# The best SEO tools for a startup: a stack for one founder

You do not need everything. You need the few tools that move your next constraint. This stack is for a founder who ships the site and does their own SEO.

Updated 2026-09-14 · Source: https://porteur.ai/guides/best-seo-tools-for-startups

## Your stack by stage: the short answer

Pre traffic: Google Search Console, Google Analytics 4, PageSpeed Insights or Lighthouse, Bing Webmaster Tools, one keyword tool with a free view. One monthly report you read.

First traffic: add a desktop crawler and a simple rank view. Screaming Frog SEO Spider or Sitebulb for crawls. Use Search Console for ranks or add a tracker if you need daily checks.

Growing: pick one suite. Ahrefs or Semrush for breadth, or SE Ranking or Mangools for lighter budgets and simpler needs. Do not buy two suites at once.

## Pre traffic: the free set that matters

You are not ranking yet. Set your measurement and speed checks. You only need tools that tell you if Google can see you and if your pages load fast enough.

- Google Search Console: free, shows search performance, indexing, sitemaps, Core Web Vitals and enhancements. It is pre click truth on queries, pages and impressions.
- Google Analytics 4: free, event based, shows sessions, pages, events and conversions. It is post click. It never reconciles exactly with Search Console.
- Bing Webmaster Tools: free with backlinks, keyword research and IndexNow. Set it up for extra data and indexing help.
- PageSpeed Insights: free, shows field data from the Chrome UX Report and runs Lighthouse. Use it for LCP, CLS and INP. Aim for 2.5 seconds LCP, 0.1 CLS, 200 ms INP.
- Lighthouse in Chrome DevTools: run it locally when you ship. It is a lab test. Use it to catch regressions before you deploy.

Add one keyword view to shape your first pages. Use Google Trends for interest over time. Use autocomplete and People also ask on your seed terms. AlsoAsked maps People also ask trees by country. AnswerThePublic draws autocomplete questions and prepositions. Keywords Everywhere can show volumes on the results page.

1. **Verify Search Console** Add both www and non www if relevant. Submit your sitemap at /sitemap.xml. Check Coverage and the Performance report weekly.
2. **Wire up GA4** Create a web data stream. Add the tag. Mark signups as conversions. Keep a landing page report. Check bounce on /pricing and /guides.
3. **Check speed on key pages** Run PageSpeed Insights on /, /pricing and your top guide. Fix any LCP over 2.5 seconds. Move slow third party scripts last.
4. **Shape your first topics** List ten buyer questions from People also ask. Example: for an uptime tool, write “What is SLA uptime” and “Uptime calculator”.

> Do not compare GA4 clicks to Search Console clicks. They count different things and will never match.

## First traffic: add a crawler and a rank view

You now see impressions and a few clicks. Your next constraint is site quality and intent coverage. You need to crawl your site and watch positions on a shortlist.

- Screaming Frog SEO Spider: desktop for Windows, macOS and Linux. The free version crawls up to 500 URLs. The licence unlocks unlimited crawls, custom extraction, scheduling and API connections. It outputs tables you interpret.
- Sitebulb: desktop for Windows and macOS, with a cloud version. Known for explained audit hints with priorities and visual crawl maps. Good if you want guidance with the data.
- Search Console Performance report: free rank view with real impressions and average positions. Filter by query, page and date. Use 28 days for steady trends.
- A rank tracker when you need daily checks: Ahrefs Rank Tracker, Semrush Position Tracking, SE Ranking, or Mangools SERPWatcher. Pick one. Start with ten to twenty terms that map to pages.

1. **Run a crawl** Crawl your domain. Export titles, meta descriptions, canonicals and status codes. Fix missing titles and wrong canonicals first on / and /pricing.
2. **Fix internal links** Find orphan pages and thin hubs. Add links from /guides/getting-started to your key feature pages. Keep click depth low for money pages.
3. **Track striking distance** From Search Console, find queries with average position between 8 and 20. Example: “status page template” to /templates/status-page. Improve that page and its links.
4. **Watch your brand terms** Track your brand and product names. Example: “yourproduct uptime”. Aim for rich sitelinks and a clean snippet. Update your Organization schema if missing.

## Growing: choose one suite and when to pick which

A suite saves time when you have more pages, rivals and content to plan. Choose one that matches your jobs. Do not try to reconcile two suites’ numbers.

| Suite | Built for | Good at | Choose when | Not for |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Ahrefs | SEO research and monitoring | Backlink index and Site Explorer, Keywords Explorer, Site Audit, Rank Tracker, Content Explorer, Domain Rating | You want strong backlink data, quick link gap checks and fast SERP research | Advertising planning |
| Semrush | A broad suite beyond SEO | Keyword Magic Tool, Position Tracking, Site Audit, Backlink Analytics, competitive research, plus advertising and content modules, Authority Score | You need SEO plus ads and content modules in one place | A pure link only workflow |
| SE Ranking | Full suite with agency features | Rank tracking, site audit, keyword and competitive research, backlinks, on page checks and an AI writing assistant | You want an affordable full suite and agency style reports | Very large site crawling at scale |
| Mangools | A simple suite for small teams | KWFinder, SERPChecker, SERPWatcher, LinkMiner and SiteProfiler, links via Majestic | You want a clean UI and lighter data needs | Deep backlink research |

If you only care about links, Majestic is a focused option. It runs its own index and offers Trust Flow, Citation Flow and Topical Trust Flow by category. It is link only, no keyword or audit.

Moz Pro is a steady choice for education and a balanced toolset. It holds Keyword Explorer, Link Explorer, Site Crawl, Rank Tracking and On Page Grader. Domain Authority is Moz’s score, 0 to 100, relative and logarithmic. The MozBar browser extension is free. Moz Local serves local businesses.

Ubersuggest is aimed at beginners. It offers keyword ideas, content ideas, a site audit, rank tracking and backlink data with a free daily allowance. Its data is smaller than the large suites.

## What not to buy yet

- Two large suites. Pick one. Use it well for six months before you consider a switch.
- A cloud crawler built for enterprises. Lumar and Oncrawl are strong but for large sites and teams.
- A Similarweb plan for keyword research. Similarweb estimates traffic and is useful for market sizing, not for your own audits or keywords.
- A backlink spam cleaner. Focus on earning links. Use Search Console’s Links report and only use the Disavow tool if you have a clear manual action risk.

## Speed and Core Web Vitals: which tools and how to use them

You need a fast site for users and for ranking resilience. Use field data to judge. Use lab tests to debug. Work on the pages that drive money.

- PageSpeed Insights: start here for each key page. It shows field data from the Chrome UX Report and a Lighthouse run. Fix LCP and CLS first.
- WebPageTest: when you need a deep waterfall and filmstrip. Choose the device and location that matches your audience. Compare before and after a change.
- GTmetrix: built on Lighthouse with waterfalls. Useful for quick visual waterfalls and scheduled checks on paid plans.
- Chrome DevTools Performance panel: profile layout shifts and long tasks. Pair with the Web Vitals extension for live thresholds.

1. **Pick three key URLs** Use /, /pricing and your top converting guide. These are the pages that pay for fixes.
2. **Measure field data first** Check PageSpeed Insights. If LCP is over 2.5 seconds or CLS over 0.1, log the causes. Then run Lighthouse for lab clues.
3. **Fix the largest asset** Optimise or defer the LCP image. Inline critical CSS. Move third party scripts. Re test after each change.
4. **Watch regressions** Keep a monthly screenshot of PSI scores for these pages. Add a WebPageTest filmstrip before a big launch.

## Keywords and competitors: fast research that maps to pages

You do not need a hundred ideas. You need a set you can ship this quarter. One topic per page. Map each to intent and a URL.

- Use Search Console’s queries for what you already rank for. Expand striking distance terms into full pages or sections.
- Use one suite’s keyword tool: Ahrefs Keywords Explorer, Semrush Keyword Magic Tool, Moz Keyword Explorer or Mangools KWFinder. Note difficulty and SERP type.
- Use Bing Webmaster Tools’ keyword research for another view with volumes. Cross check intent in the live results.
- Use AlsoAsked to gather related questions. Turn a People also ask path into an FAQ on the page.
- SpyFu is useful to view a rival domain’s search and paid keyword history. It shows which themes they cared about over years.

1. **Pick a comparison angle** Example: “yourproduct vs rival”. Create /comparison/yourproduct-vs-rival. Use your suite to see terms and SERP features. Write what buyers weigh.
2. **Cover a jobs to be done page** Example: “uptime monitoring for Shopify”. Create /solutions/shopify-uptime. Use AlsoAsked to add FAQs a buyer asks.
3. **Plan a hub and spokes** Example hub: /guides/uptime-monitoring. Spokes: /guides/what-is-uptime, /guides/sla-uptime, /guides/uptime-calculator. Link between them.

## Backlinks and brand: what to check and how to act

Links still matter. You need to know who links to you, who links to rivals and where the gaps are. Start with your own data, then use an index.

- Search Console’s Links report: free and your truth for your own site. It is a sample but a good baseline.
- Ahrefs Site Explorer: strong backlink index with Domain Rating to compare. Use it for link gap checks against rivals.
- Semrush Backlink Analytics: useful alongside its competitive research modules when you choose Semrush as your suite.
- Moz Link Explorer: pairs with Domain Authority, long standing. Good for a second view.
- Majestic: focused on links with Trust Flow, Citation Flow and Topical Trust Flow. Use it when you need topical analysis.

1. **Check your referring domains** Export your list from Search Console. Compare month on month. Aim for steady growth and no sudden spam bursts.
2. **Run a link gap** In your suite, list domains linking to rivalA.com and rivalB.com but not to yourproduct.com. Pitch three relevant pieces. Example: your uptime study.
3. **Fix broken backlinks** Find 404s with links. Create redirects to the closest page. Example: /blog/uptime-study-2024 to /blog/uptime-study-2026.
4. **Earn listings that buyers read** Target Show HN, BetaList, Indie Hackers, Uneed, MicroLaunch, Dev Hunt and Launching Next. These bring brand mentions that can turn into links.

## AI visibility as of 2026: what to watch, what to skip

AI overviews and assistants now cite sources on some queries. Track if they quote you on your buyer terms. Do not chase every tool yet. Keep it simple.

- Manual method: keep a list of ten buyer questions. Ask the main assistants monthly. Note if you appear and which page they cite.
- Tools that track AI visibility: Profound, Peec AI, Otterly, Scrunch, Semrush’s AI toolkit, Ahrefs Brand Radar. Choose one if AI is a material channel for you.
- Keep writing pages an assistant can cite. Clear claims, sources, dates and concise answers high on the page.

## Reporting that fits a small product team

Your report should guide the next two weeks, not fill a dashboard. Keep three charts and three actions. Automate the pulls. Write the actions by hand.

- Search Console: Performance by page over 28 days. Add a filter for non brand. Note any page with rising impressions and flat clicks.
- GA4: Landing pages with conversions. Check /pricing, /signup and top guides. Mark any page with high traffic and low conversion.
- Looker Studio: connect Search Console and GA4 for one page you can open in a meeting. Add a notes box for actions.

We make Porteur. It is a growth report you buy once. It reads your site, the searches around it and the rivals on them from a URL, in about thirty seconds, free, and shows three findings whole. Connect Search Console and product analytics later if you want deeper analysis. It is not a rank tracker, not a crawler you run yourself, not a subscription.

## Questions

### Is SEO dead now with AI?

No. As of 2026, search still sends buyers. AI overviews sit on some results. They cite. If your page answers well, you can be the source. Keep pages clear, fast and useful.

### What are the five best SEO tools for a startup?

Start with Google Search Console, Google Analytics 4, PageSpeed Insights, a desktop crawler and one suite when you grow. The crawler can be Screaming Frog or Sitebulb. The suite can be Ahrefs, Semrush, SE Ranking or Mangools. Pick one and stick with it.

### What is the 80/20 rule in SEO for a small site?

Ship pages that match buyer intent, fix technical blockers on a shortlist of URLs, and get a handful of real links. Use tools only to find and verify those jobs. Ignore data you cannot act on in two weeks.

### Can ChatGPT do SEO for me?

It can help draft copy and outlines. It cannot replace your data from Search Console or your judgement on buyer needs. Treat it as an assistant. You still pick the topics and check the facts.

### Do I need a paid rank tracker?

Not at first. Use Search Console for positions over 28 days. Add a tracker when you need daily checks for a shortlist or to show clients. Keep the list small to avoid noise.

### Should I buy both Ahrefs and Semrush?

No. Both are broad suites. Choose the one that fits your jobs. Learn it well. If you later need a second view on links, use a trial or a month, not two ongoing stacks.

## Read next

- [SEO for startups: what to do before you have traffic](https://porteur.ai/guides/seo-for-startups): You have no rankings yet. Here is the startup SEO plan: the pages to ship, the first links to get, and what to expect in the first 3 months.
- [How to use Google Search Console in ten minutes a week](https://porteur.ai/guides/how-to-use-google-search-console): A quick weekly routine: set four filters, compare 28 days, check pages then queries, and fix three findings, without getting lost in noise.
- [Ahrefs vs Semrush for a small product site](https://porteur.ai/compare/ahrefs-vs-semrush): Choose Ahrefs if links and Site Explorer matter most, Semrush if you need a broad keyword and marketing suite. Here is how to decide quickly.
- [The best website crawlers for SEO: desktop, cloud, and free tiers](https://porteur.ai/guides/best-website-crawlers): Choose the right SEO crawler for a small site or a growing one. Screaming Frog, Sitebulb, Lumar, Oncrawl, and the suites’ audits, plus a first crawl plan.
- [The best keyword research tools, free and paid, by what you need](https://porteur.ai/guides/best-keyword-research-tools): Choose a keyword research tool by what you need: free ways first, beginner picks, full suites, question tools, and a no‑tool method that still works.
- [The best backlink checkers: your links, a rival’s, and the gap](https://porteur.ai/guides/best-backlink-checkers): Pick a backlink checker you can trust, see what the scores really mean, and turn a rival’s links into a shortlist you can win next.
- [The best SEO audit tools, and which one a founder needs](https://porteur.ai/guides/best-seo-audit-tools): Audit tools crawl and flag issues. An audit is judgement. See the tool types, when to use each, and a fast path for a founder on a small site.
- [The best SEO tools for a small business: the free set plus one](https://porteur.ai/guides/best-seo-tools-for-small-business): The free stack that covers most needs, the one paid tool to add, what to skip, and a one hour a month routine for a small site.

Drop your URL in the free check to see your site, the searches around it and the rivals on them in about thirty seconds, with three findings you can act on. Free check: https://porteur.ai/