Free SEO Tools: 10 Tools You Can Use Without Paying Anything

Professional SEO tools cost hundreds per month. But you can accomplish most essential tasks with completely free alternatives. These 10 tools cover keyword research, site audits, performance tracking, and competitor analysis without spending a penny.

We've tested dozens of free tools. These are the ones that actually work well enough to rely on.

1. Google Search Console (Essential)

Your most important free tool. Shows how Google sees your site and which searches bring visitors.

Search Console reveals which queries your site appears for, your average position, click-through rates, and indexing status. It alerts you to technical problems Google has detected. Every website owner should have this set up. Set up Google Search Console before anything else.

2. Google Analytics (Traffic Analysis)

Comprehensive traffic analysis showing where visitors come from and what they do on your site.

Analytics tracks visitor demographics, behaviour, conversions, and traffic sources. You'll see which pages perform best, how long people stay, and where they drop off. The free version handles far more data than small businesses generate. Essential for measuring SEO progress.

3. Google PageSpeed Insights (Speed Testing)

Tests your page speed and Core Web Vitals with specific recommendations for improvement.

Enter any URL and get detailed speed analysis for both mobile and desktop. It shows Largest Contentful Paint, First Input Delay, Cumulative Layout Shift—the Core Web Vitals that affect rankings. Specific suggestions help you fix problems. Use it at pagespeed.web.dev.

4. Ubersuggest (Keyword Research)

Free keyword research with search volume, difficulty scores, and related keyword suggestions.

The free version limits daily searches but provides genuine value for keyword research. Enter a seed keyword and get related terms, questions people ask, and competitive analysis. Useful for finding content opportunities and understanding search demand.

5. AnswerThePublic (Content Ideas)

Shows questions people ask about any topic—perfect for content planning.

Enter a keyword and see hundreds of questions formatted as "how," "what," "why," "when" queries. This reveals what your potential customers want to know, helping you create content that answers real questions. Free daily searches are limited but sufficient for occasional research.

6. Screaming Frog SEO Spider (Site Audit)

Crawls your website to find technical SEO issues. Free for sites up to 500 URLs.

This desktop application crawls your site like Google does, finding broken links, duplicate content, missing meta descriptions, and other technical problems. The 500-page limit covers most small business websites. Essential for technical audits.

7. Bing Webmaster Tools (Alternative Search Data)

Similar to Google Search Console but for Bing—and sometimes shows different insights.

Bing has smaller market share but still drives meaningful traffic for many businesses. Its webmaster tools offer features Google doesn't, including a keyword research tool and backlink data. Worth setting up alongside Search Console.

8. GTmetrix (Detailed Speed Analysis)

More detailed speed testing than PageSpeed Insights with waterfall charts showing exactly what slows your site.

GTmetrix provides visual waterfall charts showing every file your page loads and how long each takes. You'll see exactly which images, scripts, or fonts are slowing things down. Free accounts allow limited tests per day.

9. Google Trends (Search Interest Over Time)

Shows how search interest changes over time and compares different terms.

Useful for spotting seasonal patterns (crucial for tourism businesses), comparing related keywords, and identifying rising search trends. Completely free with no limitations. Helps you understand when to push certain content and keywords.

10. Chrome Lighthouse (On-Page Audit)

Built into Chrome, audits any page for performance, accessibility, and SEO basics.

Open Chrome DevTools (F12), go to the Lighthouse tab, and run an audit. You get scores for performance, accessibility, best practices, and SEO with specific recommendations. Quick way to check any page on your site or competitors'.

When Do You Need Paid Tools?

When free limitations become bottlenecks or you need features they don't offer.

Paid tools like Ahrefs, Semrush, and Moz offer more comprehensive data—especially for competitor analysis and backlink research. For most small businesses, free tools cover the essentials. Upgrade when you've mastered the basics and need deeper insights.

For guidance on using these tools effectively, see our SEO beginner's guide or practical SEO improvement steps. For the complete picture, explore our SEO Fundamentals Guide.