Chapter 3. Picking the Right SEO Tools

IN THIS CHAPTER

  • Viewing source

  • Querying search engines and leveraging search engine tools

  • Using relevancy determining tools

  • Analyzing webpages with SEO toolbars

  • Using the HTTP Header Analyzer

  • Switching user agents

  • Viewing websites from a search engine perspective

Now that you have the correct SEO perspective on viewing websites, it is time to find out which tools SEO professionals use to dig deeper. Batman has his utility belt, generals have their massive armies, and as you are about to find out, SEOs have browser extensions and nifty websites.

This chapter is meant to be used as a resource for coming back to as you read the rest of the book. Its content is important to know up front (that's why it is located here rather than at the end of the book). It is completely appropriate to skim this chapter because it has a lot of technical information, but be sure to get a sense for the kinds of tools that are available and which ones are the most powerful. In my experience, the only way to learn how to use an SEO tool is to actually sit down and start using it. This chapter will be helpful for you when you start to do that by identifying for you which tools are useful for which situations and which metrics on each tool are important.

Note

A list of almost all of the tools I have used as well as all of the articles that I found most useful are available at www.seomoz.org/dp/the-internet-marketing-handbook.

Also, because this publication is in book form, some ...

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