SEO Recap: Software Tools

You can get much more accomplished in your quest for internet domination if you automate tasks using a number of software tools. You can apply this in a broad sense to the SEO industry as well; but how much automation is possible in the SEO tasks and how effective your tools are will depoend on a variety of factors.

First, the tools that allow you to automate certain tasks may end up causing you more trouble than they are worth, so before you start using any software tools for your website’s promotion or SEO you should rundown the following tutorial to ensure you are choosing the right tool and automating the right processes. Many SEO processes are better done manually, including the all important Directory Submission.

This is one of the link building strategies which COULD be handled by SEO software tools, but is best done manually.  Most of the directories try to curb the practice of automated link building efforts through directory submission, becasue it results in spamming of the sites by abusers of the system. Sadly, this means that since there are a few ‘evildoers’ who refuse to curb the temptation to spam, the rest of us are unable to benefit from the time saving measures we could otherwise take advantage of thanks to modern technology.

That said, there are a number of tools that will automate the process partially; these generally have interface that will load the directories and allow us to fill the details once and preload the information once. The info is then saved and used for successive submissions reducing time and effort. Almost all directories now try to verify human submission by using ‘CAPTCHA’ registration verification, so you will have to enter each site’s individual CAPTCHA code manually – these tasks cannot be automated. However, partial automation will work with some aspects of directory submissions.

SEO software tools marketed today unfortunately don’t always reflect truthfulness in advertising, and should be well researched to see if they really work before you purchase them.  A tool may promise to get you good rankings with the click of few buttons, but in reality, no software tool available today is capable of replacing human optimization. The best that a software tool can do for you is to automate certain steps and save you time when it comes to repetitive tasks. Ultimately you have to decide how best to streamline your SEO process and where you can save time and energy when optimizing your website. Directory submission is one place where you need manual direction, and an SEO firm can help provide that at a better rate than you can do it for yourself.

Don’t be fooled by tools that claim to use ‘artificial intelligence’ on SEO. There is no such thing as a comprehensive, hand off SEO software – no ‘algorithm’ can be 100% successful  because of the unpredictable behavior patterns of the human mind and the ever changing rules of the search engines. This means you should carefully consider the reality of the claims made by software manufacturers before spending your money on software tools that don’t provide good results.