Search engine optimization is a complex process with many facets. Some of these include keyword research, on-page optimization, off-page optimization, acquiring inbound links, and tracking your rankings.
Fortunately, there are many tools that have been created to aid web masters in each of these tasks.
Below I have reviewed 7 of the top SEO tools so that you can quickly find out what your site needs to rise in the search engines.
First up is the "Cool SEO Tool". I'll let you decide whether or not it lives up to its name.
Cool SEO Tool
This tool allows you to compare your site against the top 10 listed sites in Google for a particular keyword or phrase. You simply enter your keyword and the system will begin comparing 9 different metrics for the top 10 rankings. This allows you to quickly compare the Yahoo rank, MSN rank, Google pages indexed, altavista pages indexed, backlinks to page, backlinks to domain, allinanchor rank, age of url, and whether or not the phrase is on the page.
This tool can unveil extremely valuable information on how you can break into the top 10 search engine positions.
XML-Sitemaps
Google wants to make sure that webmasters have a way of communicating information that is important about their sites. To accommodate this, they created Google Sitemaps in 2005. Using this tool, you can tell Google when you have created new pages and how often your pages are updated. To get your pages indexed as quickly as possible, it is in your best interest to create a sitemap for Google as well as for Yahoo.
Unfortunately, finding a sitemap generator that is easy to use can be a frustrating task. However, after a lot of digging, I think I've found one that you will like.
At xml-sitemaps.com, they have created a sitemap generator that enables you to create a xml sitemap for Google and a text-based sitemap for Yahoo. In addition, the generator can also create an optional HTML sitemap for human visitors.
for step-by-step instructions on how to get started.
Ultimate Keyword Tool
Keywords are the lifeblood of any site. Choose the wrong ones and your site will quickly fizzle. Choose the right keywords and you will start to see an abundance of traffic as well as sales. The key is choosing keyword phrases that aren't viciously competitive and convert well into sales.
For example, did you know that keyword phrases that are 3-5 words long convert into sales much more often than any other key phrase length? Not to mention, these longer keyword phrases are also usually much easier to rank for.
One of the best keyword tools is provided by SeoBook.com.
You simply enter in a keyword or phrase and hit suggest. Once you have done this, the keyword tools will return a variety of data, including:
?overture suggestions of additional keywords
?top overture bid prices
?estimated monthly search volume
?number of Google, Yahoo, and MSN search results
?Wordtracker keyword suggestions
?Google traff'c Estimates
?synonyms and....
?additional related keywords using the Adwords keyword tool
For a keyword tool that has it all, go to SeoBook.com.
Link Popularity
For many of the top search engines, link popularity is one of the top ranking factors. Because of this, there have been a large number of link popularity tools to be released. However, after trying out quite a few of them, I settled on URLTrends.com. This site enables you to find out your link popularity on 8 different search engines.
Monitor Your Search Engine Positions
Monitoring your search engine positions is crucial to any successful marketing campaign. To obtain the highest possible search engine traffic, you must be able to monitor any sudden drops in your rankings. If you don't know where you stand, there is no way you can take corrective measures.
Fortunately, there is a tool that allows you to track all of your keywords for free.
This tool allows you to track:
?numerous keyword rankings
?backlinks
?pagerank and...
?daily, weekly and monthly changes in your rankings.
Take control of your search engine rankings at
?quickly finds almost every single site that is linking to you
?reports how many pages of your web site are indexed
?reports how many links are pointing to any specific page
?provides links to the Wayback Machine and WhoIs source next to each domain
?reports the total number of inbound links, home page links, and deep link ratio
?quickly grabs the number of .gov, .edu, and .ac.uk inbound links
?indicates if a site links to your site more than 5 times by bolding that particular link in the list of results.
If you find this tool useful, you can even add it to your own site. Link Harvester is open source, so web masters are free to share it and developers are free to improve upon it.
Adwords External Keyword Tool
So, how do you sharpen your keyword tools? Check for updates?
Well, sure, that's importantespecially with how fast technology advances! But, what I'm talking about is the methods and keyword tools you use to manage your keyword lists.
Let's take a caucus right now. Once you've actually used the great keyword tools out there to build your list, which programs do you use to whittle that list clean of unwanted words and phrases?
Word? Excel? Notepad?
And how long does it take you per thousand to edit to your satisfaction?
Well, if you are using any one of these tools, here are a few tips to help speed things up a bit:
Make sure you sort your list several times. Sure, you can start by sorting alphabetically or by number of keywords in your phrase, but to get the most effectiveness from your keyword tool, the best method is to go through your list multiple times, each time sorting your list a different way. You will be surprised at how many phrases you missed even after the 3rd time through!
Slow down and be thorough: I know, I knowthe last thing you want to do is go slowly. Not when you're staring at a 20,000 word keyword list. But, you will save yourself a bunch of wasted time and money if you make sure your list is clean of all of the unwanted phrases.
Try to find the best keyword tool for your purpose: What are you going to be using your keyword list for? Will you be building network sites? Will you be engaging a massive PPC campaign? Will you be using the different groups to focus on different niches? Well, I think one of the best keyword tool for any of these purposes is Keyword Companion that will be launched on the market on June 26th. This tool effortlessly manages lists well over the tens of thousands, and helps you break up, keep track of, and organize the groups you've created from your list. I haven't seen anything like it out there, and it sure beats using excel for hours and hours!
Once you've made sure to keep your keyword tool sharpened, the next move is to use your keywords and their groups wisely. Be sure to follow the latest SEO guidelines to help your sites bring in the most traffic they can, without angering the higher powers of the search engines.
We've all seen the importance of using the correct keywords escalate over the past couple years, and that foundation for your internet marketing doesn't appear to have any chance of losing its weight any time soon.
So, it's critical to have the correct keyword tool to manage the lists you've spent so much time and effort to create. No matter which tools you use, as long as you spend ample time using them to their best abilities, your keyword management and subsequent keyword groups will bring you the great results you are wanting.
Richard East is an International Businessman, with over 14 years of marketing experience. He is now revealing the keyword strategies at http://www.keywordcompanion.com used by the big names in marketing to dominate their niches and crank up one successful promotion after another.
Both Manish Kumar123 & Richard East are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Richard East has sinced written about articles on various topics from Site Promotion, Internet Marketing. Learn the 5 Keyword methods and strategies that the masters of marketing have been using for years to dominate their marketplace. To receive your 5-part course click: ke. Richard East's top article generates over 1900 views. Bookmark Richard East to your Favourites.
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