SEO tool selection checklist

Match the work you will do this quarter to keyword limits, seats, and how fresh the data needs to be, so you do not overbuy a suite or underbuy a tracker.

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1. Primary use this quarter: keyword research, rank tracking, site audit, backlink review, or AI-visibility experiments?
2. How many domains, and how many tracked keywords, do you need on day one?
3. Do ranks need to update daily or is weekly enough?
4. Who needs their own login, and who only needs a shared report?
5. Which daily lookup or search caps would block your work? Ask each vendor for the current cap on the plan you would buy. Caps change.
6. Do you need Looker, Sheets, an API, or webhooks?
7. Do you need local or map-pack tracking?
8. Write down the maximum monthly budget before add-ons.
9. Trial plan: which same seed keywords will you run in each tool during the trial?
10. Can you export keyword lists and rank history if you leave?

Do not copy a price or a limit from memory. Confirm both on the vendor's current pricing or help page. This checklist is not a test of any tool.

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