If you want your website to climb higher on Google and attract the right audience, the right SEO tools to improve rankings can make all the difference. These tools help you analyse performance, discover opportunities, and strengthen your overall visibility in search results. Whether you’re a beginner running a blog or a marketer managing multiple sites, this list of the top 12 SEO tools to improve rankings will help you boost visibility, enhance performance, and make smarter decisions backed by real data.
Keyword Research Tools
Every successful SEO campaign starts with solid keyword research. It’s the foundation that tells you what your audience is searching for, how competitive each term is, and where the best ranking opportunities lie. The right keyword research tools can reveal hidden phrases, search trends, and long-tail opportunities that your competitors might overlook.
1. Google Keyword Planner
Google Keyword Planner is one of the most trusted and free keyword research tools available today. Designed primarily for advertisers, it has become a go-to resource for SEO professionals too. The tool helps you discover new keyword ideas, check average monthly searches, and analyse competition levels for each term.
Key Points:
- Helps find new keyword ideas and analyse search volumes for SEO and PPC campaigns.
- Provides accurate Google search data, including competition level and CPC (cost per click).
- Allows location, language, and device-based filtering for targeted keyword research.
- Identifies seasonal trends and keyword performance over time.
- Ideal for planning content strategy and optimising ad campaigns with real search insights.
2. Ahrefs Keyword Explorer
Ahrefs Keyword Explorer is one of the most comprehensive SEO keyword tools for uncovering profitable search terms and analysing their potential. It goes beyond just showing keyword volume; it provides detailed insights like keyword difficulty, traffic potential, click metrics, and even parent topics to guide your content strategy.
Key Points:
- Offers detailed data on keyword difficulty, traffic potential, and search volume.
- Supports keyword research across multiple platforms, Google, YouTube, Amazon, Bing, and more.
- Provides related keyword ideas and parent topic suggestions for better content planning.
- Analyse click metrics to show real user engagement beyond just search volume.
- Ideal for competitor keyword analysis and identifying high-value ranking opportunities.
3. Ubersuggest
Ubersuggest is one of the most beginner-friendly SEO keyword tools available today. Created by Neil Patel, it helps marketers, bloggers, and small businesses find keyword opportunities without complex dashboards or steep learning curves. You can easily check search volume, keyword difficulty, and content ideas all in one place.
Key Points:
- Delivers keyword ideas, search volume, and SEO difficulty for quick insights.
- Suggests long-tail keywords ideal for low-competition ranking opportunities.
- Includes competitor analysis to see which keywords drive traffic to rival sites.
- Provides content ideas based on trending topics and top-performing pages.
- Great for beginners and small businesses looking for affordable, easy-to-use SEO data.
On-Page SEO and Content Optimisation Tools
Once you’ve found the right keywords, the next step is on-page SEO optimisation, making sure your content is structured, readable, and aligned with search intent. This is where content optimisation tools play a key role. They analyse your web pages, highlight areas for improvement, and help you create content that both users and search engines love.
1. SurferSEO
SurferSEO is one of the most powerful on-page SEO tools for optimising content with precision. It analyses the top-ranking pages for your target keyword and gives you data-backed insights to help your content perform better. From keyword density and heading structure to paragraph length and NLP terms, SurferSEO breaks down exactly what Google favours.
Key Points:
- Analyses top-ranking pages to provide data-driven on-page SEO recommendations.
- Features a real-time Content Editor that scores and optimises your content as you write.
- Suggests keyword density, headings, and NLP terms for better search relevance.
- Integrates seamlessly with Google Docs and WordPress for a smooth workflow.
- Ideal for content writers and marketers aiming to improve rankings with precision.
2. Clearscope
Clearscope is a premium content optimisation tool trusted by top brands and agencies for creating SEO-driven, high-quality content. It uses advanced natural language processing (NLP) to analyse top-performing pages on Google and helps you understand which keywords, topics, and phrases your content should include to compete effectively.
Key Points:
- Uses AI and NLP technology to analyse top-ranking content for better keyword targeting.
- Provides a content grade, readability score, and keyword suggestions for optimisation.
- Helps improve topical relevance by identifying semantically related terms.
- Integrates easily with Google Docs and WordPress for real-time editing.
- Trusted by agencies and enterprise teams for creating high-quality, SEO-optimised content.
3. Yoast SEO (for WordPress)
Yoast SEO is one of the most popular WordPress SEO plugins and an essential tool for anyone managing content on the platform. It acts like a personal SEO assistant, guiding you through every step of on-page optimisation from writing meta titles and descriptions to improving readability and keyword usage.
Key Points:
- Acts as an all-in-one WordPress SEO plugin for on-page optimisation and readability analysis.
- Uses a traffic light system (red, orange, green) to indicate SEO and readability quality.
- Optimises titles, meta descriptions, slugs, and keyword placement automatically.
- Supports schema markup, XML sitemaps, and canonical URLs to improve technical SEO.
- Ideal for bloggers and website owners who want an easy way to optimise content without coding.
Technical SEO and Website Audit Tools
No matter how great your content is, it won’t perform well if your website has technical issues. That’s where technical SEO tools come in. They help you identify and fix problems that affect how search engines crawl, index, and rank your site. From slow loading speeds to broken links and mobile usability, these tools make sure your website runs smoothly and efficiently.
1. Screaming Frog SEO Spider
Screaming Frog SEO Spider is one of the most powerful website audit tools for technical SEO. It crawls your entire website the same way a search engine bot would, helping you identify errors and opportunities for optimisation. In just minutes, it can scan hundreds or thousands of URLs and give you a detailed report on your site’s health.
Key Points:
- Crawls entire websites to detect broken links, redirects, and duplicate content.
- Identifies missing meta tags, titles, and canonical issues for quick fixes.
- Provides detailed technical SEO audits, including page depth, response codes, and crawl errors.
- Exports data to Excel or Google Sheets for easy reporting and analysis.
- Ideal for website audits and SEO professionals managing large or complex sites.
2. Google Search Console
Google Search Console (GSC) is one of the most essential technical SEO tools for monitoring your website’s performance directly from Google’s perspective. It helps you understand how your site appears in search results, what keywords drive traffic, and where technical issues may be holding you back.
Key Points:
- Monitors website performance in Google Search, including impressions, clicks, and average positions.
- Identifies indexing issues, crawl errors, and mobile usability problems.
- Provides insights into top-performing pages and keywords driving organic traffic.
- Allows submission of sitemaps and individual URLs for faster indexing.
- Essential for tracking SEO progress and maintaining healthy site visibility on Google.
3. Sitebulb
Sitebulb is a robust website audit and technical SEO tool that combines deep crawling capabilities with clear, visual reports. It’s designed to help marketers, developers, and SEO professionals understand complex data in a simple, actionable format. Unlike many other crawlers, Sitebulb doesn’t just show what’s wrong; it explains why it matters and how to fix it.
Key Points:
- Performs in-depth technical SEO audits with clear visual reports and insights.
- Detects broken links, redirect loops, and slow-loading pages quickly.
- Provides interactive charts and crawl visualisations for easier data interpretation.
- Assigns priority-based “Hints” (Critical, High, Low) to guide SEO fixes effectively.
- Ideal for agencies and professionals who need detailed yet easy-to-understand audit results.
Backlink Analysis and Link Building Tools
Backlinks remain one of the strongest ranking factors in Google’s algorithm. They act as votes of trust from other websites, signalling that your content is valuable and credible. To stay competitive, you need reliable backlink analysis tools that help you track, evaluate, and build high-quality links that strengthen your domain authority.
1. Ahrefs (Site Explorer)
Ahrefs Site Explorer is one of the most trusted backlink analysis tools used by SEO professionals worldwide. It provides a complete overview of any website’s backlink profile, showing you exactly who links to your site, how strong those links are, and what kind of content attracts them.
Key Points:
- Offers detailed backlink analysis showing referring domains, anchor texts, and link quality.
- Tracks new and lost backlinks to monitor link-building performance.
- Provides Domain Rating (DR) and URL Rating (UR) to assess site authority.
- Helps with competitor backlink research and content gap identification.
- Ideal for building strong link strategies and improving overall off-page SEO.
2. SEMrush Backlink Analytics
SEMrush Backlink Analytics is a powerful link analysis tool that gives you a clear view of your website’s backlink profile and helps you build stronger link-building strategies. It lets you see who’s linking to your domain, what kind of content attracts the most backlinks, and how your referring domains compare to your competitors.
Key Points:
- Analyse your backlink profile, including referring domains, anchor texts, and link types.
- Features a Backlink Gap tool to find sites linking to competitors but not to you.
- Provides Authority Score and toxic link detection to maintain a healthy link profile.
- Tracks new, lost, and broken backlinks over time for performance monitoring.
- Ideal for competitor research and link-building campaigns to boost domain authority.
3. Rank Tracking and Analytics Tools
Knowing where your website stands in search results is just as important as optimising it. That’s where rank tracking tools and SEO analytics platforms come into play. They help you monitor keyword positions, track ranking changes, and analyse overall website performance across search engines.
1. SERPWatcher (by Mangools)
SERPWatcher by Mangools is an easy-to-use rank tracking tool designed for marketers, bloggers, and SEO professionals who want clear insights without complicated dashboards. It focuses on tracking your keyword performance over time, showing exactly how your rankings change and what impact that has on your organic traffic.
Key Points:
- Tracks daily keyword rankings and overall SEO performance in real time.
- Features a Performance Index combining ranking data and search volume for quick insights.
- Sends email alerts for ranking changes to help you act fast.
- Integrates with other Mangools tools like KWFinder and LinkMiner for complete SEO tracking.
- Ideal for marketers and bloggers who want simple, visual rank tracking without complexity.
2. Google Analytics
Google Analytics is the most essential SEO analytics tool for understanding how users find, interact with, and move through your website. It provides detailed data about your audience, where they come from, which pages they visit most, how long they stay, and what drives them to convert.
Key Points:
- Tracks website traffic, user behaviour, and engagement metrics in real time.
- Shows traffic sources, organic, social, direct, and paid, to measure marketing impact.
- Helps set up conversion goals to track leads, sales, or form submissions.
- Integrates with Google Search Console for combined SEO and performance insights.
- Essential for data-driven SEO decisions and improving user experience across your site.
Choosing the Right SEO Tool for Your Goals
With countless SEO tools on the market, the challenge isn’t finding one; it’s selecting the perfect mix that aligns with your specific goals. The right tool depends on your business size, marketing objectives, and experience level. For instance, small businesses often benefit from budget-friendly keyword research tools like Ubersuggest or KWFinder, while larger agencies may prefer Ahrefs or SEMrush for advanced competitor insights and backlink tracking.
Content optimisation: platforms such as SurferSEO and Clearscope stand out. They refine your writing process by ensuring every piece matches user intent and search expectations. Meanwhile
Technical SEO tools, like Screaming Frog and Sitebulb, help uncover crawl issues, broken links, and performance bottlenecks that could hurt your rankings.
Ultimately, success isn’t about using every tool available; it’s about choosing the best SEO tools that suit your goals and workflow. The right toolkit will help you save time, improve rankings, and drive meaningful growth for your website.
Final Thoughts
The right SEO tools can completely transform how you approach optimisation. They simplify research, automate audits, and provide the insights needed to make smarter, data-driven decisions. Whether it’s finding the best keywords, analysing backlinks, or tracking rankings, each tool plays a unique role in improving your website’s visibility and overall performance.