7 Free SEO Tools and Plugins to Try in 2023

The realm of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is always evolving. Fortunately, there are a plethora of tools available to assist SEO professionals, webmasters, and content creators in optimizing their online presence. In 2023, some new tools have gained popularity while old favourites continue to prove their worth. Here’s a list of 7 free SEO tools and plugins that you should consider this year:

1. Google Search Console (GSC)

Previously known as Google Webmaster Tools, GSC is a staple for anyone serious about SEO.

• Features: Monitor site performance, identify issues that might be affecting search rankings, and get insights into how Googlebot views your website.
• Highlight: The revamped ‘Performance’ report provides data about clicks, impressions, and average ranking positions.

2. Ubersuggest

Neil Patel’s Ubersuggest has always been a favourite, and its recent updates make it even more formidable.

• Features: Provides keyword ideas, content suggestions, site audit, and backlink data.
• Highlight: The new competitive analysis section offers insights into your rivals’ top-performing pages and keywords.

3. SEO Minion

An underrated Chrome extension that packs a punch for on-page SEO tasks.

• Features: Analyzes on-page SEO elements, checks broken links, and compares how a page appears in different locations.
• Highlight: The ‘SERP Preview tool lets you see how your page might look in Google search results.

4. Answer The Public

Perfect for content creators and bloggers, this tool visualizes search questions and prepositions related to your keywords.

• Features: Provides a comprehensive list of questions, prepositions, and comparisons based on your input keyword.
• Highlight: The new ‘Visual Map’ provides a mind-map-style representation of search queries.

5. MozBar

Moz’s free browser extension, available for Chrome, remains a favourite for quick site and page analysis.

• Features: Get instant metrics on domain authority, page authority, and a quick link profile overview.
• Highlight: The on-page highlighter feature helps in distinguishing between different types of links (internal, external, follow, no-follow).

6. Schema Markup Generator (by Merkle)

Schema.org markup can be a pain, but this tool simplifies the process.

• Features: Provides an easy interface to generate structured data markup in the JSON-LD format.
• Highlight Intuitive dropdown selections tailored for different types of content, from articles to events.

7. Core Web Vitals Checker

With Google emphasizing Core Web Vitals as a ranking factor, this tool has become essential.

• Features: Checks a page’s performance in terms of largest contentful paint, first input delay, and cumulative layout shift.
• Highlight: Provides actionable recommendations to improve your scores in each category.

These tools represent a mix of classic favourites and fresh offerings in the ever-changing landscape of SEO. Leveraging them effectively can provide invaluable insights, enhance your optimization strategy, and potentially boost your site’s visibility in search results. Remember, while tools offer valuable data and recommendations, always complement their insights with your own research and expertise.

Benefits of Using the 7 Free SEO Tools and Plugins

Harnessing the power of SEO tools and plugins, especially when they come at no cost, can revolutionize the way businesses and individuals approach online visibility. Here are the benefits of using the previously mentioned seven free SEO tools and plugins:

1. Google Search Console (GSC)

• Real-time Monitoring: Track website performance in real-time, catching issues as they arise.
• Direct Feedback from Google: Understand exactly how Google views and indexes your website.
• Organic Traffic Insights: See which search queries drive traffic to your site, allowing for more targeted content strategies.

2. Ubersuggest

• Comprehensive Keyword Data: Access extensive lists of keyword suggestions, giving you a competitive edge.
• Content Strategy Aid: Identify content gaps and opportunities based on what’s working for competitors.
• Backlink Analysis: Understand who’s linking to you and uncover potential link-building opportunities.

3. SEO Minion

• Instant On-page Analysis: Quickly evaluate critical on-page SEO elements, reducing manual checks.
• Location-based Insights: See how a page appears in different locations, crucial for businesses targeting multiple regions.
• Error Detection: Quickly pinpoint and fix broken links, enhancing user experience and SEO health.

4. Answer The Public

• Content Ideation: Generate ideas for blog posts, articles, and other content based on real user queries.
• Better Understanding of Audience: Uncover the actual questions and concerns of your target audience.
• Visual Representation: Use the visual map to brainstorm and conceptualize content strategies.

5. MozBar

• Immediate Site Analysis: Get a quick overview of any site’s authority and link profile without leaving your browser.
• Efficient Link Evaluation: Instantly distinguish between different types of links, streamlining outreach or cleanup efforts.
• Competitor Benchmarking: Compare your site’s metrics with competitors on-the-fly.

6. Schema Markup Generator (by Merkle)

• Enhanced Search Presence: Structured data can lead to rich snippets in search results, potentially increasing click-through rates.
• User-friendly Interface: Easily create complex structured data markup without coding knowledge.
• Diverse Content Types: Cater to various content types, from recipes to events, enhancing search engine understanding.

7. Core Web Vitals Checker

• Performance Insights: Understand how well your website performs in terms of user experience metrics deemed crucial by Google.
• Actionable Recommendations: Receive specific advice on how to enhance site performance.
• Stay Ahead of Algorithm Changes: As Google places more emphasis on user experience, ensure your site aligns with these metrics.

Incorporating these tools and plugins into your SEO strategy can provide a robust foundation for improved visibility, understanding, and optimization. They offer a blend of automation, insights, and practical solutions, making the complex world of SEO more accessible and manageable.

Examples of 7 Free SEO Tools and Plugins in Action

Let’s explore some hypothetical scenarios that demonstrate the value and utility of these tools in real-world SEO and content strategies:

1. Google Search Console (GSC)

Scenario: Sarah, a blogger, notices a sudden drop in her website’s organic traffic. She heads to GSC and quickly identifies that a significant number of pages have been excluded from indexing. By addressing these indexing issues and updating her sitemap, her pages get re-indexed and her traffic rebounds.

2. Ubersuggest

Scenario: John, an e-commerce store owner, wants to expand his product line. He uses Ubersuggest to research keywords related to potential new products. He discovers that “vegan leather bags” is a high-volume, low-competition keyword. John decides to add this product category to his store.

3. SEO Minion

Scenario: Lisa, a digital marketer, is about to launch a campaign for a client targeting the UK market. Using SEO Minion, she checks how the landing page appears in the UK and makes necessary adjustments to cater to that specific audience, ensuring the content resonates locally.

4. Answer The Public

Scenario: Mike, a content creator for a pet-focused website, is running out of content ideas. He enters “cat food” into Answer The Public and finds numerous questions people have about feline nutrition. This sparks a series of articles addressing these specific concerns.

5. MozBar

Scenario: Tina, an SEO specialist, is doing a backlink audit for a client. Using MozBar, she quickly assesses the authority of the linking domains. She then focuses her efforts on replicating high-quality links and disavowing potentially harmful ones.

6. Schema Markup Generator (by Merkle)

Scenario: Alex, a chef, recently started a food blog and wants his recipes to stand out in search results. Using the Schema Markup Generator, he easily creates structured data for his recipes. Soon after, his dishes start appearing as rich snippets, leading to an uptick in website traffic.

7. Core Web Vitals Checker

Scenario: Kelly, a web developer, has been tasked with improving the load time and user experience of a corporate website. By using the Core Web Vitals Checker, she identifies areas of improvement, optimizes the website accordingly, and ensures it meets Google’s user experience standards.

These examples illustrate the practicality of each tool and how it can be leveraged to address specific challenges and opportunities within the digital landscape. Integrating these tools into your SEO toolkit can significantly enhance your efficiency and outcomes.

Frequently Asked Questions about Free SEO Tools and Plugins

1. Are free SEO tools as effective as paid ones?

Answer: Free SEO tools can be extremely effective for many tasks, especially for beginners or those with limited budgets. However, paid tools often offer more comprehensive data, advanced features, and better support. The effectiveness often depends on the specific needs and scale of your SEO efforts.

2. Do these free tools provide accurate data?

Answer: Most free tools provide reasonably accurate data for basic analysis, but there might be limitations in terms of depth and freshness. For high-stakes decisions, it’s advisable to cross-reference data from multiple sources or consider investing in premium tools.

3. How do these free tools finance their operations?

Answer: Free SEO tools often have premium versions with advanced features, which finance the free versions. Other methods include advertising, partnerships, or data collection.

4. Are plugins safe to install on my website?

Answer: While many SEO plugins are safe, it’s essential to choose reputable plugins, read reviews, and check for regular updates. Always back up your website before installing a new plugin to ensure you can restore it if any issues arise.

5. How often should I conduct an SEO audit using these tools?

Answer: Ideally, a basic SEO audit should be conducted monthly, but more comprehensive audits can be done quarterly or bi-annually. Regular audits help identify issues early on and keep your website optimized.

6. Will these tools guarantee a higher ranking on search engines?

Answer: No tool can guarantee higher rankings. They provide data, insights, and recommendations. Effective implementation, regular content updates, and a holistic SEO strategy are what lead to improved rankings.

7. Can I rely solely on these tools for all my SEO needs?

Answer: While these tools provide valuable insights, successful SEO also requires human expertise, intuition, and a deep understanding of your specific industry and audience. Tools should be seen as aids, not replacements, for a comprehensive SEO strategy.

8. How do I know if a specific tool or plugin is right for me?

Answer: It’s advisable to start by defining your SEO needs and goals. Then, test different tools to see which one aligns best with your requirements. Reviews, tutorials, and expert recommendations can also guide your choice.

9. Can these tools be used for local SEO?

Answer: Yes, many of these tools, especially Google Search Console and Ubersuggest, offer insights relevant to local SEO. For more localized results, consider tools specifically designed for local SEO, like Moz Local or Google My Business.

10. With the rapid changes in SEO, how do these tools stay relevant?

Answer: Reputable SEO tools and plugins often release updates to keep pace with the changing algorithms and industry best practices. It’s essential to ensure your tools and plugins are regularly updated to stay effective.

While free SEO tools and plugins offer invaluable assistance, always remember to combine their insights with your own research, knowledge, and expertise for the best results.

Conclusion

In the multifaceted realm of SEO, having a toolkit that is both robust and cost-effective is invaluable. The 7 free SEO tools and plugins discussed — from Google’s comprehensive Search Console to the user-centric insights of Core Web Vitals Checker — demonstrate that quality doesn’t always come at a price.

Whether you’re a seasoned SEO expert or a business owner dipping their toes into the world of digital optimization, these tools offer tangible solutions to diverse challenges. They can help users quickly diagnose issues, strategize content, analyze backlinks, and understand audience behaviour. Moreover, their free price tag makes them accessible to everyone, democratizing the opportunities for online visibility.

However, it’s essential to remember that while these tools provide powerful data and insights, the real magic lies in the application. SEO is as much an art as it is a science. Using these tools in conjunction with one’s intuition, experience, and understanding of the ever-evolving digital landscape is the key to unlocking their full potential.

As the digital world continues to expand and evolve, so does the toolkit available to SEO professionals. Embracing these free tools and plugins can pave the way for more informed decisions, better strategies, and ultimately, stronger online visibility.