With competition in the world of eCommerce is rather high, any online shop needs to rank highly on SERPs as it implies that more organic traffic will be attracted to the shop and more visitors will be turned into customers. This is where SEO (short for Search Engine Optimization) comes in. Effective SEO of your online store brings in traffic andmakes people familiar with your brand, thus improving sales.
However, to address SEO properly, it is necessary to choose the right tools. They can help you automate processes, gain insights, and present the best approach to your work. Let’s explore some of the best tools to use for your eCommerce business, categorized by their SEO function.
Keyword Research Tools
Google Keyword Planner
This free Google keyword tool provides associated keyword recommendations, monthly searches, and competition values. This is a good start, especially for those who never dealt with SEO before, to have an idea of what keywords potential buyers use. However, it does not have such tools as competitor backlink analysis, which can help to find a chance to overturn known leaders.
Pros:
- Free to use
- Directly integrated with Google Ads
- Reliable data from Google’s search engine
Cons:
- Limited to Google data only
- Requires a Google Ads account
- Less advanced features compared to paid tools
Price: Free
Ahrefs
Ahrefs can be considered to be one of the best SEO keyword research tools for eCommerce currently available, with keyword difficulty scores and the possibility to explore search volume trends and content gaps. This helps you not only find hot keywords that have a large audience but also defines what topics that your competitors not yet having touched upon.
Nevertheless, Ahrefs is available at a subscription fee, thus suitable for eCommerce companies committed to setting aside funds for SEO purposes.
Pros:
- Comprehensive keyword research capabilities
- Excellent competitor analysis
- Regularly updated database
Cons:
- Expensive for small businesses
- Steep learning curve for beginners
Price: from $129/month
Semrush
Like Ahrefs, Semrush is equipped with sophisticated tools to search for keywords, discover related keywords, estimate organic traffic for competitors’ sites, and monitor how certain keywords have changed over a definite period. This lets you not only observe how many visitors specific keywords generate to your competitors but also monitor the shifts in your position on these keywords.
It also comes with a subscription model, which may not be ideal for everyone. Therefore, it is good to check the ratio of the investment to the value you will receive in the process.
Pros:
- All-in-one SEO toolset
- Detailed analytics and reports
- Useful for both SEO and SEM
Cons:
- Higher cost
- Complex interface for new users
Price: from $129.95/month
On-Page SEO Tools
Yoast SEO
Yoast SEO is one of the best tools for eCommerce used by most WordPress site owners due to the ease of on-page optimization it provides. The tool gives tips on how to work with title tags, meta descriptions, internal linking, and image optimization. Thus, it is suitable for those who want an easy-to-navigate platform that can help with the very basics of SEO. However, their functionalities are not as profound as some of the enhanced SEO applications.
Pros:
- User-friendly
- Regular updates
- Integrates well with WordPress
Cons:
- Limited features in the free version
- Can slow down the website if not configured properly
Price: $99/year (free version available)
Moz Pro
Moz Pro has an on-page SEO audit that is capable of pointing out many issues, such as slow loading speed and broken links, as well as offers optimization tips for title tags, meta descriptions, and content. On-page optimization scoring is also available, which will give you an idea of how you are doing and if there is anything that you can do to improve the score.
Pros:
- A comprehensive suite of tools
- Excellent customer support
- Strong community and resources
Cons:
- Costly for small businesses
- Somewhat outdated interface
Price: from $99/month
Screaming Frog SEO Spider
This is a desktop solution that works like a web crawler, and it alerts you of such rudimentary problems as broken links, missing title tags, and even duplicated content. Screaming Frog is suitable for performing technical audits at a huge scale and finding out the issues that may dangerous your website ranking.
Pros:
- Highly detailed SEO analysis
- Free version available with basic features
- Effective at finding technical SEO issues
Cons:
- Desktop application only
- Can be overwhelming for beginners
Price: $259/year (free version available)
Technical SEO Tools
Google Search Console
It is an analytical tool by Google that offers rich data regarding the state of your website. It helps in finding out crawl issues, indexation issues, mobile usability concerns, and structured data implementation. Anybody running an eCommerce site should be using this tool to help diagnose if their site is technically sound and SEO friendly.
Pros:
- Free to use
- Direct insights from Google
- Essential for technical SEO
Cons:
- Limited features compared to paid tools
- Requires manual configuration
Price: Free
GTmetrix
This free web service measures your website’s speed and offers tips to make your site run better. Websites that load faster have a higher position in the search result pages and have better conversion rates, which makes SEO tools such as GTmetrix indispensable for an eCommerce entrepreneur. Thereby, increase the loading speed of your site and you will be sure to have better rankings and a happy user base.
Pros:
- Free basic version
- Detailed performance insights
- Easy to use
Cons:
- Limited to speed metrics
- Advanced features require a subscription
Price: from $5/month (free version available)
Lumar
If there are more significant problems that need addressing, Lumar provides a more extensive technical SEO audit than Google Search Console. It scans your whole site and with great precision. This tool not only scans your entire website but does so with impressive precision, pointing out even such issues as having orphaned pages and problems that are involved with crawl depths.
Lumar is not free of charge costing a subscription fee and therefore it would be more useful to large eCommerce businesses with very deep pockets on technical SEO.
Pros:
- Thorough technical analysis
- Scalable for large sites
- Excellent reporting features
Cons:
- High cost
- Requires SEO knowledge to interpret data
Price: Custom
Backlink Analysis Tools
Ahrefs
Ahrefs is one of the best SEO tools for eCommerce in terms of backlinks analysis. You can see the backlinks of your site, your competitors’ backlinks, and potential good backlinking opportunities. Ahrefs will show you which sites link to your rivals and you can design tactics to get backlinks from equivalent authoritative sites.
Pros:
- Extensive backlink database
- Easy to use
- Regularly updated data
Cons:
- Expensive
- Requires subscription for full features
Price: from $129/month
Majestic
Like many other backlink analysis tools, Majestic includes link comparison and a historical history of backlinks. This will enable you to monitor your backlink history over that period and how it resembles that of your competitors. It also operates on the subscription-based model, thus the choice depends on your necessity and financial requirements.
Pros:
- Specialized in backlink analysis
- Historical backlink data
- Affordable plans available
Cons:
- Outdated interface
- Steeper learning curve
Price: from $49.99/month (free version available)
Moz Link Explorer
Moz Link Explorer can reveal information about your website concerning backlinks, authority of links, and distribution of anchor texts. It enables you to assess the quality and the relevance of the link allowing for proper SEO.
Pros:
- User-friendly interface
- Strong community support
- Integrates with other Moz tools
Cons:
- Limited data in the free version
- Can be slow to update
Price: Free
Analytics and Reporting Tools
Google Analytics
This free and powerful application of Google gives accurate information regarding your website traffic and the organic traffic source, detailed behavior of the user on your site, and conversion rate. Google Analytics enables a website owner to determine the effectiveness of their SEO and potential improvements.
Pros:
- Free to use
- Powerful and versatile
- Integrates with other Google tools
Cons:
- Steep learning curve
- Can be overwhelming for beginners
Price: Free
Kissmetrics
This analytics platform zeroes in on the actions of the visitor and gives details as to what they do on your website once they have arrived from a search engine. Kissmetrics enables you to learn about consumers’ paths and possible conversion issues or obstacles, which could be limiting buyers from purchasing your products.
Pros:
- Focuses on customer behavior
- Excellent for SaaS and eCommerce
- Actionable insights
Cons:
- Expensive
- Limited integrations
Price: from $25.99/month
Crazy Egg
Crazy Egg provides visual website analytics and heatmaps, as well as recordings to let you see how visitors engage with your website. With the understanding of where the users are clicking, scrolling, and leaving the stage of purchasing, you can define hotspots and use them to make adjustments to increase conversion rates.
Pros:
- Visual insights
- Easy to set up and use
- Helps improve user experience
Cons:
- Limited to visual data
- Can be expensive for small sites
Price: from $99/month
Conclusion
In conclusion, choosing the best-suited SEO tools for eCommerce is crucial to enhancing the store’s presence on the web and increasing traffic. It is possible to create a comprehensive SEO strategy that involves tools for keyword research, on-site optimization, technical optimization, link building and analysis, and reporting.
You should not limit yourself to just one tool but experience as many as possible to find the one that suits you the best. Most of the tools come with free trial demo, which means you can ways and try the tools before you purchase. If you have more questions about how to optimize your eCommerce website, don’t hesitate to visit Tech-One and learn more!