When you start working on SEO ( Search Engine Optimization ), you’ll definitely need help from various SEO tools. Some tools would help with researching the right keywords, others might show you your website’s statistics, and some will assist you in identifying the right backlinks. These tools are what make your job as an SEO analyst much easier. By increasing your website’s speed and providing insightful analysis and future opportunities for better visibility, some free and partially free tools serve as the lifeline support for your SEO efforts.
In short, if you have the right tools, ranking your website across the internet becomes easier. Whether it be on Google, YouTube, AI, or any other search engine, with the right set of SEO tools, your content will always remain on the top, within the minds of your customers.
Here is a list of 20 free SEO tools that are perfect for assisting in various SEO related work. You can hand this list to a new SEO hire on day one for quick wins.
TL;DR
Select one tool from each category below as your starter stack. Then, take immediate action by implementing them and report back on your quick wins. Use this to transform your SEO efforts into a roadmap that drives results.
SEO Tools that help in Crawl and Index
1. Google Search Console
2. Bing Webmaster Tools
3. Indexly
4. Screaming Frog SEO Spider
SEO Tools that help in Performance
5. PageSpeed Insights
6. Lighthouse
7. Microsoft Clarity
SEO Tools that help in Keyword Researc
8. Google Keyword Planner
9. Google Trends
10. Keyword Surfer
11. AlsoAsked
12. AnswerThePublic
SEO Tools that help in On-Page SEO
13. Google Rich Results Test
14. Merkle Schema Markup Generator
15. Yoast SEO
16. Rank Math
17. Redirect Path
SEO Tools that help with Link Building and Local SEO
18. Ahrefs Webmaster Tools
19. Semrush
20. Google Business Profile
Selection Criteria
All the tools selected in this list are verified for its use case by our team at Softtrix. These tools were selected only after completing these basic terms.
Core Functionality and Comprehensive Feature Set:
All these SEO tools offer a wide range of features like keyword research and technical SEO, along with their core functionalities. Hence, choosing SEO tools that provide multiple use cases to the end user was necessary.
Data Quality and Accuracy
Free tools have a method to generate income by sharing personal data with third-party buyers. We ensured that none of the tools would sell their users’ data to untrustworthy sites.
Alongside, we also ensured that the data these tools show comes from reliable databases. This meant picking data that is extensive like Ahrefs’ and Semrush’s large keyword and backlink databases.
User Experience & Ease of Use
Users value a clean, user-friendly design with simple navigation, customizable settings, and dashboards that allow easy access to data without clutter. This requires the tools to break down complex information into clear, digestible, and actionable recommendations, rather than just raw data.
AI Integration & Future-Readiness
All these free SEO tools should have a clear benefit of integrating or leveraging AI technologies for AI is transforming the search. Many of these tools use AI for keyword clustering, content generation, content optimization, and predicting trends. They can also track and optimize for AI-powered search engines and LLMs like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity.
Top 20 Free SEO Tools Based on Various Tasks
Spending countless hours with SEO software to drive meaningful traffic, improve rankings, and create content that resonates is the new norm. But how do we know which tool can achieve which goal? For that, we have tested multiple tools and curated this list of tools.
SEO Tools that help with Crawling and Indexing Issues
The most fundamental requirements of SEO rankings is the ability for bots to be able to crawl your webpage and index it. Search engines like Google and Bing use this to discover, understand, and ultimately display your content in search results.
The SEO tools listed below are useful in providing various crucial functionalities. Take a deep look to understand which tool is the perfect fit for crawling and indexing issues.
1. Google Search Console (GSC)
The fundamental tool for maintaining and expanding your SEO gains is the Google Search Console (GSC). This is a free tool that shows exactly how Google sees your website.
It is by far the most accurate tool on the internet that provides valuable data on search queries, content performance, and traffic updates. It functions as a tool that provides insights, but it can also help identify and resolve technical issues, such as crawling problems, page indexing errors, mobile usability issues, and Core Web Vitals performance issues.
With a bunch of other features like submitting sitemaps, overviewing backlinks, and recommending SEO changes, GSC is the most complete free SEO tool on the internet.
Free Tier Limit: GSC is completely free to use for any website owner
Downside: The data typically updates after 24 to 48 hours. Moreover, you can only get information for your own websites; analysing competitors’ websites directly is prohibited.
2. Bing Webmaster Tool
Bing Webmaster is the Bing equivalent of the Google Search Console. Its feature list is similar to that of GSC, but for the Bing search engine. Its main purpose is to help improve visibility in Bing.
Using Bing Webmaster tools is vital for website owners who want to rank their websites on AI search engines like ChatGPT, as it relies heavily on Bing searches.
Free Tier limit: Similar to GSC, it is completely free to use.
Downside: Also similar to GSC, it generally updates data after 24 to 48 hours and can only be used for your own websites.
3. Indexly
Indexly is a unified indexing and SEO toolkit that auto-submits new pages to Google, Bing, and Yandex. It supports instant and bulk indexing. It also includes on-page SEO checkers, helping in monitoring backlinks, keywords, analytics, and LLM indexing.
Free Tier Limit: Free tier available, but it only supports Yandex indexing. Full Google/Bing indexing and bulk operations require paid plans.
Downside: Full functionality is gated behind paid plans. Free tier limits the ability to leverage its complete indexing and SEO capabilities.
4. Screaming Frog SEO Spider
Screaming Frog SEO Spider is a beloved tool of professionals for conducting technical SEO audits. Its software crawls websites in the same way as search engine bots, helping in identifying various issues like broken links, duplicate content, metadata problems, redirects, and internal linking issues.
It is an exceptionally fast tool that provides clearly labeled and detailed audit reports. While it can provide customisation options and API integrations with tools like Google Analytics (GA4), GSC, and OpenAI, many of these features are paid.
Free tier limit: The free version allows you to crawl up to 500 URLs.
Downside: It can only run on a desktop with full features unlocking at $259 per year. The tool is also considered advanced as it needs a lot of learning to operate due to its complex interface and the requirement of technical knowledge.
SEO Tools that help in Performance
5. PageSpeed Insights
PageSpeed Insight is another tool by Google providing valuable and accurate insights on how Google perceives your site’s performance. It offers scores from 0-100 for mobile and desktop sites for performance, along with suggestions for improvements.
As the name itself suggests, this tool helps you identify and address performance issues like loading speed, visual stability, and interactivity. These are important parameters for ranking, as Google’s requirements for site speed are continuously increasing.
Free tier limit: PageSpeed Insights is a completely free tool to use.
Downside: The scoring and baseline are regularly updated, and hence, it is advised to constantly check your scores for optimum data and correction efforts.
6. Lighthouse
Lighthouse is an open-source audit tool that delivers in-depth analyses on Performance, Accessibility, SEO, Best Practices, and Progressive Web Apps. It can be run via Chrome DevTools, command-line, or Node module and provides clear “fail + how to fix” guidelines.
Free Tier Limit: It is a completely free SEO tool that runs audits on any page.
Downside: Lighthouse runs tests in simulated lab conditions and may not reflect real-user scenarios. Hence, it can produce fluctuating results.
7. Microsoft Clarity
Microsoft Clarity is a free SEO tool providing unlimited heatmaps and engagement insights with no traffic caps. This makes it useful for understanding how users interact with your website.
Despite being a Microsoft tool, this software connects perfectly with Google Analytics, allowing for easy integrations without complicated steps.
Free tier limit: Microsoft Clarity is a completely free tool to use, regardless of traffic volume.
Downside: It does not provide real-time data for time-sensitive events, making analysis of immediate trends very difficult.
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SEO Tools that help in Keyword Research
While SEO is not about keywords, they play a huge role in determining the success of your content. After all, your website will be looked upon based on the keywords of your webpage and the keyword your audience are searching for. Understanding which terms or phrases have what intent is vital for quick SEO growth.
8. Google Keyword Planner
Google Keyword Planner is another free SEO tool that helps you research the right keywords. It provides an accurate value of these search terms by providing the Cost Per Click (CPC) for these keywords.
Free tier limit: It is completely free to use.
Downside: You need a Google Ads account ID to access this tool, and non-paying or low-spending Google Ads accounts receive data in broad ranges (e.g., 1K-10K).
9. Google Trends
This Google tool analyzes the rank of keywords over a certain time period. This is an extremely valuable SEO tool for identifying emerging or seasonal trends. Moreover, you can also do digital PR with Google Trends by analyzing regional trends for targeted outreach.
This tool also offers insight into your competitors by visiting the “Trending Now” section to discover sudden spikes in interest for potential campaigns.
Free tier limit: It is completely free to use.
Downside: This tool relies on historical search data, making it unsuitable for predicting future trends.
10. Keyword Surfer
Keyword Surfer is a research tool with a handy Chrome extension that shows keyword insights directly into your Google search results page. It displays the keyword volume, suggestions, and SERP data on a floating tab, which is perfect for quick checks and can be particularly useful for rapid search volumes.
Free tier limit: It is a free Chrome extension
Downside: This tool has very limited regional data for keyword analysis, and it has also been reported to show discrepancies in data, raising questions about its accuracy.
11. Also Asked
Also Asked is a free SEO tool that helps in finding questions that people are asking about a specific keyword. It sources questions from Google’s “People Also Ask” section, making it ideal for generating heading ideas and ensuring a wider content coverage.
This tool basically pulls up data from Google’s People Also Ask feature, providing common queries. This can further broaden the scope beyond initial Google results, discovering even more relevant questions.
Free tier limit: You get 3 free searches per day
Downside: The results provided by Also Asked provide no search volume or CPC data. Also, it has limited resources for generating questions.
12. AnswerThePublic
This is another SEO tool that helps understand user intent with question-based and long-tail keywords. With this tool, you can generate content ideas for blog posts and curate content according to the questions asked in Large Language Models (LLMs).
This keyword research tool works across various platforms, including Google, Bing, YouTube, Instagram, Amazon, and TikTok. Moreover, you can search for multiple topics beyond initial keywords, revealing a comprehensive journey.
Free tier limit: You can only get 3 searches per day for free.
Downside: After the initial free searches, a paid plan is required to continue. Also, it does not directly provide search volume per month, making it only partially useful.
SEO Tools that help in On-Page SEO
13. Google Rich Results Test
Google Rich Results Test is a free SEO tool that helps with Schema for your page. Schema is the invisible layer helping Google understand your page better and potentially give better rankings in both traditional search and AI bots. It also allows you to test and validate your structured data markup, ensuring the content you produce is eligible for Google’s rich results.
Free tier limit: It is a completely free SEO tool to use.
Downside: This tool is made for professionals who know the complex technical aspects of Schema. Not recommended for beginners.
14. Merkle Schema Markup Generator
Merkle’s Schema Generator is a free, no-frills tool that generates JSON-LD (and microdata) structured data for content types like articles, products, events, and FAQs. Intuitive design and clear documentation boost ease of use.
Free tier limit: Completely free with no registration or usage caps. You can generate schema markup for multiple content types instantly.
Downside: This tool has very basic customization options. It is a simple tool with limited options if you need a complex or nested schema structure.
15. Yoast SEO
Yoast SEO is one of the most widely used free tools for On-Page SEO. It is a WordPress plugin as well as a paid app for Shopify users that provides real-time guidance as you write. Yoast SEO helps with keyword placement, headings, readability, URL optimization, internal links, and schema markup.
Free tier limit: Yoast SEO is a free tool to use. However, there is a premium version with extra features like multiple keyword support, internal linking suggestions, and more.
Downside: The Shopify application is a paid version, with $19 monthly charges. Also, it can sometimes be overly prescriptive with its SEO recommendations.
16. Rank Math
Rank Math is an alternative to the Yoast SEO tool. It is an SEO tool that provides more features than others in its free version. These include redirects, 404 management, structured data, and an SEO analyzer that can generate alt tags for images and detect videos for Schema.
Free tier limit: Rank Math has a free version available, but you’ll need an upgrade for more features.
Downside: The free version provides very limited value, making the upgrade necessary. Also, its AI tools are below par.
17. Redirect Path
Redirect Path is a lightweight Chrome extension by Ayima that instantly flags HTTP status codes such as 301, 302, 404, and 500, and surfaces client-side redirects (via Meta or JavaScript). It also displays headers like server type, caching directives, and server IP at a single click. SEO Tools that help with Link Building and Local SEO.
Free tier limit: This tool is entirely free, with no paywall or usage restrictions.
Downside: Some users report that the extension fails to open or misses redirect steps on certain URLs.The tool is efficient but also has some flaws.
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SEO Tools that help with Link Building and Local SEO
18. Ahrefs Webmaster Tool
Ahrefs Webmaster Tools (AWT) offers an impressive suite of SEO solutions specifically for websites you own. It provides exceptional value for site audits and backlink analysis with quick insights and technical checks.
This tool helps determine which pages are performing well and which need improvement. It also provides a backlink checker feature that can analyse even competitors’ sites for backlinks.
Free tier limit: A free SEO toolkit is available for site owners, but the free trial has limitations.
Downside: The free version comes with limitations regarding data export and report access. Moreover, the full feature version has a very high price, starting at $108-129/month.
19. Semrush
Semrush is another complete SEO tool that offers an all-in-one digital marketing platform for both link building and local SEO.
It provides strong backlink audits, analysis, and tools to identify gaps between your link profile and competitors due to its 43 trillion links database. For Local SEO too, it has specialized solutions for local businesses.
Free tier limit: Semrush has a limited free plan available. This version offers insights into domain performance, organic traffic, keyword rankings, and backlinks.
Downside: The full version of this tool is expensive, with starting rates around $139.95 per month. Also, the vast number of features can be overwhelming for users, and the free version lacks depth.
20. Google Business Profile
Google Business Profile (GBP) is the most important local SEO tool for any business. It makes your business visible and trusted in local searches, Google Maps, and high-intent discovery platforms.
GBP is far more than a directory. It lets you post updates, manage reviews, showcase offers, and track customer actions like calls, website visits, and direction requests.
Free tier limit: Totally free, with all essential features included. No paid tiers needed.
Downside: It takes a long time to verify your business account. It can only be done via phone, email, video, or postcard, and postcards take between 5 and 21 business days. Any editing done during this time period resets the timer.
SEO Practices to Build Your Audience
Traffic grows when the right SEO strategy is met with the right tools. Here’s how to put free SEO tools into action:
Optimize for intent, not just keywords: Use Google Keyword Planner and AnswerThePublic to uncover what people actually search for, then shape content around those needs.
Use a mix of tools: Pair Google Trends for keyword ideas, Ahrefs Webmaster Tools for backlinks, and Screaming Frog SEO Spider (free version) for technical audits. This stack ensures no blind spots.
Prioritize site experience: Check your website’s speed with Google PageSpeed Insights and fix issues that frustrate users and hurt rankings.
Publish consistently: Schedule content ideas using insights from SEMRush’s free keyword features to guide what’s next.
Leverage local SEO: Claim and optimize your Google Business Profile, and monitor its performance regularly.
Track and adapt: Use Google Analytics 4 to measure audience behavior and Google Search Console to track clicks, impressions, and rankings.
Conclusion: Build Your Own SEO Stack
No single free SEO tool holds all the answers. Each tool excels in certain areas and falls short in others. The real edge comes from combining multiple SEO tools. Use one free tool for keyword insights, another for technical fixes, and another for backlinks. This layered approach covers all the blind spots, maximizes efficiency, and ultimately drives consistent organic traffic. Think of it as building your own custom SEO command center, tailored to your goals.
