Marvin Russell
More and more SEO report tools and generators are popping up all over the web. With billions of web pages and millions of customers, it’s a quick and easy way to determine whether or not a landing page or website is properly optimized for organic, mobile, and local SEO. However, many SEO report tools have it wrong. They focus on the wrong SEO data. Today, I’d like to share the best break down of a SEO reports by focusing on the features that make up a super strong SEO reporter
1. You can audit a specific landing page
The best SEO report tools let you scan an individual landing page because that’s what Google displays in their search results. In other words, Google doesn’t display websites in the SERPs, they display the most relevant landing pages. So a tool that only allows you to audit a website is not the best type of SEO tool. In fact, often those tools are actually only reporting on the home page. They’re not even auditing the entire site.
However, for more advanced users, especially SEO companies, you may have a need to audit an entire site. Well, the best one I know of, must be downloaded and ran from your computer. The company is from the UK and is called Screaming Frog.
2. You can enter a keyword
Many SEO report tools do not allow you to enter a keyword or phrase. This is nuts! Think about how you search Google. You pop in a keyword and hit search. Boom! The most relevant landing pages popup. So if the tool you’re using doesn’t allow you to pop in a specific landing page URL and keyword, you’re wasting your time.
Look at the folks over at SEO Report Site. You can pop in a keyword and a landing page URL to generate an instant report. Again, a keyword field this is a key feature to look for.
3. Competitor URL option
When generating a SEO report, an eye opening secret is to also scan a high ranking competitor so you can see a side-by-side comparison showing what your competitor is doing and what you are not doing. Many free SEO report tools should have this feature.
At Quick Sprout, you can add up to 3 high ranking competitors to see what they are doing right.
4. Reports are Instant
Many “Free SEO Report tools” ask you for the URL and your contact information; but when you hit scan a message pops up saying “we’ll contact you later. What? That stinks.
There are plenty of tools out there that can generate instant SEO reports. You should never have to wait for than a minute or so.
5. Mobile Friendly Reports
According to comScore December of 2014, the mobile access of the internet surpassed desktop access. In other words, more people access the internet on their mobile device, rather than a desktop. So, if the tool you are using is not mobile friendly, than chances of the company who made it is not up to date with the latest trends or technology. According to Google, of all mobile internet users, “48% start on search engines“. The form and report you generate should always be mobile friendly. You can test this on your mobile phone.
Conclusion
Before wasting your time and giving your contact information away on one of the many SEO report tools popping up all over the internet, make sure you look for these 5 features. When you find a tool you like, stick with it, and share the love across the web so the company can afford improve it over time.
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