There are tons of SEO tools floating around the internet, each promising to make your job easier. Sorting through the hype and finding the ones that pertain to your business, and then finding the ones from those that actually work for you, is a whole ‘nother story.
While there are oodles of third-party apps, browser add-ons and extensions, and shiny software, finding quality tools that are worth your time can be a daunting task. To start, tap into the resources you probably already have, like the RSS feed or email newsletter of authoritative SEO blogs like SEOmoz and Search Engine Land.
Where to find quality SEO tools:
SEOmoz Blog
SEOmoz is the go-to resource for all things SEO. They have two different blogs chock-full of SEO goodies from their staff, guest bloggers, and industry leaders providing a range of knowledge. Sometimes they review tools on their blogs so their readers can get a better idea of what it is, what it does, and why it’s useful. A quick site search for “SEO tools” yields over 100 results and recommendations from industry leaders and experts.
Social Media Examiner Tools
This blog focuses on the social side of SEO and reviews a number of tools for its readers. They also have a very active fan base, and readers are constantly commenting on the articles and offering up their own two cents. Questions asked in the comments are always answered, giving you bonus information.
Community Question Boards
LinkedIn has an “Answers” section, Quora is a social discussion site, and Facebook and Twitter have polls. These are all excellent places to find out about the best tools and discuss them with people who have an interest in them.
Advanced Search Operators
Make Google work for you by asking the right questions. Using OR, AND, and other nifty words can narrow down your Google search to give you exactly what you’re looking for without having to scroll through pages and pages of search results. We previously wrote a post about advanced search operators and how to be better at Google, which is a can’t-miss for anyone on the Internet.
Social Media
Last but not least, let social conversations do your dirty work. I’ve already mentioned that Twitter polls are great for asking your peers about SEO tools, but you can also search Tweets and profiles to find what you’re looking for. You can even set up search columns in HootSuite or Tweetdeck using similar advanced search operator tricks. For example, you might decide to search for any Tweet that mentions SEO or link building by using the following search: “SEO” OR “link building” tools. The column will now show you any Tweets that mention either of those two keywords. Pro tip: Switch the search to “users” to find people tweeting about SEO and link-building tools.