To succeed at SEO you need the right SEO tools. Fortunately, there are a lot of free SEO tools that are very valuable and useful in helping you accomplish just about any SEO task. The following is a list of tools that I use on a daily basis to help me rank at the top of the search engine result pages, increase website traffic and gain visibility online.
1. Google Search Console
At the start of any new SEO project I ensure that Google search console – formerly Google Webmaster tools – is set up. Google webmaster tools help you keep tabs on your website SEO, but most importantly, it provides you with a list of keywords or queries that you are already ranking for. This is a great place to start.
2. Cuterank
Cuterank is one of the most accurate rank checker tools that I have found to date. It offers both a free and paid version. The free version allows you to manage one website. (Although Google Search Console does show you the position for the keywords you are ranking for, I have found it to be very inaccurate.)
3. Google Keyword Planner Tool
One of the most important factors when considering whether you should pursue a keyword or not, is whether that keyword receives traffic. Google Keyword Planner Tool provides you with the average search volume your keyword receives each month and it even allows you to compare different periods, so you can see whether your keyword is trending upward or downward over time. Google recently made changes to restrict the accuracy of the data, however, thereâs a work around for you to get more accurate keyword data. You can follow this guide:
4. Keyword Shitter
Yes, I know, the name is less than appealing, but I promise you it works. This easy to use free SEO tool provides you with an exhaustive list of keyword ideas. Simply enter a general keyword e.g. SEO, and it will provide you with a long list of keyword ideas and combinations that includes your term. It is also ideal for finding long tail keywords.
5. KeywordSpy
Just as the name suggests, KeywordSpy spies on your competitors and discover their keywords. Simply enter your top online competitors and gain access to the keywords they bid on for their pay per click campaign and the approximate amount they spend. You are also able to discover what keywords your competitors are ranking for in the organic search. The free version will provide you with useful data, although limited in volume.
6. MozBar
A plugin created by MOZ, a leader in the SEO space. MozBar is a browser extension that is useful for discovering the page authority, domain authority and the number of backlinks to a specific page. Another useful feature is the highlighter tool that allows you to ascertain whether links on a page are âno followâ or âdo followâ. This tool is very useful as part of your competitive research in planning your SEO campaign.
7. OpenSiteExplorer.org
Another more robust SEO Tool created by MOZ, OpenSiteExplorer.org is a backlink checker that goes beyond the MozBar by providing you with a list of your competitorsâ backlinks which is useful for identifying link building opportunities. It is also useful for accessing a list of your own website backlinks so that you can identify bad backlinks that may be hurting your rankings and take the necessary steps to get them removed.
8.Woorank.com
To ensure that youâre on the right track with your SEO strategy and improve your ranking, it is necessary to conduct SEO audits. While you can do so manually, you can save yourself a lot of time with an SEO Audit tool such as Woorank.com which provides you with an in-depth review of your website and a checklist of changes you need to implement.
9. Google Analytics
Increasing traffic to your website is great, but if your website is not converting visitors into leads and sales, all that time you spent getting to the top of the search engine rankings is for naught. Google Analytics is a free tool that helps you track your activity and gain insightful data such as how much traffic your website receives, your website bounce rate, your top exit pages and the amount of time your visitors are spending on your website. This information is essential for improving conversions, which you can track by setting up goals in Google Analytics.
10. Google Page Speed Insights
Page speed is one of the top factors search engines like Google take into consideration when ranking websites. Think about it; would you want to stick around and wait for a slow website to load? Well, neither would your target audience. Google Page Speed Insights is a free tool by Google for you to test the speed of your website. It gives you a score out of 100 and lets you know what items you need to fix to improve your page speed so that your website loads faster.
Back in April of 2015, Google announced an expansion of âmobile-friendliness as a ranking signalâ, giving sites that are mobile friendly an edge over those that arenât and rewarding them with a ranking boost. There have since been subsequent mobile algorithm updates and in November of 2016 Google announced that they are testing the roll out of mobile first indexing. To say the least, having a mobile friendly website is crucial to your SEO success. The Google Mobile-Friendly Test is a free tool by Google that helps you determine whether your website is mobile friendly or not.
12. Supple Google Review Link Generator
Online reviews are essential for websites looking to rank locally. However, getting clients to post reviews on sites like Google Reviews can be a bit challenging due to the steps needed to generate a direct link to your reviews page. Supple is a free SEO tool that makes it easy for your clients to post reviews. Simply enter your business name and it will generate your Google Listing where you can then copy the link and email to your clients. Once a client clicks on the link, it will generate your listing and a review box. They can then review your business and click post to post a review.
13. Check for Duplicate Content with Siteliner.com
Duplicate content and broken links are two self-inflicted SEO mistakes that can hurt your SEO rankings. Siteliner.com is a free SEO tool provided by the same people behind Copyscape that scans your website for duplicate content, broken links, page load time, word count per page, internal and external links etc. Itâs easy to use and will scan up to 250 pages per month. Thereâs also a premium version that allows you to scan up to 25,000 pages for larger websites.
Have you used any SEO Tools that you think is a must have in your SEO arsenal? Tell us below in the comment.
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