Tired of running BootCamp, Parallels or VMware every time you want to use capable SEO software on your Mac? Here are 5 top programs specifically for OS X which help you shut the Windows on Microsoft’s OS.
Link Assistant SEO PowerSuite
The SEO PowerSuite by Link Assistant should be obligatory for every SEO expert working on the Mac. As fully featured as the best office suite but specifically intended for SEO use, it’s chock full of exquisitely developed tools for every aspect of your operations. You can perform keyword research and check rankings with unparalleled speed and accuracy with the Rank Tracker; optimize content and analyze structure and HTML coding through the WebSite Auditor; compose a coherent link building strategy through the SEO SpyGlass, and manage all those lovely links with LinkAssistant. If you don’t have this software on your Mac, you’re missing the SEO boat.
Market Samurai
Even after the devastation wrought by Google Panda Farmer there are still many valid SEO strategies, and Market Samurai is one of the most indispensable software tools which allows you to take advantage of most of them. Market Samurai has built up a sterling reputation among SEO experts as the most highly developed Mac software for streamlining critical search engine marketing. The full suite that is available which features competition analysis, monetization, promotion, domain selection, Adwords module and so much more.
Rage SEO Suite
There are very few Mac suites that can match up with Rage’s comprehensive offerings which include the ability to monitor all your rankings in well over 100 major search engines; allows you to find, track and manage lucrative domains; features a Sitemap Automator which creates those pesky XML sitemap files quickly and easily; and even incorporates an email newsletter opt-in form and message personalizer to assist you in your online marketing communications with your clients.
Screenflow
SEO experts are always creating presentations to promote their products and provide skills training, and ScreenFlow leaves other Mac software such as Camtasia in the dust. It’s easier to learn to use as it’s lacking Camtasia’s considerably steep learning curve and it’s packed full of great features such as publishing directly to Flash or YouTube; audio ducking and detach; features a full range of professional titling as well as 2D, and 3D transitions; and the audio capture now runs on 64-bit Snow Leopard.
CSS Edit
The info description for CSS Edit states: “may cause extremely attractive sites and bouts of validating code. Use with care.” This is not an exaggeration as this is as close as you can get to a fully featured WYSIWYG CSS editing system without writing Adobe a big check. Powerful features such as X-Ray Inspector which let you instantly view where every element is located on your page and how they all interact with each other, are worth the reasonable cost of admission just by themselves.
You prefer Rage or CSS Edit over Dreamweaver ?
There are no tools more powerful than Dreamweaver, in order to build a website.
The other tool missing in this list is Advanced Web Ranking. It’s also the most powerful software to control ranking, but also to build keyword lists and more.
Link Assistant tools are great, though. However, the anti-captcha is tedious, and beware your IP being blackisted by Google because it sends so many requests.
I also use iShowU instead of screenflow, but heard good things about it.
Market Samurai is OK, but too much data kills the data. Consider working with Search Metrics, which is on a cloud;thus, no difference between Mac and PC. More important, no problems with your IP or hardware ressources with Search Metrics.
Conclusion : my list would be very different than yours.
Interesting, the differences in approach. Did you “grow up” on a Mac or moved to one later? Had problems finding what you need or are there still apps you miss?
It’s not that I prefer CSS Edit, it’s just a program for those on a budget and cannot afford to pay for the very expensive “preferred” Adobe program.
I’m old school…
First Mac in 1990 😉
Anyways, whatever the tools… Like we says in French :”ce n’est pas l’habit qui fait le moine” (it’s not the cassock, which build a monk).
Out of all the tools you suggest, Link Assistant is the one I need to explore the most. The IP thing is a real problem!
That’s also the reason why I move more towards solutions like Search Metrics or SEMrush.
But try out Advanced Web Ranking. It really rocks!
I agree with you re: Rage SEO Suite. For Mac SEOs it really is quite useful, without having to shell out loads on monthly subscription fees for the much larger (and better) SEO softwares.
However, I’ve always had a problem with the IP for Link Assistant. I use the Website Auditor though, that’s a very powerful programme indeed!