Are you a small business looking to improve your SEO? Are you interested in doing it yourself without hiring an agency? This article is for you then. It will cover the best SEO software for small businesses. There are three main SEO software products, SEMrush, Ahrefs, and Ubbersuggest. I have used all of these services in the past. Below I will talk about the differences between each and who it would suit best.
Ahrefs
Ahrefs is the industry standard for SEO. If you were to hire an agency, more than likely this is the tool they would use. It is my favorite tool due to its unique metrics and complexity.
They offer tools for all of your needs including a site explorer, site audit, keyword explorer, and content manager. All of these tools give you hundreds, maybe thousands of data metrics. It is an extremely powerful tool….. if you know how to use it.
If you are experienced and certified in SEO, these tools will be perfect for you. If not, it might be difficult for you to manage. Ahrefs does offer a free certification program that I recommend you take if you decide to use this tool.
Now, this tool isn’t all good; it is expensive. The cheapest plan starts at $99/month. For most small businesses, this plan will more than cover their needs.
In short, who is this tool for? It is for experienced SEO professionals who understand the ins and outs of the tool. Unless you are in the web development industry, I probably would not recommend this tool for you.
SEMrush
SEMrush is a close second to Ahrefs in terms of agencies using it. I use it alongside Ahrefs. The first thing that SEMrush does better is to offer a free plan. Now it doesn’t give you much, but you do get to use the tool for free.
They too offer keyword, topic research, and site auditing functions. I do not think they are as intricate as Ahref’s, but they are much simpler to understand.
On top of SEO, as the name implies, SEMrush is also an SEM tool. What is SEM? Search engine marketing is similar to SEO, but instead of optimizing, you are marketing. SEM includes ads and social media marketing.
Unfortunately, most of the SEM features are only available in a paid plan. I would recommend using the paid plan if you decide to use this tool. You can post, view, and manage your social media posts right from the SEMrush dashboard.
You can run ads and ad keyword analysis right from your dashboard. Render Results uses SEMrush for most all of their ad research, and I speak for all of us when I say it made things much easier.
SEMRush is $99/month too, but I feel you get more tools for the price. They just are not as intricate.
In conclusion, who is SEMrush for? Anyone who wants an all in one tool that is easy to use and understand. This would be my recommendation for any small business to use.
Ubersuggest
Ubbersuggest is unlike the other options on this list in that it is designed to be simple and cost-effective. It was created by Neil Patel in 2017, and has since grown to be one of the most liked SEO tools available. It is more similar to Ahrefs than SEMrush but is still different. Let me explain.
Up until the past year, Ubbersuggest was a completely free tool. It did not have a paid version, but due to growth, a paid plan was inevitable. However, it is still very inexpensive compared to the previous two tools coming in at $29/month for their starter plan.
They offer all of the tools most people will need including keyword research, auditing, backlinks, and analysis. As you can see, it is very similar to Ahrefs; however, it is very simplified compared to Ahrefs. For most people, that might be a good thing; you won’t be overwhelmed with options.
My favorite tool on Ubbersuggest is project separation. With this tool, you can separate all of your project data. If you only have one website, this won’t matter to you, but if you are managing multiple sites or campaigns, this is very helpful.
Who is Ubbersuggest for? It is for people or businesses who want a good tool that is easy to use and affordable. You really can’t go wrong with this tool.
What is the best SEO software for small businesses?
In conclusion, your options are quite simple. Ahrefs is for experienced SEO professionals looking to maximize the amount of data acquired. SEMrush is for people with SEO knowledge and is looking for an all-in-one tool. Ubbersuggest is for people looking for a simple tool to give them a glimpse into their SEO data. Now, what you have been waiting for, the best SEO software for small businesses is….. SEMrush. In my opinion, SEMrush is all around the best tool.
Have a different opinion? Let me know below!
Hi! My name is Carter Stroup. I am the founder, president, web and SEO professional at Render Results. I have been a web developer for over four years and currently hold five professional certifications. My number one goal is to provide custom websites for an affordable price to help grow small businesses.
Great article and thanks for keeping it easy to understand. Some articles lose me after the third paragraph because it becomes too technical. You broke it down nicely.