SEO software is a paid tool that collects search data Google doesn't give you for free: how many people search each keyword, who ranks where, which websites link to your competitors, and what's broken across a whole website. Most small businesses don't need to buy it; the people doing their SEO do. ADEL SEO helps local businesses get more enquiries from Google, Google Maps and AI search, with websites, SEO and Google Ads. Founded in Adelaide in 2014 by Wilson Tiong, who has been doing SEO since 2007.
Key takeaways
- Start with Google's free tools; they're enough for many small businesses.
- SEO software is worth paying for when you need competitor, keyword and link data at scale.
- We use SE Ranking and Nightwatch every day, plus Google's free tools. We don't review tools we don't use.
- Software finds problems. Someone still has to decide which ones matter.
What does SEO software do?
Most SEO tools do some or all of these jobs:
| Job | What it means for a local business |
|---|---|
| Keyword research | How many people search "electrician near me" or "hot water repairs" each month, and how hard it is to rank |
| Rank tracking | Where you show for your main searches, checked regularly, by location |
| Competitor research | Which searches your competitors rank for that you don't |
| Backlink research | Links from other websites to yours, which Google treats as votes of trust, and the links your competitors have |
| Site audits | A crawl of your whole website for broken pages, missing titles, slow pages and duplicates |
| AI search tracking | Whether AI tools like ChatGPT or Google's AI answers mention your business |
Is SEO paid or free?
Both. Google's own tools are free: Google Search Console, Google's free tool that shows which searches a website appears for and any problems Google finds, plus Google Analytics and Google Business Profile. Paid SEO software adds data Google doesn't share, like search volumes for every keyword and your competitors' links. Our guide to free SEO tools covers the free ones in the order to set them up.
The SEO software we use every day
We only write about tools we use ourselves, every working day, for real clients.
SE Ranking
Our main SEO tool. We use it for:
- Keyword research: monthly search volumes and difficulty in Australia, for every keyword map we build.
- Google page 1 checks: who ranks for a search, and whether Google shows business pages, guides or directories.
- Backlinks: a client's links and their competitors' links, and whether a page is indexed before we chase a link there.
- Site audits: the first technical crawl of a website, before we sort what matters.
- AI search tracking: which AI answers mention a business.
Nightwatch
Our rank tracker. It checks where each client shows for their main searches, by location, so we see movement week to week.
Google's free tools
Google Search Console, Google Analytics and Google Business Profile, for every client. Rankings in our monthly reports come from Google Search Console's average position, because it's Google's own data. See SEO reporting.
What about Ahrefs and Semrush?
Ahrefs and Semrush are two of the best-known SEO tools, and they cover the same jobs as SE Ranking. We don't use them day to day, so we won't review them here. If you're comparing, try each on a free trial with your own website and your own competitors: the right tool is the one whose data you'll actually look at every week.
What's the best SEO software for a small business?
For most small local businesses: none to start with. Set up Google Search Console, Google Business Profile and Google Analytics first. They show what actually happens on your website and your profile.
SEO software for small business owners makes sense when:
- you do your own SEO and want to track a list of searches over time;
- you want to know which links and pages your competitors have;
- you manage more than one website.
If someone does your SEO for you, they should already have the software. Ask what they use and what they check with it. See how to choose an SEO company.
What SEO software can't do
It can list 300 issues on a 20-page website and colour most of them red. It can't tell you that a blocked service page matters more than 200 missing image descriptions, or that the wrong page is ranking for your main service. That's judgement, and it's what our technical SEO and free SEO audit are for.
SEO software FAQs
What is SEO software?
SEO software is a paid tool for keyword research, rank tracking, competitor and backlink research, site audits and, increasingly, AI search tracking.
Is SEO paid or free?
Google's own SEO tools are free. Paid SEO software adds data Google doesn't share, such as search volumes and competitors' links. Showing up in Google's normal results is free; the work to get there takes time or money.
What SEO tools does ADEL SEO use?
SE Ranking and Nightwatch every day, plus Google Search Console, Google Analytics and each client's Google Business Profile.
Which SEO softwares are worth paying for?
The ones whose data you'll look at every week. For us that's SE Ranking for keywords, page 1 checks, links and audits, and Nightwatch for rank tracking. Try any tool on a free trial with your own website first.
Do I need SEO software if I pay an SEO agency?
No. Your agency should have it. Ask which tools they use and what they report from them.
Can I do SEO for free?
Partly. Google's free tools and many fixes cost nothing but time. See free SEO tools.