20 MustHave Search Engine Marketing Tools
20 MustHave Search Engine Marketing Tools
Anyone working in Search Engine Marketing knows that this industry travels at warp speed. If you’re trying to market your web site or the web sites of your clients via search engines, chances are your time is limited - severely limited.
To squeeze as much into my schedule as possible without resorting to self-cloning, my daily routine involves the use of a range of time-saving tools and software. I use such tools on a daily basis and I truly don’t know how I’d function without them. I’m not the only one. I’ve talked to other SEM experts and they also rely on various tools to help them through their hectic schedules.
Here is a list of 20 must-have tools used by busy SEM professionals:
1) Freshbooks Invoicing and Timesheets
Freshbooks (http://www.freshbooks.com) is an online estimating, invoicing, project management and time tracking service that gives your business a professional image, no matter how small. I use it to invoice all my clients online and it can even be set up to automatically bill and debit the credit cards of recurring clients every month. It also has built in staff timesheets and project management tools for online collaboration.
Price: Free for 3 clients or less
2) XML Sitemaps Generator
The XML Sitemap Generator (http://www.xml-sitemaps.com) trawls through all levels of your site to generate an XML sitemap. It also gives you a running count of pages, provides a text-based URL list and a HTML sitemap you can import straight into your site. The online version of the generator is free for sites of less than 500 pages, but there’s also a low-cost script-based version for larger sites that can be set up to automatically index your site, upload an updated XML file to your server and ping Google and Yahoo when done.
Price: Free for sites of 500 pages or less
3) Proposal Kit
ProposalKit (http://www.proposalkit.com/kits/pkhelp.htm) takes the chore out of creating and tailoring client estimates and proposal contracts. With over 200 pre-designed self-guiding templates ready to fill in the blanks with your company, project/product/service and client information, ProposalKit has already half completed your proposal for you.
Price: From USD 47.00
4) ClickTracks
As far as site analytics goes, the depth and accuracy of data provided by ClickTracks (http://www.clicktracks.com/entrypoint.php?a=19223) just can't be beaten, in my opinion. The visual analysis ClickTracks provides is probably its best known feature, with statistical data overlaying actual screenshots of your web site pages. The ability to flag individual visitors or groups of visitors based on unique identifiers (such as all persons who visited page x or all persons who bought product d) provides a level of analysis that other analytical packages can't compete with.
Price: From USD 79.00 per month
5) AWeber
AWeber (http://www.aweber.com) is a multiple auto responder and mailing list management service rolled into one. Members can send an unlimited number of campaigns, follow up messages, and newsletters to an unlimited number of approved opt-in lists. For newsletter purposes, a wide range of templates are provided, as are free training guides and videos to help you create campaigns.
Price: From USD 19.95 per month
6) JROX
JROX Affiliate Manager software (JAM) (http://jam.jrox.com) is a super powerful affiliate program that includes follow up email tools, mass email broadcasting, custom URLs and the ability to create up to 10 affiliate downlink levels. It offers affiliates groovy 3d Flash-based graphs and charts displaying their referrals and commissions and an organized marketing tools area for storage of banners, links and promotional materials.
Price: Free for 50 affiliates or less
7) Keyword Discovery
Keyword Discovery (http://www.keyworddiscovery.com) is an advanced keyword research and search term suggestion tool produced by Trellian.
Price: From USD 69.95 per month
8) Google Analytics
Google Analytics (http://www.google.com/analytics) is free web-based site metrics/analytics software hosted by Google. After you insert tracking code on all desired pages of your site, Google collects data regarding visitor activity and then you are able to log into an Analytics interface and view site activity and produce reports.
Price: Free
9) Backlinkwatch.com
Type your URL into Backlink Watch (http://www.backlinkwatch.com) and get complete detailed information about the quality and quantity of backward links pointing to your website.
It will show you anchor text, Google Toolbar PageRank, total outbound links on that page and nofollow flag for each of your inbound links available.
Price: Free
10) Jim Boykin’s tools
A collection of 17 free SEO tools (http://www.webuildpages.com/tools) developed by Jim Boykin and his staff, including a cache analyzer, Backlink checker, keyword density tool and multiple inbound and outbound link checking tools.
Price: Free
11) Google Webmaster Central
Google Webmaster Central (http://www.google.com/webmasters) is Google's one-stop shop for webmaster resources. It contains answers to common questions about Google crawling and indexing and guidelines for webmasters to follow when publishing their content. It also provides statistics, diagnostics and management of Google's indexing of your website, including Sitemap submission and reporting.
Price: Free
12) Yahoo! Site Explorer
Yahoo! Site Explorer (http://siteexplorer.search.yahoo.com) is Yahoo’s version of Google Webmaster Tools. It allows you to explore all the web pages indexed by Yahoo! Search, view the most popular pages from any site, view a comprehensive site map and find pages that link to that site or any page.
Price: Free
13) Ranks.nl
Ranks.nl (http://www.ranks.nl/tools/spider.html) is a keyword density and page prominence indicator. Type in a URL and target keywords to determine the page density and prominence for certain keywords within the page text and/or HTML tags.
Price: Free
14) Rex Swain’s Tools
Rex Swain (http://www.rexswain.com) is an independent software developer who has uploaded a range of his custom server tools and demos to his web site. Tools include an RGB color sampler, HTTP Cookie Demo, a HTML sampler and an email form demo.
Price: Free
15) SearchStatus for Firefox
SearchStatus (http://www.quirk.biz/searchstatus) is a toolbar extension for Firefox and Mozilla that allows you to see how any and every website in the world is performing in the search engines.
Price: Free
16) Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Excel (http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/excel/FX100487621033.aspx) is probably the world’s most popular spreadsheet application. Apart from it’s powerful formulas for financial reporting, Excel charts and spreadsheets are great for site analytics analysis and sharing, sitemap creation, SEO/PPC campaign reporting and tracking link building campaigns.
Price: Bundled with MS Office from USD 180.00
17) Google Reader
Google Reader is a RSS and XML feed reader that constantly checks your favorite news sites and blogs for new content and presents them to you in one interface. It also allows you to share sites/pages of interest with others.
Price: Free
18) Blogger
Blogger (https://www.blogger.com/start) is a popular online blog hosting and templating service owned by Google, where you can quickly set up a blog of your own to post thoughts, interact with people, and more.
Price: Free
19) The Lynx Viewer
The Lynx Viewer (http://www.yellowpipe.com/yis/tools/lynx/lynx_viewer.php) developed by YellowPipe allows webmasters to see what their pages will look like when viewed with Lynx, a text-mode web browser. This view is very similar to how search engine robots see your site.
Price: Free
20) Basecamp
Basecamp (http://www.basecamphq.com) is an online collaboration and project management service designed for staff and clients to manage internal and client projects from multiple locations.
Price: Free for 1 project
So there you have it. 20 of the most popular time-saving tools to help you with your search engine marketing efforts.
20 MustHave Search Engine Marketing Tools - To learn more about this author, visit Kalena Jordan's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
By Kalena Jordan
Anyone working in Search Engine Marketing knows that this industry travels at warp speed. If you’re trying to market your web site or the web sites of your clients via search engines, chances are your time is limited - severely limited.
To squeeze as much into my schedule as possible without resorting to self-cloning, my daily routine involves the use of a range of time-saving tools and software. I use such tools on a daily basis and I truly don’t know how I’d function without them. I’m not the only one. I’ve talked to other SEM experts and they also rely on various tools to help them through their hectic schedules.
Here is a list of 20 must-have tools used by busy SEM professionals:
1) Freshbooks Invoicing and Timesheets
Freshbooks (http://www.freshbooks.com) is an online estimating, invoicing, project management and time tracking service that gives your business a professional image, no matter how small. I use it to invoice all my clients online and it can even be set up to automatically bill and debit the credit cards of recurring clients every month. It also has built in staff timesheets and project management tools for online collaboration.
Price: Free for 3 clients or less
2) XML Sitemaps Generator
The XML Sitemap Generator (http://www.xml-sitemaps.com) trawls through all levels of your site to generate an XML sitemap. It also gives you a running count of pages, provides a text-based URL list and a HTML sitemap you can import straight into your site. The online version of the generator is free for sites of less than 500 pages, but there’s also a low-cost script-based version for larger sites that can be set up to automatically index your site, upload an updated XML file to your server and ping Google and Yahoo when done.
Price: Free for sites of 500 pages or less
3) Proposal Kit
ProposalKit (http://www.proposalkit.com/kits/pkhelp.htm) takes the chore out of creating and tailoring client estimates and proposal contracts. With over 200 pre-designed self-guiding templates ready to fill in the blanks with your company, project/product/service and client information, ProposalKit has already half completed your proposal for you.
Price: From USD 47.00
4) ClickTracks
As far as site analytics goes, the depth and accuracy of data provided by ClickTracks (http://www.clicktracks.com/entrypoint.php?a=19223) just can't be beaten, in my opinion. The visual analysis ClickTracks provides is probably its best known feature, with statistical data overlaying actual screenshots of your web site pages. The ability to flag individual visitors or groups of visitors based on unique identifiers (such as all persons who visited page x or all persons who bought product d) provides a level of analysis that other analytical packages can't compete with.
Price: From USD 79.00 per month
5) AWeber
AWeber (http://www.aweber.com) is a multiple auto responder and mailing list management service rolled into one. Members can send an unlimited number of campaigns, follow up messages, and newsletters to an unlimited number of approved opt-in lists. For newsletter purposes, a wide range of templates are provided, as are free training guides and videos to help you create campaigns.
Price: From USD 19.95 per month
6) JROX
JROX Affiliate Manager software (JAM) (http://jam.jrox.com) is a super powerful affiliate program that includes follow up email tools, mass email broadcasting, custom URLs and the ability to create up to 10 affiliate downlink levels. It offers affiliates groovy 3d Flash-based graphs and charts displaying their referrals and commissions and an organized marketing tools area for storage of banners, links and promotional materials.
Price: Free for 50 affiliates or less
7) Keyword Discovery
Keyword Discovery (http://www.keyworddiscovery.com) is an advanced keyword research and search term suggestion tool produced by Trellian.
Price: From USD 69.95 per month
8) Google Analytics
Google Analytics (http://www.google.com/analytics) is free web-based site metrics/analytics software hosted by Google. After you insert tracking code on all desired pages of your site, Google collects data regarding visitor activity and then you are able to log into an Analytics interface and view site activity and produce reports.
Price: Free
9) Backlinkwatch.com
Type your URL into Backlink Watch (http://www.backlinkwatch.com) and get complete detailed information about the quality and quantity of backward links pointing to your website.
It will show you anchor text, Google Toolbar PageRank, total outbound links on that page and nofollow flag for each of your inbound links available.
Price: Free
10) Jim Boykin’s tools
A collection of 17 free SEO tools (http://www.webuildpages.com/tools) developed by Jim Boykin and his staff, including a cache analyzer, Backlink checker, keyword density tool and multiple inbound and outbound link checking tools.
Price: Free
11) Google Webmaster Central
Google Webmaster Central (http://www.google.com/webmasters) is Google's one-stop shop for webmaster resources. It contains answers to common questions about Google crawling and indexing and guidelines for webmasters to follow when publishing their content. It also provides statistics, diagnostics and management of Google's indexing of your website, including Sitemap submission and reporting.
Price: Free
12) Yahoo! Site Explorer
Yahoo! Site Explorer (http://siteexplorer.search.yahoo.com) is Yahoo’s version of Google Webmaster Tools. It allows you to explore all the web pages indexed by Yahoo! Search, view the most popular pages from any site, view a comprehensive site map and find pages that link to that site or any page.
Price: Free
13) Ranks.nl
Ranks.nl (http://www.ranks.nl/tools/spider.html) is a keyword density and page prominence indicator. Type in a URL and target keywords to determine the page density and prominence for certain keywords within the page text and/or HTML tags.
Price: Free
14) Rex Swain’s Tools
Rex Swain (http://www.rexswain.com) is an independent software developer who has uploaded a range of his custom server tools and demos to his web site. Tools include an RGB color sampler, HTTP Cookie Demo, a HTML sampler and an email form demo.
Price: Free
15) SearchStatus for Firefox
SearchStatus (http://www.quirk.biz/searchstatus) is a toolbar extension for Firefox and Mozilla that allows you to see how any and every website in the world is performing in the search engines.
Price: Free
16) Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Excel (http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/excel/FX100487621033.aspx) is probably the world’s most popular spreadsheet application. Apart from it’s powerful formulas for financial reporting, Excel charts and spreadsheets are great for site analytics analysis and sharing, sitemap creation, SEO/PPC campaign reporting and tracking link building campaigns.
Price: Bundled with MS Office from USD 180.00
17) Google Reader
Google Reader is a RSS and XML feed reader that constantly checks your favorite news sites and blogs for new content and presents them to you in one interface. It also allows you to share sites/pages of interest with others.
Price: Free
18) Blogger
Blogger (https://www.blogger.com/start) is a popular online blog hosting and templating service owned by Google, where you can quickly set up a blog of your own to post thoughts, interact with people, and more.
Price: Free
19) The Lynx Viewer
The Lynx Viewer (http://www.yellowpipe.com/yis/tools/lynx/lynx_viewer.php) developed by YellowPipe allows webmasters to see what their pages will look like when viewed with Lynx, a text-mode web browser. This view is very similar to how search engine robots see your site.
Price: Free
20) Basecamp
Basecamp (http://www.basecamphq.com) is an online collaboration and project management service designed for staff and clients to manage internal and client projects from multiple locations.
Price: Free for 1 project
So there you have it. 20 of the most popular time-saving tools to help you with your search engine marketing efforts.
20 MustHave Search Engine Marketing Tools - To learn more about this author, visit Kalena Jordan's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
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John AlexanderJohn has taught keyword research and SEO skills to small groups of business owners and Webmasters from over 80 different countries world wide since 2002. John is also the Director of Search Engine Academy ; Co-director of Training at Search Engine Workshops offering live, SEO Workshops with his partner SEO educator Robin Nobles, author of the very first comprehensive online search engine marketing courses at SEO Training Online and the SEO Workshop Resource Center. I look forward to hearing from you! - Visit John Alexander's Website |
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I've created this section on my site to share some of the incredible tools that I've used to build my business. I hope you too can benefit from them and look forward to hearing your feedback on the reviews! - Visit Evan Carmichael's Website |
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Stephanie RobeyStephanie Robey is President and CoFounder of Pivot Positive, LLC - an Internet marketing business focused on helping people start work at home ventures. Previously, she was employed at The Search Agency with over 20 years experience in graphic design and 10 years experience in online marketing. She was responsible for launching the Conversion Path Optimization (CPO) unit where she and her team have conducted hundreds of optimization tests for online companies across multiple verticals. She is a successful entrepreneur having started and sold 2 companies and remains on the board of directors of the third, PhotoSpin.com Stephanie began her career in the direct marketing realm creating and producing direct mail for many of the major cable television companies and directly attributes her understanding of Internet marketing to those early offline experiences. Stephanie is a graduate of San Diego State University with a BFA in Graphic Arts and also holds an Executive MBA from the Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University. Read Steph's Blog Meet Steph and Dave Sign up for our Free 7-Day BootCamp: Self Employed & Rich - Visit Stephanie Robey's Website |
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John PowerJohn Power, founder of Biltmore Franchise Consulting, has extensive experience developing and marketing franchises and business opportunities. He has been in and around franchising for over twenty years. From 1980 through 1990 he conceptualized, organized, and developed the American Video Association. He grew AVA to 2,000 national members, before selling the company it 1990. It was later merged into another home video marketing company. From 2000 to 2005 he worked as a contract marketing and human resources consultant to several local and national companies. In 2005 Mr. Power began working as a franchise development consultant on a full-time basis. Since that time he has helped more than three dozen companies initiate and develop their franchising program. He notes that there are many companies interested in developing a franchise program, and who need his specialized assistance. Mr. Power is a “hands-on” franchise consultant. He said, “I am the ‘nuts and bolts’ person who tends to the details for my clients.” Mr. Power holds a B.S. degree with a major in Marketing. See: www.biltmorefranchise.com You may contact Mr. Power at: jpower@biltmorefranchise.co - Visit John Power's Website |
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Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
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Jeff FosterWebBizIdeas.com is a Minneapolis website design company founded to help people start an internet business by providing them with website, business, and internet resources that help foster the growth of successful online businesses and develop innovative Internet business ideas. We specialize in internet consulting & internet marketing. - Visit Jeff Foster's Website |
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Joe DagerJoe Dager is President of Business901, a progressive coaching company providing no-nonsense direction in areas such as Lean Six Sigma Marketing and organized referral marketing. What others say: In the past 20 years, Joe and I have collaborated on many difficult issues. Joe’s ability to combine his expertise with “out of the box” thinking is unsurpassed. He has always delivered quickly, cost effectively and with ingenuity. A brilliant mind that is always a pleasure to work with.” - James R. If you want to learn more about Business901, start a conversation with us. We can be found @ Web/Blog: Business901.com Web/Blog: FundingYourNonprofit.com LinkedIn Profile Follow me on Twitter - Visit Joe Dager's Website |
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David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
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