- Keyword tools
This includes tools that perform some keyword research, whether on the Web or by means of analysis of some website. Such tool can gather or try to calculate the popularity of a keyword, some of the artificial keyword parameters (like the keyword density), suggest some synonyms and other keyword related stuff. - Web ranking SEO software
This is simply tools that check the position of your site in a search engine. - Link tools
Link building, managing, structurizing, buying and selling software. - Submission tools
This bunch of different SEO tools try to submit your website or some particular pages to some web resources, like web directories, catalogs, search engines, article sites and others. - All-in-one packages
A swiss knife performing all the tasks. A big fat SEO application having all (or nearly all) needed (and sometimes unneeded too) functions within. - Automation SEO software
In this category I don't mean the automated software. Actually, all of the above kind of tools are working more or less automatically. However, there are some tasks that cannot be fully automated and thus still need a human intervention. This includes managing your AdWords or AdSense accounts, finding link partners, tracking some interesting blogs etc. So such SEO software simply helps you to fulfil those tasks, still requiring you to do the most of the work yourself.
There is no a SEO tool or a software that makes you an easy life! You may read the promo texts saying a tool will move you on top of SERPs - that's not true. It may say "guaranted #1 position in Google" - false promise. You may see testimonials of other people saying "I made $5000 in two weeks! It's amazing!" - all is fake or they simply cheating themselves. No SEO software can guarantee anything. It is a tool, not magic. If you see some of the ad texts like the examples above - know that this particular piece of software is not what it pretends to be. Double your suspicions if they ask you to pay them first. And triple if they do not provide any kind of trial for that tool.
The next question. Should you pay for your convenience, or use only a free SEO software instead? Actually, there are plenty of quality free SEO tools out there, starting from the truly amazing and really a "must have" Google Keyword Tool. However, someday you may discover you need more power or more automation and there is nothing bad to look at the paid tools as well. Simply keep in mind that this tool is simply a tool, nothing more. It won't help you rank better. It can only help you to make your site rank better. Don't trust anybody who assert the opposite. Most likely that guy merely wants your money.
Another point we should cover here is: if it is safe to use the SEO software? Can it provoke a penalty from Google? According to Google, only automated ranking checks are against its policy while all other types of SEO software is OK, at least unless they do not violate Google Webmaster Guidelines. As for web ranking checks - we have covered this topic earlier in this SEO tutorial.
Summarizing, you should not expect some magic from any SEO software you use. Moreover, any software is simply a program that repeats what it was told to do and thus may be wrong in some particular cases. You can run some SEO report within that tool and find some recommendations it gives to you, but please keep in mind that a software does not know your current situation, it merely knows of the competition, some keyword data etc, but easily can overlook some more delicate matters that only a human can know about. In general, a hired SEO specialist is always better than the bunch of electonic impulses called SEO software. On the other hand, even a SEO specialists still use some tools to automate their work, so why can't you? Simply remember the main point of this part: there is no a SEO tool or a software that makes you an easy life.
SEO resources that are worth visiting
Here is the unordered list of essential SEO websites, blogs and other resources. Every one suggests some interesting info and/or tools that might aid your SEO efforts.- Google Webmaster Central
A must-have website. Simply register, confirm the ownership of your website and see the extended statistcs on crawling, backlinks, keywords and many other info. - Webmaster Essentials
A must-read collection of crucial info about Google. The quotations from it are scattered through the entire tutorial you're reading now. - Google Analytics
Install it onto your site to get the most comprehensive info on your site visitors. Combined with the server-side logs it becomes the endless source of crucial information needed to focus your future SEO efforts. Easily integrates with AdWords and AdSense accounts so you can track not only the visitors, but also a ROI index. - Matt Cutts blog
Hey! Isn't he a Google guy?! Yes, he is. Matt Cutts is a tech engineer at Google since 2000 and he has a blog where it answers many popular questions about Google, reveals some inside information, busts some popular myths about Google and creates some others. Very interesting blog with tons of info to consider, however they said since Matt is affiliated with Google we cannot trust him in full. Well, who knows, who knows... Definitely deserves to be read anyway. - CleverStat SEO Software Tools
Well, this is us - CleverStat. We do SEO and search engine positioning software products. Some of them are free, while others need to be purchased before they unleash their full potential. - SEO Chat Forums
A high-quality SEO forums with plenty of useful and always up to date information, including SEO news, SEO tutorials, some SEO tools and many more. Read carefully and don't hesitate to post your own questions as there is always someone there who is eager to answer. - Google Blog
Not as interesting as Mutt Cutts' one, but still has some news about Google and its new features. - Webmaster Central Blog
Another Google blog. Features videos, FAQs, articles and new tool announces. - Wordtracker
A well-known tool to find keywords. Once was nearly ultimate, but since Google has released its own tool, Wordtracker is merely an addition. There were some argues about if Wordtracker is providing a relevant data or not, but thousands of webmaster use it and are pretty happy with it. - Google Keyword Tool
This one was already mentioned several times in this guide - simply the best tool to find your keywords and learn if they are demanded or not. Unlike Wordtracker, it is free. - Search Engine Land
A large SEO online magazine with newsletters, forums, blog and a locked member-only part containing some exclusive (I guess) materials. Nothing special actually, but due to enormous amount of info there you can probably find out some gems too. - SEOmoz
Quite a heavy resource with its own set of tools, a blog, a wide selection of articles and many more. However, they want money before they let you read the info (yet there are free articles too), and there is also a bit too more advertising on it. - Hobo SEO UK
A UK SEO blog with nice SEO experiments busting or confirming various Google myths. Definitely a must read. - SEOptimise
Another good blog. Many good articles not copying the same old stuff over and over, but written by a man who is really interested in what he does. Very smart and professional resource. A must read.
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