Search engine optimisation is no longer an optional part of digital growth. Whether you manage a small blog, an ecommerce store or a business website, you need reliable SEO tools to measure performance, fix problems and discover opportunities. The good news is that you do not always need expensive software to improve your search visibility. Today, there are dozens of powerful free tools that offer impressive value without requiring a paid subscription.
This complete guide explores 50 free and limited free SEO tools that help with keyword research, on page optimisation, competitor analysis, local search visibility, site audits, backlink checks, content research and technical troubleshooting. Each tool includes a clear description and direct link, giving you everything you need to build a strong and effective SEO toolkit.
Ahrefs Webmaster Tools
URL: https://ahrefs.com/webmaster-tools
Ahrefs Webmaster Tools provides free access to important site audit and backlink insights. It helps you find broken links, see referring domains and track organic performance. While the full Ahrefs suite is paid, this version remains totally free and offers reliable data that helps improve technical health and search visibility.
Google Search Console
URL: https://search.google.com/search-console
Google Search Console is a completely free tool offering detailed information on indexing, search performance and website errors. It shows keyword positions, impressions and user behaviour insights. Connecting your website helps detect technical issues and improve search visibility. It provides essential guidance directly from Google without any cost.
Google Analytics
URL: https://analytics.google.com
Google Analytics is a free tool that tracks website traffic, user behaviour and conversion performance. It helps you understand which pages attract organic visitors and how people engage with your website. Although advanced features may require add ons, the standard free version is powerful enough for most businesses.
Google Keyword Planner
URL: https://ads.google.com/home/tools/keyword-planner
Google Keyword Planner is a free tool primarily for Google Ads but widely used for SEO research. It provides keyword suggestions, search volume ranges and competition indicators. Even without ads, it helps identify relevant keywords, understand trends and plan effective content strategies. It is ideal for discovering new keyword opportunities.
Google Trends
URL: https://trends.google.com
Google Trends is a free tool showing the popularity of search queries over time. It allows comparisons between keywords, highlights seasonal interest and reveals rising topics. Marketers use it for content planning, identifying trends early and aligning strategies with changing search behaviour. Data comes directly from Google without requiring payment.
MozBar
URL: https://moz.com/products/pro/seo-toolbar
MozBar is a free browser extension displaying domain authority, page authority and link metrics while browsing. It helps evaluate competitors, assess SEO opportunities and check on page elements quickly. Paid Moz Pro unlocks more features, but the free version provides useful insights for rapid assessment of site quality and authority.
Note: If you want a mannual SEO audit check out or SEO services page to get free audit
Bing Webmaster Tools
URL: https://www.bing.com/webmasters
Bing Webmaster Tools is a free platform for managing websites on Bing search. It provides site scans, keyword data, indexing insights and error reports. The tool helps monitor site performance, fix issues affecting visibility and improve local search presence. It is an essential tool for targeting audiences using Bing search.
SEMrush (free plan)
SEMrush offers a free plan with limited access to keyword research, competitor analysis and site audits. It helps identify SEO issues, discover keyword opportunities and monitor rankings. The paid version unlocks additional data and features, but the free tier is sufficient for beginners looking for essential insights and light competitor research.
Screaming Frog SEO Spider (free version)
URL: https://www.screamingfrog.co.uk/seo-spider
Screaming Frog SEO Spider free version crawls up to 500 URLs and highlights broken links, redirects, missing tags and other technical issues. It is ideal for small websites and quick audits. Paid versions remove limits, but the free edition allows effective technical evaluation, ensuring the website remains optimised and error-free.
SEOquake
SEOquake is a free browser plugin providing instant SEO metrics for webpages. It analyses on page data, keyword density, backlinks and technical elements. The tool is helpful for competitor analysis and quick audits while browsing. It is lightweight, easy to use and requires no subscription to deliver essential SEO insights.
Rank Math (WordPress plugin)
URL: https://rankmath.com
Rank Math is a free WordPress plugin that supports on page optimisation, sitemaps, schema markup and redirection management. It offers numerous features for content optimisation without cost. Paid versions exist, but the free edition is sufficient for most WordPress users. It is beginner friendly and supports professional SEO workflows effectively.
Yoast SEO (WordPress plugin)
URL: https://yoast.com/wordpress/plugins/seo
Yoast SEO is a popular free WordPress plugin offering metadata optimisation, readability analysis, sitemap creation and content guidance. It helps websites improve search visibility and user experience. While premium features are available, the free version covers essential SEO needs. It is widely trusted and simple to implement across websites.
Ubersuggest
URL: https://neilpatel.com/ubersuggest
Ubersuggest is a free tool providing keyword suggestions, content ideas, backlink data and site audits. It helps marketers discover high potential keywords, analyse competitors and plan content strategies. The free version has daily limits, while the paid plan unlocks more features. It is ideal for beginners seeking actionable insights.
AnswerThePublic
URL: https://answerthepublic.com
AnswerThePublic provides free daily searches and visualises keywords as questions, prepositions and comparisons. It is particularly useful for long tail keyword research and content topic discovery. Paid subscriptions expand usage and data depth. The free version helps understand user intent, plan content and generate ideas aligned with real search queries.
Keyword Tool (free version)
Keyword Tool generates keyword suggestions from search engine autocomplete data. The free version shows relevant keywords but hides search volumes. It is excellent for discovering variations and long tail phrases. Paid subscriptions provide volume data and competition metrics. It remains an effective solution for content ideation and keyword research.
WordStream Free Keyword Tool
URL: https://www.wordstream.com/keywords
WordStream Free Keyword Tool offers keyword suggestions, search volume ranges and competition insights. It is useful for SEO and PPC planning. While advanced features are paid, the free tool supports discovery of new keywords and evaluating search opportunities. It is simple, fast and beginner friendly for content optimisation purposes.
Check My Links
URL:https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/check-my-links/ojkcdipcgfaekbeaelaapakgnjflfglf
Check My Links is a free browser extension scanning webpages for broken links. It highlights working and broken URLs instantly. It is highly useful for editors, SEO specialists and developers who need to maintain proper internal and external linking structures across websites. It is simple, reliable and completely free.
Backlink Checker by Moz
URL: https://moz.com/link-explorer
Moz Backlink Checker offers limited free searches to analyse referring domains, link quality and domain authority. It helps identify strong backlinks and monitor competitor link profiles. The paid Moz Pro version provides more depth, but the free tool remains highly valuable for initial backlink audits and strategy planning.
Various Site Audit Tools (for example, Seobility)
URL: https://www.seobility.net/en/
Many platforms like Seobility provide free site audits highlighting missing tags, duplicate content, technical issues and performance concerns. These audits are ideal for small websites needing quick checks. Paid plans offer more in depth data, but free tools still allow essential optimisation and monitoring for on page and technical SEO.
Google Business Profile
URL: https://www.google.com/business
Google Business Profile is a free tool enhancing local search visibility. It allows businesses to manage listings, reviews, services, photos and contact information. Keeping the profile accurate improves trust and local search performance. It is completely free and an essential part of any local SEO strategy to attract nearby customers.
BrightLocal (free scans)
URL: https://www.brightlocal.com
BrightLocal provides free citation and listing scans to identify inconsistent or missing business information. This helps improve local search visibility. While full services are paid, free scans offer valuable insights for small businesses, helping maintain accurate information across directories, strengthen local SEO signals and enhance online reputation effectively.
Monitor Backlinks (free backlink checker)
URL: https://monitorbacklinks.com
Monitor Backlinks offers limited free access for tracking new and lost backlinks. It notifies users about link changes and helps evaluate link quality. The full paid plan provides comprehensive monitoring, but free access is adequate for beginners or small websites wanting lightweight backlink tracking and insights into linking trends.
Clearscope (free trial)
URL: https://www.clearscope.io
Clearscope provides a free trial for content optimisation, analysing top ranking pages and recommending relevant keywords. It evaluates content quality and relevance to improve SEO performance. While the paid platform is more advanced, the free trial gives marketers a chance to experience its scoring system and enhance content strategies effectively.
Exploding Topics
URL: https://explodingtopics.com
Exploding Topics is a free tool showing trending topics across industries. It helps marketers discover emerging keyword opportunities and plan content before competition increases. Paid subscriptions provide deeper analysis. Even with the free version, users can identify early trends, create targeted content and align strategies with growing consumer search interest efficiently.
BuzzStream (basic free plan)
URL: https://www.buzzstream.com
BuzzStream’s free plan supports basic outreach, link building and contact management. It tracks communication with influencers and partners. Paid plans offer expanded features, but the free version allows users to manage simple campaigns, build relationships and improve backlink acquisition efficiently without needing initial investment.
SEOPress for WordPress
SEOPress free plugin provides metadata management, schema support, social previews and sitemaps for WordPress. It is lightweight and easy to use. Paid features expand capabilities, but the free version is sufficient for most users to optimise content, improve on page SEO and ensure website search visibility without additional costs.
Synup Listing Scan
URL: https://synup.com
Synup provides a free scan checking business listings across multiple directories. It identifies inconsistencies or missing information affecting local SEO. The full platform is paid, but the free scan gives a quick overview of local presence, helping businesses improve accuracy, increase visibility and attract more local customers efficiently.
Keyword Insights
URL: https://keywordinsights.ai
Keyword Insights offers free limited credits for clustering keywords and analysing search intent. It helps organise content strategies and identify opportunities. Paid plans expand features. The free version is enough for small websites to structure keywords effectively, discover content gaps and improve optimisation for both users and search engines.
HubSpot Website Grader
URL: https://website.grader.com
HubSpot Website Grader is free and evaluates performance, SEO, mobile experience and security. It generates a clear score and actionable recommendations for improvements. It has no paid version. The tool is beginner friendly and provides quick insights into essential website elements impacting search visibility and overall user experience.
DreamHost SEO Toolkit
URL: https://www.dreamhost.com/seo-toolkit
DreamHost SEO Toolkit offers free analysis of website health, optimisation issues and content suggestions. Advanced features are paid, but the free tools are ideal for beginners. It helps monitor on page and technical SEO, detect performance issues and take action to improve search rankings without investing in expensive software.
Linkody
Linkody allows limited free access to monitor backlinks, track new and lost links and evaluate link quality. Paid plans provide detailed metrics and historical data. The free plan is sufficient for small websites to track backlinks, understand link building efforts and maintain a strong online presence efficiently.
Moz Link Explorer
URL: https://moz.com/link-explorer
Moz Link Explorer offers limited free searches to analyse backlinks, linking domains and domain authority. It is useful for identifying strong links, assessing competitors and evaluating link quality. Full access is paid. The free option provides essential insights for small websites or marketers starting backlink research effectively.
Majestic SEO (limited free)
URL: https://majestic.com
Majestic SEO provides limited free access to trust flow, citation flow and a small backlink sample. Full features are paid. The free version is still useful for evaluating domain quality, link profiles and competitor backlink strengths. It helps small businesses and beginners make informed decisions about link acquisition strategies.
Serpstat (free version)
URL: https://serpstat.com
Serpstat offers free daily limits on keyword research, rank tracking, competitor analysis and site audits. Paid subscriptions provide full access. The free plan is sufficient for small websites or beginners to conduct essential SEO research, monitor rankings and explore competitor opportunities without paying for full toolsets.
BrowSEO
BrowSEO is a free tool showing how search engines view your webpages. It highlights indexability, metadata, links and technical structure. There is no paid version. It is useful for evaluating on page SEO, understanding crawler perspectives and ensuring that pages are properly optimised for search engine visibility.
Slickplan Sitemap Builder
URL: https://slickplan.com/sitemap-builder
Slickplan offers a free trial to create structured visual sitemaps. It helps plan website architecture, navigation and internal linking. Paid subscriptions provide extended features. The free trial is ideal for small projects or initial planning, allowing users to visualise site structure and optimise user experience effectively before launch.
Keywords Everywhere (browser plugin)
URL: https://keywordseverywhere.com
Keywords Everywhere is a browser plugin providing keyword suggestions during searches. Free features show related keywords, while full data requires credits. Even without payment, it helps discover content ideas, understand search intent and plan keyword strategies effectively for both SEO and content marketing efforts.
Google PageSpeed Insights
URL: https://pagespeed.web.dev
Google PageSpeed Insights is a free tool analysing website performance for desktop and mobile. It highlights speed issues, layout shifts and core web vital metrics. The tool provides actionable recommendations. Optimising performance with this tool improves user experience, SEO rankings and website loading efficiency, essential for modern search performance.
Google Mobile Friendly Test
URL: https://search.google.com/test/mobile-friendly
Google Mobile Friendly Test checks how well webpages perform on mobile devices. It identifies text sizing, clickable elements and layout issues. Completely free, it ensures compliance with mobile first indexing, improves user experience on mobile and provides essential insights for optimising content for increasing mobile traffic effectively.
Neil Patel SEO Analyzer
URL: https://neilpatel.com/seo-analyzer
Neil Patel SEO Analyzer is a free tool providing site audits, on page recommendations and keyword suggestions. It highlights technical issues, backlink profiles and optimisation opportunities. Paid versions expand features, but the free tool is perfect for small businesses and beginners seeking actionable insights to enhance search engine performance.
Woorank (free version)
Woorank free website review assesses SEO, usability, mobile performance and technical errors. It highlights opportunities to improve rankings, user experience and visibility. Paid plans offer detailed insights. The free version is ideal for quick audits and provides a clear overview of website strengths and areas for optimisation.
SmallSEOTools.com
URL: https://smallseotools.com
SmallSEOTools provides a suite of free SEO tools including plagiarism detection, backlink checking, meta analysis, keyword research and image optimisation. It is completely free, though some tools have usage limits. It offers a convenient all in one solution for small businesses or beginners seeking accessible SEO utilities.
Seobility
URL: https://www.seobility.net/en/
Seobility free plan provides site audits, rank tracking and on page analysis. It identifies technical errors, broken links, duplicate content and optimisation opportunities. Paid plans expand limits, but the free version is sufficient for small websites to monitor SEO performance, plan improvements and maintain healthy search engine visibility.
Varvy SEO Tool
URL: https://varvy.com
Varvy SEO Tool is a free platform checking website compliance with Google guidelines. It evaluates page speed, accessibility, indexing and technical factors. There is no paid version. It helps marketers ensure websites meet search engine requirements, optimise performance and improve visibility in organic search results effectively.
GTmetrix
URL: https://gtmetrix.com
GTmetrix is a free tool analysing page load speed and performance metrics. It provides detailed reports on slow elements, optimisation opportunities and technical recommendations. Paid plans include advanced features. Free use is sufficient for most websites, helping improve speed, user experience and search engine rankings effectively.
XML Sitemaps Generator
URL: https://www.xml-sitemaps.com
XML Sitemaps Generator creates sitemaps for small websites for free. It helps search engines index pages efficiently and improves visibility. Larger sites require a paid version. The free generator is simple, effective and ideal for beginners or small businesses needing a quick way to structure website content for SEO.
Heading Analyzer
Heading Analyzer tools review heading structure for proper hierarchy and readability. They ensure H1, H2 and other headings are correctly used. They improve content organisation, accessibility and search engine friendliness. Free tools are widely available and essential for optimising on page SEO and ensuring users and search engines understand content structure.
SpyFu (limited free)
SpyFu offers limited free access for competitor keyword research, PPC insights and domain analysis. Paid plans unlock full reports, but free features are sufficient for basic competitor monitoring. It helps marketers identify keyword opportunities, understand competitor strategies and create informed SEO campaigns with actionable insights efficiently.
Moz Keyword Explorer (limited free searches)
Moz Keyword Explorer provides limited free searches to evaluate search volume, keyword difficulty and related keyword suggestions. Paid plans expand usage. The free version is excellent for small websites or beginners performing initial keyword research, planning content and understanding search demand to improve rankings and visibility effectively.
Google Rich Results Test
URL: https://search.google.com/test/rich-results
Google Rich Results Test checks structured data on webpages to see if content qualifies for enhanced search results. It highlights errors and validates schema markup. Completely free, it helps ensure eligibility for rich results like FAQs, products and reviews, improving visibility, click through rates and overall search performance.
Conclusion
SEO depends on consistent monitoring, research and improvement. With the right tools, you can uncover opportunities, fix problems and build content that ranks well. The fifty tools listed in this guide provide everything needed for keyword research, site audits, backlink analysis, page speed evaluation and local visibility. Best of all, they are free or offer generous free plans, making them accessible to everyone.
