The 61 Best Tools For Digital Marketing to Grow Your Business

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While there are still businesses that have yet to build a website, a good number of them already have an online presence. Some are even structured as an online-only company.

The only way for these entities to reach out to their market in a targeted way is through digital marketing. This covers a wide range of processes, including search engine optimization (SEO), email marketing, content marketing, online PR, and social media marketing, among others.

best tools for digital marketing

Given all the steps involved, it's vital for a company to be equipped with the best tools for marketing in the digital realm. Those that not only automate processes but also generate leads and provide useful statistics.

What are the best tools for digital marketing?

The best email marketing tool, for example, will help you build your mailing list and send out tons of emails with only minimal effort on your part.

Plugins, contact center automation solutions, or page builders, on the other hand, extend your website's functionality to a specific desired outcome.

But which digital marketing tool would work best for your needs? How do you choose a platform or service that generates a positive outcome without costing your company a lot of money?

In this article, I outlined some of the best tools for digital marketing that can streamline your online marketing campaigns and ensure a favorable outcome. I sorted out the best from the rest so you don't have to.

I covered...

Even a small business will benefit from my list of the most recommended tools used in internet marketing.

Now, get ready to make your own personal list of the must-have tools. 

Best email marketing services

Building a mailing list is a vital part of online marketing and managing tons of emails is made easier through email marketing services that automate sending emails, tracking stats, and ensuring better marketing workflows. All of which help you build a deeper relationship with your target market.

How can you choose the top email marketing software for your needs?

ActiveCampaign

This is an all-in-one marketing platform designed to help you get better results from just a few emails sent out. It's one of the best marketing automation software for several reasons.

activecampaign

It allows you to...

  • Segment users based on location, behavior, action, and social data 
  • Connect with your contacts through SMS integration
  • Score your leads and contact so you can prioritize

Rich in features, ActiveCampaign is highly recommended for companies that require complex tools for automation that come complete with advanced CRM.

This email marketing software offers a 14-day trial and is available in 4 different plans--Lite, Plus, Professional, and Enterprise.

Each one is divided into 3-6 monthly rates with a specific number of subscribers. If you pay on a yearly basis, you will receive great discounts across the board. 

Aweber

Among the must-have digital marketing tools, Aweber is one of the more "aged" ones, existing over 18 years. Many believe it might have been the inventor of the email autoresponder.

best online marketing tools - aweber


As an excellent email marketing service, it has a huge number of pre-designed templates, comes with a drag and drop email builder, and provides data on deliverability rates, among other things.

Aweber is recommended for small teams that need to streamline their efforts on email marketing.

You can try it out for free for 30 days, so you'll know if it's the best email marketing software for you.

Afterward, you'll have to pay a monthly fee starting at $19 per month and up to $149 per month. You can also get a custom quote if you have more than 25,000 subscribers.

If you pay quarterly instead of every month, you can save 14%. If you pay annually, then you can save 14.9%.

Mailchimp

Among the recommended marketing tools for small businesses, Mailchimp is voted the simplest. It's very popular among bloggers as well.

best tools for digital marketing - mailchimp

It's packed with advanced features, including autoresponse, contact segmenting, A/B testing, and social media integration.

What is really awesome about Mailchimp is that it offers a free plan without an end date and allows you to send up to 12,000 emails per month to up to 2,000 subscribers. You will have enough data to identify if this email marketing service is the best for you. In case you want to learn more about Mailchimp, check out our in-depth Mailchimp review.

If you wish to cater to more subscribers, sign up for the grow or pro plan.

GetResponse

More than just an application for email marketing, GetResponse also works as an online marketing platform. You can use it to build landing pages, set up webinars, and automate your campaigns. All these make for a powerful tool that you can use to grow your email list.

best online marketing tools- getresponse

It is highly recommended for medium-sized businesses looking to access more advanced features without the complex process.

Test it out for free for 30 days and then upgrade to email, pro, max or enterprise plan. You'll get 18% off if you pay for an entire year and 30% off if you pay for two years.

As a pay-as-you-go service, it doesn't offer a money-back refund.

Drip

Unlike some of the top marketing tools for automation on this list, Drip is fairly new with ecommerce site owners, marketers, and bloggers as its core demographic.

Despite this, it offers intelligent email automation and allows you to create marketing sequences that are complex without costing you a lot of time and effort.

best tools for online marketing - drip

It also offers a free plan that you can use forever, making it one of the best free email marketing platforms available. Send unlimited emails to 100 subscribers.

If you want to try the basic and pro plans, you can do so for two weeks without paying a dime. You can also sign up and get a custom quote for an enterprise plan if you wish to have more than 5,000 subscribers.

Because you earn an average ROI of $32 for every $1 spent on email marketing, according to 2018 data from data marketing association, automating the process is sure to increase returns earned.

Smartrmail

One of the highest rated Shopify app,  top rated customer support team, this Email Marketing and SMS platform is designed to help you get the best results. The Automations and Segmentations allow you to set and forget allowing you to spend time growing your business.

smartrmail

Easy to use and loaded with top of the line features:

  • Automate your Email and SMS to keep your community up to date
  • Segment users based on action, location, behavior
  • Recommend products based on customers search history

Top rated customer support team is available 24 hours a day 5 days a week. They help you set up your account, walk you through a free demo call with the account management team, and provide recommendations based on your store goals.

This easy to use Email Marketing and SMS software provides you with a free 15 day trial after that anyone with over 1,000 subscribers the standard plan starts at only $19 and unlimited plan starts at $99.

Don’t take my word for it, see the Shopify reviews here.

Top-rated website builders and marketing platforms

In the virtual marketplace, marketing leaders use at least one automation platform integrated into a well-designed website. This is made possible through a range of website builders where you can create your online existence through drag-and-drop features.

Which web builders and online tools used in online marketing meet your business goals?

Builderall

If you're looking to build your website without spending a lot, take advantage of Builderall's advanced features, including the Canvas funnel builder. Use it to link different pages so you can easily map out your entire funnel.

builderall_home_

It's a visual site builder that includes a hosting service, reporting and tracking tools, and a number of apps.

Builderall only offers two plans - essential and premium.

The former has limited possibilities, including leads capped at 10,000, while the latter unlocks all the tools built into the Builderall platform.

Builderall also comes with an affiliate marketing program that automatically qualifies you for recurring commissions when you sign up.

Clickfunnels

As one of the more popular applications for digital marketers, Clickfunnels allows you to create high-converting sales funnels, complete with a builder for landing pages, squeeze pages, membership sites, and more.

clickfunnels

Sign up for the free 14-day trial and find out if the website and sales funnel builder is right for you.

Then, sign up to either the ClickFunnels plan or the platinum plan. You’ll have unlimited funnels and pages with the latter, as well as other premium features.

What makes ClickFunnels unique from other marketing software, is that it offers an unadvertised share funnel plan that allows you to create 10 pages and 3 funnels on a budget, provided that you sign up for the trial through someone else's share funnel link.

Kartra

Easy to use and packed with advanced features, Kartra is one of the best software for building a sales funnel. Use it to host videos, automate sales-driven campaigns, and generate commissions through its built-in affiliate management system.

kartra

It also comes with an inbuilt tool for customer management and ticket support.

Building a DFY sales campaign is easier with Kartra through the plug-and-play funnel builder and editor. Just take a pick from a range of marketing automation sequences and pre-written sales copy.

For just 1$, try if for 14 days. Then, upgrade to starter, silver, gold or platinum plan.

Kyvio

One of the marketing tools suitable for small businesses, Kyvio is a platform for creating sales funnels, email campaigns, profitable membership sites, and affiliate management.

kyvio homepage

Its core demographics are coaches, trainers, and other information product creators who want to impart their knowledge and skills digitally.

Similar to Kartra, you have to pay $1 to test Kyvio's features and capabilities for 14 days. Get access to an unlimited number of pages for a specific number of funnels. For the most affordable plan, for example, you can build 10 sales funnels.

The trial applies to the basic, business, and pro plans. Afterward, you will have to pay the monthly rate. A custom plan is also available.

Unbounce

This is a landing page creator that can help increase your conversion rates. Through its dynamic text replacement, sticky bars and pop-ups, A/B testing, and other features, you generate more leads and turn visitors into buyers.

top marketing software - unbounce

Access Unbounce for free for 14 days and find out if this platform is what you need to create results-driven landing pages.

Then, upgrade to essential, premium, or enterprise plan. The difference among the 3 is highlighted by the number of landing pages, popups and sticky bars that come with your subscription.

Unbounce is billed annually but you can cancel or switch to a different plan any time. 

Leadpages

To succeed in the virtual marketplace, you must choose digital marketing tools that guarantee more leads, higher conversion rates, and bigger profit. Leadpages is sure to help with these goals.

top marketing platform - leadpages

It's a landing page builder packed with tons of templates that you can easily customize by simply dragging and dropping different elements. Use it to build popup boxes and Facebook ad campaigns.

When creating a landing page, you don't need to overthink or go through a complex process. Showcase a professional-looking landing page that is optimized for better performance.

Test Leadpages' capabilities for free for 14 days. Then, upgrade to standard, pro, and advanced plans.

Instapage

When it comes to building landing pages, Instapage is a close competitor of Unbounce, particularly with dynamic text replacement. It allows you to create pages that convert, minus the complexity. Even a newbie designer can build one.

top online marketing software - instapage

Just choose from over 200 landing page templates to get started.
Aside from the ability to change your copy based on a PPC search query, Instapage allows A/B testing, analytics and graphs, and powerful integrations.

Try Instapage for free for 14 days, then upgrade to the Instapage core plan. An enterprise plan is also available for a custom quote.

Thrivethemes

Using Thrivethemes WordPress themes, you can create visually stunning pages that are sure to catch attention and increase conversions. After all, the huge selection of themes and plugins is conversion oriented.

thrivethemes

Some of the products you'll have access include:

  • Thrive Architect for building landing pages
  • Thrive Leads for building a mailing list
  • Thrive Ovation for collecting testimonials automatically
  • Thrive Ultimatum for adding a countdown plugin on your website
  • Thrive Headline optimizer for creating headlines with maximum user engagement 
  • Thrive Optimize for A/B split testing

WordPress themes and plugins from Thrive themes are only available through Thrive Suite membership.

Divi

This is one of the best digital marketing tools online because it offers WordPress theme & page builder combos that have been tried and tested by a huge userbase.

The Divi builder lets you create WordPress pages through its most advanced platform, while Divi theme offers a variety of themes.

best website builder - divi

Divi comes with a range of pieces, such as front end page builder, inline text editing, responsive editing, global elements & style, and hundreds of templates to choose from.

One of its major highlights is the multi-channel support that you can rely on.

With just 1 license, you will have complete access to Divi's many features. Choose between yearly access and lifetime access.

Elementor

This WordPress page builder is one of the top tools used in digital marketing for creating an online existence with ease. It boasts of the deepest feature set without the complex process.

best website builder - elementor

As a full-featured page builder, you can use Elementor to build your website’s front end, add page templates and blocks, create mobile-friendly websites, edit inline texts with ease, and work with other themes in WordPress, such as Ocean WP and Astra.

In terms of the licensing scheme, you can use this page builder for life without spending a dime if you so desire, making it one of the best free marketing tools under this category.

If you want full access to all the tools, however, you should sign up for the pro version that is offered as personal, plus, and expert packages. 

Wix

This is an all-around website builder that you can use for free. It features a drag-and-drop functionality that's easy to use, easy customization, and a wide range of templates.

wix

The website builder comes with:

  • Wix editor for building websites using designer-made templates or from scratch. 
  • Wix ADI that instantly designs a website based on the answers you make with a few simple questions. 
  • Corvid by Wix for building advanced applications you can use on the web. 
  • Professional website capabilities, such as contact management, analytics, free hosting, and professional mailbox. 

Wix has a free plan and 4 premium plans - connect domain (most basic), combo (for personal use), unlimited (entrepreneurs & freelancers), and VIP (first priority support). All premium plans are billed annually.

Highly recommended social media marketing tools

Social media plays a vital role in engaging your target market in the virtual realm, thus the need to integrate your campaigns with the best social media marketing tools available.

Through social platforms, you perform various actions that can fuel business growth.

  • Connect with customers
  • Increase brand awareness
  • Boost leads and sales
  • Grow engagement and client base

Because social media management and marketing take time and effort, take advantage of the best automation tools.

What are the highly recommended ones? 

Hootsuite

Handle multiple social media accounts from one platform. Hootsuite lets you manage Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and other social networks under one login. Sign up is free.

best social media marketing tool - hootsuite

Once you're in, you only need to access a single dashboard to automate content scheduling, monitor activities, control process approval, track behavior, manage assignments, and so much more.

Moreover, the social media app makes it easy for team members to collaborate and integrate community-based platforms, such as Storify and Reddit.

Start with a 30-day free trial. Then, upgrade to professional, team, business or enterprise plan, which offers custom solutions.

The number of social profiles you can integrate under one login starts at 10, depending on the plan you sign up with. 

SocialPilot

For small-to-medium businesses and digital marketing agencies, SocialPilot is one of the recommended online marketing tools.

best social media platform - socialpilot

Through this platform, you... 

  • Manage all your accounts in one place
  • Improve the efficiency of social media marketing
  • Automate post scheduling, and more

It's easy to set up and use and comes complete with analytics & reporting.

SocialPilot is available for a free trial for 14 days. Afterward, you can upgrade to 4 different plans - agency, small team, professional, and enterprise, which includes white label setup and custom plans.

SocialPilot is paid monthly or yearly, with the latter providing you with discounts starting around 8%.

Sprout Social

Featuring a single intuitive interface, you can easily manage multiple social media accounts on Sprout Social. Use it for scheduling content upload on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest.

sproutsocial

As a marketing management tool, you can use the platform to integrate different social networks, collect all messages and store them in a smart inbox, monitor brand mentions and comments, and automate different actions via the bot builder, sprout queue and viralpost, and advanced Twitter automation.

Sprout Social also has tools for team collaboration, publishing, mobile apps, reporting and analytics.

Test it for free for 30 days and then switch to paid plans - standard, professional, and advanced.

Buffer

Considered one of the more popular social media marketing tools, Buffer lets you automate post scheduling, track content performance, manage multiple accounts in one place, and shorten links to share automatically, among others.

buffer

It features an easy-to-use social media dashboard where you can fill your social media feed efficiently and with the most relevant and exciting content. Use it to build your audience, plan and publish social content, and fuel business growth.

Buffer also allows teams to coordinate and collaborate in developing effective social media marketing campaigns.

This social media tool offers a free 7-day trial for the pro plan and a free 14-day trial for both the premium and business plans.

Once the trial ends, you can grab the basic free plan that is good for 1 user, 3 social accounts, and 10 scheduled posts. Or you might try Buffer alternatives.

Crowdfire

If you're looking for a simplified way to manage all your social media accounts in one place, Crowdfire is the platform to use. It also helps you automatically discover content, articles and images that are relevant to your topics of interest.

crowdfire

The platform also enables you to create beautiful posts that you can easily share on all your social profiles and your own blog or website. Pre-schedule all posts in advance and Crowdfire will automatically publish them at times set by you or at the best times for your type of content.

The platform also has analytics, reporting and monitors “mentions” of your brand or business on social media.

Sign up and try Crowdfire for free. Then, upgrade to plus, premium or VIP plan that is billed monthly or annually. Pay for an entire year to get discounts.

The leading connectivity platform in the world. IFTTT (if this, then that) connects multiple devices, from apps to smart home devices without the need to use a code.

iftt

For businesses and enterprises, the integrated services offered accelerate the digital transformation of their products. This brings in several benefits. 

  • Reduce development cost significantly
  • Extend compatibility of products
  • Extend a product's lifetime value

All of these are made possible by the platform's web and mobile apps, and the ability to automate different tasks between apps.

IFTTT also supports IoT device and voice assistance.

There's an available free demo but no pricing has been specified for the IFTTT product and service.

Using the most appropriate app for your personal or business needs, harness the power of social media. Why not test each one and identify the platform you can trust to increase engagement and sales?

Easy-to-use graphic design tools and image editors

For a website to attract online users and turn them into paying customers, it must have the right colors, attractive graphics, and other design features that will catch attention.

This is why the most recommended tools for online marketing always include graphic and image editing software.

Which one will provide you with an excellent yet cost-effective output?

Canva

This online editor is popular among beginners who are looking to get started with graphic design, and for people with limited funds who want to create something professional.

best graphic design tool - canva

It comes with a wide selection of fonts, images, and templates that may be free to use or are available for purchase.

With Canva, you can create just about anything, from logos to infographics and anything in between. The wide selection of base layouts and templates make it easy to build a page that resonates with your website or business goals.

For small businesses looking to better establish their online presence without the high cost, Canva offers a basic version that is free for life.

To access more features and elements, sign up for a Canva pro account. Test it for 30 days for free.

Stencil

One of the internet marketing tools that get more thumbs up where graphic and image editing are concerned, Stencil provides small businesses, social media marketers, and bloggers with the ability to create beautiful images without the complicated steps involved.

best graphic design software - stencil

With this graphics creation tool, you create images for content marketing, email ad graphics, social media posts, and so much more. Not only is Stencil easy-to-use, but it is also cloud-based, which allows for easy collaboration and sharing of visual content whenever and wherever.

Choose from more than 1 million royalty-free photos and use them for personal or commercial purposes without the need for attribution.

Stencil has a free trial and offers a free plan that will allow you to create up to 10 images per month. If you want to do more, sign up for the pro plan or unlimited plan.

Snappa

When it comes to digital marketing, one of the must-have tools for graphic and image creation is Snappa, a cloud-based graphics editor for personal marketing and social media purposes.

best image editor tool - snappa

The tool makes it easy to create visual content without the complexity of Photoshop and similar editing applications. This saves entrepreneurs time and money.

The graphics in the Snappa library are entirely free to use, while the platform allows members to easily collaborate. The platform is a favorite among graphic designers because of its speed, easy-to-use platform, cost efficiency, and collaborative features.

Test Snappa for free when you subscribe to the starter plan. If you want access to Buffer integration, social media sharing, custom font uploads, unlimited downloads per month, and additional elements, upgrade to the pro and team plans.

Visme

This tool is for data presentation and visualization that you can use to create compelling and presentable content.

best infographic creator - visme

It provides a collaborative platform for teams to start new projects and develop them further. It also comes with management and organization tools.

Some of its features include content database, animations, templates for projects and documents, graphics and charts, and social media marketing.

Visme is free to use. To get its full power, however, you should sign up for the single, team, and enterprise plans. Subscription to the web-based tool is billed annually.

PicMonkey

This in-browser photo editing software lets Instagram users and bloggers create graphics and edit photos in a simplified manner. Often regarded as an alternative to PS, PicMonkey offers users with design elements that will enhance images but without the overwhelming functionalities.

best photo editing software - pickmonkey

With this application, you can crop, sharpen, rotate, and resize photos at its most basic function. Adding text to photos and customizing other elements is also possible. Available as a mobile app, PicMonkey is one of the best graphics tools for digital marketing.

Sign up for a free trial for 7 days and start editing a photo. Or, upgrade to any of its paid plans - basic, pro, and team to use the app to the fullest.

Photoshop

This software is built for image, photo, and design editing and is highly recommended for professional artists and photographers. Among the many graphic design software, Adobe Photoshop is instantly recognizable.

best photo editor- photoshop

Use it to:

  • Perform different editing tasks, ranging from basic cropping to more complex raster designs. 
  • Manipulate images using features like layers, masks, frame tool, and the pen tool. 
  • Create content graphics using its integrated stock library.

If you use Adobe Photoshop CC, you can also create and enhance illustrations, paintings, and 3D artworks.

It offers a free trial for 30 days that is applicable to all its products' subscription service. For individuals, there is a photography plan available. Pricing, however, will vary for schools and universities, students and teachers, and businesses and teachers.

Ready to try your hand at graphics design?

Choose one application based on the information provided or experience each for yourself by signing up for a free trial.

DocHipo

DocHipo is a cloud-based graphic design tool suitable for business owners, marketers, and content creators. You can use DocHipo to create stunning designs to increase engagement in your blog, social media, advertisement, and marketing collaterals.

The intuitive drag-and-drop design editor and the simple user interface make it a must-have tool for marketers to complement their digital marketing goals.

Dochipo

It comes preloaded with thousands of professionally designed templates across various document types, industries, and occasions. What is impressive and unique about DocHipo is its design assets, such as illustrations, stickers, and animations, designed by their award-winning designers.

Another thing that makes DocHipo stand out from other graphic designing tools is its built-in one-click image background removal and multi-company capability. You can download your designs in JPG, PNG, PNG Transparent, PDF, MP4, and GIF without any watermark, even in the free version.

You can use this tool without paying a dime as it offers a forever free plan with the ability to create up to five designs. However, if you wish to make the most out of it, you can upgrade to their affordable Pro plan to unlock the ability to create unlimited designs and all the advanced capabilities. 

Top SEO tools for results-centered goals

SEO is an integral part of digital marketing because it helps your target market find your website and vice versa.

When a website is optimized for search, it will appear on the first page and, highly likely, at the top ten. With this level of ranking, you get a bigger share of clicks and traffic, resulting in higher conversion rates.

Where internet marketing is concerned, only the best SEO tools will do.

What are your options?

LongTailPro

One of the best market research tools, LongTailPro provides you with the ability to search for keywords automatically on your desktop. But it does more than that.

best seo tools - longtail pro

You can also use it to:

  • Automatically generate keywords based on your list of seed keywords.
  • Create multiple projects to accommodate different campaigns for different websites.
  • Import keywords in an excel spreadsheet and import them into the LongTailPro platform.
  • Find a profitable niche or high CPC long-tail keywords for increased revenue from AdSense.

You can also use LongTailPro to search for available domain names, check keyword rankings on Google, Bing, and Yahoo, and check keyword competition.

For $1, start your trial. Then, sign up for either of the two pro versions - LTP annual starter plan or LTP annual pro plan. 

Ahrefs

If you want to increase organic traffic to your website by as much as 25 times, subscribe to Ahrefs. This digital marking tool is a must-have if you want to increase your Google rankings.

best seo tools - hrefs

With this platform...

  • Monitor your niche
  • Research and outrank competitors
  • Research keywords, backlinks, and content
  • Run competitive analysis and rank tracking

Use it to identify which exact keywords help you rank in organic search and the amount of traffic coming from each one.

Ahrefs is highly recommended for small and medium businesses, market agencies, enterprise businesses, and SEO agencies.

A 7-day trial is available for $7. You can then switch to light, standard, advanced, and agency plans.

KWFinder

Research in digital marketing covers different aspects, including finding the right keywords to use. This makes KWFinder, a purpose-built SEO solution that focuses on ad hoc keyword research, one of the best digital marketing tools.

top seo software - kwfinder

With this online platform: 

  • Identify the right keywords to use based on seed keywords
  • Get keyword recommendations, complete with competitive analysis
  • Lookup long-tail and competitor keywords
  • Lookup SERPs and track keywords daily 

Subscribe to the pro plans and you'll have access to other features.

Check out what KWFinder can do for you for free within 10 days. If you like what they offer, sign up to any of the 3 plans - Mangools basic, Mangools premium, and Mangools agency. It's highly recommended to pay annually to get up to 40% discounts.

KWFinder also has a 48-hour money-back guarantee. 

SEMrush

One of the must-have digital marketing tools for SEOs, SEMrush is an optimization tool that is used for online visibility and marketing analytics. 

best seo platform - semrush
  • Assess a website's ranking
  • Lookup changes in search rankings
  • Find new opportunities to rank better and higher

It also provides an in-depth analysis of your own website and your competition so you'll have the data to develop better digital marketing strategies.

A feature worth highlighting is the on-page SEO checker tool that shows you your website’s performance and what improvements you can do when needed.

Try SEMrush for free or subscribe to the pro, guru, business, or enterprise plan.

Subscriptions are billed monthly and annually, but you'll save 16% if you opt for the latter.

Ubersuggest

A keyword tracking tool for better digital marketing campaigns and content.

Ubersuggest lets you identify keywords that match a user's search intent, providing you with the data to use to increase ranking.

free seo software - ubersuggest
  • Find short to long-tail phrases.
  • Get hundreds of keyword suggestions. 
  • Check out metrics, such as CPC, competition, keyword volume, and seasonal trends, for better research 

Through Ubersuggest, you will know if a keyword is worth targeting.

This tool is completely free to use. All you have to do is to sign in with your Google account. 

Yoast

This SEO plugin for WordPress provides you with the tools to optimize content and meta tags, generate site maps, and other optimization processes without the need to hire an SEO expert.

top seo tool for wordpress - yoast

Using Yoast, you generate more visitors from search engines such as Google and Bing, attract more visitors from social networks, and increase engagement from readers and visitors.

Because of its user-friendly platform, optimizing content for search is easy. Improve title, description, URL and other features with ease and increase ranking.

If you want to check how readable a post is, for instance, just click on the readability tab. Click the snippet preview to see how your page or content will look on the SERP's.

Use Yoast free plan or subscribe to the premium for access to more features.

By the way, the free plan is usually enough for most people.

All in One SEO Pack

When it comes to WordPress SEO plugins, the All in One SEO Pack (Yoast competitor) is the most popular with over 27 million downloads. It's what you need for your website to rank higher on the SERP's even without input from an expert.

all in one seo pack_

Using this SEO tool:

  • Avoid duplicate content
  • Add meta tags
  • Generate XML sitemap
  • Improve content to boost search ranking

It features a user interface that blends easily into the WordPress dashboard. So if you're looking for a digital marketing tool that a novice or someone tech-challenged can use, get the All in One SEO Pack.

Use the plugin for free or buy the pro version to access additional features such as e-commerce SEO and video sitemaps.

AnswerThePublic

One of the free marketing tools that don’t scrimp on freebies, AnswerThePublic provides you with content ideas around specific topics. Find SEO topics that you can use to create content and grow your blog.

answerthepublic

Using this online SEO tool, you can easily compile ideas for content.

When you type the keyword sushi knives, for example, your search returns many different questions.

  • Why are sushi knives one-sided?
  • Why are sushi knives so expensive?
  • What are sushi knives called?
  • Where to buy sushi knives?

Scroll down further and you’ll see a set of long-tail keywords that you can incorporate in your content.

You can also use AnswerThePublic for finding featured snippets.

It's free to use forever. But if you go Pro, you can run unlimited queries, compare data, get high-res images, access saved reports, and add unlimited members.

Google Keyword Planner

Every digital marketer knows that SEO strategies start with keyword research, something you can do with the Google Keyword Planner. It's a powerful keyword research tool primarily designed for PPC advertising.

google keyword planner

Doing keyword research using this platform is free but you won't have access to the monthly search volumes. Nonetheless, it provides you with the basics of keyword research.

  • Use phrases, words, websites, and categories to find new keywords. 
  • Get historical data and search volume trends of different keywords.
  • Find out how keywords will perform based on average bid prices and budget.
  • Filter results by competition level, average monthly searches, organic impressions, average position, and suggested bids.

Google Search Console

Check your web site's indexing status and optimize its visibility using the web service Google Search Console. If you want to improve your website's performance on search, take advantage of this search console tool.

google search console

Find out what performance issues need to be fixed and how you can increase your traffic. Using its analytics, generate ideas on how to optimize your content, bring users to your website, and increase engagement.

You can also use this digital marketing tool to submit individual URLs and sitemaps for crawling. This will help keep your site fresh in the eyes of Google.

Google Search Console is 100% free to use.

Serpstat

This is an all-in-one growth hacking platform for content marketing, SEO, and PPC goals. Use it to analyze competitors, solve SEO issues, and manage your team from a single platform.

serpstat

Because it has now collected keyword and data for competitor analysis, many experts are now switching to Serpstat.

One of its unique features that are worth highlighting is missing keywords which tells you which ones you should be using because your competitors are taking advantage of them and are ranking in the top 10 results.

Use Serpstat for free, but access more features, including position tracking and site audit, when you sign up for light, standard, advanced, and enterprise plans. 

TubeBuddy

Designed for YouTube creators, TubeBuddy is a management and video optimization toolkit for YouTube. It boasts of an innovative software platform that is directly integrated into the video website. All you need to do is to install TubeBuddy on your internet browser.

best youtube seo - tubebuddy

You can then use it to manage and grow your success on YouTube. Create videos that are more profitable and engaging using data and insights that the platform delivers. If you're optimizing strategies for video marketing, this is the tool you need.

There's a free version available, but with some limitations. Subscribe to the TubeBuddy paid plans - pro plan and star plan, for access to more features. 

VidIQ

top youtube seo - vidiq

Use the platform to manage comments, search for keywords and tags, perform in-depth analytics, and learn productivity hacks. Easy to use and sync to any YouTube account, it's one of the recommended social media solutions.

VidIQ helps you keep up with the competition by providing you with the data you need to improve your vlogs and deliver them to your target audience at the right time.

Try it for free. Pay for pro, boost or enterprise plan to access description campaigns, historical data, keyword tool, optimized SEO, and views comparisons.

Using these tools, optimizing the content or your website for search will not be as difficult. Sure, there might be a learning curve that you have to overcome as you try these tools, but once you get the hang of it, you'll have fun doing SEO.

Local SEO Checklist

Local SEO Checklist provides a complimentary guide aiming to assist small businesses in enhancing their local presence and boosting their search rankings. 

The checklist includes valuable recommendations and tools pertaining to on-page SEO elements, Google listings, business directories, customer reviews, website content, and backlinking. Their objective is to simplify and make local marketing tools easily available for small businesses.

Features:

  • A free checklist made by the team at Synup
  • Tools for on-page SEO, Google listings, directories, reviews, content, and backlinking.
  • Manage your listings and improve ratings across different directories.

Must-use online website speed test tools

How fast a website load is critical to its success.

Most people don't even wait for 2 seconds for a page to load before they abandon the site. So it's important to use website speed test tools to determine if your own web pages load quickly enough to accommodate a visitor's patience level.

If it does, you can benefit from:

  • Higher conversion rates
  • Higher rankings
  • Better overall user experience
  • Better engagement
  • Longer duration of on-site visits
  • Lower bounce rates

Below are some of the recommended website speed test tools.

GTmetrix

The tool checks your pages' speed performance using PageSpeed and YSlow.

The former is developed by Google to analyze a site's content and identify what can be done to increase load speeds. The latter, on the other hand, is a web analysis tool that checks why web pages are slow.

website speed tester - gtmetrix

Based on the data and metrics returned, you can then make changes to your website.

Register for free and use GTmetrix to test website loading speed from 7 different locations and compare performance against various browsers and connection types.

With GTmetrix PRO, you will have access to API credits, more reports, and developer toolkit.

Pingdom

This website speed test tool provides performance insights that will guide you on how and where to make improvements to boost page load speed. It's been compared with PagesSpeed Insights.

website speed optimizer - pingdom

Pingdom breaks down the reports in four sections - page analysis, performance grade, page history, and waterfall breakdown. It also allows you to compare the size of your domain vs the size of your CDN assets, and test website speed in 4 different locations.

Use Pingdom for free or sign up for a starter plan. You can also choose among three plans - standard, advanced, and professional.

The free trial is available for all subscription plans.

Google PageSpeed Insights

Created by Google, the Google PageSpeed Insights will test your website's load time and then score it on a scale from 1-100. A high score indicates a well-optimized website.

google pagespeed insight

If the score is low, you will get recommendations on improving your site, such as optimizing images.

Whether a website needs improvement is measured on how long it loads above-the-fold and loads the entire page.

Reports from the website speed test tool are available for both desktop and mobile. The latter includes a user experience score.

For agencies that need to present clients with a more eye-catching report, use the “think with Google” feature that was recently launched.

Google PageSpeed Insights is 100% free.

Why not test your website's speed with all of the 3 speed testing platforms? It's the best way to identify which one is most suitable for your needs.

And don't forget to check the individual pages, too. Most people check only the home page.

Best market research tools to find great content, acquire useful data, and more

Research is crucial to digital marketing success. You not only look for keywords online but content ideas as well.

This is why you need to use research tools that will guide you in developing engaging and relevant content.

Your top options are:

Google Analytics

As one of the leading, free web analytics tools, Google Analytics provides you with the metrics needed to create and improve content.

google analytics

Use the platform's engagement metrics to check a page's bounce rate, page views, and average session duration. You'll know for sure if your content has the quality and value that generates traffic and make readers stay longer on your website.

Based on data, you will also know which blog posts perform better. You can then double down on it to achieve maximum results.

Set up Google Analytics for free, which is recommended for individuals and SMEs.

Large enterprises, however, should take advantage of Analytics 360, a premium suite with customized pricing.

Google Trends

This keyword search engine from Google analyzes terms and topics that are most searched in different languages and locations.

google trends

It returns graph display, data sonification, real-time data, search volume comparison, and other perks that will help you cultivate your online presence. Using the data provided, you can personalize your marketing campaigns to your targeted region.

It also comes with tools that allow for DIY SEO such as for audit, optimization, and monitoring.

Unlike other software in digital marketing, Google Trends has the ability to predict which keywords will rank the highest even before they are included in the list of top searches.

Take advantage of Google Trends as it is free to use. But if you want to access more advanced stuff, such as a page's historical data, you will have to pay a custom price.

Google Scholar

This is a search engine for scholarly literature. Use it to search across many sources and disciplines, such as books, articles, thesis, court opinions, abstracts and more.

google scolar

The resources provided come from professional societies, academic publishers, universities, online repositories, and other related websites.

When it comes to scholarly research, Google Scholar is the tool you can use.

It not only provides you with the literature you need but also…

  • Help you locate the complete document on the web.
  • Explore authors, citations, publications, and works that are relevant to your content.
  • Keep you updated on recent developments with the area research you’re interested in.

In addition, it allows you to check which citations are linked to your publication.

This online tool is free to use. And even when resources are protected by copyright, you can still link to them so that readers can access the documents for free.

BuzzSumo

This content and social media analytics tool lets you search for content that is performing well in social media. The search engine will sweep the web for the content required and lists down the sources based on the number of likes and shares.

social media analytics tool - buzzsumo

With the data provided, you can analyze why specific content has a high success rate in social media. The insights you get also help you create content that is effective and promising for your target market.

Using BuzzSumo's social media engine, you're one step away from:

  • Creating effective and engaging content.
  • Outranking your competition through competitive alerts that the platform provides.
  • Monitoring your own content's performance on social media and improving it where needed.
  • Exporting data that will prove helpful in creating an efficient and results-centered digital marketing strategy.

Use the tool without registering or sign up for BuzzSumo's free trial. Then, upgrade to the micro plan, pro, plus, large, and enterprise packages.

SimilarWeb

This software provides a platform for market intelligence across multiple devices and search engine optimization that sales agencies, marketers, and similar entities need to succeed in digital marketing.

similarweb

It provides data on keyword analysis, industry analysis, unique visitors, global on country-level data, and multiple results based on specific metrics. With this in your arsenal, you can easily develop strategies to skyrocket your business.

Moreover, you can integrate third-party software, such as SAP and Salesforce into SimilarWeb. This allows you to extend the platform's functionality.

Head over to the site to get a better idea of how this platform works.

If you think it suits your needs, sign up for either the free or enterprise plan, which is custom priced.

When you use any of the recommended applications listed above, research becomes less of a burden on your part.

Adplorer

Adplorer is the first all-inclusive digital marketing automation platform. Adplorer's local marketing software will help you manage your marketing campaigns more successfully.

With this technology, you can scale marketing campaigns across thousands of SMBs, Franchise Locations, and Enterprises all over the world. 

Visit adplorer.com to see how you can automate the creation and management of your campaigns on Google, Bing, and Facebook, as well as manage social media platforms and reporting all in one platform.

Tried-and-tested project management and productivity tools

When one team is handling multiple projects simultaneously or otherwise, efficient communication and collaboration are crucial. It's important for everyone to be on the same page, especially with project specifications and deadlines.

This is where project and task management tools play a vital role. Without these, any effort to succeed in digital marketing would fall short.

With these in your arsenal, misunderstanding and miscommunication are avoided.

What are your top 6 tools for efficient project management and increased productivity?

Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides with Google Drive

This file storage and synchronization service allows users to create, store in servers, and synchronize files across devices. Google Drive is part of G Suite, a set of productivity, collaboration, and cloud computing tools.

google drive
  • Google Docs is a free word processor that is compatible with file formats in Microsoft Office. Use it to create and edit files that you can share with other users in real-time. 
  • Google Sheets is a spreadsheet program that works like and is compatible with Microsoft Excel formats. Use it like you would an Excel file and share it with the rest of the team online.
  • Google Slides is a presentation program that works with file formats of Microsoft Powerpoint. Use it to create, edit, and share presentations in real-time.

Google Drive is completely free to use but you will need to pay for a monthly subscription if you want more storage, enhanced administration controls, better collaboration tools, and advanced file audit reporting.

Evernote

This is a note-taking application that is more comprehensive than other similar applications. It comes with a number of tools that simplify document creation, project collaboration, and task prioritization.

evernote

Because of its user-friendly and highly configurable interface, Evernote is popular among individuals and small to large businesses.

One of its functional features is the handwriting tool that reads and recognizes handwritten notes, post-It notes, to-do lists, and even photos of whiteboards that you scan into Evernote. The software easily captures ideas that you scribbled on any surface as they suddenly pop up.
Save files into notebooks, and then share with other members of the team for easy collaboration.

Sign up and try Evernote for free. To access more advanced features, subscribe to plus, premium, and business plans.

Trello

When it comes to project management tools, Trello leads the pack.

It provides companies and teams the ability to manage projects efficiently using the concept of boards, which is equivalent to projects.

trello

There are cards within the boards that represent specific tasks. Depending on the status, a card is then moved accordingly. Is that task in progress, under review, or completed?

It has a simple interface and process, which accounts for its popularity among project management and collaboration systems. Trello is the tool to ensure streamlined workflow in your digital marketing efforts.

Trello is free forever if you stick with the free plan. But if you want access to advanced features, sign up for the business class and enterprise plans.

GitScrum

A recommended tool for agencies, developers, freelancers, marketers, sales, and startups, GitScrum provides the platform for agile project management and development.

best project management tool - gitscrum

Use it to...

  • Enhance the performance and productivity of your team
  • Manage and organize tasks easily and professionally
  • Optimize workflow for increased productivity
  • Customize collaboration and communication with team members
  • Outline goals and keep track of the various aspects that will lead you towards achieving them.

GitScrum also features easy integration with other tools, including Dropbox, GitLab, GitHub, and Slack.

It's free to use for 1 user with unlimited projects. Upgrade to freelancer, professional or business plans, depending on your specific needs. 

Asana

This is a collaboration and task management tool that is known for its extreme flexibility and robust platform for work management.

asana

Asana helps you plan, structure, and organize your work according to priorities and deadlines. Through a set of boards, you and your partners can quickly visualize where projects stand and what needs to be done if some are left behind.

With 100 integrations to choose from, this project management software lets you do more from a single platform.

Try the basic version to get you started. As you grow your team and number of projects, switch to the premium, business, and enterprise plans. 

Monday.com

As a cloud-based project management software, Monday.com simplifies the way your team collaborates, communicates, and manages workloads.

monday_com

Similar to Trello, it uses the concept of boards to identify: 

  • A project's progress
  • Tasks that were completed
  • Team members who are stuck with certain tasks
  • Team members who are either overworked or underworked

This ensures workloads are balanced, priorities are set, and confusion is minimized.

If you're working with a number of teams, take advantage of Monday.com's customization capabilities and intuitive interface.

Try it for free or subscribe to the basic, standard, or pro plans, depending on your project management scope.

Whoever said project management is a long and tedious process has yet to acquaint themselves with the productivity platforms above. Don't be one of them.

Contractbook

Contractbook is a cloud-based contract management software that offers a user-friendly platform for businesses to manage their contracts more efficiently. It is a great tool for digital marketing businesses that often rely on contracts with clients, partners, and vendors.

One of the primary features of Contractbook is its ability to automate the end-to-end contract management workflow with a centralized storage repository. This makes it easy to search and access contracts whenever you need them. It also allows you to set up automatic reminders for contract renewals, so you never miss an important deadline. Another valuable feature of Contractbook is the template library, with a wide variety of contract templates that you can customize to fit your specific needs.

In addition, Contractbook offers e-signing capabilities, which means that you can sign contracts electronically. and allows you to track all changes made to contracts. The collaboration feature allows you to share contracts with your team members, clients, or vendors and work on them in real time.

This can help streamline your workflow and ensure everyone is on the same page.

Spelling, writing style, and grammar checker tools for high-quality content and consumables

High-quality content plays a crucial role in digital marketing. It generates traffic, lowers bounce rate, increases engagement, and ensures higher ranking on the SERP's.

Now, one misspelling can have a huge impact. The negative kind.

This is why tools to check for spelling, grammar, and writing style is a must-have. Use them to feed your readers with valuable content that is error-free and expect major changes in your content's performance.

Grammarly

This is an online grammar checker that boasts of excellent grammar checking features. Not only does it check spelling and grammar but context as well.

best grammar checker - grammarly

You might not be conveying the right message with the way your words or sentences are structured.

Through Grammarly, you...

  • Correct mistakes you may have overlooked, whether technically or contextually
  • Improve your writing style and make an impression
  • Learn how to better write your next copy through its online writing assistance
  • Check for plagiarized content 

For an enterprise-grade system, there's also Grammarly business.

This grammar checker is free to use and can be downloaded to your desktop or added as a browser extension. To unlock advanced checks, however, upgrade to monthly, quarterly, or annual plans.

Hemingway Editor

This stand-alone program is a word processor and proofreading tool that works similar to Grammarly or ProWritingAid but with a minimalist interface.

hemingway

It checks an article for several aspects that make content harder to digest and highlight them in different colors.

  • Lengthy or structurally complex sentences are highlighted in yellow.
  • Confusing sentences are highlighted in red.
  • Adverbs or words that are considered weak and hesitant are highlighted in blue.
  • Words or sentences that are better off with a more suitable and simpler alternative are highlighted in purple.
  • Sentences that use passive voice are highlighted in green. 

By changing the words and sentence construction, the highlights will vanish. When an article is free of highlights, you can be sure that it is highly improved.

The online version of the Hemingway Editor is free to use. But if you want to download the desktop app, be ready to pay the monthly fee.

WordCounter

This free web-based app primarily counts the words, characters, sentences, and paragraphs in an article. It also analyzes text and determines its reading level, reading time, and speaking time.

wordcounter

With long-form content more in demand in digital marketing today, it may not matter if an article runs from 1000 words or more. But it is a different story when your readers are having difficulty reading and understanding the text because you're using words that are not included in the list of easily recognizable words.

The reading level of an article is not a reflection of a writer's ability to create viable content. But it will serve as a guide in developing articles that are easily digestible.

WordCounter also calculates keyword density that you can leverage when optimizing content for search.

This application is free to use. But if you want to perform an additional 250 premium checks, error explanation and tips, and unlimited plagiarism checks, you must go premium.

Thesaurus.com

This online thesaurus provides you with helpful and creative synonym suggestions that will improve your writing. Check for synonyms for overused words and create content with more impact.

theasurus

Through this writing tool, you avoid repetitiveness that may be construed as keyword stuffing and affect your ranking in search results. It will also make your content more engaging and vibrant.

If you're ever told to improve your word choice, Thesaurus.com is the tool you should use.

The platform also has writing prompts that will help kickstart your creativity and bring back your muse, in case you're experiencing writer's block.

It is 100% free to use and is available online or downloadable as an app. 

Ginger

This is a grammar checker and writing tool for desktop and mobile devices.

ginger

Ginger makes suggestions and corrections as you type, reducing the amount of time you spend checking for grammar and spelling errors like you would other similar platforms. Because it uses a smart algorithm to analyze the context of a sentence, it can provide accurate corrections.

It has a tool that will help you avoid redundancy by rephrasing your sentences in different ways.

There's also a dictionary where you can check if the word you're using fits the context of your sentence or phrase. So whenever you're in doubt about your word choice, use the built-in dictionary.

With this writing tool, you improve your writing skills and create content that is free of grammar and spelling errors.

Ginger is free to use. To access premium features, sign up for any of the three enterprise pricing plans - monthly, quarterly, and annual.

ProWritingAid

This online writing editor will also serve as your personal writing coach.

prowritingaid

ProWritingAid suggests thousands of ways to improve your writing based on its analysis in terms of... 

  • Vague content
  • Repetitiveness
  • Sentence length variations 
  • Overuse of adverbs
  • Use of passive voice 
  • Plagiarized content 
  • Grammar and spelling mistakes 
  • Contextual errors, and more

As a more comprehensive writing tool, it comes with a built-in contextual thesaurus and word explorer.

If you need help expressing your ideas clearly and creating content that is highly readable and engaging, you're going to love this application. ProWritingAid also comes with reporting and tracking tools.

Use ProWritingAid Free without spending a dime. But take advantage of the editor's full potential by subscribing to ProWritingAid premium, ProWritingAid premium PLUS, and academic pricing for ProWritingAid. Bulk pricing is also available.

With these tools on hand, you don't have an excuse to submit content with one or two errors. You now have a way to ensure the delivery of valuable, engaging, and readable articles, too. 

What's next?

Use these tools to your advantage.

If you want to succeed and see results from your internet marketing efforts, you must use any application necessary to make this happen.

Now that you have the list of the top-rated tools that a majority of marketers, businesses, bloggers, and agencies highly recommend, get started on improving your online presence so you can boost conversion and profit in the process.

Don't forget to share your progress with me as you employ these platforms.

About the author 

Peter Keszegh

Most people write this part in the third person but I won't. You're at the right place if you want to start or grow your online business. When I'm not busy scaling up my own or other people' businesses, you'll find me trying out new things and discovering new places. Connect with me on Facebook, just let me know how I can help.

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