Keyword Research
Google Keyword Planner is free with a Google Ads account and gives keyword ideas and volume ranges. Google Trends shows how interest in a topic changes over time, which is useful for seasonal content. Google Search Console’s performance report shows the queries you already appear for, which is often the best source of “quick win” keywords.
Use these to build topic lists, then group related terms rather than chasing single phrases. Our guide to LSI keywords explains how related terms support a page.
Indexing and Search Performance
Google Search Console is the essential free tool. It shows indexing status, search queries, clicks, impressions, Core Web Vitals and manual actions. Bing Webmaster Tools offers similar data for Bing and is quick to set up once Search Console is verified.
Page Speed and Page Experience
PageSpeed Insights and Lighthouse test performance, accessibility and best practices, and they suggest fixes. They diagnose problems but do not find which pages on your site are affected, so pair them with a crawler.
Structured Data
Google’s Rich Results Test checks whether your schema markup is valid and eligible for rich results. Run it after adding FAQ, article or product markup.
Analytics
Google Analytics 4 is free and shows what visitors do after they land. To understand which numbers matter, read our guide to key metrics in Google Analytics.
Backlinks
Search Console’s links report shows who links to you. Ahrefs’ free offering also shows backlink data for sites you own and verify. For the strategy side, see our guide to backlink generation.
On-Page and Content
Free plugins such as Yoast SEO help with titles, meta descriptions and readability on WordPress. For drafting and editing, see our list of content writing tools.
AI Assistance
AI tools can speed up outlines, FAQs and meta descriptions, but they need human review. Learn where they help in our guide on how to use AI tools for SEO.
