SEO PowerSuite is one of the leading search engine optimization tools around. Made up from four separate programs, this set of applications is rather different to anything else on offer. Most other SEO programs combine all the functions into one piece of software. The result of that is often an unwieldy piece of software which is complex to use and also can take up too much time to use effectively. Not so with SEO PowerSuite.

With SEO PowerSuite you get four programs focused on specific aspects of helping you improve your overall web presence. This means, for instance, if all you want to do is get more links for your website you only need to open up the LinkAssistant program and you can work just on that activity. With other SEO software it is possible to become distracted by the other options available as you work on links, such as checking the validation of your site, or seeking out competitor information. Indeed, some SEO programs require you to do such things in order to build links, thereby adding to the tasks you need to undertake.

With SEO PowerSuite’s division of labour amongst the different programs you can work in a more focused way, thereby being more productive. The four programs you get with SEO PowerSuite of SEO Software are:

• WebSite Auditor
• Rank Tracker
• SEO Spyglass
• LinkAssistant

Of course, in order to maximise the impact of your website you will need to use all four programs. However, by separating them into individual applications, SEO PowerSuite allows you to concentrate and focus.

WebSite Auditor
This program ensures your website is set up properly and that your pages are ready for maximum impact. Get the groundwork right with this program and all the other SEO PowerSuite tools will function better. For instance, this program checks your code is correct, finds broken links and finds out things like your Google Page Rank for each individual page in your site. In common with the other individual SEO PowerSuite programs, WebSite Auditor checks and updates itself when you launch it. This makes sure you have the latest version every time you use it. It only takes a few seconds.

All you have to do to run Website Auditor is give it the website you want to check – and wait. There is lots of data to collect – particularly for large websites. So it may be a good idea to launch the program and let it work in the background while you get on with something else. Otherwise you’ll have to be very patient…! You can reduce the time taken to produce your report by cutting down on the number of checks made in the preferences section – but that rather defeats the object. Far better to let the program whirr away in the background. You may be interrupted from time-to-time with “Captcha” checks as the program logs on to various web services. You can easily avoid this, though, by purchasing a captcha pack – this also helps if you automate any part of SEO PowerSuite, otherwise your work could get halted if you are not at your computer when the program is working. Although you can use this program “out of the box”, I’d recommend altering the preferences in order to get the reports you need for your specific circumstances.

Rank Tracker
One you have found out the basics about your website and then corrected any errors and problems, you could then move on to use Rank Tracker. This does what it says – it tracks the ranking of your web pages plus it shows you the expected levels of traffic for each of your web pages, so you can see how close you are to getting what you deserve…! This program also allows you to find related keywords. As a result you can start to track your own website for new keywords and see your progress in this program.

You also get a percentage score for each of the search engines, showing you how well your pages are performing. This is an excellent idea as it allows you to focus on which search engines and which of your pages need most of your attention. This can save you hours of work by helping you avoid unnecessary tasks. The only problem you might find with this program is in interpreting the graphs produced. You cannot alter the colours, which means that sometimes it is difficult to distinguish between some of the lines. That aside, though, Rank Tracker does exactly what it says it will do and it does it well.

SEO Spyglass
SEO Spyglass is the next program in SEO PowerSuite series. It checks for backlinks for your keywords and for your competition. Firstly you enter either a keyword, or a competitor’s URL. If you enter a keyword, SEO Spyglass finds the top ranked site for that word. Then the program finds the backlinks for this site and exposes all sorts of data – including which sites the links are on and whether or not they are worth targeting due to the data provided, such as Alexa rank. You can even drill down into the data, such as finding links from blogs only or looking for the social media popularity of your competition. The problem with SEO Spyglass is that it presents you with so much data it can take you quite some time to sort your way through it all. Hence, rather like some of the other aspects of SEO Suite, you may wish to adjust your preferences to limit the information you are provided with – for instance do you really need to find backlinks via every search engine in the world?

LinkAssistant
With LinkAssistant you can boost your website by getting more links. The program finds you suitable link partners, provides you with data on their websites and then lets you email them to arrange the actual link. The program also lets you construct a link directory for your own website, allowing you to provide reciprocal links to other sites. LinkAssistant also includes an email client which means you can connect with potential link partners directly from within the program and track responses. Tighter integration with SEO Spyglass would be handy – at the moment you have to extract data from SEO Spyglass as a CSV file and then import that into LinkAssistant. But this aside, LinkAssistant is a worthy alternative to Internet Business Promoter – indeed there is even the facility to import IBP projects making the transfer easy.

Overall these four programs do an excellent job of helping you make sure your website will succeed online with additional links, tweaks that will beat the competition and tracking systems to make sure you stay ahead of the game. The programs are backed with comprehensive online documentation. The knowledgebase is pretty limited, but each program has a complete manual online with plenty of screen shots and practical advice, so if you get stuck that’s the place to head. There is also a busy forum where you can ask for advice from other users, should you have any issues.

SEO PowerSuite is available in two editions, Professional or Enterprise. For most website owners the Professional version will be perfectly adequate. The main significant difference is in the reporting capabilities where the Enterprise edition provides the ability to publish and print the reports, which would mainly be useful for agencies and SEO specialists. At $249 for the Professional edition, SEO PowerSuite is also one of the most cost-effective solutions on the market.

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