SEO: Search Engine Optimization Bible

Automation Tools

Automating certain SEO tasks is one way to make the best use of your time. Of course, you want to

avoid those automation strategies that put you on a search engine’s black list, but there are plenty

of places you can use automation. And there are many different kinds of automation tools.

One thing you won’t find is an all-in-one solution. There are some great SEO tools out there that

will help with many aspects of SEO, but will leave one or two areas untouched. For example,

Web Optimization Easy 4.2 (http://www.websitepromotionsoft.com/search-engine-

optimization.html) will help with 45 ranking factors, but it doesn’t cover them all. And

though it will also help you to understand why the top 10 web sites in your area rank well, it

won’t help you manage keyword bids.

When you can find a program that does most of the automation you need, and you’re comfortable

with the tool’s interface, then by all means try it and use other tools to supplement the areas the

single tool doesn’t help with.

It would be nice if there were standards in place that made it easy to monitor all your SEO efforts

from a single dashboard. There are not. But you can piece together the tool solution that reduces

the amount of time you put into repetitive SEO work, so you can focus your energies better on

those activities that will truly improve your search rankings.

You have to be careful about choosing solutions, though. Some of the automation tools that you find

available on the Web are not worth the time it takes to install them. These tools are buggy, they don’t

perform as they should, and they can cause your system to crash — or worse, can create problems

with your web site.

When you’re looking for automation tools for your SEO efforts, begin by looking at the areas that you

need to automate. Are you spending hours and hours on keyword research when what you should be

doing is generating unique copy for your web site? If so, then a keyword research automation tool,

like WordTracker (http://www.wordtracker.com/), will help free up the time you need to work

on your content.

Are you obsessed with your rank and how your competition measures up? You shouldn’t be. Let

an automated monitoring tool, like SERP Tracker (http://sitening.com/seo-tools/serp-

tracker/), be obsessive while you spend that time doing something about your current rank.

What tools you’ll need are determined on an individual organizational basis. Evaluate your needs

and then look for tools that meet those needs. Also look for tools that might grow as you grow.

Your automation needs will change over time as your site matures, as your SEO efforts mature,

and as SEO as a strategy changes. Try to find something that’s scalable and will grow as your SEO

strategies grow and change.

Also remember that price isn’t always the best indication of what tools are better than others. Some

free tools on the Web are excellent. Those that aren’t free can cost anywhere from under $100 to well

over $1,000, but can also be as excellent or as lousy as some of the free tools. To make sure that you’re

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