Elizabeth Kraus

Increase your brand’s online visibility and drive sales with Google Local Services Ads. To get started, confirm your eligibility, create an account, and set your service area by ZIP code or city. Then select your services and add your hours of operation. Next, preview and submit your listing for review. Once approved, set your budget and start monitoring the performance of your ads. Follow the seven easy steps below to set up and use local service ads on Google to generate leads and sales: 1. Verify Eligibility for Local Services Ads on Google Before you begin creating an account, you must determine your business’ eligibility. Eligibility is based on your location and the kind of service your business provides. Google makes this easy. Go to the  landing page and click “Get Started” to access the account registration page. Complete the form with the city and state where your business operates, and choose your industry. Once you’ve completed the form, click “Check Eligibility.” If your business operates in a region Local Services by Google supports, you’ll continue registering your business. But if Google does not serve your location yet, you’ll receive a message informing you to try again later. 2. Create Your Account After you’ve confirmed your eligibility, you’ll be prompted to enter contact information and other details about your business to create an account. This information includes standard entries, such as the name of your business, your first and last name, and a business phone number. That’s not all the information you can provide, however. You can make additional entries for a business website, a street address, the number of employees, and the year you started your business. While much of this information is optional, the more information you provide to Google, the stronger your listing will be. More importantly, the more information you add here, the more likely Google will approve your listing—and sooner. Google utilizes this information to verify the legitimacy of your small business. 3. Set Your Service Area Your service area is the geographic region where your ads will be displayed, based on the location of the person searching online. There are two easy ways to designate your service area: by city or ZIP code. Entering the ZIP codes of your service area will add those areas to your coverage map. If you don’t have a list of ZIP codes, you can enter city names. These two methods give you almost limitless control over your business’ market, which decreases the chance your ads will be shown to people outside of the area you serve. As you add your service area, the map will highlight those areas in blue. This gives you an idea of the size and scope of your service area and shows you any holes that might exist in coverage. Once your map matches your service area, indicate whether your business address is a location customers visit. For example, if your small business is a lawn care service operated out of your house, chances are customers don’t come to your location. However, if you’re operating a hair salon, clients need to know where to go. Select the appropriate option for your small business before moving forward. 4. List the Services Your Business Provides Next, Google will ask you to select your business’ services from a list of activities commonly found in your industry. Simply put a check in the box next to each service your business provides. Be sure to be specific. The selections you make here will shape the kind and quality of leads you receive. If your business does not provide a service, don’t click the box. You’re paying for each lead you get from Google, so if you don’t offer the service, don’t list it. Before you move forward, Google requires you to verify that you hold the appropriate licenses and certifications necessary to perform the work you’re advertising. Keep in mind that these questions are part of Google’s vetting process before they vouch for your small business. Only list services you’re licensed and certified to provide because getting listed in local services by Google may require you to provide proof of licensure or certifications. For some businesses or industries, Google also may contact you to request a background check. These steps are all just part of the process you’ll have to go through to get Google guaranteed. 5. Add Your Business Days & Hours of Operation Customers browsing Google small business ads need to know when you’re open and operating—and Google makes entering your operating hours simple. First, select the days your business is open by toggling the switch beside each day to “Open.” Marking a day open reveals a pair of drop-down menus with times. Pull down the menus to select the open and closing times for each day marked open. Once you’ve entered your hours of operation, you’re almost through with the ad setup process. 6. Preview & Submit Your Ad The final step of setting up your local service ad is to verify the appearance of your listing. Confirm that the information you’ve entered is displaying correctly. That includes double-checking the phone number, the name of your business, and any other information displayed. Once you’ve submitted your business listing, you cannot change it until after the verification process has been completed. Check the box to accept the onboarding agreement. Then, click next. You’ve successfully entered the verification process to become Google Guaranteed. But your work’s not done yet—there are still some things you’ll need to be prepared for after your business gets verified. After you submit your account for verification, Google will research your business’ credentials and may reach out to request documentation from you. They may request proof of liability insurance, business licenses, professional certifications, and any other documentation required for you to provide the services your customers are seeking. Once these have been submitted, you’ll receive word from Google that your business is approved for Local Services Ads. In addition to verifying your business is properly credentialed and insured, Google uses this to determine if your business can be a Google Screened or Google Guaranteed business. The “Google Screened” and “Google Guaranteed” labels only apply to specific industries. For example, professional service providers like lawyers or accountants receive “Google Screened” labels, while certain providers, such as appliance repair or lawn contractors, receive the “Google Guaranteed” designation. Which designation your business receives is determined by Google’s category placement. 7. Set Your Budget, Monitor Performance & Tweak Your Ads Once approved, you’ll need to set your budget—but you don’t have to go into the process blindfolded. Google provides an easy-to-use calculator to estimate how much your monthly advertising budget should be. To estimate how much you’ll need to spend each month to reach your sales goals, enter three pieces of information: Your ZIP code The number of leads you want to receive each month The types of products and/or services you provide Once you submit this information, the ads calculator provides a spending range to deliver your desired number leads. This calculator will give you a cost estimate, but ultimately, you control how much you spend after your account is verified. Decrease or increase your budget at any time, and just because you set a budget does not mean you have to stick with that amount if you aren’t getting the results you’re looking for. Once your budget is submitted and your local ads are up and running on Google, monitor the performance of your ads and make adjustments to increase your return on ad spend. You can tweak your advertising budget and local market area, then make other changes to improve performance. Also, learning more about local search engine optimization (SEO), in general, can help you improve your business’ online visibility—with or without ads. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Are local service ads worth it? For many businesses, Google’s Local Services Ads are worth the time and money. They are more targeted and competitive than typical pay-per-click (PPC) ads, which means you’re paying more per lead. However, Google does not charge per click—only per lead. You set your budget and manage the expense. You determine if you’re getting the return on investment (ROI) necessary to justify the expense. Where do local service ads appear? Local Services Ads appear at the top of Google search engine results pages (SERPs). They’re placed above regular Google ads, organic search results, and any Google Business Profile or mapped listings. This gives advertisers a huge advantage in terms of visibility and increases the likelihood these businesses will receive quality leads. What’s the difference between Google search & local services ads? Both Google search and Local Services Ads are search engine marketing (SEM) tactics for getting to the top of search pages. Brands using local service ads undergo verification, which isn’t required for search advertisers. Also, search ads are pay-per-click, whereas Local Ads are pay-by-lead, meaning someone took action to contact your business, like filling out a form on your website or clicking a hyperlinked phone number. Bottom Line While there are many local advertising ideas and digital marketing materials available to your business, Local Services Ads are a valuable tool to grow your small business. In addition to being hyper-targeted to your local market, you’re meeting potential customers in their moment of need. Each person searching for your service locally has decided to be someone’s customer. With Google Local Services Ads, you are taking one more step toward ensuring they’re your customer. Learning how to use local service ads effectively takes time and involves a degree of trial and error. Avoid wasting time and valuable ad spend with the ad experts at Lyfe Marketing. specializes in creating and managing highly effective pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns. Get started today with a free, no-risk consultation.

A strong brand enables you to attract and retain customers, stand out from the competition, and build trust and credibility with your audience. From creating a well-defined brand identity and consistently delivering on your brand promise to creating compelling, differentiated messaging, these eye-opening branding statistics will convince you to pay attention to your brand and invest in managing your reputation. 1. Branding consistency can increase revenue by 20% In addition to brand familiarity, customers want brand consistency, no matter where or how they interact with your business. Branding stats indicate that brand consistency can have a major impact on your company's revenues. The State of Brand Consistency report by Lucidpress found that consistent branding across all channels can increase revenue anywhere from 10% to 20%. Brand consistency means customers receive the same impression and experience when interacting with your brand regardless of marketing or communication channel. Familiarity through consistent experiences generates confidence among customers because they know what to expect. Think about how fast-food chains succeed: There may be places with better food, but people go to restaurants they know because of the consistency. This branding statistic shows that with brand familiarity and consistency in service, you can compete with bigger industry players. 2. 85% of companies have brand guidelines In the Lucidpress study, 85% of organizations reported they had brand guidelines. However, only 30% say they are enforced. As a result, 77% of brands end up with off-brand content. Inability to provide a consistent brand experience makes it harder to build brand recognition, and more challenging to connect with customers. 3. Brand love = loyalty, word of mouth, and willingness to pay more So I guess you could say it’s getting pretty serious. Researchers studying sport-related brands (e.g., Red Bull, Nike, Adidas, and so on) found that brand love produced three significant revenue drivers: loyalty, word of mouth, and willingness to spend more. Loyalty equates to return visits and future purchases, and word of mouth produces new customers.  When consumers are willing to spend more on a brand, it gives your business more freedom to raise prices or create upgraded versions of a product. In addition, it signals to the marketplace that your business is a non-commodity, meaning your product or service can’t be replicated elsewhere.  It’s easy to understand how sports-related brands can generate brand love. After all, sports are often seen as a reflection of the inner self, and tying a brand to a team a consumer loves, by extension, brings some of the feelings along with it. The takeaway for less emotionally charged industries is that you need to find out how to connect with some aspect of your audience emotionally, from cause-related involvement to creating points of personal connection.  4. Online communities create brand trust with 64.3% of women In studying the relationship between brand trust and online brand communities, researchers found online communities move the needle significantly in creating trust with consumers—in particular, with 64.3% of women and younger consumers (44.9% of people aged 18-22 years).  Still, many brands today don’t have online communities or forums, and some don’t even have an active social media presence for people to engage with. In addition to creating trust, developing online communities gives brands that all-so-important means of creating personal connections with customers, which in turn brings more word of mouth, loyalty, and increased brand affinity.  The good news is that in addition to getting more active in social media marketing, you can easily build your own online community with site builders like Wix. By simply signing up, customers can participate in member-only content, polls, and discussions, starting with the free site builder version. 5. 46% of consumers will pay more for trusted brands Software as a service (SaaS) company Salsify surveyed more than 4,000 consumers for its 2022 consumer research report. When asked to identify the factors that have driven them to buy the higher-priced option when comparing similar products online, 46% of U.S. consumers admit that they pay more for a brand name they trust. Here’s why it pays to build brand awareness: 46% of customers tend to buy from familiar brands. The more people recognize, appreciate, and believe in your brand, the more they buy from you. 6. Shared values drive 64% of brand relationships According to the Harvard Business Review, shared values are a driving factor in more than six out of every 10 brand relationships. Your brand must resonate with the target audience’s values and convey them in a way that forms connections between your company and customers. This branding statistic shows that every single experience and interaction counts—from the time a customer touches your brand to when they move on to other things. For instance, when it comes to technology, speed, coolness, and wow factor—that’s Apple. When you think of faith, family, great service, and tasty food—it’s Chick-fil-A. 7. Customers will pay 50% more for businesses making an impact Price isn’t always the bottom line. Many customers are willing to pay more to companies that align with their values. Thirteen percent of customers are willing to pay anywhere from 31% to 50% more to do business with companies they view as making a positive impact in the world. This is a really important branding statistic because a lot of people assume cheaper is always more competitive, but that’s not always the case. 8. Automation is changing the face of branding There is a new shift in acceptance in the use of automation for marketing—including branding and creatives. According to a survey by Bynder, OnBrand, and Vanson Bourne, around half of the 1,600 marketers surveyed in 2021 said that creative automation would help them meet output production goals since it can be used to create content more efficiently. The same survey also indicates that more marketers are now recognizing the benefits of using automation for branding. Around 50% of respondents said that automation would actually improve brand consistency. 9. Social media is the top driver of consumer brand sentiment  A 2022 study measuring the effect of digital marketing on consumer behavior found that the top three drivers of consumer attitudes to be (in order):  Social media Search engine advertising Content marketing  However, in terms of purchase intent, the study found that content marketing had the most impact, followed by social media, search ads, and email marketing. It’s interesting to note the study found that email marketing didn’t contribute significantly to either consumer attitudes or search intent.  One takeaway here is search ads are significantly contributing to brand sentiment. So, developing search and banner ads that closely align with your brand’s desired image and unique value proposition is essential. Second, content marketing becomes more important during the consumer’s consideration phase in deciding which brand to go with. 10. 69% of consumers will engage with your brand using chatbots Technology is expanding the number of ways customers can engage with your brand, from automation to online tools. When they come to your website, if they can’t quickly find the information they need, seven out of 10 are perfectly comfortable interacting with your brand and business via online chat per the 2021 State of Social report from NetQuid. These branding statistics clearly demonstrate that every aspect of the customer experience counts. Every touchpoint, from those within your control (like marketing materials, website, social presence—even your chatbot) to those outside of your creative process (e.g., reviews, online mentions, and so on) contribute to the perceptions that comprise your brand to the public. Establishing brand awareness is the key to getting leads into your sales pipeline for nurturing and offering the brand consistency that produces more sales, retention, and loyalty. The branding stats in the statistic below speak specifically to brand awareness. 11. Increasing brand awareness is a top priority Semrush asked 1,500 marketers from over 40 countries to indicate their top priorities in creating brand content from most important (1) to least important (8). In the State of Content Marketing survey, 45% of respondents ranked "increase brand awareness" as the number one priority, giving it top billing among the objectives listed. Brand awareness is the key to driving customers to your business and fostering loyalty. Creating a recognizable brand can help you attract new customers and grow your business. It can also make your brand more memorable and differentiate it from your competitors. Start by creating a strong visual identity for your brand and then consistently apply this branding across all of your marketing materials. 12. Marketers top concerns include brand engagement & consistency Responding to Bynder’s 2021 State of Branding survey, marketers identified their top concerns as follows: 26%: Engaging their audience on over-crowded digital marketing channels 25%: Might not be able to produce all of the creative and content requested 17%: Maintaining brand consistency 16%: Adding in-person events back into marketing strategies 15%: Post-pandemic messaging strategy 13. 41% of brands use influencers to increase brand awareness MeltWater’s 2021 State of Social found that four out of 10 brands would have employed influencer marketing by the year’s end. At 32%, both business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) brands listed increasing brand awareness as their top goal for influencer marketing. For non-government organizations (NGOs), increasing brand awareness was also the top goal listed by 35% of marketers. 14. There’s more demand for brand content than ever before An overwhelming 85% of marketers said there was more demand for brand content than before the pandemic. This is compared to 9% who reported no change and 6% who said there was less demand for their content. More demand for content can quickly cause burnout, especially for small teams. For low-cost help producing content for your website, blog, or social media, turn to . You’ll be able to connect with freelance professionals who can help you scale up your content marketing plan affordably, with prices as low as $10 to $25 per project. 15. Content marketing drives 3x higher brand engagement Content marketing gets three times as many leads as advertising. It encourages brand engagement, leading to brand awareness, recognition, and recall. Investing in quality content, and especially personalized content, connects people to your brand’s voice and builds relationships. It costs less than pay-per-click ads, and it gets customers to trust your brand by providing useful information about topics that interest your audience. 16. It takes 5-7 impressions to produce brand awareness Customers won’t remember a brand after just seeing it a couple of times. People have to be exposed to a brand five to seven times to start recognizing it. It takes further consistent exposure over time for the brand to become familiar enough to remember it by name. This is why commercials and ads are so important. Even if people do not buy because they saw one specific commercial, they are being exposed to the brand. 17. You have 7 seconds to make a first impression Human beings scan their environment and form instant impressions. It takes just seven seconds for customers to make an instant decision whether or not they like and trust your brand. This brand stat shows that you need to make those seven seconds count by investing in quality branding, especially visual branding, which accounts for a good deal of first impressions. While branding can help make a positive first impression with a new potential customer, it also influences your brand’s connection with existing customers, as shown in the following statistics. 18. A loyal customer is worth 10 one-time customers Brand loyalty can be worth quite a lot. In fact, a loyal customer may be your best advocate, sharing your company’s information with many friends over time. Brand loyalty yields 10 times more than the profits you make on a single purchase. Word of mouth is the best marketing, and it usually comes from loyal customers. This is one of the branding stats that shows that cultivating, improving, and encouraging brand loyalty provides great benefits over time. If you need assistance when it comes to brand awareness monitoring and tracking your online mentions, you can use . 19. For 94%, transparency is key to loyalty People (whether consumers considering retail purchases or business buyers) want to buy from brands they can trust. They have various ethical issues that are important to them, and they want to support companies that have the same values as they have. No one wants to give money to sleazy companies that are ripping people off. Transparency was at the very top of the list of factors that would influence brand loyalty. In a survey of 2,000 customers, the study found that 94% will be loyal to a transparent brand, and 39% will change brands in pursuit of brand transparency. This brand stat shows that honesty really is the best policy for everything from pricing and operations to employee culture and corporate values. 20. Overdoing self-promotion will cost you followers Per the Unfollow Algorithm on BuzzStream, 45% of customers will unfollow a brand on social media if it spends too much time promoting itself. Remember that for the most part people are tuned into one station: “WIIFM” (an acronym that stands for “What’s in it for me?”). Create a customer persona, or an ideal customer, and think about how your brand solves problems for that ideal customer. Then, target your social media marketing efforts around that narrative and you’ll build a winning formula. Curious about what a customer persona is all about? Read this article on how to create a customer persona and download a free template. Branding statistics from a study conducted by Twitter and Market Probe International found that 72% of customers who follow a company on Twitter are likely to buy from that company. Instead of only promoting your products, offer information and engagement that will help your customers within your niche. Focus on making their lives better, and you will gain loyalty. 21. Most people follow 1-4 brands It takes effort to win customers on social media. Fifty percent of customers only follow one to four brands on social media, with another 26% following fewer than 10 brands. Getting into the coveted spot where customers are willing to have you show up on their feed is a competitive task. Again, it’s all about relationships. Brand stats tell us that customers want to feel they have a relationship with the brand. They’ll spend time with your brand, but only if you prove yourself worthy by offering content that is valuable to your customers. Brand recognition also plays a large role in bringing customers back again and again, as seen in the following statistic. 22. Influencer marketing is the top strategy for increasing brand recognition in 2022 In 2022, marketers are leveraging influencer marketing (34%) more than any other tactic, in part to counteract the diminishing impact of online ads (due to the increased use of ad blockers). This is followed by improving site visitor experience on mobile (33%), short-form videos (31%), virtual events (31%), and experiential marketing (29%) to build brand recognition and promote sales. The 2022 State of Marketing Trends (by HubSpot, Litmus, Rock Content, and Wistia) report also showed that the top channels being employed are: 44%: Social media 36%: Website/blog 35%: Email marketing 32%: Content marketing 30%: Influencer marketing 26%: SEO marketing 25%: Virtual events 23. 80% use social ads to increase brand recognition Only 20% of brand marketers don’t use social ads to increase brand awareness and recognition. For the eight in 10 using paid social, Facebook produces the highest return on investment (ROI) for 26% of marketers, followed by Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, and TikTok (the new kid on the social media block). The top social platforms being used for advertising in 2022 are: 79%: Facebook 69%: YouTube 65%: TikTok 63%: Instagram 57%: Twitter 56%: Tumblr 49%: Reddit 47%: LinkedIn 43%: Twitch 42%: Pinterest 41%: Snapchat 24. 40% of customers will stick to private label brands Customers bought more private label brands than ever before in recent years. Fifty-eight percent of buyers switched to a private label brand when their preferred brand wasn’t available, and 40% of those said they will continue to buy the private label brand that they switched to. Private label brands are products manufactured by a third party and labeled with the brand of another. Many small businesses use private label brands to boost brand image and give customers a reason to shop at their stores. These “exclusive” products rely more upon brand image than product differentiation for sales. Small business owners can benefit from the positive impression that consumers have of private labels to build their own branded products. Nearly half—48%—of those who said they’d keep buying the private label brand they switched to said that price was a driving factor. 25. Signature brand color boosts brand recognition by 80% Visual branding includes choosing the color, logo type, and other aspects of the design of your brand. Among these attributes, it is color that boosts brand recognition by a whopping 80%. In terms of branding statistics, this indicates why choosing a good website color scheme is so important. For brand colors, blue and shades of blue are the most popular. Around 30% of brands include some shade of blue in their logo. In Western culture, color denotes things like security, trustworthiness, and seriousness. The color blue can even produce calming feelings. This is one reason why financial firms like IBM and Chase bank use blue in their logos. Branding helps ensure you are top of mind whenever a customer or potential customer sees your logo. Learn more about how to make a good website by reading our list of web design statistics. 26. Great customer service wins over 86% of customers Many small business owners complain that they can’t spend as much on branding as their larger competitors. This may be true, but it’s not always what you spend on a fancy new logo or an ad campaign that matters. A convincing 86% of the time, a great customer experience will turn a one-time client into a loyal brand advocate (Khoros). In addition, 83% of customers feel more loyal to a brand that has resolved an issue or complaint. Another branding stat offered by Salesforce Research indicates that 89% of people are likely to purchase again when their first brand experience was a positive one. Providing exemplary customer service throughout your company, for example, costs little or nothing. However, it yields extraordinary results when it comes to positive brand impressions. 27. Customers make decisions based on customer service reviews Customer service is a massive driving factor in customers’ decisions to buy again or not to buy again. Customers are also very likely to share their customer service experiences online, whether the experience was good or bad. Those reviews matter: 80% of consumers say they only trust brands with 4- to 5-star ratings. Only 13% will consider doing business with a brand rated 1-2 stars. An ongoing review strategy is also important as 85% of consumers say they only factor in reviews left during the most recent three months, and 40% don’t even consider those more than two weeks old. The most proactive approach for managing your brand’s reputation is to tap a top digital marketing agency like Hibu. Hibu’s experienced professionals will manage your online customer reviews as well as collect and share customer feedback, ratings, and reviews. 28. A 2% increase in customer retention can lower costs by 10% Customer retention, or keeping customers coming back to your business, lowers costs by 10% because you spend less on acquisition advertising. The better your brand, the more recognition your business receives, and the easier it is to keep it top of mind among your customers. Better branding leads to improved recognition and sales which, in turn, reduces the amount of money you must spend on advertising. It’s a virtuous cycle that starts with creating a great customer experience and welcomes customers with consistent values, products, and services. 29. 62% of customers share deals with friends Social media is an incredibly effective venue for word-of-mouth sharing about brands. Running deals on social media and asking customers to share your offer is an effective way to generate word-of-mouth buzz and get new followers and leads online. Make the most of this and similar word-of-mouth branding stats by offering deals and giveaways that require customers to like and share to get the deal. 30. 36% of brands want employee word of mouth Who better to endorse a brand than its employees? Thirty-six percent of B2B companies are or plan to encourage online employee advocacy to build a stronger brand reputation. The same is true for 21% of direct-to-consumer businesses and 18% of non-government organizations (Meltwater State of Social Media 2021). Social media, of course, is another highly effective way to build your brand, which is why your branding strategy should also carry over to any social media channels your business chooses to use. When building a brand on social media, it is import to consider the information in the following statistic. 31. Personalized ads are preferred by 48% of customers Many consumers, especially younger ones, have accepted that their data is going to be sold as the price for being online. As long as their information is getting collected and sold anyway, nearly half say they want companies to personalize the way they advertise to them, targeting their individual interests and lifestyles and bringing them products that will make their lives better. Still, this is easier said than done. The Bynder State of Branding report revealed that brand marketers sometimes find it difficult to personalize marketing and advertising content, citing these top brand marketing challenges: 25.7%: Creating personalized messages for the right audience 23%: Getting the right technology in place to support personalization 21.8%: Finding the right balance between personalization and brand voice Your audience doesn’t want to be bombarded with ads, especially for things they find irrelevant or uninteresting. They want your ads to be placed in their digital path at the right time, on the right channel, with the products they want to see, in ways that are useful, entertaining, and educational—not annoying. To do this, you’ll need to utilize the right data and lead management tools. In order to segment your customer base properly, use a top customer relationship management (CRM) platform like HubSpot CRM to collect and organize your data. Then use the platform’s native email marketing and ad management tools to put your ads in front of the right customers at the right time. 32. Effective use of social media can increase sales by 32% Stores with a social media presence make an average of 32% more sales than stores that aren’t on social channels. From engaging posts to real-time customer service (which makes you look trustworthy to potential customers), your Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts can all help your business win customers and generate more revenue. For example, nearly eight out of 10—78% of U.S. consumers—have purchased from a brand they discovered on Facebook. For more information on how social media can boost your small business, check out our guide to social media marketing. 33. 73% of marketers think social media marketing is effective Today, customers expect to be able to engage with brands instantly, especially on social media. Customers also look to social media to see how companies handle customer service and whether they are responsive to customer feedback. Social media users share deals and reviews with each other. Sixty-eight percent of adults use Facebook, making it the most-used social media platform. And 73% of marketers believe that social media is either somewhat effective or very effective for their business. These branding statistics show just how important it is to invest in a winning social media strategy. 34. Choosing the right platform matters Few marketers are unaware that some social media platforms are better for building brand recognition and awareness with their target audiences than others. Fifty-five percent of business-to-business (B2B) marketers turn to LinkedIn compared to just 28% that leverage Facebook for brand building, per MeltWater’s 2021 State of Social report. On the other hand, Facebook is far and away the go-to social channel for building brand awareness for business-to-consumer (B2C) companies. Sixty percent of B2C companies use Facebook for marketing followed by 28% using Instagram, 6% using Twitter, and just 2% investing in LinkedIn as a marketing tool. Bottom Line Small business owners would be wise to invest time and effort into their branding. A strong brand with wide recognition can be worth millions, if not billions, of dollars. To build such a brand, begin with excellent service, which costs nothing except time and training to implement. A recognizable brand image, consistently deployed across all marketing channels, helps increase brand awareness. With the insights from these branding statistics, you can build a great brand that helps you retain more customers and reduce marketing costs. You Might Also Like… Your website is the hub of your online brand presence—check out the small business website statistics you need to know. We rounded up more than a dozen important ecommerce statistics for online sellers. If small business statistics are important to you, you’ll find more than 200 here.

Using search engine optimization (SEO) tools to rank higher in turn boosts web traffic, brand awareness, leads, and sales with customers in your area. The best local SEO tools are free or affordable and easy to use. They offer a broad range of features from websites and analytics to site audits, keyword research, social media monitoring, competitor analysis, reviews, listings, locale-based rank trackers, and more. Based on use case, here are our top picks: : Most beginner-friendly and affordable all-in-one local SEO tools : Ideal for those looking for the most comprehensive all-in-one solution : A must for placement in Google local search and map results : Best for getting found in Bing searches : Quickest way for service-based businesses to get into local search results : Best website builder for local SEO : Great for ensuring content optimization on WordPress or Shopify : Best free tool for ensuring user experience (UX) across device types : Best AI-powered content brief generator for local SEO : Best free local SEO keyword tools : Best Chrome extension for researching competitor or high-ranking URLs : Best browser extension to get instant data for keywords in search results : Outstanding platform to get customer reviews to increase local rankings : Best for monitoring online brand reputation : Best for enhanced local listings optimized for voice search : Best local SEO tools for link-building outreach : Top local SEO rank tracker for rankings by neighborhood, city, or region : Best multi-location rank tracker : Excellent free quick response (QR) code maker to increase web traffic : Excellent platform for streamlining social media monitoring and management : Multiple free local SEO tools: XML sitemap generator, Schema Markup generator, mobile-friendly test, and location-based search results pages Best All-in-one Tools for Local SEO All-in-one platforms with local SEO tools save you time and eliminate the guesswork of where your site ranks locally now and how to rank higher on Google and other search engines. There are several platforms with tools similar to the solutions below, but we chose these based not only on cost (which is a top concern for most small businesses), but also provider reputation and data accuracy. 1. SE Ranking: Most Affordable & Beginner-friendly All-in-one Local SEO Tools New to our lineup of the best local SEO tools as far as an all-in-one solution is . It provides the best combination of essential tools for local search optimization at a more affordable starting price point than competitors like . However, keep in mind that lower-cost plans restrict the frequency of your tracked keyword rankings, will be updated, and limit your number of projects, reports, tracked backlinks, and so on. The SE Ranking platform is visually oriented, making navigating all available tools easier. In addition, with your subscription comes an orientation meeting and a question-and-answer session. This makes it a lot easier to understand all the tools available to you and to ensure you can get the data and reports you need to find ways to rank higher in local searches. We also find its documentation and suggestions to be written with beginners in mind. This makes it easy to learn about local SEO and implement the tactics needed to increase your rankings on Google, Bing, and other search engines. Local SEO tools on SE ranking include the ability to set up projects. This allows you to create a dashboard with high-level information about your site vs local competitors you want to track. It also has tools to help you find the best local keywords to target with your content and digital ads. Plus, you can enter your target keywords into the SERPs (search engine results pages) analyzer to see what URLs are ranking for keywords you want your site to rank for. New to SE Ranking are tools for local content marketing, which require an add-on costing $29 to $99 per month, depending on how many articles you plan to publish. You can get a content brief with suggestions, analyze your content to ensure it’s optimized well for local SEO, get a content quality score, and see a list of related keywords to include. There’s also a content idea finder, and coming soon is an artificial intelligence (AI) content writing add-on. A feature unique to SE Ranking’s content marketing tools is its locale-based results. Tools like and generate content ideas and information about top-ranking articles at the national level, but with SE Ranking, you can hone in on city-based results. This allows you to see exactly what people near your business are searching for and tailor your content accordingly. SE Rankings’ pricing structure is complex, especially compared to the straightforward options offered by competitor Semrush. However, this allows you to choose your own adventure and control your costs, which is how it can offer less expensive pricing that’s more budget-friendly for startups and small operations. For example, you can get daily ranking checks and pay month-to-month for $49. If you only need to check rankings weekly, you can pay as little as $23.52 per month, billed annually. In the table below, we’ve simplified the structure by showing what your costs will be if you pay monthly. SE Ranking Pricing & Plans *Application program interfaces for automations with third-party apps If you’re able to pay three, six, nine, or 12 months in advance, you can also save an additional 5% to 20% with any plan. Another way that SE Ranking saves you money vs competitors is by including multiple user seats (three to 10) when you upgrade to a higher plan. Semrush, for example, charges an additional $45 to $100 per extra user seat, depending on your plan. While less expensive than Semrush, it’s not fully apples to apples. For example, base tier includes 500 tracked keywords vs 250 with SE Ranking, as do plan upgrades. Also, Semrush has features specific to local SEO not found in SE Ranking, like listings and reviews management. Still, SE Ranking can’t be beaten if you’re looking for a robust set of tools for local SEO that don’t come with an expensive price tag. This opinion is also bolstered by an impressive 4.8 out of 5 rating from over 1,000 customers on G2.com. Try it risk-free with a 14-day free trial, no credit card required. 2. Semrush: Most Comprehensive Local SEO Tools has long offered some of the most comprehensive local SEO tools for content marketing, competitor research, and site auditing. In recent years it has further enriched these features with new tools, such as a content marketing template and SEO writing assistant (for Guru and Business subscribers), a $20 listings management add-on, and broader social media integration. While some of its tools are similar to , they offer far higher limits in every plan. This makes Semrush the best choice for local SEO tools for advanced users or teams wanting to get the most data points. For example, at the base tier, Semrush provides 3,000 keyword and competitor reports with 10,000 results each, vs 100 reports with 1,000 results each with SE Ranking. Likewise, Semrush site audits include 100,000 pages in the base tier vs 40,000 with SE Ranking. When it comes to local SEO, there’s almost nothing Semrush doesn’t offer. However, some features require higher-tier subscriptions, which may put some tools out of reach for startups and solopreneurs on a limited budget. For instance, while all users can see what keywords a page ranks for, viewing historical data of position changes requires a Guru or Business subscription. Semrush is a must-have for digital marketing agencies managing local clients’ SEO efforts. You can leverage its tools to create products and services, such as competitor analysis reports, which can offset your costs. For example, competitor gap analysis reports show how each site compares for specific keywords, identifies content that needs improvement, and suggests which keywords you can rank for. The Semrush Writing Assistant (Guru plan and above) is especially helpful for small businesses using content to drive and convert organic website traffic. You can analyze a URL on your website or cut and paste the text of an article or page you are writing, input your intended keyword, and quickly find out whether the content is local-search optimized or get suggestions for improving it. Semrush Pricing & Plan Features *Save 17% by paying annually has plan offerings under $30 per month, which Semrush doesn’t. However, Semrush has a free-forever plan for those needing basic keyword and competitor data to boost local SEO efforts. Also, keep in mind that as you add more features and higher limits to your SE Ranking plan, your cost will be comparable to Semrush’s pre-packaged options. For the most extensive local SEO marketing tools, is the powerhouse. While not as cheap as SE Ranking, its features and limits are better. The return on investment can be significant for those wanting to attract leads through local search-optimized content and Google Ads. It’s also an excellent tool for agencies managing the local SEO efforts of multiple clients or wanting to leverage local SEO reports as a product offering. Search Engine Tools for Local SEO Top search engines like Google and Bing provide free and paid tools you can access to increase rankings, such as free listings with local SEO citations. The free tools, in particular, are essential for small businesses that want to show up on local search results pages (SERPs) and map-based results. Here are three to consider: 3. Google Business Profile: A Must for Ranking in Google Search & Map Results A quick check of Google Search Statistics shows that 92% of global search volume is from Google. Because of this, a (GBP) is an essential local SEO tool for any business that wants to be visible in local search results or map pack results on Google. With no cost beyond your time, you can easily create a Google Business Profile that shows essential information such as your business address, phone number, website, reviews, photos, and hours of operation. Doing so ensures that your information will be accurate when your site is included in search results. It also offers more ways to improve SEO, including customer reviews and questions. The more positive reviews you have on Google and the more you engage with people who visit your profile, the more benefit to your optimization efforts. Once you’ve created a profile and it’s been verified, you can also connect with customers through phone calls or chat messaging. Publish Google Posts to share updates and offer promotions to your customers, or provide announcements like a holiday closure or temporary changes to hours of operation during the holidays. Then, Google My Business Insights allow you to see how customers interact and connect with your brand on Google. Of course, one of the most important features of GBP is the fact that customers can leave reviews. These reviews show up alongside your Business Profile in Maps and Search, so they can give your small business a big credibility boost without having to spend a lot of money. These features make Google Business Profile one of the best free local SEO tools for small businesses. 4. Bing Places for Business: Best for Getting Found on Bing A listing is intended for use by local businesses with a physical location that customers visit. Similar to a Google Business Profile, it provides a free business directory listing for SEO and ensures that your information is accurate when your profile appears in Bing search or map results. Google and Bing are just two online business listings that can improve your site’s SEO and rankings. See where else to add your business listings in our write-up of more than three dozen online business directories to expand your brand presence online. Learn how to create your free listing on Bing Places for Business in a few easy steps. Our article walks you through the steps, including instructions to follow if you have 10 locations or more. It also has key stats about Bing Places and Bing search audiences, demonstrating the value of investing your time in this local SEO tool. 5. Local Services Ads: Best Paid Option for Local Service Businesses While you can use Google or Microsoft Ads to promote your business locally, Google’s represent a better option for service-based companies. Local Services Ads include trust markers like “Google Guaranteed” (reserved for home-based services) or “Google Screened,” along with your aggregate review rating. All of these increase trust, in turn generating more leads than basic search ads. Another way Local Services Ads differ from search ads is the cost basis. With search ads, you pay any time when someone clicks on your listing. With Local Services Ads, you only pay if someone contacts your company through the advertisement. In other words, you pay per lead, not per click. Learn more about the benefits and how to get started with Local Services Ads. Cost of Local Services Ads It’s impossible to provide exact pricing for Google’s Local Services Ads. However, you do have control over your budget at all times, and you can pause and restart ads at will. Your cost per lead could be just a few dollars or much higher, depending on the competition for ad placement in search results. The general consensus is that most advertisers will pay from $5 to $30 per lead. However, as with Google Ads, the cost for industries like legal services are likely to be much higher, with some examples coming in at over $200 per lead. One way to determine if it’s worthwhile for your industry is to compare the cost per lead to sales metrics, such as your average customer lifetime value (CLV). Since all of these leads are trackable, you can also compare the profits earned on sales produced from ads to determine if it’s cost-effective for your business. Best Local Search Optimization Website & Content Tools No discussion of local SEO tools would be complete without talking about tools used to build or optimize your small business website itself. These include both internal website solutions and external tools you can use to ensure a good user experience (UX), content optimization, and get backlinks to build your site’s authority with search engines. 6. Wix: Best Website Builder for Local Search Optimization A lot of people think they have to use WordPress if they want good local SEO—and for the most part, this used to be true. Today, site builders like are the usually best way to build a small business website. There’s little to no learning curve. Still, integrations and apps can be installed and activated with no more than a click or two, security is built-in, and many offer free plans or trials, giving you a no-risk way to explore the platforms. We reviewed dozens of website builders against about 30 different data points. We conclude that is the best site builder for SEO, including local search engine optimization. In addition to SEO features that ensure site visitor security (free SSL and protection from hackers and malware), it provides automatic image compression (for fast load time) and automatic schema markup (aka structured markup). On top of these impressive features, Wix and announced a new partnership. Semrush users can now integrate the platform’s keyword research tools into their Wix dashboards. This means you can create a custom, professional-looking website for your business quickly and easily, including tackling both on-page and technical SEO issues. Wix Pricing & Plan Features *Month-to-month billing is also available for all plans at a slightly higher cost. Wix is great for local SEO, and it’s one of the best website builders for small businesses overall. Plans are affordable, its tools are intuitive and beginner-friendly, and SEO features are baked in. 7. Yoast: Best Content Optimizer for WordPress & Shopify  is a popular plugin that can be added to your WordPress or Shopify website. At the page or blog article level, it provides instant analysis of the content based on your desired target keyword. Your results will either indicate you have optimized the page well or provide easy-to-implement suggestions that even beginners will have no trouble understanding. Opting for a paid plan provides even more local SEO tools you can take advantage of. For example, Yoast Workouts walk you through on-page and technical aspects of optimization that help you rank higher, get more website traffic, and improve your site’s UX. It also includes full access to Yoast SEO Academy to build on what you already know. Yoast Pricing & Plan Features In addition to standalone offerings, Yoast saves you money by offering a bundled version for WordPress ecommerce websites using WooCommerce. Or you can go all-in with Yoast’s Plugin Subscription plan for $229 per year and get all five of the plugins they offer, full access to all online training, and updates. Month-to-month billing is also available for this plan at $22. 8. MobileMoxie: Best Free UX Testing Tool is an SEO software platform with tools that enable you to fine-tune your search attribution tracking. It will automatically track your search rankings, landing pages, and mobile apps across over 50 device types and by location. It also offers some tools you can use for free. Among MobileMoxie’s free local SEO tools are the Page-oscope and SERPerator. The Page-oscope allows you to test mobile landing pages on over 50 iOS and Android devices. See what your site visitor sees when they visit your site, including mobile calls to action and how your conversion pipeline works. Use the insights to improve the site visitor user experience (UX), ensuring a good experience on every type of device. You can use the Page-oscope up to three times a day for free or get more use with any paid plan. MobileMoxie’s SERPerator is another local SEO tool you can use for free up to three times daily to check mobile rankings by address. It also provides historical data (for paid plan users) that allows you to go back in time up to three months to see changes in rankings and SERP features like Featured Snippets and Knowledge Graph posts from your Google Business Profile. MobileMoxie Pricing & Plans *Month-to-month pricing, or save by paying annually Use MobileMoxie’s Page-oscope to ensure a good site visitor experience by device type. Use SERPerator to see rankings for your target keywords based on a radius from any address you type in. Take advantage of the ability to test these tools for free to see whether a subscription makes sense for your business. 9. Dashword: Best AI-powered NLP Content Brief Generator While you will find similar tools in both and , is the best local SEO tool for those looking for content creation and analysis tools that generate natural language processing (NLP) results. NLP results are significant for local businesses wanting to rank in online mobile searches as well as searches on voice assistants like Siri and Alexa. Creating NLP content is also an effective way to capture SERP features, like Google snippets. As a bonus, this tool can also help you create content for frequently asked questions (FAQ) pages and chatbot responses, which rely on NLP. It’s also excellent for optimizing product descriptions and social media advertising content if you’re looking for more ways to leverage Dashword. Dashword has a Google Docs add-on that allows you to use the tool while writing content and easily share access with multiple collaborators. Within the tool, you can generate an outline, edit it, and then share it with your writers in minutes. Note: While artificial intelligence (AI) content generators are impressive, it’s essential to use them correctly. Google’s algorithm can easily detect AI content. Using content generated straight from AI without re-writing it and ensuring the content is high-quality can end up penalizing your website. The best way to use automatic content generators is as a guide to know what is included in the top search engine results and to brainstorm ways to make your article better. Ideas and competitive research in hand, take this analysis and use it to write an article that deserves a high ranking because it provides unique value to your reader. Google refers to this as “people first content,” and it’s essential for small businesses looking to rank higher in local searches. Learn more in this article on Google Search Essentials. Dashword Pricing & Plan Features Dashword is an excellent tool for those wanting a dedicated platform to generate content briefs and monitor and track content over time. It allows you to quickly brainstorm what to include in your content and find ways to improve your existing articles and landing pages over time. Plus, you can test out the content brief generator for free before committing to a plan. Best Free Local SEO Tools for Keyword & Competitor Research For small businesses on a tight budget or those just learning the ins and outs of local SEO, free local SEO tools could be the best way to get started. The free tools below were selected because they provide a lot of value that you can use for keyword and competitor research. 10. SpyFu: Best Free Local SEO Tools for Keyword Research is an all-in-one tool for keyword research, rankings, backlinks, competitor benchmarking, SERP analysis, and more. It’s one of the best free local SEO tools, as you can access nearly everything on the platform in the free version. See which keywords local customers use to find businesses like yours, what types of backlinks can help your site rank higher, and export data for tracking. It’s worth pointing out that does have a free plan and offers more comprehensive tools for keyword research (and arguably more accurate data). However, SpyFu offers more access at the free level, making it the best all-in-one local SEO tool for small businesses on a budget. In addition to finding the top local keywords for your website’s content, you can also find the keywords to use in your pay-per-click (PPC) ads on Google and social media. Plus, you’ll be able to see what keywords your competitors use in their ads and which ads are most effective. Upgrade to a paid plan to automate tracking for rankings and keywords and get more data in your results for keywords, top-ranking sites, and more. Paid plans also provide you with contact information of potential prospects or domain contacts to help with link building. SpyFu Pricing & Plan Features *Monthly billing is also available for $39, $39, or $299 per month, respectively. SpyFu is a solid option for small businesses looking for an affordable, all-in-one solution for improving local SEO. Keep in mind, it’s not nearly as comprehensive as or , and only provides data for two countries. Still, it offers the ability to get a lot of local SEO data on competitors, in particular, starting in the free version, so there’s no risk in trying it out to see if it’s right for your business. 11. SEOquake: Best Free Chrome Extension for Quick URL Insights is a free Chrome extension you can use to get instant information about any website or web page URL while surfing the internet. Semrush powers it, so you must create a free Semrush account to use it (or subscribe to a paid plan). Once installed, simply click on the SEOquake favicon in the extensions (top right menu bar of your Chrome browser, see below). A pop-up will instantly appear with domain information such as traffic, number of pages indexed, number of backlinks, and additional tabs for more information. You can also dial down into metrics for any URL. Clicking on “PAGE INFO” opens up a new tab on your browser and shows page-level data, including keywords used on the page. “DIAGNOSIS” provides an SEO audit report for the page, “INTERNAL” and “EXTERNAL” show link-related details, and “DENSITY” gives you a more focused look into the keywords used as well as the page’s title and meta description. There are a few different ways you can use this data. You can use it to research the URLs that rank highest for your target keywords or to research competitors’ sites (or determine which competitor sites to use as benchmarks). You can also use the tools to check pages on your own site and ensure you’re doing all you can to boost local SEO rankings and traffic—and did we mention it’s free? 12. Keywords Everywhere: Best Extension-based SERP Insights & Discovery Tools is a freemium extension available on both the Chrome and Firefox web browsers. You can use the tool for free, forever, to access a ton of data about keywords on Google Search and in Search Console, or buy credits to enrich the data provided. The extension offers instant access to keyword data while you are on search pages for specific keywords. This makes it easy to find keyword variants, and there’s a long-tail keyword finder to help you find location-based alternatives. It’s also country-specific, so you can tailor your results based on where your customers are searching from. The main difference between the paid and free versions of Keywords Everywhere is that paid users get access to data on search volumes, pay-per-click cost averages, ranking difficulty, and keyword trends. The video below explains what’s included in each and shows you how to use it on Google, YouTube, and Amazon. Both versions work across a variety of sites, including Google’s search pages, Search Console, Analytics, and on YouTube. In addition, ecommerce sellers on Amazon can see keyword data while searching on that platform, as can Etsy and Instagram users. And it works on Bing and DuckDuckGo. See the complete list of where you can use this tool on the “Start Here” page. Once generated, you can export the data with any plan. You can also click the star to add a keyword to your favorites list. Plus, get page-level data on any URL, and pull domain authority scores and data from MOZ (into search results). Keywords Everywhere Pricing (1 Keyword = 1 Credit) While one keyword = one credit, this isn’t to say that each search will only cost you one credit. For example, if you search on Google for a specific key phrase and the results include 10 “people also ask” questions, 10 long-tail keywords, and 10 related keywords, you’ll use 31 credits—one for the initial search and 10 each for the additional results provided in each of the widgets. Searching a single keyword on Amazon or YouTube will only cost a credit each, as the additional widgets shown on SERP pages don’t appear on these sites. Using the tool while on Search Console can eat up credits quickly; if 250 results are shown on the page, 250 credits will be used. There’s also a bulk analyzer version, so for example, if you uploaded 1,000 keywords, getting the report back would cost 1,000 credits. Using Keywords Everywhere for free may be enough for small businesses that are just looking for content and competitor keyword ideas. With that said, the average paid user spend is only about $10 per year. There’s no risk to trying it since you can use the Chrome or Firefox extension for free to evaluate whether the search engine results pages (SERPs) and URL-level data are worth it. Best Off-page Local SEO Tools Off-page local SEO tools account for things you can do to improve your site’s optimization and rankings outside your website. These include business directory listings, earning backlinks, and reputation management tools for generating and managing reviews. Online listings provide backlinks from high authority sites that also give customers another way to find your business online, and, therefore, drive more traffic to your site. In addition, developing a proactive strategy for acquiring high-quality backlinks can significantly impact your site’s authority with Google, in turn leading to higher rankings and more web traffic. Reputation management is also a key contributor to local SEO. For example, poor customer reviews can hurt your rankings, especially if left unaddressed. On the other hand, finding ways to get positive reviews coming into your business on Google, Facebook, Yelp, and other directories regularly can propel your website to the top of organic search results in your area. 13. Podium: Best Local SEO Tools for Getting Customer Reviews Having positive online reviews and ratings is a ranking factor for local SEO, and it’s ideal to generate them on a regular basis. is a cloud-based platform that helps businesses track, monitor, and respond to online reviews. In turn, businesses that consistently generate positive reviews on Google, your Yelp business profile, and other platforms benefit from higher rankings in local search results. You can use Podium to automate and trigger text messages to quickly obtain customer reviews and feedback, and it’s easy to use. Using a reputation management platform enables you to systematically engage with your customers to manage and improve your brand’s online reputation. You can also use these reviews to inspire trust in website visitors. Podium reviews can be embedded into your website, providing instant social proof that a prospect should choose you over your competitors. In addition to review generation, you’ll get reports showing online sentiment toward your business. You’ll also get an alert any time you get a new review, so you can thank customers for their feedback or address potentially damaging issues immediately. Your plan also comes with a website chatbot for site visitor engagement. Plus, there are hundreds of integrations—if there’s an app you want to connect to Podium, chances are it’s there. Podium consolidates reviews and customer interactions into a single dashboard so you can tackle online review management in less time. Instead of going to individual websites to track reviews, it centralizes them on a single platform you can easily access. It also provides a single inbox so that no matter how customer communication comes in, it’s accessible in one place. Podium Pricing & Plan Features *Stores all your texts, emails, phone calls, and social messages in one place The lowest Podium package costs $289 a month, which is rather steep for startup businesses that might not be able to maximize all of the features provided by this local SEO tool. For $289 a month, you get three user seats and can save up to 1,000 contacts. For $499 a month, this is upgraded to unlimited contacts and unlimited team members. It also comes with the ability to send automated review invitations. The Professional plan, priced at $649 monthly, includes unlimited team members, unlimited contacts, automation services, and personalization options. You can leverage Podium’s powerful integration capabilities through over 180 application developer interfaces (APIs) and Zapier. In addition, Fit Small Business readers save 15% when signing up. 14. Moz Local: Best for Local Business Listings Management is the best local SEO tool for small businesses that need to monitor and track listings and citations on multiple directories. The best part is that Moz Local automates the process, so you don’t have to babysit your listings. You can also read and respond to reviews from your Moz dashboard, but you don’t have to monitor that constantly either, as you can set alerts for the big sites to save you time. Moz Local Pricing & Plan Features Unfortunately, there is no free trial for Moz Local. While $14 per month is very affordable if you only have one location, the cost could be steep if your business has multiple locations, ranging from $168 to $396 per location, per year. Plans are month to month, however, so there is not much risk for you to test it out. Plus, Moz’s reputation in the world of local SEO is exceptional, so this software is highly recommended for use by local businesses. 15. Yext: Best for Local Voice Search & Enhanced Listings Like Moz Local, is an affordable option for automating listings management across the internet. It’s unique in that this is done through direct integrations or APIs, including voice search assistants (e.g., Alexa, Google, Siri), maps, global positioning systems (GPS), search engines, and online directories. Your listing can expand with more fields, such as delivery services, special offers, whether appointments are required, driving directions, menus, and more. This gives prospects the information they’re most interested in when making a buying decision, which can make for a faster decision to visit your business or online store vs competitors with less detailed listings. Because listing management is done through integrations, data is also returned to the system. You’ll get reports showing the number of impressions and clicks your directory listings received as well as conversions. You can then use this data to test and improve your listings to increase sale-producing conversions over time. Yext Pricing & Plans The base tier is billed at $199 per year and includes at least 40 locale-based directories and apps. If the advantages of enhanced listings and integration with voice search systems aren’t a top priority, Moz Local would be a less costly option for you. It includes Foursquare aggregator listings submission in the base tier ($14 per month), whereas this will cost you $449 per year with Yext. Yext also provides reputation management features for monitoring and responding to online reviews, but only in its most expensive package ($999 per year). Also, to automatically find and fix issues with your listings and sync them or access enhanced content in your listings, you’ll have to subscribe to the Complete or Premium plan for PowerListings+ features. Yext has high customer satisfaction ratings, and you can get a sense of what you can do with it by using the platform’s free business listings scan. Also, if you opt for either of the top-tier plans, you’ll get a free training session to ensure you can get the maximum benefit from the platform. 16. BuzzStream: Best Local SEO Tools for Link Building & Outreach Backlinks, which are links to your site’s content from other websites, are an essential ranking factor in Google search. Generally, the more backlinks from high authority websites your content earns, the higher the page will rank in search for its optimized keywords, and the more authority your domain will have with Google. makes outreach for link building easier than using manual email or even email marketing tools. Prospect link opportunities for your small business website that will improve its local SEO. You can use BuzzStream to generate links, monitor links, track Twitter and email conversations, and build prospect lists for outreach. BuzzStream Pricing & Plan Features *Billed monthly; or pay annually to receive one month free You can try BuzzStream risk and obligation-free for 14 days. Pricing ranges from $24 to $999 per month; however, the Growth plan is listed as the most popular. With three user seats, it’s perfect for small teams and comes with everything in the Starter plan. Plus, it has bulk email sends for link building, team template sharing, project performance, and link reports. Pay as you go or pay annually to get one month free. Best Local Rank Checkers It’s possible to get high rankings in your local area without achieving high rankings nationally, especially for small local businesses. To know whether you are achieving success with local SEO, you need to be able to view locale-based SERPs. For this, use the tools below: 17. BrightLocal: Best Local SEO Tools for Locale-based Rank Tracking is well-known for its data, reports, statistics, and insights on small business SEO. It’s also one of the most useful local SEO tools for local businesses. It even made our list of the top SEO services for local businesses. BrightLocal tools tackle local SEO from multiple angles. Start with a local search audit of your site to see where you need to put in the work (on-page or off-page SEO, local search, social media, etc.). Track your business’ rankings in three top search engines, manage directory listings, and monitor your company’s reviews across the web. Most notable for our purposes is BrightLocal’s local search grid reporting. This shows you where your business ranks in local results at various locales, including people searching very near to your business, those searching city-wide, county-wide, and so on. In addition, you can see which keywords are performing well (or not) to better optimize your website’s content for local search. BrightLocal Pricing & Plan Features *Monthly billing costs shown here, or get two months free with annual prepayment While there is no free plan, BrightLocal offers a 14-day free trial, so you can try out its features and see if you like the interface. If all you want is reviews management, there’s a reviews-only plan that’s $8 per location, per month. You can also use the citation builder without a plan for $2 per citation. 18. Local Falcon: Best Tool for Multi-location Rank Checking Like BrightLocal, gives you the ability to see your business’ and competitors’ rankings using a grid-style tool. But with Local Falcon, all plans allow you to check an unlimited number of locations. Plans also include far more credits for grid searches each month than BrightLocal—of course, you’ll go through more credits getting data for multiple locations. However, offers many more features for local SEO, as Local Falcon doesn’t have much apart from this functionality. Still, there are seven different options for grid sizing to dig deep into rankings for each of your business locations. Every plan includes competitor reports, trend reports, and keyword reports. Local Falcon Pricing & Plan Features Local Falcon is an excellent local SEO tool for small businesses with multiple locations, like restaurants, coffee stands, car maintenance services, and more. It’s also a good option for doing competitive and keyword research for service-based businesses that don’t have a public address (e.g., home-based businesses of plumbers, electricians, accountants, and so on). While you’ll need the most expensive plan, white labeling and integration through APIs make it a good solution for marketing agencies managing local SEO for multiple clients. Plus, you can test it out for free without adding a credit card to see if it’s right for your business. Best Niche Tools for Local SEO The niche tools below provide unique functionality that earned them a spot on our list of the best local SEO tools. Most are free to use, which is essential when you’re looking to use several different tools and ranking strategies in combination with one another without your costs skyrocketing in the process. 19. Wix: Free QR Code Generator to Boost Web Traffic & Engagement Analytics like website traffic and site visitor engagement affect your local rankings. Google (and other search engines) assume the more popular a website and individual URL is, the more valuable it is to site visitors. One way to drive web traffic to your website’s home, product, or landing pages is to incorporate QR codes into your digital and print marketing materials. In addition to being the best SEO site builder for small businesses, also provides a anyone can use. Once generated, you can easily add the QR code image to landing pages, email newsletters, menus, in-store signs, flyers and postcard campaigns, business cards, and more. Using QR codes in this way can increase both web traffic and on-page engagement, both of which can boost local SEO. For example, you can drive site visitors to pages with interactive elements like forms, downloads, polls, calculators, image galleries, or clickable links and buttons. This increases time on the site and produces engagement-based conversions tracked by Google and other search engines. Anyone with a smartphone can quickly scan your QR code with their camera to be instantly taken to any page on your website (or shopping site, event page, and so on). But it’s not limited to just driving web traffic, as QR codes can also take users to a click-to-call phone number, image, PDF, Wi-Fi, allow them to instantly send you an email, and more. Wix’s QR code generator is completely free to use, and you can even match the QR code’s color to your branding or marketing materials. Once generated, you can download it in PNG, SGV, or JPG format. 20. Synup: Best for Social Media Monitoring & Management Among Google’s best practices is having links from your website to your social channels, and by extension, for your brand to be active on social media. is included here on our list of the best local SEO tools because it allows you to monitor social media mentions across networks from a single dashboard. In addition, you can schedule social media posts to Facebook and your Google Business Profile to streamline your workflows. There is no free trial or demo for Synup. Instead, request a demo, and a sales agent will reach out to you to follow up. Pricing and plan options are unpublished and while the cost may vary, research suggests it will typically cost about $30 per location, per month, with a 12-month contract, which is a bit higher than BrightLocal for similar services. 21. Merkle: Best Free Local SEO Tools for Local Businesses Schema markup helps search engines better understand each of your site’s pages so you rank more easily and relevantly. And because it sounds technical (and it is), small businesses often overlook it or lack the resources to add it. The businesses that employ local business schema markup are the ones that reap the rewards and rank higher in local search results. Luckily, with technical SEO tools from , you can easily take advantage of schema markup and create structured data. In addition, you can generate an XML sitemap or submit your sitemap to Google and Bing for indexing. Submitting a sitemap ensures that search engines find all of your content, as crawlers are essentially requested to crawl each of the pages in your sitemap. There are also location-based technical tools for SEO here, including a SERP simulator that shows you what your title, page URL, and description look like when viewed in search results. This enables you to easily assess your Google listing and make improvements to increase conversions of people choosing to click through to your site instead of other options. The Local Search Results tool displays SERPs for keywords based on location. In other words, you enter a keyword like “florists near me” and designate a location by ZIP code or city, and the tool shows you the results someone in that location would see. You can also test your site’s pages' desktop and mobile versions to ensure they are mobile-friendly with Merkle’s Mobile-First Index tool. Merkle’s free technical SEO tools let you choose the type of markup you need using drop-down lists. It automatically generates the code you need to add to each page. In addition, you can simulate your business’ listings in location SERPs, see who ranks in location-based search results for your keywords, make sure your site is local mobile-friendly, and more. How We Evaluated the Best Local SEO Tools for Small Businesses The tools needed for local SEO encompass a broad range of functionality. They include tools for local keyword and competitor research, content optimization, rank checking, brand monitoring, and more. To be considered, a tool must offer unique value for local SEO, be easy to use, and be affordable for small businesses. Here are some of the criteria we considered: Cost Value for the money Availability of a free version Ease of use Potential impact on local search optimization User-friendly documentation (is it easy to understand?) Tutorials and guides Support Accuracy and reliability User reviews and popularity Our firsthand experience and expertise Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) What’s the difference between SEO & local SEO? SEO and local SEO are the same in that both refer to search engine optimization. However, local SEO is a subset of SEO geared toward businesses that serve customers within a specific geographic area. For example, a dog food company ships nationwide, focusing on general SEO, whereas a local dog groomer with a set service area would want to use local SEO tactics. Learn more about local SEO and search engine marketing. How do you do local SEO? Doing local SEO involves some of the same aspects of SEO overall but with a local focus. For example, your website’s content should be optimized with locale-inclusive keywords your customers might use in online searches. You’ll also want to create a local keyword-optimized Google Business Profile and listings in other online directories. Plus, you’ll need a strategy for getting reviews, managing your brand’s reputation, earning website backlinks, and so on. If this sounds overwhelming or too time-consuming, consider outsourcing local SEO affordably to a top small business SEO agency like instead. Where can I find free local SEO tools? Several free local SEO tools are available online, including several in the list above. They make it easier for businesses to rank higher in online searches, even with a minimal budget. Here are a few of the most popular ones: Google Business Profile and Bing Places for Business: Free listings to ensure your information is correct in search results, shown in local map searches, and gets reviews : Free tools to research local keywords, rankings, and your competitors : Free website builder with great SEO tools : Page-oscope shows if your site is providing a good user experience on 50-plus mobile types : Free way to see top ranking sites by keyword and location Bottom Line The best local SEO tools help you start seeing results more quickly while also making your search optimization efforts easier and less time-consuming. Use the tools proactively in research, competitive benchmarking, and site optimization. Then follow your progress by tracking links, online mentions, reviews, and your search engine rankings using the tools recommended above. If you’d rather save time and effort and leave the work to experienced professionals, we recommend . Data-driven smart sites, local on-page optimization and listings, and reviews management services all work together to ensure your business is found in Google search and local maps. Get your free consultation today.

Drag-and-drop site builders eliminate the need to learn code or master complex software to build a website. The best drag-and-drop website builders are affordable, easy to use, and offer easy-to-implement functionality for business functions like ecommerce, appointments, lead generation, events, and marketing. We compared more than a dozen platforms, ultimately determining that these are the best for small businesses. Overall best drag-and-drop website builder and best for SEO: Best for visually impactful site design: Best drag-and-drop for building a WordPress website: Best for restaurants and small ecommerce operations: Best for serious ecommerce and selling on multiple channels: Best integrated sales and marketing tools and best free option: Cheapest drag-and-drop website builder: Best for service-based businesses and easiest for beginners: Best Drag & Drop Website Builders at a Glance *Starting cost per month with annual billing; monthly billing is also available at a higher cost **With annual billing and renews at a higher rate after the first year Wix: Best Drag & Drop Website Builder for Small Businesses is the best overall drag-and-drop site builder for small businesses. It tops our list because it has true drag-and-drop editing capabilities, and it’s the one that allows for the most design freedom and website customization. Plus, it does so without sacrificing beginner-friendliness and intuitive ease of use. To get started, see how to use Wix to build a website in five steps. With Wix, you can drag elements anywhere within your web pages, giving you maximum design flexibility, especially compared to section-based editors like and . There are premade page blocks to choose from, as well as elements like buttons, menus, and galleries, and even more functionality, such as adding a store, blog, or content sections. Its array of SEO-friendly features also propelled Wix to the top of our list of best SEO website builders. Automatic image compression speeds up page loading, and structured markup gives search engines the information they need to fully index your site. In addition, keyword research tools are now embedded into your dashboard (you’ll need a Semrush account), making it easy to find the best keywords for your site’s content. Wix offers the best of both worlds, combining functionality you’d normally need to use WordPress to obtain with the ease of use of a no-code site builder. Unless you need features requiring developer-level coding, Wix is the best site builder for those needing a fully custom business website. Learn more in our Wix vs WordPress head-to-head comparison. Wix is packed with native functionality, but if you find something lacking, there are over 300 plug-and-play integrations to add even more to your website. Among these is a PayPal integration that allows you to accept payments, including subscriptions and donations, enabling ecommerce with the free plan. Integrate with Mailchimp for email marketing, add pop-ups with deals or coupons to your site, and monetize it by integrating Google Ads. Wix Pricing & Plans *12-month subscription paid annually Aside from the free plan, Wix offers four non-commerce and three ecommerce business plans ranging from $16 to $59 per month. There’s also an enterprise-level option that can be tailored to your brand, leading us to believe that Wix can serve virtually any size or type of business. All paid plans include 24/7 support, which will come in helpful if you need help designing your site, setting up tools, or integrating apps from the Wix marketplace. You can use Wix’s free plan to build your site and get it online. In fact, Wix is also our top pick for the best free website builder. However, we recommend you only use the free version to test the site builder, as you can’t publish your free site on a custom domain branded to your business. is the only option for those who are looking for a free website builder they can use with a domain they own. Wix isn’t the cheapest for ecommerce, but the base ecommerce plan ($27 per month with annual billing) is the most robust compared to its competitors. For example, , which is one of the best ecommerce platforms, requires add-ons for membership sites and appointment booking, in addition to the purchase of an ecommerce plan. With Bluehost and IONOS, subscriptions only come in the highest-plan tiers, and some drag-and-drop site builders don’t even offer membership or subscription capabilities. With Wix, you get all of this and more in the first Business plan, which allows you to: Sell physical and digital products online (unlimited) Accept recurring payments for appointments, subscriptions, and memberships Create gated content (e.g., membership sites) Accept online bookings and reservations Set appointments and sync them to your calendars Sell tickets and manage events Sell artwork or stream video and music Take orders online (e.g., restaurants) Our Expert Opinion If you’re looking for the overall best drag-and-drop website builder for small businesses, choose . It’s the best for design freedom, even if you don’t have prior web design experience. It’s also the best for SEO, ensuring your site can rank on Google. With robust native features and hundreds of integrations, you can build a custom-looking business website with all the functionality you desire. Squarespace: Best for Visually Impactful Site Design consistently ranks as one of the best website builders for small business, partly for its modern, impeccably designed templates. This enables you to easily build a visually impactful professional website to engage visitors with little time and effort, even for design and website beginners. For more insight, read our step-by-step instructions on how to use Squarespace. Assuming you want to customize your template so your website stands out, the new Fluid Engine site editor makes this easy. Previously, you could add sections and move them around on Squarespace, but changing spacing or moving elements around in a section was nearly impossible. With the new Fluid Engine editor, you can now literally drag any element to a new spot and easily change the spacing between and the sizing of objects. Another plus of choosing Squarespace’s drag-and-drop website builder is that the templates are all fully responsive, and you can change them anytime. For example, and templates are responsive for the most part, but you will likely need to make some design adjustments for the mobile versions. Also, you can’t swap in a new template with either site builder without completely rebuilding your site. Like and , Squarespace is a top site builder for search engine optimization (SEO). In your dashboard, you’ll find an SEO checklist to help ensure you do all you can to get your website seen and rank on top search engines like Google. Sites load quickly, and since all templates are fully responsive, you won’t have to worry that your site visitor will have a poor user experience (UX) on a smartphone or tablet. Squarespace Pricing & Plans *12-month subscription, paid annually; monthly contracts are also available for a higher price. Notably, unlike , tools for appointment booking, reservations, events and ticketing, membership sites, and features most restaurants need aren’t included in any of Squarespace’s plans. Instead, they are offered as add-ons you can purchase in addition to your Squarespace subscription to gain specific functionality: Member Areas: From $9 to $35 per month to create a membership site with gated content. Scheduling: From $14 to $45 per month for appointment booking with calendar syncing, custom payment settings, reminder emails and texts, and bundled client deal packages with gift certificates, multi-appointment or recurring appointments, and gift certificates. Tock: From $199 to $699-plus per month for restaurants, wineries, and others as a complete reservation, table, takeout, event, and guest management system. does offer some unique features involving website functionality and marketing. Many are geared toward ecommerce, such as inventory, order management, payment processing, and shipping. For example, Squarespace allows you to do the following: Add an online store to any template Add a Google map to your website Use pop-up banners and promotions to engage site visitors and drive subscriptions Display content from your social media channels on your website and auto-publish content from your website to social channels Create shoppable posts on Instagram from your website (Commerce plan) Let visitors save your webpages and media to their Pinterest with the click of a button Hire a Squarespace expert to build or perfect your site directly from the platform Expand the capabilities of your site with extensions for third-party customer relationship and order management, dropshipping, accounting, and marketing apps Our Expert Opinion is a good choice for users of all skill levels who need a high-quality site that both looks and functions as if a web design expert built it. It also provides tools to drive traffic to your website, build your online presence through social media, create branded videos, and set up a fully functional ecommerce website. Bluehost: Best Drag & Drop Website Builder for WordPress All plans come with the Bluehost Builder, one of the best WordPress website builders. Having the versatility of WordPress with the intuitiveness of a site builder platform could be an especially great option for anyone struggling to get the custom look they want through WordPress’ Gutenberg blocks or even premium themes and templates. Learn more by reading our tutorial on how to make a WordPress website. You can move between the Bluehost Builder and WordPress administrative dashboards easily. This enables you to expand your site’s functionality through plugins, which may mean you don’t need to access more expensive plan tiers with Bluehost to get your desired capabilities, like the ability to accept payments. However, this also assumes that you have a basic working knowledge of WordPress. In that case, have no fear, as you don’t have to know how to use WordPress to get a fully functional website, including an online store, using Bluehost’s site builder. Some plans come with WordPress, all the essential plugins you need to create, and an online store pre-installed, with updates managed for you. Bluehost Pricing & Plans *Billed annually; monthly billing is also available at a higher cost. dedicated WordPress website builder, which comes in all plans, bridges the gap between WordPress and all-in-one site builders like and . But keep in mind that the plan costs above might not be all the investment needed to build on WordPress. Read up on what WordPress costs, including hidden expenses you might not have anticipated. You’re likely to need some premium plugins, especially if you want any kind of unique functionality. You’ll also need to be able to add code for things like Google Analytics or Google Data Studio integration. Our list of WordPress tips and tricks details aspects of building on WordPress you’ll need to know to ensure your site is secure, optimized for search, and offers a good site visitor experience. Still, using the Bluehost Builder makes it much easier to create a fully functional WordPress website in far less time. With Bluehost plans, you’ll get: Free domain, SSL, and email addresses (from five to unlimited) No-code WordPress page builder Landing page templates to optimize lead generation and sales campaigns Pricing, packaging, and premium website templates after the base tier Fully responsive—artificial intelligence (AI) ensures your site looks good no matter what device it’s viewed on Ability to add and manage a blog from the site builder (all plans) WordPress installation and its core updates managed for you Pre-installed plugins for functionality included in your chosen plan Online store with unlimited products (Pro or Online Store plan) Private domain name registration (Pro or Online Store plan) Our Expert Opinion If you’ve been waiting for an easier way to build on WordPress, your day has come. All plans come with a no-code, drag-and-drop site builder to build a WordPress website in a fraction of the time, and WordPress updates will be managed for you. However, building a website with will still be much easier, especially as you’ll still have some learning curve to use WordPress, and you’ll have to manage plugin installation and updates yourself. Weebly: Best for Small or Casual Ecommerce Capabilities While is the most beginner-friendly of all, has one of the easiest drag-and-drop website builders on the market. Simply drag content blocks from the left menu to your page, and edit the blocks or drag them around to restructure your website. See more information on how to build a Weebly website with our guide. Note that it doesn’t come with the complete design flexibility you get with , so while you can drag content blocks onto web pages, you can’t necessarily move elements anywhere you want. Still, this makes it easier for beginners to build their websites, as there are fewer ways to mess them up. Weebly offers two editors: the original Weebly editor and the section-based Square editor. Both are beginner-friendly, but you can’t switch from the Square editor to the Weebly editor, nor can you access Weebly’s third-party app marketplace with the Square editor. To choose a template, you’ll also want the Weebly Websites editor, as Square uses AI to build your template, similar to . It’s a little confusing, as during setup, you’ll be asked if you want a business website or a personal website. Choose the second option (Weebly Websites) to head to the free drag-and-drop website builder. Don’t worry if you plan to sell on your website, as you can still do so using this editor, even though it indicates it’s for personal sites. Also, restaurants wanting to integrate apps like will want to go in through the personal sites / Weebly Websites portal, as you can’t add this app (or any other Marketplace apps) to sites on the Square Online builder. Learn more about this and find out why Weebly tops our list of the best restaurant website builders. If you choose the Square editor, a template will be built for you using AI, and you can customize it from there. When using the Weebly Websites editor, you’ll have access to its library of templates. Some are a bit basic or dated, and there are only about 50 to choose from. If you’re looking for better design, check out 800-plus templates or ultra-modern selection instead. Weebly Pricing & Features *With annual billing includes unlimited products on all their websites (even the free one). This makes the platform a fantastic choice for small or casual sellers. It even includes some nifty ecommerce features, like shipping calculators, coupon codes and gift cards, inventory management, and product SEO on even the most basic plan. Get the following when you build a website on Weebly: Unlimited products and advanced ecommerce tools for affordable prices–starting from free Ecommerce transactions and point-of-sale powered by parent company Square Ability to add other payment processors with the highest-tier Performance plan Sell physical or digital goods Integrate dropshipping apps Membership sites and subscriptions (Performance plan) Page-level code embedding Page and product SEO Optional drag-and-drop newsletter builder (Weebly Promote) Photo Studio for professional product photos The highest-tier Performance plan is cheaper than comparable ecommerce plans with other drag-and-drop website builders. Likewise, the first plan appropriate for business use, Professional, is several dollars cheaper than starter plans with , , or . For the same reason, Weebly is better for casual ecommerce sellers than , as you’ll have all the features you need at a lower price point. Our Expert Opinion is the best drag-and-drop website builder for restaurants and for small ecommerce operations thanks to robust ecommerce, point-of-sale features, and affordable plans. In addition, its built-in SEO tools are useful for businesses looking to build an online presence and grow their store. Read our full Weebly review for more. Shopify: Best for Serious Ecommerce & Multi-channel Selling is much more than a top ecommerce website builder. In fact, website building is just a sideline. Shopify is first and foremost known as an ecommerce platform, and it’s one of the best. However, you can easily build an ecommerce website using its editor. Learn more as you read how to set up a Shopify store in a few simple steps. Shopify’s free theme selection is the smallest one on this list. Though they are modern and professional-looking, you only have nine templates to choose from. However, you can purchase one of over a thousand themes in the store or hire a designer to create a custom design for your Shopify store for as little as $5. Note that Shopify’s editor isn’t a true drag-and-drop website builder like . Instead, it’s more of a section-based editor (like and ), meaning you can add premade sections and blocks, edit the content, and move them around your page using arrows. You can, however, add drag-and-drop functionality by downloading an app through the marketplace. These apps, like many Shopify apps, aren’t free. Shopify Pricing & Plans *Represents 50% savings with annual billing; monthly contracts are available for higher prices. In addition to Shopify’s pricing plans, consider the cost of apps and transaction fees when determining the best drag-and-drop website builder for your money. For smaller ecommerce sites and sellers on a tight budget, we recommend using instead. There’s a lot you can do with Shopify’s unique ecommerce features. From building a thriving ecommerce store to expanding your business with online sales or selling internationally, here are the features that make it one of the best platforms for ecommerce: Sell from your Shopify store, Facebook, Shopify’s wholesale shopping app, Handshake, by using “Buy” buttons in social posts or tagging products in Instagram posts, or sell wholesale to other businesses Wide selection of third-party ecommerce integrations, including many dropshipping apps Multiple points-of-sale for free—see why it’s our top multi-channel POS system for 2022 Advanced ecommerce like abandoned cart recovery and reports on all plans Tools for selling internationally, like multi-language translation, local payment methods, currency conversion, and international market management Partnered with social media channels (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, TikTok) for shoppable posts Shopify is especially ideal for large ecommerce operations and those which rely heavily on dropshipping. Learn how to open a Shopify dropshipping store today. Our Expert Opinion has all you need to start and grow your store. Compared to the other website builders showcased here, plans can be pricey but are worth it as they can scale with your business. If you want an easy interface (that can turn into a drag-and-drop builder), multiple POS capabilities, and features for expanding internationally, this builder could be ideal for you. Check out our in-depth Shopify review to learn more. HubSpot: Best for Sales-oriented Businesses & Best Free Option The (CMS stands for content management system) is a relative newcomer to the space—but has exceeded our expectations with unique features that set it apart from the rest. On its free plan, you can connect a custom domain to build your brand presence online, unlike most other free site builders. Plus, you can integrate all of HubSpot’s other free and paid apps easily to turn your website into a lead and sales-generating powerhouse. To give you an example, we named HubSpot the best free CRM for small businesses thanks to its tools for customer relationship management (CRM), sales, and customer service. You can integrate site bots, live chat, ticketing, and automation features—all for free. For this reason, it’s the best drag-and-drop builder for sales-oriented businesses looking to grow using lead generation and relationship-nurturing tools. There are about a hundred free themes available, though you can opt for a premium theme or hire a low-cost freelancer to build one for you through . Plus, as a section-based editor, it’s not as fully customizable as or sites. Like several other site builders, there’s also an option to hire a graphic designer to create a custom theme you can use when building a small business website. To make setting up your website easier, HubSpot’s handy User Guide walks you through the steps, and there’s a checklist for SEO. There’s even a specific guide to help you get started with the drag-and-drop builder. Learn more in our guide detailing how to build a HubSpot website in just six steps. HubSpot CMS Pricing & Plans *With annual billing; month-to-month contracts available for higher prices. All of HubSpot’s solutions can be easily integrated through the HubSpot CMS, and most have free starter versions. This includes its world-class customer relationship manager (CRM), customer service, email marketing, and operations apps. As they are designed for enterprise-level operations, your website will be geared with some of the best software on the market, and also scalable, able to keep pace as your company grows. With HubSpot CMS, you get easy-to-integrate: Customer relationship and customer service tools, like live chat, ticketing, and automations Marketing software, such as landing pages, email marketing, SEO, and workflow automations Sales tools to manage your sales pipeline and nurture prospect and customer relationships Operational features that unify data across your business Thousands of third-party integrations to increase your website’s functionality, including ecommerce apps that you can integrate starting with the free plan Our Expert Opinion features and enterprise-level features set it apart. You can connect a custom domain on the free plan (unique among website builders), but you can also integrate HubSpot’s wealth of CRM, sales, marketing, operations, and service tools. It’s one to try if you’re looking for robust tools that can grow alongside your business. While prices aren’t cheap in higher-plan tiers, the return on investment could be more than worth it. IONOS: Cheapest Drag & Drop Website Builder Plans (formerly known as 1&1 or IONOS by 1&1) is a top domain name registrar and web hosting company. It has long offered low-cost bundled solutions that are great for small business and startup websites. While there is no free version of the IONOS website builder, there is a money-back guarantee, and you can essentially “test” the site builder for a full year for just $12 ($1 per month). IONOS has two different editors for building websites, and both are beginner-friendly. The main differences between the two are the amount of customization you can accomplish, the ability to integrate business apps, and advanced features like animations and dynamic content. However, as with any of the platforms here, is your go-to if fully customizing your site is a top priority. The most basic drag-and-drop website builder offered by IONOS is MyWebsite Now. It comes in the Starter plan and is recommended as the best option to get a site up quickly. It’s section-based, similar to . It’s easy to add a new section, and there are prebuilt designs for various types of sections, such as About, Articles, Galleries, Testimonials, Headers, Text, Video, and so on. The MyWebsite Creator and Creator Pro tools are the more customizable site builder in the Pro and Plus plans. These are also the plans that you need to add functionality for email marketing, appointment booking, calendar tools, and a slew of other business apps. With this version, you get features like animations, parallax scrolling, and more creative design freedom. No matter which plan you choose, you’ll have access to a success consultant who can help you build and customize your website. You can also add an online store to any plan and still come in at a meager cost, especially in the first year. All plans include unlimited storage, bandwidth, a free domain and SSL, free email on your domain, and solid SEO tools and features. IONOS Pricing & Plans *All plans are billed annually. Every plan includes unique features for site optimization, speed, and site visitor experience, like automatic image optimization to ensure large images you upload won’t slow down your site. IONOS all-in-one easy website builder plans come with: Domain and business email included free Google PageSpeed and image optimization for speed, and built-in site and page level SEO A dedicated success manager to guide you through building your site and getting the most from its features Personalization rules to display pop-ups, banners, videos, and other content to specific site visitors (first time, returning, behavior-based, etc.) About two dozen default language options with Plus or Pro plan Multi-blogger access with Plus and Pro plans for content marketers Add an online store to any plan, including 500 to 10,000 products that can be uploaded by a comma-separated values (CSV) spreadsheet, set up flexible shipping and collection options, flexible payment options, and store management tools Sell on Facebook, Instagram, or Google Shopping One thing lacking with IONOS ecommerce plans are subscriptions. If you want the option to sell recurring memberships and subscriptions, and are better options for your business. Our Expert Opinion offers great value for the money in two different beginner-friendly, drag-and-drop website builders. Retail and ecommerce sellers that want to greet site visitors with special offers and information will love the personalization rules in the MyWebsite Creator version. Choose the Plus or Pro plan for the most customization, or begin with the Starter plan to get your website up more quickly. GoDaddy: Best for Service Businesses & Easiest for Beginners makes our list for being the best drag-and-drop website builder for true beginners. See for yourself by reading our instructions for building a website on GoDaddy in just five steps. Having used each of these site builders, we found that it was the easiest one to use. Like Weebly, it’s section-based rather than a true drag-and-drop like , and offers far less customization. In addition, while the website showcases templates, you don’t get to choose a template when using GoDaddy’s website builder. Instead, one is assigned to you based on your answers to onboarding questions with its AI-powered template builder. Still, fewer choices equate to fewer ways to mess up your website, as well as a faster, simpler website-building process overall, which is ideal for beginners. All plans include free SSL, but unlike and , you don’t get a free domain in any of its site builder plans. You do, however, get free website chatbots starting in the free version, which you can use to generate engagement with site visitors and to provide assistance when you aren’t available through live chat or email 24/7. Site visitors can ask questions of chatbots, which can provide basic information, and then refer the message to your team for additional follow-up. Appointment booking tools also come standard beginning in the free plan. This makes GoDaddy a natural top option for service- and sales-based businesses that need online booking tools for appointments, demos, presentations, and so on. Your marketing is further enhanced with the GoDaddy site builder through Google, Yelp, and social media integrations. You can manage your Google and Yelp profiles through the dashboard and post directly to social channels as well. This saves you time, as does GoDaddy’s Unified Inbox, which puts all your messages generated via chatbots, Messenger, and Instagram Direct Messages into one place. GoDaddy Pricing & Plans *Representative of annually billed plans; monthly billing is available at a higher cost. All GoDaddy websites have free SSL for site visitor data security, website chatbots, and appointment booking tools. Like Shopify, you’ll want to assess the transaction fees GoDaddy charges for online transactions and when using its physical point-of-sale or virtual terminal tools to assess the real cost of using GoDaddy. Also, you’ll have to get the most expensive plan to get unlimited ecommerce, unlike or . Some of the reasons to choose GoDaddy’s site builder plans include: Website chatbots to increase engagement and interactions with site visitors Appointment booking starting for free, and cheapest plans for recurring appointments and payments Access to the GoDaddy Studio to create branded content for marketing and post it directly to your social channels Google Business Page and Yelp profile integrations to streamline your workflows Connect and post directly to Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter starting in the free plan, and ability to schedule posts Ability to create branded videos and post them to your site or social media Integrated email marketing to nurture lead and customer relationships Marketplace selling on Amazon, Etsy, Google, Instagram, and Facebook (Commerce plans) Our Expert Opinion GoDaddy makes building a website and online brand presence easy. It has a broad range of features for ecommerce and solid tools for businesses that need online appointment booking to generate leads and sales. Where it lets us down a bit is its lackluster design capabilities compared to most other drag-and-drop website builders, and it lacks the strong SEO features of and . Read our full GoDaddy site builder review to learn more. Honorable Mentions: Strikingly & Duda There are dozens of viable website builders on the market. This makes it challenging to narrow the list to just a few, so we choose two for the honorable mention category. They don’t quite measure up to the broad capabilities of our top picks for small businesses in the list above, but each has a unique use case that might make them right for your business. One-page Website Wonder: Strikingly We originally considered adding Strikingly as the best drag-and-drop builder for one-page websites. However, mobile-optimized templates edge it out slightly—at least in the mobile website niche. Still, Strikingly is a solid platform to consider, especially if you’re building a one-page website exclusively for mobile. Its single-page website builder comes with the following features: Multiple websites Free domain and SSL on premium plans Ecommerce on all plans (with up to one product on the free plan) Custom forms Pop-ups Multi-language websites provides a mix of a section-based and drag-and-drop editing. It’s beginner-friendly to use and is worth checking out as it has a free-forever plan and premium plans starting at $8 per month. Most Agency-friendly Site Builder: Duda emerged onto the scene just over a decade ago, initially providing businesses with a way to build a mobile version of their website as mobile device use began to overtake desktop. In fact, it was originally called “DudaMobile.” It should come as no surprise that software designed for mobile responsiveness should evolve to become a full-fledged website builder. It didn’t quite land in our top picks for small businesses because the ability to integrate apps doesn’t start until the third-tier plan. Plus, ecommerce requires an add-on ranging from $7.25 (limited to 100 products) to $39 per month, whereas it’s included in the native functionality of plans for the drag-and-drop website builders above. Still, it’s a top choice for agencies managing multiple sites, as the cost-per-site is super-affordable in the Agency or White Label plans, which include: Four websites hosted via world-renowned AWS (Amazon Web Services) Priority support Collaboration with up to 10 team members Client management, comment, and billing tools A widget builder to add functionality through third-party integrations Duda plans for individual websites start at $14 per month. They include AWS hosting, free SSL for HTTPS encryption, multi-language sites, membership sites, a content library and images, and access to free and paid add-ons in Duda’s app store. How We Evaluated the Best Drag & Drop Website Builders All-in-one plans and intuitive design tools enable users of any experience level to build a professional site with little to no learning curve. They’re affordable, provide good value for the money, and include everything needed to build, launch, and manage a small business website. We analyzed about a dozen site builders and narrowed our list to the top options overall based on the use case. Click the tabs to learn more about how we ranked our top picks: When it comes to the best drag-and-drop website builder for small businesses, is our top pick. It’s affordable, intuitive, easy to use, fully customizable, and provides integrations and advanced native features that make it a universally adaptable site-building platform. You can try it without risk using the free version, so get started today and create the website you envision for your business. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) What is the easiest drag & drop website builder for beginners? To a degree, all drag-and-drop website builders simplify the process of building a website. Even true beginners can build a fully functional website to establish their brand presence and grow online. However, we found that site builders like and MyWebsite Now that limit customization are the easiest to use. With that said, is also very easy to use, and you don’t have to sacrifice design freedom to use it. What’s the best free drag & drop website builder? is the best free drag-and-drop website builder, with coming in a close second. Wix offers the most extensive freedom in both site design and functionality in a free website builder. It also has robust SEO features to ensure your site gets found online. However, we don’t recommend using a free site builder if it means you can’t use a custom domain—HubSpot allows you to do this 100% free. Which is better: Wix or Squarespace? and Squarespace are both leading all-in-one business website builders, but they are not without their differences. For example, is more predesigned to ensure that no matter what your experience with web design is, your site will look professional, whereas if you have an eye for design and are looking for the most design flexibility, Wix will be your better choice. For the full picture, read our Squarespace review and our Wix review. Bottom Line Getting your brand established online is easier than ever with the best drag-and-drop website builders. There are options for every budget (even free), intuitive and beginner-friendly editing tools, any type of functionality your website needs, and scalable plans to grow with your business. For the best, we highly recommend . You can test it out for as long as you’d like using the free version and then get a free domain with an upgrade to a paid plan.

The HubSpot CMS (content management system) is easy to use, including integrating HubSpot’s powerful apps for sales, marketing, and customer support—starting with a free plan that allows you to build a website on your domain. As such, it’s one of the best free website builders and one of the best site builders for small businesses. Based on our HubSpot CMS review, it’s best for building and nurturing prospect and customer relationships. makes our list of the overall best website builders for small businesses because of the sheer amount of functionality you can integrate with your website. Unlike other website builders, HubSpot works (and works well) with businesses of all shapes and sizes, thanks to scalable plans and multiple world-class apps for sales, marketing, customer support, and business operations. As an enterprise-grade software solution, the HubSpot CMS also follows best practices for search engine optimization (SEO). This makes HubSpot CMS one of the best website builders for SEO, not only for its SEO features, but also since blog features for content marketing are baked in, as are tutorials, guides, and checklists to ensure your site can get found in online search. Several website builders provide a free plan for building a site on the site builder’s subdomain (e.g., yourwebsite.wix.com). Uniquely, HubSpot CMS is the only website builder that allows you to build a site on your own domain (e.g., yourwebsitename.com). As such, it’s one of the best free website builders for startups and small businesses on a budget. However, unlike site builders like and , plans don’t include native ecommerce features. If you’re looking to sell online, you’ll have to do so via a third-party application, which requires extra configuration and may add to your costs. To find out which site builders offer the best ecommerce functionality, check out our roundup of the best ecommerce platforms for online stores. HubSpot CMS Deciding Factors HubSpot CMS Alternatives HubSpot CMS has three paid plans in addition to the free version. All include the integration of HubSpot’s other freemium tools (sales, marketing, customer service, and operations apps) and its third-party app marketplace. In addition, unlike most other site builders, HubSpot allows you to build your website on your own branded domain name, starting with the free plan. All plans come with the following features: Blog, web pages, and landing pages Built-in SEO guidance Advanced security Reporting dashboard Email marketing 24/7 customer support Multi-language websites Use your own domain (any plan) Content delivery network (CDN) for fast site-loading from anywhere Free SSL certificate for HTTPS for data encryption Google AMP (accelerated mobile pages) support for blogs offers two payment options: annual and month-to-month, and annual billing provides a 10% discount. However, the highest-tier Enterprise plan is only offered with annual billing. Though the HubSpot CMS has a generous free plan and a small business-friendly starter plan, the massive jump in prices plan-to-plan may be a deal-breaker for budget-conscious businesses. HubSpot CMS Pricing Our HubSpot CMS review concluded that the site builder includes everything you need to make a small business website, including premium hosting, built-in CDN for faster site loading, free and paid themes, an intuitive drag-and-drop editor, a free SSL certificate, and robust SEO tools. Whatever you can’t find natively on HubSpot, you can find in its extensive third-party app marketplace with over 1,000 integrations. Note that unlike , , and some other site builders, HubSpot doesn’t provide a free domain name the first year or provide email hosting. See how to get a free domain name for your website, or choose a provider that includes a domain and business email hosting, like , , or . For more details, read our step-by-step tutorial on how to build a HubSpot website. Or, open the drop-down menus below to learn more. The allows for seamless integrations with any tools in the HubSpot ecosystem—even on the free plan. This is a plus because HubSpot has tools for sales, service, operations, and marketing. HubSpot’s tools are powerful even on the free plan, but the best part is that they can scale with the size of your business. However, HubSpot’s sheer number of tools at your disposal could make the site builder overwhelming for beginners. That isn’t to say that its tools are difficult to use, but it does take a slight learning curve to figure out exactly which ones you want to use, unlike with a more traditional builder like . And unless you subscribe to the two highest-tier plans, ecommerce features must be added through integrations vs native tools. All of the niche features (called “Hubs”) below have free versions and paid plans. They can be purchased separately or in bundles, saving you money while ensuring you have all the tools you need to operate and grow your business. Click on the drop-downs that follow to learn more about the niche features you can easily integrate when you opt to build a website using the HubSpot CMS: HubSpot’s customer service is top-notch on both free and paid plans. On any paid plan, you get access to 24/7 support, though service hours are between 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time (meaning customer service is quicker during these times). Here are the levels of support you can expect, depending on your HubSpot CMS plan: HubSpot’s community resources are some of the best we’ve seen. Not only do you get a forum, but HubSpot has a well-stocked knowledge base and the aforementioned HubSpot Academy is filled with guides and courses for using the CMS or any of HubSpot’s world-class business apps. After testing the thoroughly, we can confidently say that it’s one of the best website builders for any size business. Overall, it has a great mix of tools and features to help almost any small business grow. We’re especially impressed with how each of its tools works together to create a seamless sales experience for your customers. The number and scope of HubSpot tools are impressive enough—but having them on the free plan solidifies our opinion that HubSpot is one of the best free website builders available. Plus, if you somehow can’t get the functionality that you need from its native tools, there’s an extensive third-party app marketplace that can add a ton of features to your website. It’s also a top site builder for SEO. Still, there are some shortcomings. First, its design capabilities are somewhat limited. If you’re looking for cutting-edge design (without having to hire a designer), or may be better options. Second, if you’re on a tight budget and need built-in ecommerce features, or another of these cheap site builders could be right for you. What Users Say in HubSpot CMS Reviews Unsurprisingly, as it’s fairly new, the number of HubSpot CMS reviews published doesn’t come close to the amount available for other website builders. Still, the reviews it does have are overwhelmingly positive, and users praise just how many advanced, yet easy-to-use, tools HubSpot has to offer. Here is what users have to say in HubSpot CMS reviews: Capterra: 4.6 out of 5 stars based on 62 reviews G2: 4.5 out of 5 stars based on 1,364 reviews TrustRadius: 4.2 out of 5 stars based on 77 reviews HubSpot CMS Examples You can create beautiful websites using the , especially if you’re willing to pay for a premium theme or you have some coding experience. Here are three examples of websites built with the HubSpot website builder. 1. Room Unlocked Room Unlocked is an influencer marketing website for both influencers and brands. Brands can book influencers who are passionate about their products, while influencers can apply to connect with brands through its influencer network platform. The two user journeys are highlighted at the menu on top of the page—clicking on either will lead you to pages with separate calls to action (CTAs). The Room’s homepage merges these two user journeys by explaining what it does. 2. Caithness Construction Caithness Construction uses the HubSpot CMS to build a simple portfolio for their work. Though HubSpot technically has a storage limit, it counts it by pages (i.e., 25 pages maximum on the Free plan). But as HubSpot doesn’t have storage limits, you can build a large online portfolio by uploading high-quality images in portfolio galleries and sliders. 3. The Spicy Shark The Spicy Shark is an ecommerce store built using a custom HubSpot theme. Though HubSpot doesn’t have a native ecommerce feature, you can easily integrate an ecommerce platform like Shopify. This provides a seamless shopping experience for your customers, complete with a shopping cart and multiple payment options. Still, if this is too expensive for you (as comes with its own costs), try a cheaper ecommerce platform like , or see who our top picks are for the best ecommerce platforms instead. Methodology: How We Reviewed the HubSpot CMS Our review comes from our firsthand experience in testing the HubSpot CMS, as well as from other HubSpot CMS reviews from around the web. We then graded the platform on price, general features, niche features, the quality of their customer service, and finally, our own expert opinion. See the breakdown of our evaluation of the HubSpot CMS: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Is HubSpot good for SEO? The has great features for search optimization, including a fast site loading CDN, free SSL and a web application firewall (WAF) for enhanced security, page-level settings, built-in guides, checklists, and recommendations, and free tutorials. Plus, you also can download optimization plugins through its marketplace. For example, the app SchemaHelper automatically adds schema markup to your posts and pages. Is HubSpot CMS easy to use? The HubSpot CMS is a unique platform that may overwhelm beginners with the sheer amount of functionality offered. However, it’s easy to use—simply spend a little time on HubSpot, and you’ll easily learn your way around the platform. Each HubSpot tool has a handy step-by-step guide, and it has extensive resources in its knowledge base (and Academy), so you can master the HubSpot CMS and get the most from this world-class business website builder. Is HubSpot or WordPress better? For most small businesses, is better than WordPress, unless you need unique functionality. Plus, HubSpot is best if you want a one-stop solution for web hosting and site-building that’s easy to use, has robust native features, and has pre-vetted apps available through its marketplace. WordPress is a free CMS, but to use it, you’ll have to buy web hosting separately through a provider like . You also have to add functionality through un-vetted third-party plugins, spend far more time on website maintenance and security, and undertake a fairly steep learning curve. Learn more about what WordPress really costs, and see what’s involved in making a WordPress website. Bottom Line The hub is an intuitive drag-and-drop no-code site builder that integrates seamlessly with HubSpot’s renowned CRM and customer support apps. This makes it the best site builder (by far) for businesses looking to generate leads and nurture existing customer relationships. It has plans that scale with your business, starting for free, with ample flexibility and features to make it appropriate for businesses of any size.

Keyword research is essential for effective search engine optimization, also known as SEO. The best keyword research tools help you identify which keywords to use in your content to rank higher on Google, Bing, and other search engines. They provide accurate data and insights for keyword search volume, ranking difficulty, best alternatives, and competitors’ rankings. Below, we ranked the top tools based on cost, features, and ease of use. Best keyword research tools for small businesses overall: Cheapest and most beginner-friendly: Best way to see the keywords your site ranks for: Best keyword insights across multiple search engines: Best free artificial intelligence (AI) content planning tool: Best free tool for long-tail and latent search intent (LSI) keywords: Great for trending keywords and location-based research: Best Keyword Research Tools at a Glance *With annual billing Semrush: Best Keyword Research Tool for Small Businesses Overall has the most thorough research tools for SEO, including in-depth reports on your competitors and search volume trends. Although more expensive than , Semrush updates rankings more frequently and has a more extensive link index (for analyzing backlinks). It also includes much higher account limits and offers a local SEO listing feature for an additional fee. Consequently, Semrush is ideal for marketing teams and digital marketing agencies that want an all-in-one platform. Along with an extensive keyword database, Semrush provides technical SEO tools and keyword research features for Google ads. It supports competitor and market research activities, allowing you to compare your site to five rivals in a single report. The breadth and depth of Semrush's data and functions make it the best paid keyword research tool. Keyword Research With Semrush With Semrush, you can understand your ranking, view individual search term data, and find new keyword opportunities. Start by learning which words and phrases your site ranks for, including organic search positions, position changes, competitors, pages, and subdomains. Next, click on a ranking term to view: Keyword difficulty Trends Global volume Keyword variations Questions Related keywords Intent Number of keyword results Average cost-per-click (CPC) Traffic potential Keyword ideas Once you've identified areas for improvement, use the Semrush Keyword Magic Tool to generate keyword suggestions. Enter your topic to view millions of terms, then arrow your results by applying over a dozen filters, including monthly search volume, search engine results pages (SERP) features, and competitive density. Select terms from the list and auto-generated clusters. Add them to your Keyword Manager or export them to Semrush's Position Tracking or pay-per-click (PPC) Keyword Tools. You can also include words from the Keyword Gap tool, organic research, or a manual import. The Keyword Manager analyzes real-time metrics for up to 5,000 terms, depending on your subscription. And you can create up to 100 lists to track individual in-house or client projects. However, other keyword research tools, such as , expand your search to include Bing, Amazon, and YouTube, whereas Semrush shows only Google SERP data. Keyword Research Tools for Content Marketing Semrush is one of the few keyword research platforms that handle your end-to-end organic SEO content marketing campaigns. When researching a topic, you can sort your ideas based on search volumes and keyword difficulty, or check for content gaps to see which subjects your competitors rank for. Add a keyword to the SEO Content Template and Semrush will pull the top SERPs, analyze them, and provide optimization recommendations. This includes suggestions about websites you should pursue in your backlink marketing efforts. Alternatively, you can produce an SEO content brief or optimize your text in real time with WordPress, Google Docs, and MS Word plugins. In addition, Semrush has a built-in calendar for assigning tasks, creating checklists, and monitoring performance. Together, these features help automate content audits and updates while ensuring your pages answer recent consumer search queries. Semrush Pricing & Plan Features *Monthly billing rate shown; annual billing is available at a reduced cost. Our Expert Opinion Semrush is hands-down the best keyword research software for businesses of any size. Rich features make it a breeze to optimize your website, conduct competitive research, audit your site for potential issues, and plan your content strategy. See what it can do risk-free by signing up to use the limited free version, or take advantage of the 14-day free trial offered exclusively to Fit Small Business readers. SE Ranking: Cheapest Keyword Research Tools is a beginner-friendly, all-in-one SEO platform. It lets you quickly find keyword suggestions, track page changes, and analyze SERPs in an intuitive, visually oriented environment. It also provides tutorials and reports written with beginners in mind, making it easy to learn how to improve your site’s SEO, even if you don’t have much prior experience or knowledge. Although relatively new compared to and , SE Ranking costs less and provides similar reports and tools, making it a good choice for small businesses on a budget. It also has add-on content marketing tools similar to those offered by , so you can easily add new SEO content to your site. Keyword Research With SE Ranking SE Ranking's top keyword research tools pull from a database of over 3 billion terms, including 659 million for the United States. Use this feature to find ideas and view metrics like search volume, cost-per-click, and difficulty. Simply enter a term into the search box, choose a country and search engine, and click to search. The keyword research software shows terms and phrases under three tabs: similar, related, and low search volume. SE Ranking uses Google auto-complete terms to provide low search volume suggestions, mostly long-tail keywords and phrases. Keyword Research Tools for Content Marketing SE Ranking recently added content marketing tools as an add-on to its paid plans. The content features let you perform keyword research, specify brief parameters, and check text for quality. Once you select your search terms, you can write content in SE Ranking and see your SEO score change as you type. The search term guidelines show how often you've used the keyword, the suggested usage range, and if competitors put the terms in headings or in bold or italics. The setup is similar to Surfer, including having an artificial intelligence (AI) writing tool with auto-generated titles, outlines, and text. However, unlike , it lacks a plagiarism checker, which is helpful since Google may flag AI-generated content if duplicated from other web pages. Unlike , SE Ranking provides a readability score and grammar and punctuation checker, reducing the need for third-party services like Grammarly or Pro Writing Aid. It also expands your planning capabilities with keyword grouping, allowing you to cluster terms and create pillar content. SE Ranking Pricing & Plan Features SE Ranking pricing is customizable. You can choose the ranking check frequency (daily, three days, or weekly) and subscription period (one-month, three-month, six-month, nine-month, or annual). Prices also differ based on the number of keywords you want to track *Higher keyword limits available with all paid plans for an additional cost Our Expert Opinion is a more affordable alternative to Semrush as the best all-in-one SEO keyword tool. It offers similar functionality, including competitive analysis, rank tracker, and pay-per-click (PPC) search features. However, the content editor requires an additional fee and lacks a built-in plagiarism checker. You can save a few dollars using Surfer if you want SEO content marketing tools. Search Console: Best for Researching Your Website’s Keywords is a free technical SEO and site optimization tool used by website owners, developers, and SEO professionals. It helps improve your online presence and search engine results page (SERP) visibility by focusing on Google search results. It’s not an all-in-one tool like Semrush or SE Ranking, so don’t expect to find keyword research tools for topic ideation or competitors. Instead, it analyzes your website’s performance. You can use the Index Coverage report to find and fix errors that cause your pages to rank lower. Likewise, the Performance report identifies pages (and related keywords) with a lower click-through rate (CTR). Since the CTR metric is a Google ranking factor, optimizing keywords related to your page and enhancing your content can improve organic search traffic. Free Keyword Research Tools in Google Search Console You must integrate Search Console with your website before assessing your technical and on-page SEO. The Search Console setup process involves verifying site ownership, submitting a site map, and ensuring that Google can crawl and index your web pages. Once complete, you can use the Index Coverage and Performance reports to improve your site ranking. The Index Coverage report is complex for beginners new to website building. It shows errors and pages excluded from Google's index. Some have simple fixes, like repairing 404 errors, whereas others require more technical know-how. The Performance report provides up to 16 months of data, including clicks, impressions, average click-through rate (CTR), and average position. It shows all ranking terms and metrics, so you can choose which search queries and associated pages to optimize. For instance, look for keywords with lower-than-average click-through rates and high impressions but lower rankings. Update the associated pages to rank higher and increase organic traffic. Our Expert Opinion is a free solution for seeing your exact website data. It helps you find keywords with high impressions but low CTR so you can decide which current pages to update. However, Search Console doesn't show which sites outrank you or why. Nor does it offer a dedicated keyword research tool. Therefore, Google Search Console works best alongside a more robust platform like or . Ahrefs: Best Tool for Multiple Search Engine Insights is a popular free tool for researching keywords. As an all-in-one solution, Ahrefs is also a solid backlink analysis and tracking tool, and with paid plans, you can use it to research competitor keyword rankings. It's more visually oriented and doesn't have quite the breadth of features as , so its interface is likely easier for beginners as well. Keyword Research With Ahrefs Get started with Ahrefs by setting up a project and adding your domain, keywords to monitor, competitors, and alerts. Once complete, use Site Explorer to review top pages, content, PPC reports, and backlinks. This information helps you understand your ranking position and find content gaps that show terms your competitors rank for, but your site doesn't. Ahrefs Rank Tracker provides interactive graphs to learn about your organic search traffic, average position, and 13 SERP features. It compares your progress to your handpicked competitors. It also has a comprehensive Keywords Explorer, which provides data for 10 different search engines, including Google, Amazon, Yahoo, YouTube, and Bing. You can find the keyword ranking difficulty, search volume, and clicks with a simple search. In the overview, you can view all keyword ideas and related keyword suggestions. The complimentary Keyword Generator filters results by metrics like global volume, SERP features, and traffic potential. Indeed, the traffic potential metric is unique to Ahrefs. It displays the estimated number of clicks you can expect if you rank for the keyword phrase or term. Similar to , Ahrefs offers basic free features called Webmaster Tools. However, Ahrefs adds detailed instructions for fixing technical SEO issues and more keyword data. The free version includes: Data for your websites only (not competitors) SEO website health monitoring Backlink data and insights Ranking keywords and SERP competitors Metrics for search volume, keyword difficulty, and traffic value Automated email alerts Ahrefs can also help you generate content ideas to optimize your small business website with its Content Explorer feature. It allows you to find opportunities like low-competition topics, subjects that generate links, and popular content. However, this feature and other capabilities require the Standard plan or above, whereas Semrush offers similar functionality in its entry tier. Ahrefs Pricing & Plan Features Our Expert Opinion With , you get keyword research and much more to power your SEO efforts. If you’re already using another SEO tool like Semrush, however, we wouldn’t recommend Ahrefs as complementary software. However, it’s the best keyword tool for users wanting data across several different search engines (not just Google). Surfer: Best Free AI Tool for Keyword Content Planning is a lower-cost keyword search tool, SERP analyzer, and content planner. Like and many other keyword research tools, it has a free Chrome extension. When you search Google for a target keyword, a side box pops up with a list of keyword ideas and search volumes. However, while tools like Semrush have more in-depth tools and metrics, Surfer’s value lies in its free content planning and optimization tools. Keyword Research With Surfer Surfer provides several tools for researching search terms, including an in-depth SERP Analyzer. Depending on your needs, there are different ways to use Surfer. For example, if you have one or more keywords in mind, use the SERP Analyzer. It offers a broad overview of the search results, in-depth details about the content structure, keyword density and frequency, and even how many words appear above the page's fold. You can filter the results, view content quality scores, and exclude unwanted sites. From there, you can click on tabs to explore: Related keywords Questions Popular words and phrases Common words and phrases Prominent words and phrases Common backlinks Alternatively, enter one target keyword into the Keyword Research tool. It turns your term into many content clusters, and each grouping shows the monthly search volume and keyword difficulty. View the individual words with their related metrics or click to use the clustered terms in the Content Editor. Lastly, the SEO Audit Tool analyzes your existing page for optimization opportunities. It displays terms and phrases with suggestions to increase or decrease the frequency of use. The audit feature also considers many other metrics, such as content structure, word count, and links. Surfer provides recommendations for each category. Keyword Research Tools for Content Marketing Surfer’s Keyword Research Tool doubles as a content marketing planner. It works well for companies creating lengthy pillar pages that link to shorter blog posts. In this case, each cluster represents a standalone article that relates to your target keyword and pillar page. The Content Editor is easily the most valuable feature of Surfer. It’s similar to SE Ranking’s content marketing tools, but Surfer includes this tool with all subscriptions, whereas SE Ranking charges an add-on fee, starting at $29 per month. With the content editor, you can type and optimize content as you go or paste content from your word processor. It shows all keywords related to your target term, including natural language processing (NLP) words and keywords to include in headings. The Content Editor keeps a running tally of your structure, showing the number of words, headings, paragraphs, and images. Plus, it has a content score that updates as you type. Click on the Outline Builder to view AI-generated titles, headings, subheadings, and questions, or click Brief to see competitor links or notes for writers. However, in our experience, the auto-generated AI content isn't very helpful. Many times it doesn't make sense or refers to competitors. Although Surfer says the content is unique, there are concerns about duplicate content. Fortunately, Surfer provides a plagiarism checker in the Content Editor, which can help you avoid being dinged by Google. Surfer Pricing & Plan Features Our Expert Opinion is a great keyword research platform for writers and small business owners who want to optimize their content on a limited budget. It can help you create content briefs for in-house or contractors. However, although it offers some white-label options, works better for digital agencies providing comprehensive competitor and keyword research reports. Keyword Tool: Best for Identifying Long-tail & LSI Keywords is software that uses auto-fill data to generate keyword ideas across several different search engines and languages. Like , it lacks in-depth competitor and PPC analysis, but like , it works across multiple search engines. As such, it’s the best free keyword research tool for eBay, Amazon, Apple App Store, and Google Play Store sellers who want to optimize listings. YouTube video content producers can use it to identify popular search terms to infuse into descriptions and titles. And any small business can leverage Keyword Tool to generate keyword ideas for organic search content planning or enrich content with semantic keyword variants (e.g., LSI keywords). In fact, it is excellent for finding long-tail phrases and LSI terms in particular. Long-tail keywords are very specific or narrow, as relates to search intent, compared to broad keywords. Using them in your content helps search engines accurately index your web pages and blog posts to align with search intent. LSI (latent search intent) keywords are semantic variations of your primary keyword. Keyword Research With Keyword Tool Whether you go pro or use the free tools, Keyword Tool is incredibly easy to use. Simply choose the platform, input your term, and hit enter. From there, the Keyword Tool provides hundreds of long-tail keywords plus questions. However, the free service only offers metrics for the first five terms. Paid plans show the search volume, trend data, average CPC, and ad competition data for all keywords. Keyword Tool Pricing & Plan Features Our Expert Opinion is very basic and focused solely on research vs technical SEO, reports, or content generation. It’s best for use in conjunction with a more robust platform like Semrush or , mainly because it sources data from multiple search engines, including Google, Pinterest, YouTube, Amazon, and eBay. Google Trends: Best Free Tools for Locale-based Keyword Trends is a free keyword research tool that looks at the popularity of your term in the selected geographic region and time frame. It supports your local SEO strategy and helps you find trending topics and seasonal search habits. Since it's free and easy to use, Google Trends is an excellent option for small business owners and content marketing planners focusing on local search engine optimization. As it lacks advanced keyword research tools, data on your site, competitors’ websites and rankings, etc., it’s best used along with all-in-one tools for keyword research like or . Keyword Research With Google Trends Simplicity is at the core of the Google Trends tool, and it’s easy to use. Just input your term in the search bar and click enter to almost instantly view keyword data, or apply filters to view results for images, web searches, news, Google Shopping, or YouTube. Conversely, you can compare two topics to see how their popularity differs. Google breaks the data down by location, and you can click on the map to view regional information. Scroll down further, and you'll see related search queries, giving you an idea of additional terms to add to your content or web page. Click on any keyword results to pull trending data for that specific term. Google Trends also has an excellent selection of time frames. Review historical data going back to 2004 or see what's most popular within the last hour or day. Our Expert Opinion definitely belongs in your SEO toolkit. It's free to use, offers unlimited searches, shows real-time data, and supports your local SEO strategy. However, it lacks the in-depth details required for competitive analysis and site optimization. Use Google Trends to brainstorm content ideas, then input your keyword into other tools like , , or . Honorable Mention: Google Ads Keyword Planner The platform has a tool called Keyword Planner intended to help advertisers find the best keywords for Google Ads campaigns. Although this feature is free to use, you must create an Ads account to access it. But it’s free to set up an account and use the planner, and it provides 100% accurate data relative to Google keyword search volumes, advertiser ranking difficulty, and more. Google Keyword Planner is basic and provides two essential functions. Generate new keyword ideas by entering one or more words or phrases related to your business. Alternatively, view the search volume and forecasts for your existing target keywords. Like Google Trends, you have unlimited searches. The results estimate the number of impressions, clicks, CTR, cost, and average CPC. You can filter the results page by average monthly search volume or competition with both features. In addition, you can choose different locations, languages, time frames, and Google partners or properties, such as YouTube. You can narrow your search by only showing results with specific words or excluding content types, like adult ideas. The Keyword Planner is an excellent place to double-check data gathered from other tools to ensure you are targeting the best keywords to get your site ranking higher on Google. However, it’s not a full-featured platform for keyword research as it lacks information about your site and those of competitors, and it doesn’t provide SERP-related information. How We Evaluated the Best Keyword Research Tools We looked at dozens of popular tools for keyword research and narrowed the list down to our top choices based on unique use cases. The best platforms allow anyone to find relevant keywords to rank higher for both paid advertising and organic content marketing strategies. In addition, we looked at cost, ease of use, and our experience using each of these tools. Here’s a breakdown of the criteria we considered when ranking the best tools for keyword research: Cost: Fortunately, many keyword tools are free or at least affordable for startups and small operations. We judged paid versions based on whether or not a typical small business could afford them. Features: Features analysis included how accurate they are. We also considered other SEO features offered in all-in-one solutions or as a value-add, and whether paid plans add tools for scaling businesses. Ease of use: We judged the tools by how simple they are to use. We also considered its interface and whether or not an absolute SEO beginner would be able to successfully navigate and analyze the data presented. Expert score: Our final criteria weighed each tool against our firsthand experience, platform popularity, and customer reviews to narrow the list to the tools most worth investing time and money in. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) What is the best tool for keyword research? is the best tool for keyword research overall due to its data accuracy and comprehensive tools for researching keywords to help your website rank higher on Google. is the best alternative, especially for small businesses on a budget. Which free tool is best for keyword research? has a free-forever plan, making it the best free tool for researching top keywords, seeing which keywords your site ranks for, and benchmarketing competitors’ keyword rankings. is the best free tool for seeing the exact Google rankings for your site’s keywords and tracking position changes over time. can also be used for free to get precise data on keyword search volume and ranking difficulty on Google. What are some Google tools for keyword research? Google provides free data in Data Studio (soon to replace Analytics), Search Console, and its Ads Keyword Planner. Google Trends is a free research platform showing current and historical search data relative to a given keyword. Think With Google is another option for gaining insights into what Google wants in your overall search engine marketing (SEM) strategy and trending topics. Bottom Line Keyword research is essential since keywords let both humans and search engines know the content on your site, improving online visibility. The first step to any well-grounded search engine marketing strategy is finding the right keywords to rank for, and the platforms above make it easy to do just that. You’ll find the most robust tools for keyword research in . Try it risk-free at no cost, or take advantage of the 14-day free trial offered exclusively to Fit Small Business readers by clicking the button below.

Local search engine optimization (SEO) companies offer optimization and marketing services designed to help websites rank higher in local searches online. The best local SEO services provide tools and provable strategies that increase your rankings at an affordable cost, ultimately bringing more leads and customers to your business. We compared more than a dozen options based on cost, services, reviews, and more to help you find the right provider for your small business. Best local SEO services overall: Best artificial intelligence (AI)-driven services to boost return on investment (ROI): Best platform for self-managed strategies: Cheapest local SEO services: Most affordable all-in-one solution: Best for boosting organic traffic using SEO content marketing: Best for technical SEO: Best Local SEO Services at a Glance Take our quiz to find out which local SEO service provider works best for you. Hibu: Best Local SEO Services for Small Businesses Overall offers a wide variety of services for local search optimization, from listings and citations to smart website creation and brand reputation management. A dedicated account manager coordinates outreach to help you get more Google reviews and responds when your business gets reviews online. It also offers social media and ad management, making it an all-in-one search engine marketing (SEM) and local search optimization solution for your small business. Click on the tabs below for more details to see if Hibu is the best local SEO company for your small business: Based on our evaluation, provides the best services overall for small business owners who want a comprehensive, personalized solution to establish and maintain an online presence. Its dashboard is easy to use and includes all the information needed to assess and improve local SEO. However, budgeting for Hibu is tricky since there’s no standard pricing on Hibu’s website. For a one-stop solution with capped monthly costs, consider instead. WebFX: Best AI Data-driven Strategies to Continually Improve ROI is a full-service digital marketing agency that provides proprietary technology solutions for search optimization, review management, lead generation, and more. Clients that subscribe to local SEO services get access to MarketingCloudFX, proprietary software that leverages artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning for natural language processing, and data to consolidate reporting and identify ways to improve your return on investment (ROI). Although it stands out for its tech-enabled solutions, the company also takes a hands-on approach to your support. Every account comes with a dedicated agent who, according to reviewers, is well-informed and responsive. In addition, you’ll get access to digital marketing experts specializing in the WebFX services you subscribe to. Click on the tabs to explore WebFX’s services, features, and costs for local optimization: is an affordable solution and a good fit for companies wanting a tech-enabled solution with guidance from hands-on, local SEO experts. As a full-service agency, WebFX offers a wide range of assistance, making it easy to add PPC or ecommerce SEO services as your company grows. Although less expensive than Hibu for citation management, self-managed solution has a few more perks than WebFX’s self-managed citation tool. BrightLocal: Best for Self-managed Local SEO Services Local SEO is at the heart of the platform. Unlike the agencies on this list that will do the work for you, BrightLocal provides local SEO tools and monitoring, enabling you to create citations and manage your online listings and reviews. BrightLocal is easy to use and includes reporting options, so you can see whether your efforts are paying off. It’s ideal for agencies and digital marketers but also makes sense for multi-location businesses that need to manage multiple local SEO plans. Click on the tabs below to learn more about BrightLocal: platform has tools for local business SEO, but you’ll need to complete optimization tasks yourself. It puts all tools and reporting functions in one place, making it easy and affordable for small businesses to manage an optimization strategy. Plus, the highest-tier plan is a great choice for marketing agencies managing SEO for multiple clients. If you need an all-in-one solution that includes execution, however, consider or . Fiverr: Cheapest Local SEO Services offers the cheapest local SEO services, although it’s not an apples-to-apples comparison to the managed services of , , or others on this list. Services start as low as $5 for one-time outsourcing of citation building, for example, but don’t include ongoing services, reporting, or coverage of other aspects of local optimization like reviews management and website SEO. For this reason, the best way to use Fiverr is to build on your in-house efforts or fill gaps in your strategy. Citation building and updating can be very time-consuming, so this is a good example of a local SEO tactic well-suited for a freelance professional from Fiverr vs tactics you prefer to self-manage, such as writing local search-optimized content for your website. Services relating to local SEO on Fiverr can also be filtered by specific inclusions, such as: Listing submissions Near me optimizations Regional keyword research Citation and directories review Local search ads management Competitor analysis Aggregate directory submissions Account set-up services In addition, you can find freelance professionals on Fiverr for reputation and reviews management as well as link building and website optimization. Pricing for any of these services may start as low as $5, and there are also options for ongoing services from around $45 per month. Keep in mind that each freelance professional on the platform offers a different range of services, so vetting to find the best service for your business will take some time. Reviews are available for each provider, and pricing is transparent, which is a big plus for startups and small businesses on a budget that want a good return on investment. 1SEO: Most Affordable All-in-One Solution At Digital Agency, you can get a comprehensive yet affordable all-in-one solution for local SEO, from technical on-page SEO on your small business website to social media management. It covers citations, listings, backlinks, and reputation management. There’s no published pricing, but an account manager will work with your budget to create a custom quote that fits your needs. Click on the drop-down tabs below for more information about 1SEO: Small businesses that need help showing up in local search results would do well with . With no long-term commitments, your small business can give 1SEO a try without worrying about expensive cancellation fees. You can also choose a la carte services, like SEO-driven content, so you aren’t paying for something your site or business may not need. SmartSites: Best for Boosting Web Traffic With Organic SEO Digital marketing agency offers citation building, content marketing, and listing management. It isn't quite a full-service local SEO agency, as it doesn't include reviews or social media management. Still, it's a good choice for local businesses that want to avoid a lengthy commitment and only want to bundle services a la carte. Click on the drop-down menu tabs below for more information about SmartSites: is a good choice for local SEO—especially if you don’t have time to write content for your website regularly. However, it lacks services for reviews and social media management like includes. Alternatively, you can consider a more affordable tool like for listing and citation management and outsource content creation to a freelance SEO copywriter on . Searchbloom: Best for Technical SEO is an SEO and pay-per-click (PPC) digital marketing agency that doesn’t try to be a jack-of-all-trades within the industry. Instead, it offers laser-focused audits of your website, citations, and listings, and then creates a custom plan that includes technical optimization and website schema. Unfortunately, it doesn’t offer management services for social media, reviews, or online reputation. However, with your free consultation comes a marketing plan that you can use to gauge whether Searchbloom is the best option to help your business rank higher in local online searches. Click on the tabs below to see if Searchbloom is the best local SEO management service for your small business: takes a targeted, technical approach to local SEO audits, so it’s ideal for established businesses that need to know how to improve their position in SERPs among competitors. If you need a more comprehensive digital marketing solution that includes social media and reputation management, get an all-in-one solution from . How We Evaluated the Best Local SEO Companies The best local SEO solutions offer flexible pricing, multiple services, custom plans, dedicated account managers, and performance dashboards (or at least reports). In addition to cost, customer account management, and metrics, we also looked at reviews from current customers and the responsiveness of tech and customer support. Based on our evaluation, is the best overall local SEO company for small businesses. It’s a comprehensive, all-in-one website, search optimization, and digital marketing solution. It helps you optimize your site and rank higher for local searches. You can hire Hibu experts to create and manage everything from citations and listings to your company’s social media, ads, and online reviews. To determine which are the best, we specifically considered these factors: Cost: One of the most important factors for any service for a small business is cost. Although agency services aren’t always cheap, the minimal cost to get started (and get results) had to be fairly reasonable, even for a small business. We also examined whether plans can be customized so you only pay for the services you need. Services: Most SEO agencies include the creation and management of citations, listings, and reviews. The top all-in-one solutions also offer social media management and additional services helpful for growing a small business. Contract length: Although efforts to optimize your website can take a while, having a short contract or a month-to-month commitment might be preferable for small businesses that only need a few things done or aren’t sure they want to stick with one company. Performance dashboard: If you don’t have time to execute optimization tactics yourself, you likely don’t have time to check on all new content and its performance, your site’s keyword rankings, and other metrics. A performance dashboard, or at the very least reports, gives you a quick glance at how your investment is paying off. Customer reviews: Along with our firsthand expertise, we also considered how current customers feel about each company, from performance to support. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) How much does local SEO cost? The cost of local SEO runs the gamut from free tools (e.g., for keyword research or your Google Business Page and other business directory listings) to paid tools that cost from $30 to hundreds or even thousands of dollars for managed services. Affordable managed services with Hibu could start as low as $300, or you can harness the local search optimization services and tools of WebFX starting at $425 a month. How do I optimize my website for local SEO? There are multiple tactics to help your website to rank higher in local search results. These include claiming your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) and implementing an SEO content marketing plan. Also, update your business information on your site, social media profiles, and in any local SEO citations or other online listings that include your business. How much should I pay for SEO services? Aside from your budget, how much you should pay for SEO services depends on the return on investment (ROI) produced. You can measure and track the ROI of services based on an increase in leads generated or sales made, for example. Also, the SEO company you’re using should be able to show you things like website traffic, forms filled out, and other metrics that indicate your investment is producing a return. It might be time for a change if you don't see results. Bottom Line It is possible to complete local search optimization tasks yourself to optimize your site’s position in searches and directories. However, it may be better to use your time and money to hire experts to handle it for you. is our pick as the best local SEO company for small businesses that need a comprehensive marketing plan to improve their rank in local listings and their chances of being discovered by new audiences.

Squarespace is a leading site builder known for sleek templates and a beginner-friendly interface. Its tools are fairly well-rounded, but online ordering, appointment booking, and membership sites cost more, and integrations are limited. The best Squarespace alternatives fill these gaps with cheaper plans and more robust features and integrations. We evaluated dozens of options to arrive at the seven top Squarespace competitors to help you decide which to choose. : Best Squarespace alternative overall : Better alternative to Squarespace for casual ecommerce : Top Squarespace competitor for integrated sales and marketing tools : Cheapest Squarespace alternative for budget-conscious businesses : Ideal built-in booking system for service-based businesses : Best for building a custom WordPress website : Excellent alternative for large ecommerce and international sellers Squarespace & Best Alternatives at a Glance *Billed annually **Renews at a higher rate Wix: Best Squarespace Alternative for Small Businesses Overall tops our list of the best Squarespace alternatives for several reasons. For one thing, its intuitive interface and extensive design options make it the best drag-and-drop website builder. With both native tools and hundreds of free third-party app integrations, it’s a great site builder if you’re looking for a professional business website with a ton of functionality. Like , it offers modern templates and prebuilt content blocks that help you build a website quickly. There’s little learning curve needed to master the site editor, and you don’t need any coding knowledge to make a professional-looking website so you can start building your brand’s presence online. As an all-in-one small business website builder, Wix offers the most customizable design tools of all Squarespace competitors. Even compared to Squarespace’s new Fluid Engine drag-and-drop builder, Wix is still much more customizable. There are over 800 premade templates to get you started, each of which has hundreds of premade content block variations you can add to a page. Unlike Squarespace, Wix also has advanced built-in tools that come free with certain plans. For example, appointment scheduling and reservation booking tools that cost extra on Squarespace come included with Wix’s Business Basic plan. Similarly, Wix users also get access to online ordering, restaurant tools, and membership site functionality that Squarespace users can only access by purchasing add-ons that drive up monthly costs. Recently, Wix also upped their search engine optimization (SEO) game. In addition to page-level SEO settings and its built-in SEO guide, Wix also now allows you to embed code at a page level and has Semrush’s keyword research tools in the dashboard. It also automatically optimizes images for fast page loading and adds structured schema markup for search indexing, both of which need to be manually done on Squarespace. This makes Wix our top SEO site builder for the year. If you don’t find what you’re looking for in Wix’s native tools, there are over 300 third-party integrations available in its app marketplace. Read our Wix review to get an idea of all you can do with the platform's built-in tools and for an overview of the integrations available to you. Alternatively, has over a thousand apps in its marketplace. However, if you need niche functionality only found in WordPress plugins, consider . Plans come with a no-code page builder that significantly simplifies the learning curve, making it easier for beginners to build a WordPress website and access the 55,000-plus plugins for this popular web content management system (CMS). Wix Pricing *On an annual billing cycle; monthly billing is available at a higher rate Despite offering a ton of functionality and design freedom, Wix remains beginner-friendly. While its paid plans are around the same price as those offered by Squarespace, there is a free plan. You can use the free plan forever or just test the Wix website editor and interface before committing. In addition, there’s a 14-day money-back guarantee for peace of mind. Content-heavy sites like larger ecommerce sites or digital portfolios that require extensive storage may need more than Wix provides, especially in lower-tier plans. For this, look to other Squarespace competitors like or , as both include unlimited storage and bandwidth regardless of plan level. Our Expert Opinion is a leading website builder and tops our list of the best Squarespace alternatives. Wix’s design freedom surpasses that of most other site builders. Additionally, you get advanced SEO and an extensive app integration marketplace that offers almost all the functionality most websites will ever need. Take advantage of the free plan to see how to use Wix to build a website in five steps. Weebly: Best Squarespace Alternative for Casual Ecommerce is another extremely popular all-in-one website builder for beginners. It’s easy to use and, like Wix’s paid plans, includes a free domain for the first year beginning with the Professional plan. It’s the best alternative to for ecommerce stores thanks to the automatic integration of parent company Square’s payment processing features. Weebly is also the best website builder for restaurants. Beginning with the free version, restaurants can take online orders for in-store pickup, process payments, extend coupons to drive sales, and sell gift cards. Plus, it’s well-known for seamless integration with GloriaFood's Restaurant System for free online ordering and reservations. biggest drawback used to be outdated template designs and site templates that were not 100% responsive, but they have made some progress in eliminating that gap. Specifically, Weebly has introduced a new template library for 100% responsive sites, so your website will offer a good user experience (UX) regardless of the device used to view your site. When building your site on Weebly, you can use the Classic editor with drag-and-drop section-based editing that’s only a little less customizable than . However, the templates on this editor aren’t nearly as sleek or modern. On the Square editor, you get sleeker templates along with a section-based editor, but you can’t integrate third-party apps like you can with the Classic editor. Keep this in mind before building your website, as you can’t change from one editor to the other. Read our expert Weebly review to learn more about what you can do with this popular site builder. Weebly Pricing *On an annual billing cycle **Not recommended for business use as it displays Weebly ads What truly sets Weebly apart from other sites like Squarespace is that ecommerce services are available on all of its plans, including the free one. On its paid plans, Weebly offers ecommerce features like tax calculators (available for U.S. stores), digital selling, and various payment gateways, which Squarespace only offers starting at $23 per month. With that said, the free plans offered by Wix, Weebly, and GoDaddy aren’t appropriate for business use. They are fine to use to test the platform, but they display the branding of the platform and are published on a subdomain (e.g., yoursite.wix.com), which detracts from your business' credibility. Instead, use the free versions to set up your site, choose a paid plan, and connect your domain name before launching it. Learn how to use the Weebly website builder with the free version to test it out today. Our Expert Opinion is a fantastic option for those who find Squarespace’s ecommerce features too expensive, especially features that require Squarespace add-ons. It’s perfect for casual sellers as it includes ecommerce capabilities on all of its plans, including its free one. It also has integrations for other types of businesses, like restaurants, so you can seamlessly accept orders and take reservations at an affordable price. HubSpot: Best Squarespace Competitor for Integrated Sales & Marketing Tools You may know for its famous customer relationship management (CRM) tools, but its content management system (CMS) is equally as impressive. To start, it has a free-forever plan that integrates with all of HubSpot’s other tools. As many of these can also be used for free, HubSpot is much better for sales-oriented businesses than in this regard. In fact, one of HubSpot’s greatest advantages is that it has robust sales, marketing, and customer support software that can scale with your business. Businesses of any size can use them in both free and paid versions. In addition, HubSpot has around a thousand third-party integrations and more through apps like . Plus, security and SEO are enterprise-grade, ensuring that your site can get found online and your data will be protected. Its drag-and-drop builder is fairly intuitive and is section-based, similar to Weebly. Plus, you can create your own custom theme from scratch or hire a designer through a platform like to build a template for a website that’s completely unique. On HubSpot’s free plan, you can connect a custom domain, essentially allowing you to build a branded website for free if you’ve already registered a business domain. This is extremely rare for a site builder, in fact, none of the other Squarespace alternatives offer this. Keep in mind HubSpot’s free plan still includes HubSpot branding, which can detract from the brand image you want to build. HubSpot Website Builder Pricing *With annual billing; month-to-month contracts available for more To remove HubSpot branding, you’ll have to upgrade to a paid plan, starting at $23 per month. This is the same as Squarespace’s first ecommerce plan, but keep in mind that HubSpot doesn’t come with native ecommerce features. You’ll have to add online store and ecommerce functionality using a free or premium third-party app from HubSpot’s marketplace. Our Expert Opinion Hands down, is the best Squarespace alternative for software that can scale as your operation grows. While Squarespace’s new Fluid Engine site editor provides more design freedom, HubSpot is just a more advanced builder overall. The best part is, HubSpot offers a generous free-forever plan for building a site on your domain that integrates with its free built-in tools—all of which are more advanced than what any other site builder can offer. IONOS: Cheapest Alternative to Squarespace is the best alternative to Squarespace for businesses on a tight budget because its plans start at $1 per month. At this price, you may think that you’re getting bare-bones features, but IONOS has inclusive plans with a free domain name, SSL certificate, and business email. In contrast, Squarespace provides all these, but only starting on the Business plan at $23 per month. For $1 per month, you even have the option to include ecommerce in your plan. Though IONOS isn’t as advanced as either or for ecommerce (e.g., it doesn’t offer unlimited products), it’s hard to beat for the price. Unlike any of the builders on this list, IONOS offers optional ecommerce on any of their plans. In addition to being the cheapest competitor, IONOS is the best of all Squarespace alternatives for customer support. Regardless of your chosen plan, a dedicated success consultant will be assigned who can help you if you get stuck building your website or need tips on getting the most out of your site. This is a unique feature only found with this platform. Though has extremely affordable plans, its base plan’s MyWebsite Now editor is lacking in design and customization. On its basic editor, you have a minimal selection of templates and won’t be able to add HTML or CSS to your website. But the MyWebsite Creator and MyWebsite Creator Pro editors in the Plus and Pro plans provide far more customization options, including code embedding, business apps, and more sophisticated editing tools. This does get better with MyWebsite Creator and MyWebsite Creator Pro (with these two, you at least get coding features, more templates, and a more flexible editor). In addition, these are the plans you’ll need to consider if you want to host a blog or need to integrate business apps for appointment booking, email marketing, and more. IONOS Pricing *Annual billing cycle, renews at a higher rate **For an added fee Keep in mind that $1 per month pricing is only for the introductory period and will renew at a higher rate. However, IONOS is still highly affordable in this regard, as its most expensive plan with ecommerce enabled (so essentially, it's priciest offering), will only set you back $35 a month, much cheaper than Squarespace’s top-tier plan at $49 monthly. Our Expert Opinion doesn’t offer groundbreaking design tools, so if you want a highly customized website in both design and function, would be a better Squarespace alternative for you. But where IONOS excels is its solid offerings for low prices. This is why IONOS is one of the best cheap website builders available—you can get a domain, email, and the site builder you need to build and grow your small business website for $12 the first year. GoDaddy: Best Alternative for Service-based Businesses is the best Squarespace alternative for service and sales-based businesses needing a reliable appointment booking system complete. It’s included on all plans, and payments are enabled (via Paylinks), though you’ll need to upgrade to the Commerce plan for recurring appointments. Still, a booking system is a rarity in entry-tier plans. For example, requires you to purchase an extra feature called Squarespace Scheduling to get any sort of booking system, and you’ll have to subscribe to Wix’s Business Basic plan for native appointment booking tools. Read our GoDaddy website builder review to see whether it’s a good choice for your brand. is one of the simplest ways to get online. Its section-based editor is much easier to use than Squarespace’s Fluid Engine drag-and-drop, although you get much less customizability as a trade-off. A template is preselected when you first set up your site, but you can change it to one of a dozen or so variations as soon as you start editing. The templates and themes in the free version are repetitive and somewhat outdated—a far cry from the design you see from . However, with any paid plan, you get full access to hundreds more template designs. Learn more, including how to build a website on GoDaddy in just five steps. GoDaddy Website Builder Pricing *On an annual billing cycle While not as cheap as , GoDaddy is cheaper than Squarespace the first year. Granted, like Squarespace, it has limited third-party integrations (for more, try or ), but its native features are solid. In addition to appointment booking, you get native SEO and marketing features plus unlimited storage and bandwidth (in paid plans). These will let you grow your small business website without breaking the bank. Our Expert Opinion The website builder is the best Squarespace alternative for service-based businesses thanks to native appointment booking tools in all plans, even the free one. Unlike some other Squarespace competitors that require add-ons or app integrations, it has additional functionality in native features, such as free chatbots, social and marketplace selling, email marketing, and social advertising tools. Bluehost Builder: Best for Easily Building a WordPress Site is a well-known website hosting provider that includes access to its beginner-friendly, drag-and-drop WordPress website builder with all hosting plans. It uses artificial intelligence (AI) to help you build a well-designed website without needing any prior site-building experience. Unlike the other alternatives on this list, choosing Bluehost allows you to integrate WordPress’ many themes and plugins. This offers you extensive site functionality without having to learn how to create a website with WordPress. Plus, plans come with a free domain, SSL certificate, and email addresses for you and your team. However, while the Bluehost Builder is beginner-friendly, finding and configuring all the desired plugins and themes you need to create a fully functional website takes some time. Get the full picture by learning how to make a WordPress website. Because of this, all-in-one site builder may still be a better option. It offers full customization capabilities and an extensive range of templates and themes, making it far easier to build your website and get it up and running quickly. Find out which to choose in our comparison of Wix vs WordPress. Bluehost Builder Pricing *On an annual billing cycle Our Expert Opinion made our list of the best website builders for WordPress. It’s the best Squarespace alternative for beginners who want to build a WordPress website without the steep learning curve. Its plans are much more affordable than Squarespace, and first-year pricing is discounted steeply, giving you time to build your website and get your business off the ground. Shopify: Best Squarespace Alternative for Serious Ecommerce Unlike the other Squarespace alternatives on this list, is a dedicated ecommerce platform. If selling goods or services online isn’t your business’ main focus, you’re better off choosing a different Squarespace competitor. However, if you’re looking for a commerce platform that can grow with your online store, Shopify is hard to beat. Hands down, it’s the best Squarespace competitor for large ecommerce sites, growing online stores, and businesses selling internationally. Learn how to set up a Shopify ecommerce store in just a few steps. While tops our list as the best ecommerce builder for casual sellers, Shopify’s features are better for growing, large, or international sellers. Shopify has advanced features for multichannel selling and is our top recommendation for the best multichannel point-of-sale (POS) system. also has features for stores selling to international audiences. Things like market management, automatic language translations and payment conversions, local payment methods, and product pricing by market all come in Shopify’s basic tier. Read our expert Shopify review to learn more. Unlike , Shopify doesn’t have a free plan, but all its paid plans come with advanced ecommerce capabilities. To give you an example, abandoned cart recovery is only available on Squarespace’s most expensive plan at $49 a month. On Shopify, it’s available on the base plan. Shopify does have some drawbacks, however. Oddly enough, Shopify doesn’t have a built-in subscription feature, so if you’re looking for an affordable way to charge recurring payments, try . Shopify Pricing *On an annual billing cycle; monthly contracts available for a higher price Shopify’s biggest downside is its price. While the base plan is affordable at $29 per month, its most expensive plan will set you back nearly $300 a month. These prices don’t include what you’ll have to pay for any third-party integrations or premium themes you might need to purchase. Get more details in our head-to-head comparison of Shopify vs Squarespace. Our Expert Opinion is an excellent option if you’re planning to grow your ecommerce business. It has plenty of tools that can scale your store, and its base-tier plan is affordable for the number of ecommerce features you get. Whatever you can’t find natively on Shopify, you’re sure to find on its third-party app marketplace. There’s a reason why so many sellers (both big and small) choose Shopify for building an online store. How We Evaluated the Best Squarespace Alternatives is one of the best small business website builders, but it might not be the right one for your brand and business needs. To help you find the best sites similar to Squarespace, we judged Squarespace competitors based on what’s included in the price. As Squarespace is known for being extremely beginner-friendly, we also considered ease of use, customization, and design capabilities. Here’s the breakdown of our evaluation: Cost: While Squarespace is a fantastic all-in-one website builder, budget-strapped solopreneurs and startups may find its prices a little steep. Squarespace alternatives were judged based on overall affordability and what their plans offer for the price. Features: General features pertain to things like storage, bandwidth, and built-in SEO tools. The top Squarespace alternatives have a good amount of these features present, as well as niche features your business might need, like tools for appointment booking, marketing, ecommerce, and online ordering. Templates: Templates speed up the process of site building, especially if they are easy to customize and designed with your industry in mind. We not only looked at the quality of templates but at the selection as well. We determined that the best site builders have a categorized library of modern templates to suit as many industries as possible. Support: As a part of how easy it is to build a website, good support is a must—especially for beginners. We judged the options on how good support is for each Squarespace alternative, if support is available 24/7, and the channels where customers can reach them. Firsthand expertise: We have years of experience in web design and development, and used this expertise to see just how beginner-friendly the best Squarespace competitors are. We also tested each platform to see what you can accomplish with the site editing tools and native features. In addition, we considered popularity and real ratings and reviews from customers worldwide. Together, we used these to weigh each website builder’s overall performance. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) How do I build a website for my business? To build a website for your business, first choose a content management system (e.g., or ). Then select and customize a template, create pages and navigation menus, add and optimize your content, connect your domain, choose a plan, and then launch your website. For a detailed walk-through, follow our guide for how to make a small business website in seven steps. Is Squarespace better than WordPress? and WordPress are both leading website builders. However, Squarespace plans also include web hosting, a domain, and SSL for an all-in-one solution and it's far easier to build a Squarespace website. WordPress is just a CMS, and it’s free, but you’ll have to purchase a domain, SSL, and web hosting, and it has a much steeper learning curve. Read our Squarespace vs WordPress comparison to see which is better for you. Which Squarespace competitor is best for SEO? is the best Squarespace competitor for SEO, followed closely by . Wix gets the top spot due to its automatic optimization of images and schema markup, page-level SEO settings and code embedding, and for having Semrush keyword research tools built into the dashboard. Find out more about all the site builders that made our list of the best website builders for SEO. Bottom Line The best Squarespace alternatives each offer unique advantages that might make them an excellent choice for your small business website. Whether you need a low-cost or even a free plan, niche or advanced features, industry-specific tools, or plans that scale as your business grows, there’s a website builder for you. All things considered, is the best alternative to Squarespace. It offers more design freedom and integrations, has the best site optimization tools for getting found online, and has a free plan to try it without risk or obligation.