Understanding and implementing effective SEO strategies is essential for U.S. businesses aiming to improve their online visibility and attract more organic traffic. In 2017, the digital marketing landscape saw the rise of powerful tools and techniques that helped businesses optimize their websites for both search engines and user experience. This article provides a detailed overview of the most recommended SEO tools and strategies from 2017, based on available source data, with a focus on their utility for American businesses.
Introduction
The year 2017 marked a significant turning point in the evolution of SEO tools and strategies. As online competition grew, businesses had to rely more on data-driven insights and technical optimizations to maintain and improve their search engine rankings. The tools available during this time provided essential functions for keyword research, on-page optimization, technical audits, and backlink analysis. These tools not only helped identify areas for improvement but also offered actionable recommendations to enhance website performance.
In addition to tools, strategic approaches such as local SEO optimization, content scoring, and technical audits became more refined. These strategies enabled businesses to better align with search engine algorithms and user expectations. The following sections will explore the most impactful tools and strategies of 2017, highlighting their features, use cases, and benefits for U.S. businesses.
On-Page SEO Tools and Strategies
On-page SEO involves optimizing individual web pages to improve rankings and attract more relevant traffic. In 2017, tools such as Surfer, Clearscope, and AlsoAsked were widely recommended for their ability to streamline content creation and optimization.
Surfer SEO
Surfer is a content optimization tool that provides insights into keyword usage, content structure, and competitor analysis. It is particularly useful for businesses that focus on creating SEO-friendly blog posts and landing pages. The platform offers real-time data on keyword density, content length, and topic coverage, helping writers align their content with current search trends.
Key features of Surfer include:
- Keyword Research: Surfer provides insights into the most relevant keywords for a given topic.
- Content Scoring: The platform evaluates the quality of content based on factors such as keyword usage, content length, and structure.
- Competitor Analysis: Surfer allows users to analyze top-ranking pages and compare their content with competitors.
Clearscope
Clearscope is another content optimization tool that helps businesses improve their content’s relevance and search visibility. It uses AI to analyze top-ranking pages and provides recommendations for improving keyword usage and content structure. Clearscope is particularly effective for businesses that need to create high-quality, data-driven content.
Key features of Clearscope include:
- Topic Coverage Analysis: The tool identifies gaps in content and suggests additional topics to cover.
- Keyword Optimization: Clearscope provides insights into which keywords should be included in the content.
- Competitor Benchmarking: Users can compare their content with that of top-ranking competitors to identify areas for improvement.
AlsoAsked
AlsoAsked is a tool that helps businesses identify content opportunities by analyzing the "People also ask" section of Google’s search results. It is particularly useful for creating H2 heading ideas and answering common questions related to a topic. This tool helps businesses structure their content in a way that aligns with user intent and improves search visibility.
Key features of AlsoAsked include:
- Question Extraction: The tool extracts frequently asked questions from search results.
- Content Structure Suggestions: AlsoAsked suggests how to structure content to answer these questions effectively.
- Keyword Insights: It provides insights into the keywords associated with each question, helping businesses optimize their content for search.
Technical SEO Tools and Strategies
Technical SEO involves optimizing the technical aspects of a website to improve its search engine visibility. In 2017, tools such as Screaming Frog, Google Search Console, and SEMRush were widely used for their ability to identify and fix technical issues that could impact search rankings.
Screaming Frog
Screaming Frog is a website crawler that helps businesses identify technical SEO issues such as broken links, duplicate content, and missing meta tags. It is particularly useful for conducting comprehensive website audits and identifying areas for improvement. The tool provides detailed reports that highlight technical issues and offer recommendations for fixing them.
Key features of Screaming Frog include:
- Website Crawling: The tool crawls a website to identify technical issues such as broken links and missing meta tags.
- Duplicate Content Detection: Screaming Frog helps identify duplicate content issues that could negatively impact search rankings.
- SEO Reporting: The tool provides detailed reports that highlight technical issues and offer recommendations for fixing them.
Google Search Console
Google Search Console is a free tool provided by Google that helps businesses monitor and optimize their website’s performance in Google search results. It provides valuable insights into search traffic, indexing status, and technical issues that could affect search rankings. Google Search Console is particularly useful for monitoring website performance and identifying technical issues that need to be addressed.
Key features of Google Search Console include:
- Search Performance Monitoring: The tool provides insights into how a website is performing in Google search results.
- Indexing Status: Google Search Console helps businesses monitor the indexing status of their web pages.
- Technical Issue Identification: The tool identifies technical issues such as crawl errors and mobile usability issues.
SEMRush
SEMRush is a comprehensive SEO tool that offers a wide range of features for technical SEO, keyword research, and competitor analysis. It is particularly useful for businesses that need to conduct technical audits and monitor their website’s performance over time.
Key features of SEMRush include:
- Site Audit: SEMRush provides a detailed site audit that identifies technical issues such as broken links and slow page load times.
- Keyword Research: The tool offers advanced keyword research capabilities, including keyword volume, competition, and keyword suggestions.
- Competitor Analysis: SEMRush allows users to analyze their competitors’ websites and identify areas for improvement.
Off-Page SEO Tools and Strategies
Off-page SEO involves optimizing elements outside of a website to improve its search engine visibility. In 2017, tools such as SEMRush and Link Building tools were widely used for their ability to monitor backlinks and analyze competitor strategies.
SEMRush
SEMRush is not only a technical SEO tool but also a powerful off-page SEO tool. It provides insights into backlink profiles, competitor backlinks, and opportunities for link building. The tool helps businesses identify high-quality backlink opportunities and monitor their backlink profiles to ensure they are in line with best practices.
Key features of SEMRush for off-page SEO include:
- Backlink Analysis: The tool provides insights into a website’s backlink profile, including the number of backlinks, their quality, and their relevance.
- Competitor Backlink Analysis: SEMRush allows users to analyze their competitors’ backlink profiles and identify opportunities for link building.
- Link Building Tools: The tool offers a range of link building tools, including outreach templates and competitor backlink analysis.
Link Building Tools
Link building is an essential part of off-page SEO, and in 2017, businesses used a variety of tools to identify and build high-quality backlinks. These tools helped businesses find relevant websites for guest posting, broken link building, and other link building strategies.
Key features of link building tools include:
- Backlink Opportunities: These tools help businesses identify websites that are relevant to their niche and offer opportunities for link building.
- Competitor Analysis: Link building tools allow businesses to analyze their competitors’ backlink profiles and identify opportunities for improvement.
- Outreach Tools: Some link building tools offer outreach templates and other tools to help businesses build relationships with other websites.
Local SEO Tools and Strategies
Local SEO is particularly important for small businesses that want to attract local customers. In 2017, tools such as Google My Business, SEMRush, and local directory submission tools were widely used to optimize local search visibility.
Google My Business
Google My Business is a free tool that allows businesses to manage their online presence on Google. It is particularly useful for local businesses that want to appear in Google Maps and local search results. The tool provides features such as local listing optimization, customer reviews, and local keyword tracking.
Key features of Google My Business include:
- Local Listing Optimization: The tool allows businesses to optimize their local listings with accurate information such as address, phone number, and hours of operation.
- Customer Reviews: Google My Business allows businesses to respond to customer reviews and manage their online reputation.
- Local Keyword Tracking: The tool helps businesses track their performance in local search results.
SEMRush
SEMRush also offers tools for local SEO, including local directory submission tools and local keyword tracking. These tools help businesses optimize their local presence and improve their visibility in local search results.
Key features of SEMRush for local SEO include:
- Local Directory Submission: SEMRush allows businesses to submit their listings to local directories such as Yellow Pages and Yelp.
- Local Keyword Tracking: The tool provides insights into local keyword performance and helps businesses optimize their content for local search terms.
- Competitor Analysis: SEMRush allows businesses to analyze their competitors’ local SEO strategies and identify areas for improvement.
Conclusion
In 2017, the SEO landscape was marked by the availability of powerful tools and strategies that helped businesses improve their online visibility and attract more organic traffic. On-page SEO tools such as Surfer, Clearscope, and AlsoAsked provided valuable insights into content optimization, while technical SEO tools such as Screaming Frog, Google Search Console, and SEMRush helped identify and fix technical issues that could impact search rankings. Off-page SEO tools such as SEMRush and link building tools provided insights into backlink profiles and competitor strategies, while local SEO tools such as Google My Business and local directory submission tools helped businesses optimize their local presence.
By leveraging these tools and strategies, businesses could improve their search engine visibility, attract more relevant traffic, and achieve their online marketing goals. As the digital landscape continues to evolve, it is essential for businesses to stay up to date with the latest SEO tools and strategies to maintain and improve their online presence.