Looking for a list of free SEO tools that can assist in your SEO campaign? Data (and content) is KING in SEO. Execution is imperative. So when you are planning your content strategy be sure to use the following free SEO tools to guide you into online success.
With a few years of SEO services under our belt we have come across plenty of free and premium SEO tools. While you won’t need to use ALL of these, we have listed our top free SEO tools below to help you achieve your online goals. Some of these SEO tools offer free and premium options. If you decide you love a particular tool the premium options have a lot more to offer.
1. Google keyword planner
Google Keyword Planner is designed for Google Adwords. But it is an invaluable tool when planning content and completing keyword research. Finding keywords and phrases is made easier with the Google Keyword Planner because it not only uses the keyword it uses semantics. So if you are looking for ‘free SEO tools’ the keyword planner will offer alternative phrases even if they don’t include those words. For example, alternative keywords or suggestions to ‘Free SEO tools’ are ‘free wordpress seo plugin’, ‘seo tools’, ‘small seo tools’, and ‘backlink checker’.
The downside to Google Keyword Planner is some SEO experts believe it overestimates the average monthly searches. Additionally, it only offers ranges of searches not ‘absolute’ numbers. Either way, we think the Google Keyword Planner is an imperative part of your keyword research phase.
2. Also asked
You may have noticed in Google searches there is a section called ‘People also asked’. This SERP feature is known as People Also Ask.
A free SEO tool called ‘Also asked’ offers these in an easy format and visually pleasing graphics.
Unfortunately, the free version is limited to a small number of searches per month. Be selective with your searches and be sure to save all of the information.
Why is ‘Also asked’ a good SEO tool? It gives you questions related to your search topic that you can include in your blog. Answering these questions within your post will help boost your SEO rankings.
From Also Asked:
“Also Asked data gives you the closest related questions to any given user’s query, allowing you to improve your content and show search engines that your page is likely the best possible result.”
Also Asked
3. Answer the public
Answer the public is a keyword research tool that is great for SEO. Whilst it is a premium tool, they offer a number of free searches depending on their site traffic. Like ‘Also Asked’ this platform offers visually appealing infographics to show you related content people searched for within Google. When planning your posts and blog content this is an important research tool that helps build ideas on what to discuss.
4. Google search console
Google Search Console (GSC) is one of the most important SEO tools you can use. GSC allows you to find (and fix) technical errors on your website, check your Core Web Vitals and other technical issues on your website. Not only that, you can submit sitemaps to Google through the interface.
Additionally, you can inspect different pages on your website to see if they are indexed within Google.
5. Yoast WordPress plug-in
Yoast is a powerful SEO plugin for WordPress websites. Not only is it powerful, it is easy to use and they offer a FREE version.
In their own words:
“Yoast SEO is a WordPress plugin that helps your site perform better in search engines like Google. It also gives you the tools to bring your content to the highest standards of SEO and overall readability.”
Yoast WordPress plugin offers an easy to understand ’traffic light’ assessment of each page and post. Additionally, they list the tasks you need to complete to bring your content to the highest standards of SEO. The plugin provides a seamless integration with any WordPress website. It is an absolute MUST have on any WordPress website.
So if you have a WordPress website and don’t have Yoast you might be missing out on a HUGE amount of leads and traffic.
6. GTMetrix
GTMetrix provides an analysis on your website speed. Page speed has been a ranking factor for some time. Not only that it is also a visitor ranking factor, no one sticks around if your site is slow. So it is imperative your website is loading quickly to keep your visitors and Google happy.
GTMetrix also gives you a detailed list of what is causing your site to be slow and why you need to fix it.
7. Google Page Speed
Google Page Speed is another page speed analysing tool. As with GTMetrix, Google Page Speed also offers invaluable insight into why your website is slow and what you can do to boost the speed. GTMetrix and Google Pagespeed offer similar information, with Google offering a split between mobile and desktop speed.
8. Google analytics
Google Analytics may not need an introduction to you as it is one of the most used seo tools. The information you can gain from Google Analytics is imperative to your website. Not only SEO work but maintaining your website to be the best it can be for your customers and also knowing where you need to focus on lead generation. The information you can access can be used to improve almost every aspect of your marketing sector.
From audience data through to acquisitions and learning how visitors found you, you will be able to find almost any data you will need using Google Analytics. Additionally, you can create your own reporting.
9. Google data studio
Google Data Studio helps make your SEO and Website reporting easier.
As a Google product, it is easy to merge all of your Google Suite data into the reporting. So if you have a Google Search Console and Analytics you can import all the data into your Google Data Studio for reporting. There are also reporting templates you can use to make visually appealing reports for your marketing team, boss or yourself.
10. SERP Snippet Optimizer Tool
This option is great if you don’t have a WordPress website (with a plugin like Yoast). It allows you to see what your page will look like in search engine result pages (SERPs).
Having a good call to action can help with click through rates on search engine result pages. This tool can help by viewing what your site will look like in a results page.
The SERP snippet optimizer tool is easy to use. All you need to do is add your title, meta description and URL for your page. The tool will then show a snippet of what your site will look like in search results within Google.
11. Ahrefs webmaster tools
Ahrefs webmaster tool is another powerful and free SEO tool that can help analyse your website in terms of SEO health. A site audit allows you to access information like who is linking to your website and what your site is ranking for in Google. On top of that, the audit can tell you what SEO errors you have, on which pages and how to fix them. Ahrefs webmaster tools can check for over 100 common SEO issues.
It not only tells you what is wrong with your site, it also tells you why and how you can fix it. This free SEO tool gives you direct access to the page affected by the error. This is helpful when working through the errors, especially on large websites.
12. Ahrefs keyword generator
The Ahrefs free keyword generator tool shows you the top keyword ideas (and related questions) for any keyword or phrase. Additionally, this free SEO tool gives you important data like search volume and keyword density.
The Ahrefs keyword generator tool is a lite version of Ahrefs full premium SEO tool. You can generate the top 100 related keywords and phases of your search. It offers a sneak peak at the real deal. Considering the lite version is full of important data, unless you are offering SEO servives, the free version should be suffice.
13. Bright Local’s Local SERP Checker
The BrightLocal’s Local SERP Checker is a great SEO tool if you are doing local SEO work. The tool allows you to view Google search results in certain areas. You can specify suburb and postcode to view results in that area for a particular keyword.
The free version currently allows you to complete up to 10 searches per day. You can view per search results pages or by map results.
Final thoughts on free SEO tools
SEO is a crucial part of any content campaign. It is imperative to have the right SEO tools in your tool-kit for great campaigns. The above list of free SEO tools are a great start for your SEO campaign.
When you stumbled across our humble blog, you may have been wondering are SEO tools worth paying for or what is the best SEO tool available. But now you have a HUGE list of FREE SEO tools. With all of these free SEO tools in your tool-kit, you will be able to make great decisions based on data driven evidence. Your SEO campaigns should be hugely successful if you execute the campaign correctly. Need help with your SEO campaign? Get in touch with us and we will show you how we can push you to great heights.
Frequently Asked Questions about FREE SEO Tools
Which is the best free SEO tool for beginners?
There are multiple FREE SEO tools for beginners. Our list above outlines our top 13 and include Ahrefs Keyword generator, Ahrefs Webmaster Tools, Google Search Console and more.
Can I do my own SEO?
You sure can! With our comprehensive list of free SEO tools you should be able to attack your website SEO with great force. With tools from Ahrefs webmaster tools through to Google Search Console you have a great tool-kit available to you. With anything, time and execution is EVERYTHING. So, if you need any assistance we would love to help you with your SEO campaign.
How will I know which SEO tool to start with?
The main starting point for SEO tools would be your tracking tools. Google Analytics would be the very first step so you can monitor any work you have completed. From there you would step into Keyword Research or technical analysis depending on where you are in the website stage. There are multiple tools to use for keyword research. In this phase it comes down to preference but as a guide, start with Ahrefs Keyword Generator or Google Keyword Planner. With Technical Analysis phase Ahrefs Webmaster tool is a great choice.
Is SEO paid or free?
SEO refers to the organic ranking in a search engine. It is the free listing in search engine results (not the paid Google Ads). BUT it is a lucrative service and if you do not do SEO work yourself, engaging in an SEO expert is a paid service. SEO services range from $500/month to hundreds of thousands depending on your business module, competitive and expectations.