There is no shortage of tools at the disposal for an SEO specialist. In addition to the ones we have discussed, Google and Microsoft offer other free tools that are also useful. And of course, there are a number of third-party tools available, both paid and free to use.
Some of the most popular ones are the SEO management trackers out there, Ahrefs and SEM Rush. These tools usually have methods of configuring domains so as to track and check their performance over time. Keyword tools, site auditing, reporting, traffic and SERP positioning are all hallmarks of effective “all-in-one” SaaS SEO tracking systems.
For us at comebefound, we have used a number of management tools, but we actually have settled on just one that we find ourselves using every day. And it isn’t one of the ones we mentioned.
At comebefound, the go-to SEO management tool we use is Ranktracker, and in this 4th part of our “Best SEO Tools” article series, we will explain why.
What is Ranktracker?
Ranktracker is the self-proclaimed “all-in-one platform for effective SEO.” A SaaS like its competitors, Ranktracker aims to provide industry standard features and tools with better than standard data and pricing.
The product of Felix Rose-Collins, Ranktracker provides all the tools an SEO expert would need to be effective: keyword research, backlinks monitoring, and tracking for SERPs and others – all in one platform.
Additionally, they have uniquely global data sources that allow them to report not only on the market dominating search engines, but also those that are more popular in other countries, like Yandex for example.
Whether you’re a small startup or a large agency, there are several options that more than can provide value for what you pay for. And with free trials available, you have nothing to lose if you prefer to test drive what 25,000+ other users are experiencing before you buy.
What We Like About Ranktracker
There are multiple features that are available of course within the Ranktracker software. For our article, we are going to focus on the features we like and use the most.
Daily Movements
For each domain you have configured in Ranktracker, there is the Rank Tracker section that lets you get a quick overview of its search details. Visibility rating, average position based on tracked keywords per domain, SERP features, and traffic estimates are all quickly viewable.
But the Daily Movements available from the top bar menu in each domain’s section is really nice. Unique to Ranktracker, it sets it apart from other SEO management tools. It gives you an easy way to see what keywords are being impacted by recent campaigns or updates to search algorithms, for example. With the added functionality of being able to see those keywords by search engine and device, you get a great daily picture of how your domains are performing for your tracked keywords.
Keyword Finder
There is no shortage of keyword research tools out there, but we prefer Ranktracker’s Keyword Finder.
You can quickly and easily look for keywords by keyword and narrow it down to specific locations, or enter a domain and have Ranktracker present keyword recommendations automatically. Also present are the standard “keyword difficulty” measurements to give you a rough idea of how competitive the query is, as well as estimated “cost per clicks” for paid ads.
Also, rather than presenting the estimated “traffic” for a keyword, Ranktracker gives you that feedback as an estimated “volume”. In other words, rather than suggesting how many visitors you would expect to have from a query, Ranktracker tells you the estimated monthly searches for those keywords. And in our experience, we have found this subtle difference to actually have more accurate reflections of the real performance you should expect.
Backlink Checker and Monitor
Backlinks are something that are important to every SEO specialist out there. An organic backlink from a partner or vendor site that is relevant to your business or blog can mean big wins in traffic and page rank. However, more is not necessarily better, and actually more can be detrimental to a site’s performance.
Not only are the methods used to acquire backlinks in less than organic ways usually against Google’s Webmaster Guidelines, the links themselves are usually a waste of time as they do not actually provide any boost to your page ranks. In fact, if you pick up one from a negatively flagged domain or IP, Google can pass that penalty to your domain as a result.
At times though, this is not the result of an over eager SEO, but instead a tactic used to negatively impact a site by a competitor. While just as against the Google best practices, it is still a reality and something that happens every day.
With Ranktracker’s Backlink Checker and Monitor, you can not only see what backlinks you currently have, but also monitor backlinks to any URL or domain, over just 1 week all the way to 1 year. This proves to be invaluable to us as it lets us accurately track and monitor for any suspicious activity or new backlinks we have not directly sought to acquire.
Interaction with Users
Another very positive feature is the interaction the company has with its user base. Almost daily, the company releases articles of interest for SEOs, as well as updates regarding new features for the Ranktracker software.
The result is a great sense of community and communication between the actual individuals involved in the company and the users of its software.
Summary
Ranktracker is a software solution for SEO agencies and individuals and is constantly updated and improved. Competition in the space is pretty high, as the other solutions have been around for longer and have had time to establish themselves in this industry.
However, Ranktracker’s approach, made possible by the experienced team of experts and an understanding of the expectations users would have, make it the strongest competitor and our clear SEO management system of choice.