8 Essential SaaS SEO Tools
SaaS search engine optimisation (SEO) is no walk in the park. There are always a dozen plates to keep spinning, and often only one or two content marketers are available to plan, manage, and execute the strategy.
That's why SaaS SEO tools are invaluable. The right tools can help you optimize your digital strategy, automate much of the content production process, and ensure your SEO efforts produce a positive ROI.
As a freelance SaaS SEO Content Specialist, I’ve helped dozens of software companies build successful SEO strategies and publish high-performing content. So I know which tools are worth your time, and how to choose the right solutions for your business.
This guide explores eight of the best free and paid tools for improving and managing your SaaS SEO strategy, and how make the most of them.
1. Google Search Console
A must-have for any SEO strategy, Google Search Console (GSC) is the best way to monitor your search performance.
From your GSC dashboard, you can track:
Total clicks
Total impressions
Average click-through rate (CTR)
Average position in search results
Clicks per page
Clicks per keyword
Impressions per page
Impressions per keyword
Simply put, Google Search Console is a one-stop shop for search performance metrics. It can help you identify trends that inform where you should focus your optimization efforts and tell you how well you're performing in different regions and topic areas.
There are two more reasons why GSC is an essential tool for SaaS SEO: it's free, and its data comes directly from the place you're trying to rank in (Google).
2. Semrush
Semrush is among the most popular SaaS SEO tools – and for good reason. It offers a wide selection of useful features, including keyword research functionality, site audits, and competitor analysis tools.
You can also access a broad range of helpful SEO training tools to help you maximise performance across all areas of your search campaigns.
Semrush offers a free account with limited access that includes 10 keyword searches per day. Paid subscriptions are available from $139.95 per month and offer access to additional features and keywords.
3. Ahrefs
Ahrefs is an all-in-one SaaS SEO tool that's widely regarded as the best solution on the market.
In Ahrefs, you can research keywords, competitors, and backlinks with a suite of tools that range from beginner-friendly to highly advanced.
The platform also allows SEO teams to track website performance and gain key insights into how well their content is ranking.
Ahrefs offers a couple of free tools, but to get the most out of the platform, you will need to purchase a monthly subscription. These plans start at $129 per month.
4. Surfer
Surfer, also called Surfer SEO, is a valuable tool for producing new content and optimizing existing pages to improve performance.
The dedicated Content Editor tool allows you to write new SEO articles and audit existing ones directly within the platform. The built-in keyword research tool and plagiarism checker help you produce content that consistently ranks well in search results.
In addition to these, Surfer also provides AI functionality to help automate your content production processes and create useful project outlines at the click of a button.
Perhaps the biggest downside of this tool is that Surfer does not offer a free plan or trial option. Plans start at $89 per month.
5. Answer the Public
Answer the Public is one of two SaaS SEO tools on this list under the Neil Patel brand. It provides unique insights into keywords, brands, and content topics.
By entering a keyword into Answer the Public's search tool, you can instantly see a collection of related questions.
These questions are useful for discovering long-tail keywords and learning which problems your target audience is seeking solutions for.
Answer the Public offers three free searches per day. To access all features and services, paid plans are available starting at $11 per month.
6. Ubersuggest
Another SaaS SEO tool from Neil Patel's brand, Ubersuggest, is an easy-to-use backlink and keyword research tool.
Its free plan and low pricing structure make Ubersuggest a cheap alternative to more comprehensive solutions such as Ahrefs and Semrush.
Ubersuggest plans start at $29 per month, with free trials available for all subscription options.
7. Keywords Everywhere
Keywords Everywhere is an SEO browser extension for Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Microsoft Edge. It helps you research keywords directly within search engine results pages (SERPs) – including Google’s and YouTube’s.
It works with 15+ Google tools and social media platforms, making it invaluable for researching keywords your customers are using to find solutions like yours.
Keywords Everywhere offers unique benefits that separate it from other SaaS SEO tools on this list, including:
Analyzing YouTube metrics
Performing keyword gap analyses
Extracting keyword data directly from SERPs
Review keyword metrics across the internet
A free version of Keywords Everywhere is available with limited features. Plans for the paid version start at $6 per month, billed annually.
8. Google SERP
If you aren’t already thinking of the Google search engine results page (SERP) as a SaaS SEO tool, you’re making a big mistake.
Many of the most valuable insights for informing a powerful SEO strategy can be gleaned from investigating SERPs related to your company, your competitors, your customers, and your product.
Here are just a handful of ways you could be using the Google SERP for SaaS SEO:
SERP analysis: Understand which pages already rank for the keywords you want to win and why they’re performing well.
People Also Asked analysis: Discover questions your customers are asking about your target content topics.
Competitor research: Learn which keywords your customers are targeting, understand their positioning, and identify competitive opportunities.
Site searches: Find opportunities for internal linking and identify underperforming content that can be consolidated to improve SEO performance.
Additionally, you can learn much about what Google is looking for by studying the Featured Snippets and AI Overview results. These show the type of information that’s essential to include in your content—and how that information ought to be structured.
Get the most out of SaaS SEO tools
SEO tools are great for building your SaaS content strategy. They help you find the right keywords, optimize your existing content, and understand your target audience. But all these benefits are for nought if you don’t have the skills or expertise to execute them successfully.
Hiring an agency or employing more staff is a high-cost, high-risk solution. Agencies are indifferent to a company’s real struggles and prone to overcharging. And taking on new employees comes with new costs and workloads to manage.
If you’re looking for a cost-effective, reliable SaaS SEO specialist, I’m here to help—whether it’s building a competitive strategy, making sense of keywords, or creating high-performing content that attracts future customers.
Reach out today for a free consultation to discover if hiring a freelancer is the right decision for you.
