Glen from Viperchill recently wrote a post about the resources that are in his internet marketing toolbox, so I thought it would be a good idea to share the tools I use on a daily basis.  I think I should mention that I probably have used hundreds of tools to perform various tasks, however there are a core set of tools I have grown to love and use almost every day.

Keyword Research

Google Keyword Tool:  There are probably around 5 different keyword tools I use, however I will always start at the Google Keyword Tool.  It is a great starting point for building your initial keyword list, finding PPC estimates, and competition data.  Typically I will gather a long list of potential keywords, then export and sort the list based on keyword segmentation.

Others I Use:

• YouTube Keyword Tool
• WordTracker
• MSN: Detecting Commercial Intent
• Wordstream

Competitive Analysis

SEO Book Toolbar: Usually when I first go to analyze competitors I will start by looking at the data provided by the SEO Book Toolbar. All of the core data you would look at is provided by the toolbar.  I look at the pages indexed, inbound links, PR, domain age, which main directories they are in, and social bookmarking data. Of course an in-depth competitor analysis is much more than just looking at the toolbar data, however this is a great place to start to get some basic information about the site.

Others I Use:

• IBP
• Web CEO
• Compete
• SEO for Firefox
  

Website Audit

Xenu:  I will use the Xenu tool to help identify broken links, site depth (directories), title/meta tags, 404 error pages, internal linking, possible loading issues.

IBP or Webste Grader:  Both of these tools perform similar tasks, however I have used both to help analyze a website.  These tools will help gather meta data information, inbound links, pages indexed, blog information, social media data and other SEO factors.

Others I Use:

• Check out: 10 Website & SEO Analysis Tools

Analytics and Rankings

Google Analytics:  Like 95% of other sites, I use Google Analytics to look at site and visitor engagement.  I will usually check my stats first thing in the morning and then once again in the afternoon to see if a post went viral during the day.

Feedburner:  To keep track of my RSS subscribers I will use Feedburner.  There are some other nice customization features that you can add in your Feedburner account.

Rank Checker:  If I need to check some keyword rankings really quickly, I will use this firefox addon.

Rank Tracker: If I am working with a client, I will have Rank Tracker automatically pull rankings usually once a week.  This saves me time from having to manually pull updated rankings for all clients.

Other I Use:

• Woopra
• Get Clicky

FTP Files/HTML Editing

Filezilla:  If I need to pull files from the server, Filezilla is the easiest way to do it.

Notepad ++:  A great notepad editor that has a number of cool features (for a text editor)

Dreamweaver CS4:  Any HTML edits that need to be made for a clients site, I will use Dreamweaver.

Firefox Addons

I try not to install too many firefox plugins because it really slows down the performance of the web browser, however there are some that are essential.  Here is a list of addon I use (besides SEO Toolbar and SEO for Firefox, which I already mentioned).

• Web Developer Toolbar: Diasble/Enable elements,
• Firebug: Inspect page elements, HTML and CSS, and other development aspects.
• YSlow:  Test page load time and makes recommendations on improving load time.
• WASP: Easily Identify what Analytics program a website is using.
• OnlyWire Bookmarklet:  Social Bookmark content across mulitple social bookmarking sites.
• LastPass: Stores passwords so you never have to worry about logins again.
  

Blogging

WordPress:  My blog uses WordPress, so normally I will just use WordPress for writing/editing blog posts.  I have tried a number of blogging software tools however I just prefer to write within the backend of WordPress.  Depending on if I am writing a guest post for another blog, I will use whatever blog platform they are using.

Project Management

Basecamp:  There are a number of project management tools out there, I felt that Basecamp was the most user-friendly and can be customized enough to manage my projects. I am able to setup task lists, see when projects are due, monitor communication with clients, and add project notes.

What are some of the main tools you use on a daily basis?

More from StayOnSearch

• Your Internet Marketing Strategy: Less Talking and More Doing
• 10 Website & SEO Analysis Tools
• Investing Your Internet Marketing Dollars Wisely
• Holiday Marketing Guide 2009: Hot Products, Tips, & Resources for Online Retailers

StayOnSearch Recommends

• Social Media for Business – The Big Picture  (Straight North)
• Multi-Platform Media Sync Software DoubleTwist Gains "Hundreds Of Thousands Downloads", Is Now Available in Japan  (Tech Crunch)
• SEO Tools That Work  (seowizardry)