Best SEO Tools for Small Business (2025 Edition)
If you’re just getting started with SEO, you may be overwhelmed by the number of tools and software available and not know where to start. The cost of most tools is often prohibitive for small and growing businesses. In this article, we’ll share a list of the best tools that work best for those just starting out with SEO.
How we compiled this list
We’ve compiled this list based on the following criteria:
- Features: Tools that offer a wide range of features, including keyword research, SEO analysis, and content optimization.
- Cost: Services that are affordable and offer a free trial or a free plan.
- Ease of use: Tools that are easy to use and understand.
In our final selection, we’ve included the following tools:
Telescope
Telescope is the product we’ve built out of frustration with complexity and cost of existing SEO tools. We think you’ll love it.
Telescope is a simple and affordable suite of SEO tools to help you grow and scale your inbound marketing efforts. It includes all the tools you need to do SEO, but keeps it simple and easy to use, which is especially handy if you don’t have a dedicated SEO team.
You’ll love the pricing model, too. Basic SEO research works on a pay-as-you-go basis, so you only pay for what you use without having to commit to a subscription. At the same time, all the other tools are available on a subscription basis, making it significantly more affordable than most other tools.
Some of the Telescope features include:
- Keyword research: The tool you’d use to find keywords to target with your content.
- Backlink analysis: Allow you to find backlinks for any website or specific page.
- Competition analysis: Find out what your competitors are doing and get ideas on how you can improve your SEO strategy.
- Technical Site audits: Check your website for SEO issues and get a detailed report on how you can improve it.
- Rank tracking: Track your website’s position in search results for specific keywords.
- Internal Linking Tool: Find and analyze potential internal link opportunities.
Telescope is reasonably priced and offers a free plan, so you can try it out before committing to a subscription. Here’s the breakdown of existing plans;
| Plan | Features | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Full access to SEO Research module. | $0 + Usage |
| Growth | Full access to all modules, 1 project and 1000 credits for SEO research per month. | $29.99/month |
| Scale | Full access to all modules, 3 project and 3000 credits for SEO research per month. | $99.99/month |
Semrush
Semrush is one of the most comprehensive SEO tools available. It’s widely used by professionals and offers a vast array of features to help small businesses improve their search engine rankings and online visibility.
Some of the key features of Semrush include:
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Keyword Research: Discover the best keywords to target, analyze their difficulty, and find long-tail keywords that are less competitive.
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Competitor Analysis: Gain insights into your competitors’ SEO strategies, including the keywords they rank for and their backlink profiles.
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Site Audit: Identify technical SEO issues that may be affecting your site’s performance and get actionable recommendations.
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Content Marketing Tools: Optimize your content for target keywords and ensure it aligns with SEO best practices.
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Rank Tracking: Monitor your website’s rankings for target keywords over time.
While Semrush is a premium tool, it offers a free trial and some limited free features that can be helpful for beginners. Pricing starts at $129.95 per month, which makes it one of the most expensive tools on this list but the range of features makes it a solid investment for businesses looking to scale their SEO efforts.
Ahrefs
Ahrefs is a popular all-in-one SEO tool that caters to businesses of all sizes. It’s especially useful for small businesses looking for in-depth insights and actionable data to improve their online presence.
Some of the key features of Ahrefs include:
- Site Explorer: Analyze your competitors’ backlinks, search traffic, and top-performing pages.
- Keyword Explorer: Discover high-traffic, low-competition keywords to target in your content.
- Content Explorer: Find the most popular content in your niche and uncover opportunities for link-building and content creation.
- Rank Tracker: Monitor your website’s keyword rankings and track their progress over time.
- Site Audit: Conduct comprehensive audits to identify and fix technical SEO issues on your site.
Ahrefs stands out for its extensive database of backlinks and keywords, making it a favorite among SEO professionals. While it’s a premium tool, Ahrefs offers a trial plan for $7, allowing small businesses to explore its features before committing. Regular plans start at $129/month. Recently Ahrefs also introduced a cheaper plan for just $29/month with a very limited set of features.
RankMath
RankMath is a good solution if you run a WordPress website. RankMath is a WordPress plugin that provides powerful SEO features directly within your WordPress dashboard. It’s an excellent choice for small businesses managing their own websites and looking to improve their SEO without needing to purchase multiple tools.
Some standout features of RankMath include:
- Easy Setup Wizard: A step-by-step guide to configure SEO settings tailored to your website.
- Advanced SEO Analysis: Built-in tools to assess your site’s SEO health and optimize content.
- Rich Snippets Support: Add schema markup to your pages for better visibility in search results.
- Keyword Optimization: Optimize posts and pages for multiple focus keywords.
- Google Analytics Integration: View analytics and performance data directly in your WordPress dashboard.
RankMath is free to use, with a Pro version available starting at $59/year, which unlocks additional features like more advanced schema types and rank tracking capabilities.
Final Thoughts
Choosing the right SEO tool for your small business depends on your specific needs, budget, and level of expertise. Whether you prefer an all-in-one platform like Semrush, a straightforward and affordable option like Telescope, or the convenience of a WordPress plugin like RankMath, there’s something on this list for everyone.
Start by identifying your primary goals, such as improving content, monitoring rankings, or conducting competitor analysis, and select the tool that aligns best with your strategy. With the right tools and a consistent approach, your small business can achieve significant growth in search engine visibility and organic traffic.