword Magic Tool to find untapped keyword suggestions for your small business to rank for, giving you that extra edge.

  • Get your site ranking-ready. With Semrush's Site Audit you can analyze and pinpoint on-page and technical SEO issues that stand between you and top search rankings.

  • Peek at competitors' traffic sources. Snoop on where your rivals are scooping up their visitors from so you can plot your counter-attack like a boss.

  • Snatch low-hanging fruits. Use Semrush's Keyword Gap tool to reveal keywords your competitors are targeting but you haven't targeted yet.

  • Spot new kids on the block. Stay one step ahead by spotting emerging players in your niche or area, so you're ahead of the curve.

Pricing

Semrush offers four pricing plans:

  • Pro: $119.95/month for small businesses and startups that want a versatile toolkit for SEO, social, and PPC, including competitor analysis, keyword research, website audit, advertising, and social media tools.
  • Guru: $229.95/month for growing small businesses and agencies that require everything in the Pro plan, plus advanced SEO features like extended historical data, multi-location support, and search device tracking.
  • Business: $449.95/month for established small businesses or agencies with multiple clients that require features in the Guru plan, plus extended limits, API access, and product listing ads (PLA) analytics.
  • Custom: Custom pricing for small business owners who have unique requirements that need a tailored plan to fit their specific needs and goals.

Annual plans provide up to a 17% discount.

Try Semrush today with a free 14-day trial.

Our Verdict — Best For Competitive Analysis

Price: Starts at $39/month

SpyFu is a powerful SEO spying tool for businesses who need to outrank their competition. We think it’s the best for competitive analysis because of its competitor spying tools.

The Best Part:

  • The name is Bond. SpyFu is crafted to spy on your competitors' search engine strategies, providing you with unmatched insights to level up your SEO game and become the search engine leader in your industry.

The Worst Part:

  • Tricky data sharing. Small business owners may face some hurdles when it comes to sharing specific reports and insights with their team or clients.

Get it if you want an affordable, user-friendly tool that empowers you to uncover your competitors' secret SEO tactics. 

I recommend you get started with the Basic plan for $39/month.

(30-day money-back guarantee)

Best For

SpyFu is best for small business owners who want reliable software to stay on top of what their competitors are doing with their search engine ranking efforts.

Top Features

  • Devise a master plan. Dig into your competitors' domains with SpyFu's SEO workflow to learn the ins and out of their tactics and create a killer content strategy.

  • Hijack link-building opportunities. Spy on the pages linking back to your competitors, so you know the best places to retrieve your links from.

  • Steer clear of trouble. Spot the slip-ups in your competitors' SEO, thanks to Google updates, so you don't repeat their mistakes.

  • Broaden your scope. Sniff out new competitor sites to keep an eye on and stay a step ahead in the SEO race.

  • Size ‘em up. Gauge your competitors' SEO authority, so you know who's nailing it and what they're doing so right.

Pricing

SpyFu offers three pricing plans:

  • Basic: $39/month for small business owners who need essential SpyFu features but don't require custom branded reporting or API access, covering up to 5k weekly keywords.
  • Professional: $39/month for the first month, then $79/month for small businesses that require long-term historical competitor data, custom branding, and API access, covering up to 15k weekly keywords.
  • Team: $299/month for small business teams and agencies that require access for up to five user accounts, supporting up to 40k weekly keywords.

Annual plans provide up to a 50% discount.

Try SpyFu today with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Our Top Three Picks

Here’s a quick summary of our top three picks:

  1. Mangools — best of the best
  2. Semrush — best for keyword research
  3. SpyFu — best for competitor analysis

Here’s a quick comparison of our top seven picks:

Tool

Entry Offer

Pricing

Mangools

10-day free trial

Starts at $49/mo

Semrush

14-day free trial

Starts at $119.95/mo

SpyFu

30-day money-back guarantee

Starts at $39/mo

Ahrefs

Free plan

Starts at $99/mo

Moz

30-day free trial

Starts at $99/mo

Long Tail Pro

60-day money-back guarantee

Starts at $59.99/mo

Majestic

Free preview

Starts at $49.99/mo

Here are the top 50 SEO tools for small business we considered in this review:

  1. Mangools
  2. Semrush
  3. SpyFu
  4. Ahrefs
  5. Moz
  6. Long Tail Pro
  7. Majestic
  8. Google Search Console
  9. Ubersuggest
  10. Screaming Frog SEO Spider
  11. Yoast SEO
  12. Answer The Public
  13. WooRank
  14. SEOptimer
  15. Google Trends
  16. Keywords Everywhere
  17. Google Keyword Planner
  18. SEOquake
  19. Google Analytics
  20. SERProbot
  21. DeepCrawl
  22. Siteliner
  23. BrightLocal
  24. Schema.org
  25. BuzzSumo
  26. SEObility
  27. Rank Math
  28. SEO PowerSuite
  29. SERanking
  30. OnCrawl
  31. SEOProfiler
  32. Varvy SEO tool
  33. Linkody
  34. Keyword Hero
  35. CanIRank
  36. Bing Webmaster Tools
  37. Botify
  38. Raven Tools
  39. Netpeak Spider
  40. Dareboost
  41. GTmetrix
  42. MarketMuse
  43. SEO Panel
  44. Serpstat
  45. Conductor
  46. CognitiveSEO
  47. Nightwatch
  48. Advanced Web Ranking
  49. Sitechecker
  50. LinkResearchTools

What to look for when buying SEO tools for small businesses?

  • Keyword analysis tools to identify relevant keywords
  • Location-based and online reviews tools
  • Tools for finding competitive keyword for your target audience
  • Keyword tracking features to monitor search volumes and click-through raters of your target search terms
  • Valuable insights into the search intent behind search terms
  • Organic traffic stats and search traffic patterns
  • Tools that enhance the user experience, such as broken links fixer
  • Features to help with both on-page and off-page SEO
  • Integration with their social media platforms
  • Content ideas based on keyword search volumes
  • SEO performance benchmarking tools
  • Backlink profile analysis tools
  • Content optimization tools to turn regular articles into high-quality content

The Bottom Line

To recap, here are the best SEO tools for small business to try this year:

  1. Mangools — best of the best
  2. Semrush — best for keyword research
  3. SpyFu — best for competitive analysis
  4. Ahrefs — best for backlink analysis 
  5. Moz — best for on-page SEO optimization
  6. Long Tail Pro — best for long-tail keyword research
  7. Majestic — best for link building

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