7 Best Free SEO Tools to Boost Your Rankings

SEO doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. With the right free SEO tools, you can improve your website’s technical health, speed, content relevancy, and performance - all without breaking the bank.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through 7 essential free SEO tools that are easy to use, effective, and specifically targeted to help modern brands improve their visibility and rankings.

1) Screaming Frog SEO Spider (Free up to 500 URLs)

Use when: You need a quick snapshot of your site’s health. Why it helps: Screaming Frog reveals structural problems like 404s, redirect chains, and duplicate titles—issues that can hurt your rankings. How to start:

• Crawl your domain.

• Fix 404 errors and duplicate metadata first.

• This will improve crawlability and click-through rates.

  
  

2) GTmetrix (Free)

Use when: Your website feels slow, especially on mobile. Why it helps: GTmetrix shows you exactly what’s slowing down your site and provides detailed performance reports. How to start:

• Compress large images and defer non-essential scripts.

• Optimize for Core Web Vitals (LCP, CLS, FID).

• Retest until your site loads faster.

  
  

3) Ubersuggest (Free Tier)

Use when: You need practical keyword ideas. Why it helps: Ubersuggest helps you find long-tail keywords and suggests content ideas based on real search intent. How to start:

• Pick a focus keyword.

• Use related subtopics as H2S in your blog or page content.

• Write with search intent in mind—not keyword density.

  
  

4) AnswerThePublic (Free Daily Searches)

Use when: You’re building article outlines or FAQ sections. Why it helps: AnswerThePublic reveals the real questions people ask, which helps you structure content that aligns with user intent. How to start:

• Pick 4-6 questions related to your topic.

• Use these questions as H2s or in an FAQ section.

• Directly answering questions improves user engagement and dwell time.

  
  

5) Ahrefs Webmaster Tools (Free)

Use when: You need to track backlinks and technical metrics without paying. Why it helps: Ahrefs helps you identify broken backlinks, top-performing URLs, and other technical issues that can impact your authority. How to start:

• Redirect any 404 pages with backlinks.

• Add internal links to high-traffic pages.

• Remove any low-value pages to improve crawl efficiency.

  
  

6) Yoast SEO (Free)

Use when: You’re publishing content on WordPress. Why it helps: Yoast helps ensure your on-page SEO is optimized, making sure titles, headings, and meta descriptions match the user’s search intent. How to start:

• Write concise titles and meta descriptions.

• Use focus keywords naturally and write readable content.

• Make sure each image has descriptive alt text.

  
  

7) SEMrush (Free Account Basics)

Use when: You want to track keyword performance over time. Why it helps: SEMrush allows you to monitor how your priority keywords are performing, so you can adjust your strategy accordingly. How to start:

• Track 10-20 high-priority keywords related to revenue pages.

• If a keyword stagnates, focus on improving internal links or adding more content.

How These Tools Work Together to Boost Your Brand Using Free SEO Tools

Start by fixing technical SEO issues (Screaming Frog, GTmetrix). Then, use keyword tools (Ubersuggest, AnswerThePublic) to plan content and create it with search intent in mind. Improve authority with Ahrefs and ensure your content is clean with Yoast SEO. Track your progress with SEMrush.

These Tools Make SEO Simple

These 7 free SEO tools give you everything you need to boost your rankings: crawl health, speed optimization, keyword insights, user questions, backlinks, on-page SEO, and performance tracking. Use them right, and watch your SEO efforts compound.