Link building is a big part of SEO and having the right link building tools can help improve both the effectiveness and speed of the process. There are many tools out there which provide different functionality and serve different purposes. I find there isn’t one tool out there that does everything and it is therefore important to use a selection of tools. The best tools are often paid but well worth the investment.

Of course the list of tools could be endless for this post however i am going to list the ones i use regularly and find most useful.

SEO SpyGlass

SEO SpyGlass is a desktop tool that lets you analyse the backlinks of your competitors. I tend to use this tool at the beginning of a project and look for patterns between top ranking competitors. The great thing about this tool is that you can get it to list a range of key attributes next to each link. For example what type of link it is, what page rank it has and the exact anchor text used.

Once i have run SEO Spyglass i like to add the key links from the research into a spreadsheet. I don’t think its worth getting all the links the competition has as you need to differentiate yourself in some way but helps you identify and target the authority links. SEO SpyGlass is a paid tool and it might be worth purchasing their entire suite. The rank tracking software in the suite is very good.

Linkscape + Link Finder

I’m a big fan of the work they do over at SEOMoz and think the membership price is fully justified. This is not only because they put together some great blog posts but also have an extensive range of high quality SEO tools. Two of the tools they have are perfect for link analysis and building.

The first one is Linkscape. Here SEOMoz have tried to create a complete index of the web and provides extensive data on a websites links. I like to use it to monitor the performance of my sites as it gives some unique link data on the strength your site gains from links. I particularly like the fact that it tells you what is the most popular anchor text used on your links and how well trusted your site is.

The other tool they have is called Link Finder. Its not perfect but can create a good starting point for finding potential links. Link Finder is really easy to use and requires you to enter your URL and targeted keywords. It then lists various search queries using your terms and generic link types such as directories.

Majestic SEO

I only came across this tool this year, i mean last year, but its one that i have really come to appreciate. The tool lets you track your link building efforts in the form of a graph. It shows the rate at which you have developed links and where spikes have occurred. You can also use it to track your competitors effort and map them against one another. I also find its good for looking for any sudden spikes or unusual changes in your sites links number.

Hubfinder

I used this tool when it was free however it is now a paid tool, well part of the SEOBook membership anyway. You can still access it using some methods at times. Its up there with the tools from SEOMoz and takes away the need to do manual cross referencing i have to do with SpyGlass. If the funds were there its definitely worth getting the SEOBook membership.

Essentially Hubfinder lets you enter in 20 competitor sites and then goes away and finds the sites that link to two or more of them. Its a good way to find authority links.

These are the tools i use however it is likely that i missed a few. Maybe there is a great tool that you know of. Share your tools in the comments below.