10 Free SEO Tools to Improve Your Rankings on Google

Do you feel like your website is buried in search results? Is it hidden from potential customers?

A recent study by SEMrush revealed that only 0.75% of website pages actually land on the first page of Google. Frustrating, right? But before you resign yourself to SEO defeat, listen up!

You don’t need a hefty budget to climb the Google ladder. In fact, a treasure trove of FREE SEO tools is waiting for you to unleash them!

Let’s explore 15 powerful SEO tools that can boost your ranking and help you dominate the SERPs like a pro.

Free SEO Tools for Keyword Research & Planning

Think of keywords as the map guiding your website to potential customers. The right keywords help search engines understand your website. They show what it’s about and connect you with the right audience.

Here are some free SEO tools to crack the keyword code:

1. Google Keyword Planner

This SEO tool is built by Google. It’s a goldmine for finding search volume, competition level, and related SEO keywords.

Key Features:

• Discover monthly search volume and competition level for keywords.
• Generate related keyword ideas and long-tail variations.
• Estimate potential traffic based on keyword targeting.
• Filter results by location, device, and more.

2. Ubersuggest

This free SEO tool offers keyword suggestions. It also analyzes competition, generates content ideas, and tracks your search engine ranking.

Key Features:

• Find hundreds of keyword ideas from a single seed keyword.
• Analyze competition level and estimated traffic potential.
• Discover related questions and content ideas.
• Track your website’s ranking progress for various keywords.

3. AnswerThePublic

Ever wondered what questions people are asking about your topic? This free SEO tool uncovers these questions. It helps you make SEO content that directly addresses their needs.

Key Features:

• Generate visual reports of questions people ask related to your topic.
• Discover long-tail SEO keyword variations based on questions.
• See trending questions and identify content gaps.
• Export results for further analysis and content planning.

4. Soovle

This free SEO tool helps you find niche-specific, long-tail keyword variations. They can attract targeted traffic.

• Key Features:
  • Find long-tail keyword suggestions based on a seed keyword.
  • Filter results by search volume, competition level, and question format.
  • Analyze keyword trends and identify seasonal spikes.
  • Export keyword lists for easy integration into your content strategy.

Suggested Reading: 10 Free AI Tools For SEO Audit And Optimization

Free Tools for Technical SEO & Website Analysis

Just like a car needs regular maintenance. Your website needs technical SEO checkups. They ensure it’s running smoothly for search engines. These free SEO tools help identify and fix potential issues:

5. Google Search Console

This is an official Google tool. It is your website’s health report. It provides insights into indexing status, technical SEO issues, and backlinks to your site.

Key Features:

• Monitor website indexing status and identify crawl errors.
• See which SEO keywords your website is ranking for in Google search.
• Analyze backlinks pointing to your website and identify spammy links.
• Submit your sitemap for faster indexing and discoverability.

6. Pingdom (Website Speed Test)

Website speed is a crucial SEO ranking factor. Pingdom tests your website’s loading speed and offers actionable recommendations for improvement.

Key Features:

• Test your website’s loading speed from different locations.
• Analyze performance bottlenecks and identify slow-loading elements.
• Get actionable recommendations for improving website speed.
• Track your website’s speed performance over time.

7. Screaming Frog (SEO Spider)

This SEO tool crawls your website like a search engine bot. It finds technical SEO issues like broken links and missing meta descriptions.

Key Features:

• Crawl your website URLs and identify technical SEO errors.
• Analyze on-page SEO elements like title tags, meta descriptions, and headers.
• Discover broken links, duplicate content, and redirect issues.
• Generate XML sitemaps for improved search engine crawlability.

8. MozBar (Free Version)

The full MozBar offers more features. The free version provides basic on-page SEO analysis and backlink checking. It helps you identify basic technical SEO issues.

Key Features:

• Analyze on-page SEO elements like title tags, meta descriptions, and headings.
• Get a basic overview of the number of backlinks pointing to your website.
• Highlight pages with potential SEO issues for further investigation.

Tip: As you explore these tools, remember, each has strengths and weaknesses. Experiment to find the ones that work best for your needs and workflow.

Free SEO Tools for Content Optimization & Tracking

Now that you’ve learnt about SEO keyword research and website insights. It’s time to craft content. The content should not just attract visitors, but also turn them into loyal customers. Let’s explore some free SEO tools to power your content creation and track your progress:

9. Yoast SEO (Free Version):

This popular WordPress plugin guides you on on-page optimization best practices. It covers title tags, meta descriptions, internal linking, and readability.

Key Features:

• Analyze on-page SEO elements and suggest improvements.
• Optimize title tags and meta descriptions for targeted keywords.
• Check content readability and suggest readability improvements.
• Track your website’s internal linking structure and recommend changes.

10. Ahrefs (Free Backlink Checker)

Ahrefs is primarily a paid SEO tool. But, it offers a free backlink checker. The tool analyzes backlinks to your website or competitors. It helps you understand your link profile.

Key Features:

• Discover websites linking to your domain or specific URLs.
• Analyze the quality and authority of backlinks.
• Compare your backlink profile to competitors.
• Identify broken backlinks for outreach opportunities.

11. SEMrush

The free version of this SEO tool offers basic keyword research and website audit features. It also has limited rank tracking. These features provide valuable insights for optimizing your SEO strategy.

Key Features:

• Discover related keywords and search trends.
• Analyze competitor websites and identify backlinks.
• Get a basic website audit with technical SEO insights.
• Track website ranking progress for a limited number of keywords.

12. Rank Math

Rank Math is another leading WordPress SEO plugin. It offers similar on-page optimization features. It also has extras like content schema markup and keyword tracking.

• Key Features:
  • Analyze on-page SEO elements and provide actionable recommendations.
  • Generate optimized title tags, meta descriptions, and social media snippets.
  • Set focus keywords and track your ranking progress for chosen terms.
  • Integrate with Google Search Console for deeper technical SEO insights.

13. Hemingway Editor

Ever feel your writing could be clearer and more concise? The Hemingway Editor highlights complex sentences. It suggests simpler ones. This improves your content’s readability.

Key Features:

• Analyze text complexity and highlight areas for improvement.
• Suggest simpler alternatives for overused words and long sentences.
• Track readability scores and strive for easier, more impactful writing.
• Export clean and optimized text for your content creation workflow.

14. PageSpeed Insights

Google developed this free SEO tool. It can help you analyze website speed and performance. It offers tips for improvement. These tips are crucial for higher website ranking and user experience.

Key Features:

• Test website loading speed on mobile and desktop.
• Identify performance bottlenecks and slow-loading elements.
• Get specific recommendations for speed optimization.
• Track website speed performance over time.

15. Google Analytics

Google Analytics isn’t just for SEO. It’s vital for understanding your website traffic, user behavior, and performance. You can analyze audience demographics, bounce rates, and content engagement. This free tool can help you refine your content strategy for maximum impact.

Key Features:

• Track website traffic sources and user behavior (e.g., page views, bounce rates).
• Analyze audience demographics and understand your target visitors.
• Monitor performance of individual pages and identify top-performing content.
• Set SEO goals and track progress towards achieving them.

Bonus: A Powerful SEO Tool That’s Free to Use

How can we forget the important of AI for SEO? You can use ChatGPT and its natural language processing to brainstorm ideas. You can also create outlines and generate different writing styles. This helps with content creation.

Key Features:

• Discover new keywords: Generate fresh broad & long-tail ideas for broader reach.
• Spark content gems: Brainstorm outlines, formats, & styles for engaging SEO content.
• Deepen topic expertise: Explore related questions & concepts to build topical authority.
• Repurpose content magic: Transform existing work into new formats for wider impact.
• Test like a pro: Experiment with writing styles to gauge potential audience response.

Remember, use outputs wisely and fact-check generated information for accuracy and SEO alignment.

Final thoughts

While some of these free SEO tools offer limited features (unless you upgrade). But, they can still be valuable for starting with SEO. As you progress, consider exploring paid SEO tools for more advanced functionalities.

If you want to learn more, I highly recommend you read these advanced SEO strategies. They cover powerful SEO resources to help you dominate search engines.