If you’re not testing your content, you’re losing conversion opportunities.

Content plays a crucial role in user engagement, brand perception, and conversion rates. 

However, not all content resonates with users in the same way. What works for one audience segment may fail for another. 

This is where content testing tools become essential. They help businesses optimize their messaging, improve user experience, and ultimately drive better outcomes. 

In this blog, we’ll explore the top tools that can help you make data-backed decisions and craft high-performing content.

What are content testing tools?

Content testing is the process of evaluating content such as web pages, blog posts, landing pages, emails, product descriptions, and ads to determine how effectively it resonates with the target audience. 

The goal is to ensure that content meets user expectations, improves conversions, and aligns with business objectives. By testing content, businesses can optimize readability, usability, emotional impact, and convert users.

Why do you need content testing tools?

1. Ensure clarity and readability

Users may find your content confusing, too technical, or difficult to navigate. Content testing tools like readability checkers help detect complex wording, while user surveys gather direct feedback on clarity and comprehension, allowing you to refine your messaging accordingly.

2. Improve engagement and conversion rates

With A/B testing tools you can compare different content variations (headlines, CTAs, descriptions, etc.) and determine which version leads to higher engagement and conversions. This ensures that every element of your content is optimized for maximum impact.

3. Identify user behavior insights

Tools with heatmaps, click tracking, and session recordings provide visual representations of how users interact with your content. You can see which areas attract attention and which get ignored, allowing you to adjust formatting, placement, or wording.

4. Optimize for SEO and discoverability

SEO-focused tools analyze how well your content ranks, suggest keyword optimizations, and evaluate readability from an SEO perspective. This ensures that your content not only appeals to users but also performs well in search engines.

5. Reduce bounce rates

If users leave your page too quickly, it could indicate that your content is not relevant or engaging, which can lead to higher bounce rates and lost opportunities. Content testing tools can highlight potential issues like poor readability, irrelevant information, or slow-loading elements that drive users away.

6. Justify content decisions with data

Instead of relying on gut feelings or personal opinions, content testing provides quantifiable data that helps teams make informed content decisions. This ensures that content strategies are backed by actual user behavior rather than assumptions.

Types of content testing

Different types of content testing tools serve various purposes. Below are the key types of content testing tools and how they help optimize content.

1. A/B testing and multivariate testing tools

A/B testing tools help compare two or more variations of content to determine which one performs better in terms of engagement, conversions, or readability. Multivariate testing (MVT) takes it a step further by testing multiple elements at once.

Why is it important?

• Helps determine the best-performing headlines, CTA buttons, body copy, or images
• Reduces guesswork by providing data-backed decisions
• Improves conversion rates and engagement by serving the most effective version

2. Heatmaps & session recording tools

Heatmaps visually represent how users interact with your content by tracking clicks, scrolls, and mouse movements. Session recordings provide real-time playback of user interactions.

Why is it important?

• Shows where users click, hover, and scroll, helping identify areas of interest
• Helps detect content blind spots or distractions
• Improves content placement and structure for better engagement

3. Readability & usability 

These tools evaluate how easy it is to read and understand your content. Additionally, it evaluates how real users interact with content and identifies usability issues. These tools provide direct user feedback on clarity, ease of use, and comprehension.

Why is it important?

• Identifies friction points in the content flow
• Improves engagement by making content easier to consume and retain
• Helps optimize for better readability and navigation
• Helps maintain a consistent brand voice across content

4. Card sorting tools 

Card sorting helps test and improve content categorization by allowing users to group content elements logically. This is crucial for websites with complex navigation or information-heavy pages.

Why is it important?

• Helps structure content to match user expectations
• Ensures logical grouping of categories and topics
• Improves menu design and site architecture

5. Tree testing tools 

Tree testing evaluates how easily users find content within a site’s structure by testing navigation labels and hierarchy without visual elements.

Why is it important?

• Ensures users can find content effortlessly
• Identifies confusing or unclear navigation labels
• Improves website structure and category names

6. SEO & content optimization tools

SEO testing tools analyze content for search engine optimization by evaluating keywords, readability, meta-data, and search intent.

Why is it important?

• Helps optimize content for higher rankings on search engines.
• Ensures content aligns with search intent.
• Analyzes competitor strategies to improve content performance.

7. User feedback & survey tools

These tools collect real-time feedback from users to understand how they perceive and interact with content.

Why is it important?

• Helps identify content gaps and areas of confusion
• Provides insights into audience preferences
• Improves content relevance by incorporating user suggestions

8. Content performance analytics tools

These tools measure how well content is performing across different channels like websites, social media, email, etc.

Why is it important?

• Tracks engagement metrics like time on page, scroll depth, and bounce rate
• Helps refine content strategies based on real-world performance
• Identifies high-performing and underperforming content

Best content testing tools: At a glance

• UXtweak
• Lyssna
• UserTesting
• ContentSquare
• Ahrefs
• Knotch
• Maze
• Lookback
• Crazy Egg
• Optimal Workshop
• Google Search Console
• VWO

Top 12 content testing tools

1. UXtweak

Best for usability testing and accessibility testing

UXtweak is an all-in-one user research and content testing platform for budget-conscious teams looking to optimize their digital experiences. It offers a wide range of content testing methods, including card sorting, five-second testing, preference testing, and usability testing.

You can analyze how users interact with content, identify areas for improvement, and make data-driven optimizations. Additionally, it provides accessibility testing through features like screen reader support testing and contrast analysis.

Best features 

• Card sorting & tree testing 
• Five-second testing
• Preference testing 
• Usability testing 
• Session recordings 
• First click testing 
• Competitive testing 
• Surveys & prototype testing 
• Recruiting widget

Pros

• Intuitive UI and detailed analytics for in-depth insights
• Supports comprehensive content testing for websites, mobile apps
• Provides detailed insights like task completion rates and usability scores
• Free forever plan available for small projects

Cons

• Setup can be complex due to the wide range of customization options
• Participant recruitment from the user panel incurs extra costs

Pricing

Paid plans start at $116/month

Free trial

Free forever plan 

2. Lyssna (Formerly known as UsabilityHub)

Best for preference testing and first-click testing

Lyssna is a remote user research platform that helps teams test content, UX copy, and design elements to make data-driven decisions. It enables you to validate messaging clarity, compare content variations, and understand user preferences before launching. 

With its surveys feature, you can gather powerful insights that combine design and text-based surveys, multimedia support, and conditional logic. UsabilityHub provides actionable insights to refine content and enhance user experience.

Best features

• Card sorting 
• Five-second tests 
• Preference tests 
• First-click testing 
• Prototype testing
• Surveys 
• Navigation testing 
• Tree testing 

Pros

• Quick and easy setup
• High-quality insights from a well-screened panel
• Supports multiple test types, scheduling options, and segmentation
• Great customer support

Cons

• Limited AI-driven insights compared to other tools
• Lacks deep analytics and customizable reports

Pricing

Paid plans start at $75/month

Free trial

Offers a free plan with limited test responses

3. UserTesting

Best for real user feedback and usability testing

UserTesting is a qualitative research tool that allows you to gather real-time feedback from actual users through video-based usability testing. It helps content managers and marketers understand how their target audience interacts with content by capturing direct responses, pain points, and engagement insights. 

You can test different versions of your content, identify areas of confusion, and optimize messaging, design, and readability based on real user feedback. Its ability to provide direct audience insights makes it a powerful tool for refining content strategy and improving user experience.

Best features 

• Live video interviews 
• Task-based testing 
• Sentiment analysis 
• Highlight reels 
• Demographic targeting 
• Screen recording
• Transcripts & analytics 
• UserTesting AI 
• Insights Hub  

Pros

• Robust research features like scheduling, notetaking, tagging, video editing, and summary creation
• Supports various research methods, including usability tests and user interviews
• You can share insights via highlight reels and observer rooms

Cons

• Expensive compared to alternatives, with limited seats per subscription
• Lacks advanced AI capabilities

Pricing

Custom pricing based on business needs

Free trial

No free trial 

4. ContentSquare 

Best for visualizing user behavior and content performance

Contentsquare is a digital experience analytics that helps understand how users interact with their content. By capturing real user interactions, the platform provides insights into what engages users, what causes friction, and how content impacts conversions. 

Its user tests feature allows teams to conduct unmoderated content testing at scale, gathering video feedback from real users as they complete tasks. Standout features include automated participant recruitment, session replays, and AI-driven insights to optimize content performance.

Best features 

• Zone-based heatmaps 
• Session replay & video interviews
• Scroll & attention tracking 
• Experience analytics 
• AI-powered insights 
• Hands-off testing
• Concept & A/B testing
• Segmentation & behavior analysis 

Pros

• Comprehensive behavioral insights for content optimization
• AI-driven recommendations for improving engagement
• Features like click-recurrence help identify user frustration and improve site experience
• Strong training & onboarding resources

Cons

• Some features only allow two-condition comparisons, making multi-scenario analysis difficult
• Premium pricing, making it less accessible for small teams

Pricing

Paid plans start at $40/month

Free trial

Free forever plan available

5. Ahrefs

Best for SEO testing and content optimization

Ahrefs is primarily known for SEO and content marketing, but it also provides valuable features for content testing and optimization. It helps to analyze content performance, identify gaps, and refine copy to improve organic reach and engagement. It allows users to test different content variations, track their impact, and optimize for better search rankings.

Its AI content helper optimizes content by focusing on topics over keywords, analyzing top-ranking pages in real-time, and providing AI-driven suggestions for better coverage and structure (It is currently in beta).

Best features 

• Content explorer 
• AI content grader
• Site audit 
• Web analytics
• Keyword explorer 
• Traffic and backlink analysis 
• Rank tracker 
• Content gap analysis 
• Report builder

Pros

• Offers keyword research, backlink analysis, rank tracking, and competitor analysis all in one tool  
• Helps refine content strategy based on competitor analysis
• Its content explorer aids in content research and finding high-performing topics

Cons

• Not a traditional content testing tool (lacks direct A/B testing capabilities)
• Expensive for small teams and individual users

Pricing

Plans start at $108/month.

Free trial

No free trial

6. Knotch

Best for AI-powered content intelligence and performance optimization

Knotch is a content intelligence and measurement platform that helps assess the effectiveness of content marketing efforts. It enables content testing by collecting real-time audience sentiment, engagement metrics, and performance insights across different channels. 

It combines AI-driven insights, audience sentiment analysis, and conversion tracking to refine content strategies. With Knotch you can understand how the content resonates with users and optimize strategies accordingly.

Best features 

• Real-time audience sentiment tracking 
• Feedback 
• Full-funnel conversion tracking 
• Engagement analytics 
• AI-driven content optimization 
• Automated tagging & reporting 

Pros

• Comprehensive content insights and impact measurement
• Integrated solution for content performance tracking
• Excellent customer support

Cons

• Expensive, best suited for large enterprises
• Limited focus on direct content creation or editing tools

Pricing

Custom pricing based on business needs

Free trial

Not available 

7. Maze

Best for prototype testing and user research

Maze is a rapid testing platform that helps teams validate content, messaging, and UX copy with real users before release. It allows you to test everything from in-app notifications to full-page content, ensuring clarity, tone consistency, and user interpretation. 

Maze offers both quantitative and qualitative insights to enhance content optimization. It also enables usability testing on live websites, making it ideal for teams focused on continuous content improvement. With its ‘set conditions’ feature, you can design dynamic test paths based on user responses, allowing for deeper insights.

Best features 

• Card sorting
• Tree testing
• Prototype testing 
• Heatmaps & metrics 
• 5-second tests 
• A/B testing 
• Opinion scales 
• Open-ended questions 
• Path analysis 
• Usability testing

Pros

• Allows testing of in-progress prototypes
• Saves time by generating sharable reports
• Provides both qualitative and quantitative insights
• Supports remote content testing at scale

Cons

• Recruiting limitations in certain regions
• Limited training resources

Pricing

Paid plans start at $99/month

Free trial

30 days

8. Lookback 

Best for live user interviews and usability testing

Lookback is a user research and remote testing platform that enables teams to conduct live and recorded usability tests, making it a great tool for evaluating content effectiveness. It allows researchers to observe how users engage with content in real-time or through self-guided sessions, helping optimize readability, messaging, and engagement. 

You can gather qualitative insights through interviews and think-aloud testing. With its Observer Mode feature, you can invite stakeholders to observe and chat with each other in a live virtual room to watch live tests.

Best features

• Live moderated testing 
• Self-guided usability testing 
• Timestamped notes & session recordings 
• Collaborative research tools 
• Live moderated & unmoderated testing 
• Timestamped notes & tagging 
• Screen touch recording 
• Highlight reels & transcription 
• Observer mode

Pros

• Sessions can be recorded and stored for future analysis
• Supports both live and asynchronous testing
• Allows bookmarking of timestamps and note-taking for seamless review

Cons

• Occasional performance issues with video calls
• Can be expensive for smaller teams

Pricing

Starts at $25 per month (for freelancers)

Free trial

60-day

9. Crazy Egg

Best for heatmaps, scroll maps, and click tracking

Crazy Egg is a user behavior analytics and A/B testing tool that helps you optimize web pages by understanding visitor interactions. It provides heatmaps, scrollmaps, and session recordings to analyze content performance and identify areas for improvement. 

It can be used to refine their headlines, CTAs, images, and overall page structure by testing different content variations. Its easy-to-use visual reports and testing capabilities make it a valuable tool for optimizing content engagement and conversion rates.

Best features

• Heatmaps & scrollmaps 
• Session recordings 
• A/B testing 
• Confetti reports 
• Error tracking 
• Overlay reports 
• Page editor
• Traffic analysis 
• Conversion tracking

Pros

• Quick replies and helpful support team
• Detailed heatmaps and scrollmaps for content engagement insights
• Supports A/B testing and quick content changes
• Affordable pricing compared to other tools

Cons

• Limited in-depth features compared to more advanced CRO tools
• No real-time tracking for live visitor behavior

Pricing

Starts at $29/month for the starter plan

Free trial

30-day 

10. Optimal Workshop 

Best for card sorting and tree testing 

Optimal Workshop is a user research and content testing tool designed to improve website navigation, information architecture, and content clarity. It helps teams test how users find and understand content through various research methods. You can refine site structure, headings, and overall readability. 

With its qualitative insights feature, you gain deep qualitative insights to refine product development, design, marketing, and more. It streamlines research with AI-powered analysis, visualization tools, and seamless team collaboration, all in one platform. 

Best features 

• Tree testing
• First-click testing
• Card sorting
• Prototype testing
• Surveys
• Participant recruitment 
• Qualitative insights
• Automated reports & visualizations 

Pros

• Supports a variety of different research tools 
• Organized and insightful reports for user behavior analysis
• Offers flexible pricing to buy the tool for a single month instead of a yearly commitment

Cons

• Limited options for screening test participants
• Slower performance with large studies

Pricing

Starts at $107/month 

Free trial

7-day free trial

11. Google Search Console

Best for search performance monitoring and indexing analysis

Google Search Console (GSC) is a free tool by Google that helps website owners monitor, maintain, and optimize their content for search performance. While not a direct content testing tool, it provides essential insights into how content performs in search results, helping you refine content strategy based on real user interactions. 

With features like search performance reports, indexing status, and page experience insights, GSC allows content teams to test and optimize content based on organic search data.

Best features 

• Search performance report 
• Search analytics 
• Index coverage report 
• URL inspection tool 

• Core web vitals
• Mobile usability report 

Pros

• Free and easy to use
• Helps improve content discoverability and technical health
• Helps monitor and fix crawl errors, 404 pages, and indexing issues
• Notifies for indexing or security issues

Cons

• No direct content testing features like A/B testing
• Requires integration with other tools for in-depth analytics

Pricing

Completely free

Free trial

GSC is free to use

12. VWO

Best for A/B testing, multivariate testing, and behavior analytics

VWO is an all-in-one platform that goes beyond just content testing. It is a comprehensive experience optimization platform that enables businesses to test, personalize, and refine every element of their website, from content and layouts to UI components and backend functionalities like personalization recommendations and search engine algorithms. While content testing tools help refine messaging and improve readability, VWO takes optimization to the next level. It optimizes the entire user experience. 

Standout features 

1.  A/B testing 

It offers extensive audience targeting, Bayesian-powered statistical analysis, and real-time impact reports to ensure reliable decision-making. You can test different content variations such as headlines, CTAs, page layouts, or messaging to determine what resonates best with your audience. Tracking engagement and conversion metrics helps refine content strategies for maximum impact. 

2. Multivariate testing

It enables content teams to test multiple variations of headlines, images, and CTAs in different combinations to determine the highest-performing combination. By leveraging behavior-based testing and segmentation, you can refine messaging for specific audiences. Features like live previews, traffic allocation, and cross-browser testing ensure content is optimized for all visitors, enhancing engagement and conversions.

3. User behavior analytics 

Go beyond just content tweaks with the help of VWO Insights, which helps understand how users interact with their websites. By analyzing visitor interactions, it allows you to refine content for better engagement and performance. 

Key features include:

• Heatmaps: Track user clicks, scroll depth, and attention hotspots.
• Session recordings: Observe user journeys and identify friction points.
• Surveys: Gather direct feedback on content clarity and relevance.
• Form analytics: Measure interactions and drop-offs in lead generation forms.
• On-page feedback: Gather user sentiments on specific content sections.
• Page-level metrics: Analyze page views, time on page, and exit rates to optimize content strategy.

3. Visual editor 

Easily modify web pages without coding. With a simple point-and-click interface, you can edit text, images, backgrounds, and layouts in real-time. Add new elements like banners, forms, and buttons effortlessly to enhance user experience.

For advanced customization, the code editor provides complete control. Experiment with different variations, make quick adjustments and track their impact through seamless A/B testing.

4. Personalization

VWO Personalize enables businesses to deliver tailored experiences to website visitors by leveraging data such as browsing behavior, device type, and engagement patterns. It allows for easy segmentation and targeting, enabling personalized content delivery at the right moment. 

Start a free trial or request a demo to explore its full capabilities.

Pros

• No-code visual editor for easy content testing
• Advanced segmentation for personalized content experiments
• Comprehensive user behavior analytics 
• Exceptional customer support with a 98% CSAT score

Pricing 

Insights plans start at $139/month 

Testing plans start at $275/month

Free trial

30-day

How LKR Social Media (MeetEdgar) boosted sign-ups by 24.31% 

LKR Social Media (now MeetEdgar) is a social media marketing training company that helps small businesses grow through online courses. To boost their newsletter sign-ups, they turned to A/B testing to optimize their content.

Challenge

Their homepage headline, “Could You Use a Free Plan For Promoting With Social Media?” felt too much like marketing copy. They wanted a more conversational approach to engage visitors better.

Tests run

Using VWO Testing, LKR Social Media experimented with a new headline based on customer feedback which resulted in a 24.31% increase in sign-ups and a 97% probability of beating the original headline.

Key takeaways

This case highlights the impact of A/B testing on content optimization. Content optimization isn’t always about complete redesigns. Even small changes like tweaking a few words in a headline can lead to significant improvements in conversions. The key is to continuously test and refine messaging based on user behavior.

Why businesses trust VWO

Comparison of top content testing tools

Tool name	Best for	Pricing starts	Free trial
UXtweak	Usability testing and accessibility testing	$116/month	Free forever plan
Lyssna	Preference testing and first-click testing	$75/month	Free plan (limited)
UserTesting	Real user feedback and usability testing	Custom pricing	No free trial
ContentSquare	Visualizing user behavior and content performance	$40/month	Free forever plan
Ahrefs	SEO testing and content optimization	$108/month	No free trial
Knotch	AI-powered content intelligence and performance optimization	Custom pricing	Not available
Maze	Prototype testing and user research	$99/month	30-day free trial
VWO	A/B testing, multivariate testing, and behavior analytics	Insights plans start at $139/month Testing plans start at $275/month	30-day free trial
Crazy Egg	Heatmaps, scroll maps, and click tracking	$29/month	30-day free trial

Final thoughts

Content testing tools are essential for ensuring that your content is effective, user-friendly, and optimized for engagement and conversions. They come in various forms, each serving a different purpose from A/B testing and heatmaps to data-driven insights and SEO analysis. Choosing the right tool depends on your business goals. By using a combination of these tools, you can create more effective, user-friendly, and high-converting content.

Speaking of VWO, it’s more than just a content testing tool—it’s a comprehensive experience optimization platform with powerful testing and optimization features. You can optimize not just content but any UI element, and even run backend functionality tests like personalization recommendations and search engine algorithms.

If you’re looking for an all-in-one solution, VWO is a powerful choice. Start a free trial or request a demo to explore its full capabilities.

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