If you’re a medical professional with a website, you’re probably curious about how to attract visitors and convert them to new patients through digital marketing strategies like search engine optimization (SEO). Rather than base your strategy on guesses, or wonder about how your organic search is performing, SEO optimization tools give the insights you need to keep your online visibility efforts on the right track.
Our Pick for the Best SEO Tools: Free and Paid
Getting the best results from your SEO can be challenging. The good news is, there are several free and paid SEO tools on the market that can help. Free SEO tools include:
- Google Search Console: Monitors and analyzes website visibility performance in search results.
- Google Keyword Planner: Analyzes keyword popularity and offers suggestions for alternate keywords that may be better opportunities.
- Google Business Profile: Manages business profile(s) with Google, including images, reviews, and more.
- Yoast SEO Plugin: Enhances WordPress website posts with features for content analysis, meta title, and descriptions.
- GT Metrix: Analyzes website speed to improve website performance and increase search rankings.
Paid SEO tools include:
- SEMrush: A powerful “Swiss Army knife” of SEO tools, SEMrush is a comprehensive paid SEO tool that helps you with keyword research, tracking your website’s rankings, site audits, and competitor analysis.
- Screaming Frog: A website crawler helps you audit your website to identify any technical issues that may be holding you back from ranking higher on search engine results pages (SERPs).
- Clearscope: A content optimization tool uses machine learning to analyze your content and see how it compares to the rest of the content online, which can help with organic search.
One of the main benefits of investing in paid SEO tools is that they simplify what would otherwise be a tedious and confusing SEO maintenance process. In fact, the above tools are what full-time SEO specialists use for strategy planning. With the best SEO tools like SEMrush, Screaming Frog, and Clearscope, you have powerful platforms that work together to enhance your SEO efforts, resulting in better ranking and visibility for your website.
Website Analysis and SEO Auditing
Website analysis tools help healthcare businesses identify the key areas of their website that need improvement. These tools offer insights into the website’s user experience, page speed, content relevance, and mobile friendliness–all of which impact SEO performance.
Free Website Analysis and SEO Auditing Tools
One way to ensure that your website is up to par and optimized for search engines is through website analysis and SEO auditing tools. The following free tools can help you optimize your website’s performance to reach your target audience effectively.
- Google Search Console
- BROWSEO
- Screaming Frog SEO Spider (limited free version)
- Google PageSpeed Insights
- Seolyzer
Paid Website Analysis and SEO Auditing Tools
While free tools might help you resolve minor issues, paid tools provide a clearer analysis and actionable insights. There are multiple paid website analysis and SEO auditing tools to choose from, but the following are five of the most popular options:
- Ahrefs: Offers in-depth backlink analysis and keyword research.
- SEMrush: Allows competitors’ analysis and provides multiple keyword suggestions.
- Sitechecker: Focuses on website optimization and provides a comprehensive checklist with actionable recommendations.
- SEOptimer: Provides a free and paid version that offers a comprehensive list of SEO factors that need improvement.
- Screaming Frog SEO Spider (paid features): Identifies website issues that affect SEO performance.
Keyword Research and Trend Analysis
These SEO tools help you choose the best keyword opportunities and track trends that can better inform your strategy. By identifying the keywords that your target audience uses to search for the products or services you offer, you can craft high-relevance content around the search terms that your target audience will most likely Google. Additionally, trend analysis can help you stay ahead of the curve and anticipate shifts in consumer behavior.
Free Keyword Research and Trend Analysis Tools
When you are just starting out with learning and planning your SEO strategy, it helps to have an affordable introduction to the essentials of keyword research and trend analysis. There are several free tools available that can help you gain valuable insights into your target audience and stay on top of trends in your industry. Here are some of the most popular options:
- Google Trends: This search engine optimization tool reduces keyword difficulty and allows you to see how often specific keywords are searched over time and in different regions. You can also compare keywords and view related queries, topics, and related searches.
- AnswerThePublic: This platform provides insights on the questions and queries people search for online. It’s designed to help you identify content ideas, long-tail keywords, and understand your audience’s search intent.
- Ubersuggest: This tool provides keyword suggestions based on your initial input and allows you to analyze the competitive landscape for those keywords. It also shares data on search volumes, CPCs, and competition for those search terms.
- Google Keyword Planner: This is Google’s own keyword research tool which allows you to discover keyword ideas, get search volume data, CPCs, and more.
Paid Keyword Research and Trend Analysis Tools
When you’re ready to invest some money into keyword research and trend analysis, several paid tools on the market can take your SEO game to the next level. Popular options include:
- Ahrefs: Includes an array of features ranging from keyword research to content analysis and link building tracking to competitor research.
- SEMrush: All-in-one marketing platform that offers keyword research, site audit, social media management, and much more.
- AnswerThePublic: AnswerThePublic Pro allows you to get more information on search volume, competition, and cost per click data.
- Ubersuggest: Advanced options give you access to competitor keyword ideas, content ideas, and backlink analysis.
Backlink Management and Analysis
Backlinks are links from other websites that direct to your website. The more high-quality backlinks a website has, the more search engines will perceive your healthcare brand as authoritative and trustworthy.
Free Backlink Management and Analysis Tools
Google Search Console is a free web service that allows you to monitor and report on your website’s presence in Google search results. As part of the service, it provides information on your website’s backlinks, including the linking websites and the linked pages. Additional free tools include:
- Bing Webmaster Tools: Offers a similar service to Google Search Console and allows you to monitor and manage your website’s SEO performance in Bing search results.
- Monitor Backlinks: Allows you to check the backlinks of any website and provides information on the quality and quantity of your website’s backlinks.
- Linkody (free features): Free features include the ability to monitor up to two domains and track up to 500 backlinks.
Paid Backlink Management and Analysis Tools
Backlinks need to be managed and analyzed to ensure they are not hindering the website’s SEO. When a website that Google has flagged for being low-quality or engaging in “black hat” tactics links to your website, this association can negatively impact SEO. The following paid tools can help with backlink management and analysis.
- Ahrefs: Ahrefs is a popular backlink analysis tool that offers a range of features, including competitor analysis, keyword research, and content analysis.
- SEMrush: With SEMrush, you can analyze your website’s backlinks, identify toxic or broken links, and track your backlink growth over time.
- Linkody (paid features): Linkody’s paid features include a detailed analysis of the quality of your website’s backlinks, including the domain authority of the linking websites.
- Remove’em: Remove’em allows you to identify and remove toxic backlinks from your website.
Content Optimization Tools
SEO is supported by content optimization that improves the quality and relevance of your content to rank higher on search engine results pages. However, you don’t have to be an expert in SEO to understand how to optimize your content. Intuitive and user-friendly content optimization tools can help you with rank tracking and improving your content to drive more traffic to your website.
Free Content Optimization Tools
It can be disappointing when you spend a lot of time developing high-quality content based on solid keyword research and then realize it’s not performing well. Just know that even SEO experts with years of experience can encounter content quality challenges. The following tools help guide you through where your website content can be tweaked for SEO performance.
- Yoast SEO WordPress plugin: Helps you optimize your content for search engines by analyzing your content and offering suggestions for improvements.
- RankMath WordPress plugin: Offers many of the same features as Yoast SEO, but with some additional benefits, including RankMath which helps you optimize your content for multiple keywords, instead of just one.
Paid Content Optimization Tools
Sometimes free tools aren’t enough to optimize a website. The solution? Paid content optimization tools. The following paid tools can help you perfect your content marketing and improve your medical practice’s online visibility:
- Clearscope: Uses artificial intelligence to analyze content and identify the keywords you should be using to help you rank higher on search engine results pages.
- Moz Pro: Features robust SEO tools that analyze your content to find and resolve any issues that may be affecting your ranking.
- Ahrefs: Offer tools that help you research competitors, find link building opportunities, and analyze your website’s health.
- SEMrush: Allows you to conduct comprehensive SEO research, including keyword research, backlink analysis, site audits, and more.
Local SEO and Business Listings
Because Google can pick up on small hints that a user is looking for local products and services, localized SEO is essential to a healthcare business’ online visibility strategy. A properly optimized local SEO strategy enables your medical practice to stand out above your local competitors, increase your online visibility, and promote awareness of your brand to your local community.
Free Local SEO and Business Listing Tools
There are several tools available that can help you improve your local SEO and optimize your business listings. Here are some free resources to get started:
- Google My Business: Update your business information (such as hours), add photos, respond to customer reviews, check-in on your star rating and more.
- Bing Webmaster Tools: Manage and analyze your business information on Bing and Yahoo search engines.
- BrightLocal: Scan your business listings across different directories and ensure that your information is consistent.
Paid Local SEO and Business Listing Tools
- BrightLocal (paid packages): Conduct site audits, track search engine rankings, monitor online reviews, analyze entire online directories, and much more.
- Yext: Add, manage and update information in over 150 directories, which includes Google, Yelp, and Facebook, to name a few.
- BirdEye: gather customer feedback, analyze critical reviews, identify strengths and weaknesses, and respond to feedback quickly.
Performance and Speed Analysis
Did you know that the speed of your website can impact your SEO efforts? Pages that load slowly can result in higher bounce rates, fewer conversions, and ultimately, decreased visibility on search engine results pages. Additionally, when visitors leave without giving your website a chance to load, it undermines the purpose of your overall digital marketing efforts.
Free Performance and Speed Analysis Tools
When you’re just looking for a quick and easy check-in for your website’s quality SEO metrics, free tools are there to help.
- Google PageSpeed Insights: Comprehensive analysis of website’s performance for both desktop and mobile devices.
- GTmetrix: Detailed reports on page loading time, page size, and the number of requests made to load each page.
Paid Performance and Speed Analysis Tools
Paid tools for performance in speed measurement tools can dive deeper into issues that impact website quality. These tools can also help you see how your website stacks up against those of competitors.
- SEMrush: Analyzes website performance including speed and comparison to competing websites.
- Ahrefs: Speed analysis in addition to advanced analytics of backlinks, organic traffic, keywords, and competitors.
Summary: Best SEO Tools for Medical Websites
While there are many options available, the ones discussed in this article are among the best SEO tools. SEMrush, Moz Pro, Ahrefs, and Yoast SEO plugin are all excellent options to help you optimize your medical website for search engines. These tools are used by advanced SEO specialists, but they can be used by anyone needing help with SEO. Whether you choose a free or paid option, taking the time to craft a SEO strategy can help you attract more patients and increase your online visibility.
Take Advantage of the Best SEO Tools with iHealthSpot
With our healthcare SEO services, prospective patients can find you easily online, enhancing your online credibility. We offer help with websites, customized blogs, content submission, and “white hat” backlinking to establish relevancy and authority. Boost your healthcare business website with local SEO promoting specific office locations, and work to maximize your online visibility. Reach out for a free consultation and put a plan together to start attracting new patients today!
