SEO is one of those perennial web design topics we never get tired of discussing. We all know the importance of SEO for your website, and thanks to the proliferation of SEO strategies over the past few years, there are plenty of options that don’t cost a thing!
Here are five of our favorite free SEO tools.
1. SEMRush
SEMRush is probably the most comprehensive service on our list. It has everything the aspiring website owner needs in order to master SEO:
- Data analytics
- Custom reporting
- On-site SEO analysis tools
- Backlink audits
Plus, the site has a wide selection of SEO webinars and resources that can help even the biggest SEO luddite get up to speed. If you’re just beginning your SEO journey, this is a great place to start.
2. Screaming Frog
Screaming Frog is a unique SEO tool that puts the power of site crawling into your hands. With the Screaming Frog platform, users can crawl websites, pull on-site data, and generate reports to understand what’s driving each website’s success:
- Meta data and page titles
- Backlink analysis (with a particular focus on finding broken links!)
- Redirect notifications
- Duplicate content identification
Note that the free version limits users to 500 URLs in total—meaning that if you’re going to do a deep dive on your competition over a long period of time, you may need to invest in the paid subscription.
3. Yoast
Few SEO tools have the same brand recognition as Yoast. Don’t let their outdated web design fool you; Yoast offers a comprehensive selection of SEO tools that can help any WordPress user bring his or her website up to speed. The site specializes in WordPress plugins, with an impressive selection of options:
- WordPress optimization
- Video content audits
- Local SEO visibility tracking
- Ecommerce add-ons
There are also plenty of SEO training tools available on the site to help you get familiar with the basics. If you love WordPress, don’t miss this one.
4. Pingdom
Pingdom gives you an in-depth look at your website’s performance and reliability. Sure, Pingdom specializes in detailed reports on website availability and downtime, but it doesn’t stop there—it also provides valuable analytics that can help you better understand how your website availability affects your users’ experience. We’re talking page load speed, page views per minute, bounce rate, and more. Check it out!
5. Ahrefs
Ahrefs will round out your SEO toolkit by giving you the means to learn from your competitors. Ahrefs specializes in competitor website audits that provide users with their competition’s top ranking keywords (including paid keywords!), backlink scores, organic traffic, and plenty more. This is the perfect way to keep tabs on your biggest rivals and tap into their strategies. Combined with the rest of the tools on this list, you’ll be well poised to build our your SEO profile and leave them in the dust.
Summary
The above list comprises some of our favorite free SEO tools, but in truth, there are plenty more out there worth a second look. Quality SEO isn’t about how much you pay—it’s about understanding your data and leveraging it with time-tested strategies that build up over time. If you’re struggling to master your SEO, don’t be shy about contacting a third-party servicer who can help you pick the best DIY SEO platforms to meet your goals.
