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My SEO Tech Stack for 2024
I'm often asked about what I use in order to get SEO results, so thought I would put together my full tech stack (If I remember them all) and list them all out.
I'm an open book, so this covers everything from what I use to crawl sites, what I use to manage my time spent, my CRM and even down to my favourite cuppa!
Core Components of an Effective SEO Tech Stack
Let's first outline the key components that make up a comprehensive SEO tech stack:
All-in-One SEO Platforms
These platforms provide a wide range of SEO functionalities in one place, from keyword research to site audits and competitor analysis.
They're often the backbone of any good SEO tech stack.
Keyword Research and Tracking Tools
These tools help you identify valuable keywords, track your rankings, and monitor your competitors' performance.
They're essential for developing and refining your SEO strategy.
Technical SEO Audit Tools
These tools scan your website for technical issues that could be holding back your search performance, such as slow page speed, broken links, or crawl errors.
Content Optimisation Software
These tools help you create and optimise content that aligns with search intent and best SEO practices.
Analytics and Reporting Solutions
These tools provide insights into your website's performance, user behaviour, and the effectiveness of your SEO efforts.
Essential Tools for Comprehensive SEO Analysis
Let's get on and explore some of the must-have tools for your 2024 SEO tech stack:
Ahrefs: For SEO Specialist Precision
£359 per month (Lite plan is £99)
Ahrefs is the go-to tool for many SEO professionals when it comes to strictly SEO-related tasks, myself included!
It excels in areas like:
- Keyword research
- Competitive analysis
- Link analysis
- Technical SEO audits
According to a survey by Aira, 77% of SEO professionals use Ahrefs for their link building efforts and I'm definitely a huge Ahrefs fanboy!
Semrush: The Swiss Army Knife of SEO
£196 per month (Pro version available for £109)
Semrush is a versatile tool that goes beyond just SEO, making it an excellent choice for digital marketers who wear multiple hats. I've only started using it over the last 12 months or so, but I'm not sure I could live without it now.
Key features include:
- Competitor analysis
- Keyword research
- Content marketing insights
- PPC research capabilities
A study by Backlinko found that 87% of SEO professionals use Semrush for keyword research.
Google's Suite of Tools
No SEO tech stack is complete without Google's powerful free tools. Our first lot of free tools, so yay!
- Google Analytics 4: For in-depth website performance tracking and user behaviour analysis. FREE
- Google Search Console: Provides valuable insights into your site's search performance and helps identify issues that need attention. FREE
- Google Tag Manager: Simplifies the implementation of tracking codes and pixels on your site. FREE
Technical SEO and Site Auditing Tools
Technical SEO is the foundation of any successful SEO strategy. Here are some essential tools for this area:
Screaming Frog: Fast and Efficient Website Crawling
£199 per year (Also has a free version)
Screaming Frog is a powerful desktop program that crawls websites' links, images, CSS, script and apps from an SEO perspective. I use this probably every other day and I've not found another crawler as good in all my years.
It's particularly useful for:
- Identifying broken links
- Analysing page titles and meta descriptions
- Finding duplicate content
- Generating XML sitemaps
ContentKing App: Real-Time Website Monitoring
£140 per month (basic version available for £39)
ContentKing provides real-time SEO auditing and change detection.
It's like having a 24/7 SEO monitoring system for your website, alerting you to issues as soon as they occur which has come in handy for me a few times!
Google Looker Studio: Custom Reporting and Data Visualisation
FREE (Premium available, but never found the need for it)
Formerly Google Data Studio, it allows you to create custom reports and visualisations by pulling in data from various sources.
It's great for creating comprehensive SEO dashboards and reports.
Content Optimisation and Creation Tools
Content is king in SEO (most of the time), and these tools can help you create and optimise content that ranks:
Frase: AI-Powered Content Brief Generation and Optimisation
£35 per month (Solo version £12)
Frase uses AI to help you create content briefs and optimise your content for search engines.
It analyses top-ranking content for your target keywords and provides insights to help you create competitive content.
Keyword.com: Precise Keyword Rank Tracking and Clustering
£70 per month (free plan available)
Keyword.com offers accurate keyword rank tracking and helps you cluster related keywords for more effective content planning. I use it for at a glance daily ranking tracking.
Google Keyword Planner: Keyword Generation Based on Competitors' Sites
FREE
While primarily designed for PPC, Google Keyword Planner can be a valuable tool for SEO keyword research, especially when you want to explore keywords your competitors are targeting.
Keywords Everywhere: Fast and Easy Keyword Research
£20 per month (£5 silver plan available)
KeywordsEverywhere is a Chrome extension provides instant keyword metrics as you browse, making it easy to quickly assess the potential of different keywords.
Claude & Perplexity: A Combined Effort in Content Outlines & Overviews
£20 per month each (but can also use free versions)
I'm a huge AI fanboy, so crafting detailed prompts to generate amazing outcomes is one of my favourite pass times. I still use my Topical Map prompt regularly, and currently have a workflow which I think would help a lot of people. I'm fine tuning it as it uses both Claude and Perplexity, but I can't decide whether to release it as a video or as a post. Keep an eye out!
Advanced SEO Techniques and Tools
For those looking to take their SEO to the next level, consider these advanced techniques and tools:
Internal Linking Strategies Using ContentKing App
£140 per month (basic version available for £39)
ContentKing can help you identify internal linking opportunities and ensure your site's link structure is optimised for both users and search engines.
Entity Gap Analysis with Frase
£35 per month (Solo version £12)
Frase's entity gap analysis helps you identify important entities (people, places, things) that your content should mention to compete with top-ranking pages.
Leveraging AI for Content Optimisation
£20 per month each (but can also use free versions)
I've completely left ChatGPT out of my equations for SEO work. I work solely with Claude and Perplexity now.
As a little bonus for reading this far down, here is a tip - If you have content which is over 3-6 months old, refresh it. Paste the whole post into either Claude or Perplexity and ask it to generate 5 questions on the topic which isn't answered by the post and then answer them. Put it at the bottom of your post.
Honourable Mentions
While not core components of an SEO tech stack, these tools can be valuable additions:
- Google Sheets: For data analysis and collaboration. I use Sheets mainly when working through keywords. Quick Tip - Paste from Sheets into Claude to analyse data in a flash!
- SEOMinion: A part of Keywords Everywhere, offering various SEO analysis features. A beast of a Chrome extension!
- Wappalyzer Chrome Extension: FREE For quickly identifying technologies used on websites.
- SiteBulb: £25 per month Another powerful website crawler and auditing tool
- SERPTag: £20 per month For analysing SERP features and opportunities
- Harvest Pro: £19 per month A time tracking app to help me manage SEO projects efficiently. Allows me to generate time reports for clients.
- UberSuggest: A keyword research tool for content ideas. 1 free search per day. I don't use this frequently.
I'm like 95% sure I've missed some off here, but I will update as and when I remember.
Frequently Asked Questions About SEO Tech Stacks
To round off my probably overly comprehensive guide, I'll go over some other questions I've been asked about my SEO tech stacks in the past:
How much should I budget for my SEO tech stack?
How long is a piece of string?
The cost of an SEO tech stack can vary widely depending on the tools you choose and the size of your company.
For small businesses, you might start with a budget of £100-£300 per month.
Larger enterprises might spend well over £1000 monthly on their SEO tools.
I've actually cut quite a lot out of my stacks as I felt I could function just as well with my favourite tools and was keeping some of them around because I'd used them for a long time.
Can I rely solely on free tools for my SEO efforts?
Of course you can!
However, while free tools like Google Search Console and Google Analytics are powerful, paid tools often offer more comprehensive features and data.
A combination of free and paid tools is usually the most effective approach. It's one I've always taken. There are some great free tools which are often overlooked because they don't charge for them.
How often should I update my SEO tech stack?
I review my SEO tech stack annually, at a minimum.
SEO evolves rapidly, and new tools are constantly emerging.
Stay informed about new tools and be prepared to adapt your stack as needed. Don't do what I did and kept tools around because of nostalgia. Always be learning.
Is it better to use an all-in-one SEO platform or multiple specialised tools?
This depends on your specific needs and budget.
All-in-one platforms offer convenience and integration, but specialised tools often provide deeper functionality in specific areas.
I have always used a combination of both.
How can I ensure I'm getting the most out of my SEO tools?
- Take advantage of any training resources offered by the tool providers
- Regularly review your tool usage and look for underutilised features
- Stay up-to-date with tool updates and new features. Watch YouTube, a lot. Companies like Ahrefs and Semrush put out a lot of valuable content on their software.
Building a powerful SEO tech stack is essential for digital marketing success in 2024.
By combining comprehensive analysis tools like Ahrefs with specialised solutions for technical SEO, content optimisation, and performance tracking, you'll be well-equipped to tackle almost anything which comes your way. Except maybe core updates, nobody likes those!
The key is not just having the tools, but knowing how to use them effectively to drive results.
Start implementing these tools in your SEO strategy today, and watch your website climb the search rankings!
See, I knew I'd forget something! I mentioned about my CRM so thought I'd tag this on at the end. I use Hubspot at £77 per month.
And while my favourite cuppa is Yorkshire Tea, I do love me some Early Grey too!
The best place to hide a dead body is the second page of Google.
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