If you search for SEO tools in any search engine, you will get thousands of responses. You are probably thinking to yourself, who has time to test all of them out! Well, to make it easier for you, we did the research and tested the top results to give you a list of the best tried and tested SEO tools available.
Ready? Let’s go!
Key Words
Keywords are one of the best tools you can use to help you plan your SEO. We’re not talking about keyword stuffing, but the natural use of keywords that would make sense in your content.
1) Keyworddit
Keyworddit is a Reddit tool that will pull keywords from Reddit posts, to help you understand what your audience is searching for and commenting on. Just type in the name of any subreddit into the tool and click “Get Keywords.” The device will then pull the keywords from that subreddit.
*One thing to note- subreddits that have a lot of comments will have more keywords.
2) Keywords Everywhere
This Chrome extension shows CPC, search volume, and data from your competition for Google from all of the major search engines (Bing, Google, Safari, etc.). It also pulls information from the Google Keyword Planner.
An API key is needed to use the program, and you can get one by signing up on the site.
3) Answer the Public
Answer the Public takes all of those crazy autocomplete queries from Google and puts them into lists. Now you can see what types of questions people are asking Google.
4) Merge Words
Merge Words is a fun tool that will let you merge keywords. The program is limited to up to three at a time. Still, it can be helpful when looking for different variations of keywords. You can also use the program to create a list of search queries that can help you determine keywords based on things like product features or locations. Super helpful in developing voice search copy.
5) Wondersear.ch
Semantics mean something for this program. Wondersear.ch takes keywords and finds other keywords or root keywords that are related to your search.
6) SEO Hero
Looking for the top Google search results for your keywords? SEO Hero will pull the top 100 for you! Use the list to help you determine the topics that are important to your content.
7) Google Keyword Planner, Analytics, Search Console.
Google offers a variety of tools to help you improve your SEO. Programs like Trends help you find the latest search trends. Keyword Planner works with you to research and find keywords that apply to your product or service. Search Console will help you encounter any issues on your site’s pages. Analytics tells you how many people are visiting your website. You can even view the number of people on your website in real-time. Giving you an in-depth understanding of what they are looking at, where they are going, and when they leave your site.
We highly recommend you take a look at Google’s suite of tools to help you understand SEO and where your site ranks.
Other keyword tools worth looking at Ahrefs’ Keyword Explorer, Soovle, and Keywordtool.io.
Links and Backlinks
Want to show that other sites have confidence in you? Backlinks are an essential SEO tool that shows other sites believe in the trustworthiness of your website. Backlinks, AKA inbound links or incoming links, are born when one website links to another one. One challenge is knowing what these backlinks look like.
1) Whitespark’s Google Business Review Link Generator.
While this is a mouthful to say, getting reviews on your Google My Business profile is imperative for your SEO, especially if you are wanting more local recognition. Whitespark’s tool creates a link you can share that lets your customers send a business review with just one click. Put the link on your social media, email, or wherever you think people will use it.
This neat little tool is free and can make a difference in your SEO.
2) Ahref’s Free Backlink Checker
Updated every 15 minutes, Ahref’s Backlink checker looks for backlinks to any website or web page and creates a list of the top 100 backlinks. Not only that, but it will show the top five most linked-to-pages on the site, common anchor text, and a total number of referring domains and backlinks.
Score Domain Rating (DR) and URL (UR) Rating too!
3) LinkMiner
Chrome has some great extensions to help you manage your SEO. LinkMiner is one of them. You can check your webpages for broken links any time you like. A long list of scraped links? Use just export them into a CVS file.
SERP
SERP stands for Search Engine Results Page, just in case you are wondering.
1) Chris Ainsworth’s SERP Extraction Bookmarklet
Chris Ainsworth’s SERP Extraction Bookmarklet can be added to your browser. Then all you have to do is click it to extract Google search results. Simples as that. Use it for finding link prospects and scraping guest posts.
2) Portents SERP Preview Tool
Looking for a tool that will let you see what your web pages look like in Google’s search results? Look no further than Portents SERP Preview Tool.
Just enter some basic information (page title, metadata, URL), and you will see the results in a few seconds. This is a great tool to tell you if your title and description are too long for search engines.
3) SERProbot
Another great tool from Google, SERProbot, will check your rankings with up to five keywords at a time. No registration needed for this one. Use it to do local rankings to see how your site is doing.
Crawlers
Sometimes called bots or spider bots, web crawlers browse websites and web pages in an effort to index them.
1) Robots.txt Generator
You need this on your webserver. Robots.txt is an instruction manual for robots (i.e., Googlebot), that tells them which pages on your site they can or cannot review (or crawl). Use the simple formatted file, or if you are more advanced, use the custom options to create specific rules for your site.
2) Beam Us Up
The very SciFi name doesn’t really give you the full information. A free SEO crawler, Beam Us Up, is a Windows-only alternative to Screaming Frog.
Traffic
1) Similarweb
If you need a monthly estimate of your website traffic, Similarweb can help. You can also find out if the traffic is organic, direct, or referred from another site.
Optimization
2) GTMetrix
Want to analyze the loading speed of your site? GTMetix is what you need to do just that. Get recommendations on how to make your pages load faster and a score to tell you how you are doing.
3) Smush Image Compression and Optimization
If you use WordPress, this plugin is for you! Smush helps improve the compression, size, and optimization of your images. Helping your webpages load faster. The free version is limited but is worth it.
If your not on WordPress try Shortpixel.
4) Responsive Design Checker
If your site isn’t responsive, you are missing the boat. The Responsive Design Checker reviews your site for the responsiveness of it to see how it looks on desktop, mobile, and tablets. You can even see how it looks on specific, branded devices. Also try Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test to ensure your site is mobile-friendly enough for Google.
5) Keep-alive Validation SEO Tool
Don’t you hate it when you are uploading a file, and your connection to a website or page gets lost? Keep-alive keeps the connection (persistent connections) alive to allow you or your customers to transfer all of the data, improving load speed, and in return, your SEO.
URLs
1) HEADMaster SEO
Use HEADMaster SEO to bulk check status codes on URLs.
2) Where Goes?
Where Goes? Checks the redirect paths for URLs. Copy and paste the URL into the search bar and Where Goes? Shows the type and number of redirects.
Developer Tools
1) Chrome DevTools
Chrome DevTools helps you debug your web pages. Use it to review page speed, rendering, performance, and whatever you can think of!
2) JSON-LD Schema Generator
A schema is a form of microdata used by search engines to describe and classify your web pages. If you aren’t sure how to create a Schema markup for your website, the JSON-LD Schema Generator will do it for you. All you have to do is pick the type of Schema you want to create and fill out the form. Then just copy and paste the code into your site.
3) BROWSEO
Ever wonder how your web pages look without all of the CSS (the design)? BROWSEO gives you an insider look at what your web pages look like to Google and other search engines, and can help you determine if the vital information is being found.
4) SEO Web Page Analyzer
Need an in-depth look at your web page? SEO Web Page Analyzer reviews your web pages and shows you what is missing. Images without tags, how your headlines are structured, do the internal and external links work, are your meta titles compelling, and does your meta description work are all reviewed with the web page analyzer. Everything you need to ensure your web pages are SEO ready.
5) Yoast SEO
Another tool for WordPress users, Yoast SEO, helps to optimize your site by improving meta tags, content, creates sitemaps, and more. If you run on WordPress, you need this!
Extras
1) Whitespark Local Citation Finder
Citations are any web-based reference to your local business. This can include the name, address, and phone number. Whitespark helps you see whether or not your company has any citations and also whether or not your competition has citations.
Citations help search engines find a comprehensive and accurate representation of your business on the web, improving your ranking in SERPs.
2) Hunter.io
Searching for emails related to a website can be challenging at times. Within a matter of seconds, Hunter.io will pull every email associated with a website. Other email address finders include FindThat.Email, Norbert, and Voila.