Take the Robot Reins: A 2023 Guide to Revolutionising Your SEO with Automation

SEO Automation

Search engine optimisation (SEO) is crucial for businesses who want to rank higher in search engines like Google and drive more organic traffic to their website. However, SEO can be an extremely laborious and time-consuming process. From keyword research to content optimisation, link building to site audits – there are countless tasks involved in an effective SEO strategy. 

This is where Search automation comes in. By automating repetitive and mundane SEO tasks, you can work more efficiently and focus your efforts on high-value activities. The right automation tools can save you and your team countless hours while scaling your SEO efforts.

In this guide, we’ll explore everything you need to know about SEO automation, including:

• What is SEO automation?
• The benefits 
• SEO tasks that can be automated
• Top SEO automation tools for 2023
• How To choose the right SEO automation tools for your business?
• Getting started with SEO automation
• The future

Let’s get into it!

What is SEO Automation?

SEO automation refers to using software tools and technology to automate routine SEO tasks like keyword research, backlink analysis, rank tracking and more. 

The goal is to streamline and scale your SEO efforts so you can work more efficiently. With automation, software and algorithms handle repetitive jobs – enabling you to focus on strategy, content creation and other high-value tasks.

Automation involves using dedicated tools to complete specific SEO activities automatically. For example, automatically tracking keyword rankings each week or monitoring backlinks from new referring domains.

It’s important to note that Search automation is meant to complement your existing efforts – not completely replace the need for human analysis and optimisation. The best results come from combining automated SEO workflows with ongoing human oversight and strategic SEO expertise.

The Benefits

There are several compelling benefits to adding more automation to your SEO processes:

Save Time

One of the biggest advantages of automation is the sheer amount of time it can save you and your team. SEO consists of many repetitive, routine tasks that software can easily handle automatically.

Instead of manually checking rankings, auditing pages or creating reports – your tools can take care of these repetitive jobs in the background. This frees up your time for more strategic initiatives.

Work More Efficiently

The more time you have, the more efficient you will be. The hours saved from automation can be directed into high-level SEO activities like content creation, link building and site optimisations that directly impact results.

You can work smarter, not harder – focusing your valuable time where it makes the biggest difference. Automation handles the busy work so you can focus on what really moves the needle.

Scale Your Efforts

Automation also allows you to properly scale your efforts as your programme expands. As you add more content, keywords and pages it becomes difficult to manage everything manually.

With the help of SEO software, you can automate workflows across a large website and thousands of keywords. This removes bottlenecks and allows your SEO program to grow efficiently.

Make Data-Driven Decisions

Automating key SEO tasks provides you with an invaluable wealth of data at your fingertips. From rank-tracking reports to backlink notifications – you have the insights needed to make smart, data-driven decisions.

You don’t have to rely on guesswork. You can let data guide your strategy using the comprehensive dashboard provided by your SEO tools.

Eliminate Human Error 

Humans make mistakes, but software doesn’t. Automation eliminates the possibility of errors that occur from manually checking rankings, auditing pages, and creating reports repeatedly.

Your automation software will consistently track rankings, and audit sites, alert you of issues, and provide reliable data month after month. This level of accuracy is impossible when managing SEO manually.

Improve Productivity

With more time and better efficiency, your overall team productivity will get a boost. Worker productivity increases when tedious tasks are automated, as hours are freed up for meaningful work.

Each member of your SEO team can produce more quality work in less time. Improved productivity compounds the value of your labour.

Reduce Costs

Depending on your setup, Search Engine Optimisation automation can potentially help lower resource costs. Automated tools may require an initial investment, but can save money over time.

With software conducting repetitive tasks in the background, you may be able to reduce reliance on costly external resources. The labour hours saved can provide a positive ROI.

SEO Tasks That Can Be Automated

Many elements of SEO can be fully or partially automated to some degree. While automation capabilities continue advancing, here are some common SEO tasks you can automate today:

Keyword Research

Keyword research is one of the most time-intensive parts of SEO. However; keyword tools can compile volumes of data to identify keyword opportunities with the right AI keyword research tools.

Automated tools can quickly pull search volume data, listings of related/long-tail keywords, keyword gaps compared to competitors and more. This information fuels your targeting strategy.

Rank Tracking

Monitoring your keyword rankings is key to gauging SEO success. However; manually tracking rankings for hundreds or thousands of keywords is unrealistic.

Automated rank tracking tools easily solve this. Once configured, they continually monitor rankings across all major search engines for your targeted keyword list. 

Backlink Analysis

Link-building is integral for SEO results, and identifying link-building opportunities takes research. Automated backlink analysis tools can locate websites linking to your competitors but not you – so you can reach out and request a link.

They also monitor new links pointing to your site so you can evaluate link quality and identify toxic backlinks. This level of backlink intelligence saves vast amounts of manual effort.

Site Audits 

It’s essential to regularly audit your website for potential issues that may be hindering your performance – but reviewing hundreds or thousands of pages is tedious.

Automated site auditing tools can crawl your entire site to identify critical issues like broken links, thin content, technical errors, accessibility problems and more so you can fix them.

Reporting

Reporting on key SEO metrics is important for determining what’s working and what to improve. However, compiling these reports manually requires pulling data from multiple sources.

Automated reporting eliminates this headache. SEO software can compile pre-built reports on rankings, traffic, links, and other KPIs on any cadence you need. You get a unified view of performance.

Monitoring

Staying on top of the latest SEO updates takes vigilance. But it’s impossible to manually monitor everything impacting your campaigns.

Automated monitoring tools keep constant tabs on the latest Google updates, algorithm changes, and SEO news. They send you alerts so you’re always up-to-speed on factors influencing your strategy.

Content Optimisation 

Optimising content for SEO requires an in-depth analysis of readability, word count, heading usage, and more. But not every piece of content needs deep manual scrutiny.

Automated content optimisers can assess your content against key SEO metrics and suggest quick improvements to pages that just need a tune-up. This allows you to focus your optimisation time on priority content.

Top SEO Automation Tools for 2023

The market is filled with solutions for every type of search automation need. Here are some of the most popular and powerful options for automating your SEO in 2023:

Ahrefs

Ahrefs is one of the leading SEO and backlink analysis tools. It automates backlink research, discovering potential link-building opportunities from websites linking to competitors but not you. 

Ahrefs also tracks incoming links so you can monitor your overall link profile. Its automated rankings reporting also saves hours of manual tracking time.

Moz Pro

Moz Pro automates site audits, rank tracking, backlink monitoring and reporting. Its “Site Crawl” scans your entire website for issues impacting SEO. Rank tracking is automated across Google and Bing.

You can also set up alerts for new links, lost links, rank changes and other critical events so you never miss a beat. Customisable reports make sharing data easy.

SEMrush

SEMrush is a robust SEO platform with powerful automation capabilities. It’s packed with tools for automating keyword research, organic and paid search tracking, backlink audits, rank monitoring and more.

They offer pre-built reports on all key organic and paid search KPIs. Their automated site audits identify critical issues. And you can track rankings across 200+ countries. 

Serpstat

Serpstat specialises in automating rank tracking across 200+ search engines. They make it easy to track mobile vs. desktop performance. Keyword ranking capabilities are robust for large keyword databases.

Site audits are also automated to spot crawling issues. Backlink tracking and monitoring help grow and protect your link profile. Accurate traffic analytics provide key conversion insights.

Botify

Botify focuses heavily on automating technical SEO audits. Their intelligent tools crawl your pages looking for any technical issues that may be preventing indexing or causing ranking issues.

This includes identifying errors like duplicate pages, broken links and missing alt text. Filters make it easy to prioritise the most critical site issues for fixing.

Linkody

Linkody automates one of the most difficult aspects of SEO – backlink research and outreach. Their tools identify unlinked brand/keyword mentions for securing backlinks.

You can automatically generate outreach emails to send link requests at scale. Relationships with site owners can be nurtured automatically via follow-ups. This systematises and simplifies link building.

Link Explorer

Link Explorer makes backlink analysis highly automated. A site audit automatically checks for toxic links you should consider disavowing. New backlinks pointing to your site are reported in real time.

Link opportunity identification helps rapidly find places to request backlinks for faster growth. All your link data integrates seamlessly for easy analysis.

Cognitive SEO

As the name suggests, CognitiveSEO taps into AI and machine learning to automate technical SEO audits. Advanced algorithms allow more accurate issue discovery and prioritisation based on their impact.

Automatic notifications alert you of any new issues found. Advanced filters also allow granular audits focused only on new pages or a particular site section if needed. Historical audits show how your site’s health improves over time.

SiteBulb

SiteBulb provides robust automation for both on-page and off-page optimisation. Their automated rank tracker monitors up to 5M keywords across 30+ search engines. Campaigns can be automated for regular reporting.

The backlink tracker monitors your most important pages and alerts you when a new link is found. Keyword suggestions, content analysis and site audits are also automated to help optimise your pages.

Screaming Frog SEO Spider 

As the name suggests, SEO Spider automatically crawls and audits your site for technical SEO errors and issues. Core web vital issues like page speed and mobile-friendliness are analysed to improve user experience.

Optimisation opportunities are identified for title tags, meta descriptions, alt text, headings and more. Critical issues are prioritised in a dashboard to simplify fixing.

How To Choose the Right SEO Automation Tools 

With so many automation tools available, it can be daunting to know where to start. Here are some tips on choosing the right solutions for your business’s needs:

Conduct an SEO Audit

Take stock of your current processes and pinpoint where the biggest bottlenecks lie. Note the tasks eating up the most time that could benefit from automation. 

Get input from your team. Where are they spending most of their effort each week? Highlight areas for potential improvement.

Consider Your Goals

What are your priorities when it comes to your SEO strategy? Do you need keyword rankings fast? Does technical site health matter most? Are you focused on links?

Your goals determine what automation will provide the greatest impact. Align your tool selection with the KPIs that matter most to your business. 

Review Tool Functionality 

Research how each tool specifically addresses your problem areas and goals. Don’t assume a tool automates a process; dive into its features and interface to verify it handles the tasks you need.

Try free trials to test tools out. Determine if the automation workflows actually deliver the desired results and reporting you’re after.

Assess Ease of Use

Look at factors like the learning curve, setup and reporting. Will your team need extensive training to use the tool effectively? Can you easily act on the insights provided?

Ideally, want solutions that onboard quickly and make automation accessible for everyone on the SEO team with little friction.

Consider Scalability Needs

As your programme expands over the next 6-12 months, will the automation tool continue meeting your needs? Or will you quickly outgrow its capabilities? 

Factor in future growth. Scalable tools that grow alongside you provide the most value over time. Talk to vendors about expanded packages.

Compare Pricing Models

SEO tools range widely in terms of pricing from monthly subscriptions to annual contracts to complex custom packages. Startups may have different needs than enterprise businesses.

Make sure the tool’s pricing aligns with your budget and needs. And remember, a higher price tag doesn’t necessarily equal more value. Focus on ROI.

Getting Started With SEO Automation

Once you’ve assessed your needs, audited processes and selected the right automation tools, it’s time to start integrating them into your workflows. Here are some tips to ensure a successful implementation:

Start Small

Resist the urge to automate everything at once. Begin with 1-2 repetitive tasks that are straightforward to automate. Get positive results. Then move on to higher-value but complex automations.

Small starts avoid overwhelming your team. It allows everyone to adjust to new workflows and better understand the reporting. Starting small also surfaces any tool limitations.

Develop Processes Around Automation

Put structures in place to fully capitalise on your new automation capabilities. For example, hold weekly reviews of automated site audits to discuss any issues discovered.

Automation creates data but humans must act on those insights for impact. Discuss as a team how applying automated insights improves key metrics. 

Monitor Progress Closely

Pay close attention to your KPIs as you layer in automation. Is rankings volatility decreasing thanks to rank tracking? Are more links being captured from new referring domains?

Make adjustments if needed. Consistent tracking ensures you maximise the value of search automation. Don’t “set and forget” new tools.

Keep an Eye on Errors

Even the best automation tools can miss things or mishandle data. Randomly sample tool reports to spot any potential issues like incorrect rankings or missed keywords.

Proactively catch errors so they don’t impact decision-making. Also, notify your account representative of consistent issues; vendors want feedback to improve algorithms.

Document Processes

Thoroughly document your new automated SEO processes for your team. This is especially important when handing off tasks between team members or departments to close the loop.

Clear documentation avoids confusion down the road when reassigning automated tasks or bringing new hires up to speed. Details like report locations, alert settings, logins and frequency should be captured.

The Future

The capabilities of Search Engine Optimisation automation are continuously expanding year after year alongside advances in technology like machine learning and artificial intelligence. Here are some exciting developments on the horizon:

More Advanced Site Audits 

Already, site crawlers are getting better at identifying complex technical issues. Soon audits may replicate the logic of actual Googlebot crawling to uncover intricate issues holding back pages.

Bots will crawl pages as Google does to pinpoint problems limiting performance. Pages may be optimised automatically based on crawl findings as well.

Expanded Content Creation

Basic content optimisers today suggest headline tweaks and grammar improvements. Soon, automated content creators will generate entire sections of original copy tailored to your brand voice and SEO needs.

Automated assistants will be able to enrich thin pages with new paragraphs that are on-brand, helpful for users, and target internal linking gaps – saving content teams huge effort.

Increased Personalisation 

Currently, most Search Engine Optimisation automation takes a programmatic, one-size-fits-all approach. But soon machine learning will enable tools to take your account data, history and goals into consideration to customise automation.

For example, rank trackers may apply custom weighting toward priority keywords vs. secondary keywords in reports. The level of personalisation will be unmatched.

Tighter Integration

There’s a big push toward tighter integration of SEO tools into broader marketing stacks. Soon, your CRM may be able to automatically notify your rank tracker of new landing pages to monitor.

This interconnectivity between systems will allow you to manage SEO workflows from a central dashboard alongside other marketing channels outside of siloed tools.

Advanced Project Management 

SEO managers currently rely on manual methods to track SEO projects and task assignments. In the future, project management workflows will become more automated.

SEO tools may integrate with systems like Asana or Jira. You’ll be able to automatically assign tasks like fixing 404s to specific team members and track progress toward completion.

Conclusion

SEO automation is gaining widespread adoption for good reason – it saves enormous time and effort while scaling results. The data and insights tools provide are invaluable for making informed decisions.

Carefully choosing automation tools aligned with your specific goals and needs is crucial. Look for solutions that make SEO tasks easier (not more complex) while connecting seamlessly to your existing processes.

Start small and focus on high-value automation first. Closely monitor the impact on your KPIs. SEO will only get more automated as AI and machine learning continue maturing – so embrace automation now to stay ahead in 2023.

In your quest for an SEO company utilising state-of-the-art automation tools powered by AI, look no further. We’re here to propel your digital journey forward.