Looking for free SEO tools that really work? The right SEO tools can go a long way toward helping you develop your online marketing strategy. Getting results doesn’t mean you have to run out and look for the most expensive software, either – free tools are abundant and effective.
Let’s look at some of the most powerful free SEO tools around:
1. Google Keyword Planner
No article on SEO tools would be complete without acknowledging the granddaddy of them all, the Google Keyword Planner. A free tool tied to your AdWords account, the Keyword Planner uses Google’s vast treasure trove of search data to provide keyword suggestions based on your existing seed keywords or ideas. It can also give you an idea of per-click costs and competition.
2. Google Analytics & Google Search Console
Analytics should be central to any good SEO strategy. By pairing Google Analytics with Google Search Console, you get an immense amount of information about how users are finding your site. If you already have healthy traffic, you can use it to find dozens or even hundreds of variant keywords. Plus, you can use it to keep an eye on your backlink profile, the core of off-page SEO success.
3. Spyfu
Although Spyfu will do everything in its power to get you to sign up for a paid account, its free version offers incredible tools for scoping out the competition. You can learn what keywords your foes are using, where their rankings are improving or faltering, and what their PPC strategy looks like. This can easily highlight opportunities to outwit your rivals with SEO.
4. MozBar
Moz.com is home to some of the most powerful and versatile SEO tools out there, but not all of them offer the flexibility of the free MozBar extension for Chrome. Using MozBar, you can get instant SEO stats for any page you visit. It even makes sense of the data you’d usually get from checking the page’s source code, making it much easier to understand how a site is built.
5. SEOWorkers Analysis Tool
This free tool gives you an instant breakdown of the SEO properties of any page on the Web. Not only can it tell you about on-page SEO factors like title tags and metadata, but it will also offer suggestions and background research. If you’re looking for the most important steps to take on any given page right away, this tool will get you there.
6. Woorank
Woorank is another free tool dedicated to delivering customized, actionable SEO suggestions. There are many useful features here, but one thing stands out: The social media analysis. In just seconds, Woorank can tell you the cumulative number of Likes, Shares, and comments you have across major social media networks. It also lets you see your site’s mobile rendering instantly.
7. QuickSprout Analyzer & SEO Platform
If you want to get as much data about a page as you can all in one place, visit this versatile tool from QuickSprout. It stands head and shoulders over the rest when it comes to user interface, so it’s easy and fun to use. It complements Spyfu in delivering a huge amount of specialized info on the competition, allowing you to easily identify SEO opportunities for contested keywords.
8. HotJar
HotJar was one of the first brands to pioneer the concept of online heatmaps for SEO. Its free version allows you to maintain a limited number of heatmaps on your most important pages and collect information from up to 2,000 pageviews a day. This makes it ideal for a site that’s just getting started, when you’re still making important tweaks to your landing pages.
9. Google PageSpeed Insights
Bet you thought we were done with Google! Your page’s loading speed is important not only for SEO, but for user experience. Studies have shown that users can recognize and be frustrated by a loading delay of less than two seconds. With this tool, you’ll get crucial advice on accelerating your load times and improving how your page renders. It’s a free user experience test in a box.
10. Moz Local Listing Score
Local SEO is an essential measure of success for any brick and mortar storefront. The Moz Local Listing Score tool rates your success in social signals across the major networks and tracks how easy it is for your potential customers to find you. It’s also useful as a reputation management command center, since it gives you an overview of reviews across all the major local business review sites.
Any ambitious online business or e-commerce project will eventually need paid versions of many important apps. With these free alternatives, however, you get the chance to find out what works for you and start building a powerful technology stack. They are truly the ultimate SEO tools to get your efforts off to a running start!
Rob Steffens
I am the Director of Marketing here at Bluleadz. I'm a huge baseball fan (Go Yankees!). I love spending time with friends and getting some exercise on the Racquetball court.