A woman stands next to a whiteboard and holds a piece of paper. Written on the whiteboard is a chart, with several words and phrases (like "ranking," "social network," and "web design") written around the outside of the chart and arrows leading from those words to the central label of "SEO." A few pink, blue, and neon yellow post-it notes are stuck to the board. Four other women sit in wheeled white chairs facing the first woman and the whiteboard. The wall behind the whiteboard is lined with windows, which let in the light from the sun.
Free SEO toolkits can include tools for generating and researching keywords, optimizers for specific search engines, and checkers that analyze backlinks, search rankings, and more. — Getty Images/Westend61

Search engine optimization (SEO) software helps you check for backlinks, analyze keyword efforts, and monitor ranking progress. Plus, you can use free SEO tools to find new terms and trending topics. Most applications don't require a download, and many have paid versions with advanced features. Without further ado, here are the top picks for free SEO tools.

Google Search Console

Google Search Console shows your top-performing web pages and the keywords driving website traffic. It looks at metrics like impressions, click-through rate (CTR), and average position. Also, Google Search Console will highlight any errors with indexing or mobile responsiveness.

[Read more: A Beginner's Guide to SEO]

Moz

Moz offers several free SEO tools to help you find the best keywords for your website and backlink opportunities. You can use Moz to perform competitive research and install a plug-in to research keywords from your Chrome browser. Moz also provides plenty of search engine optimization resources.

The free SEO software from Moz includes:

  • Keyword Explorer.
  • Free Competitive Research.
  • Link Explorer.
  • My Online Presence.
  • MozCast.
  • Free Domain Analysis.

AnswerThePublic

AnswerThePublic is a free keyword research tool that sources data from search engine autocomplete information. It pulls useful questions and phrases into handy visual graphics and lists. Use AnswerThePublic to ensure your content covers all the details people want or to generate new topic ideas.

BrightLocal

A standard computer or phone internet browser uses your location to generate local search results. That's why you can search for pizza delivery and see options specific to your geographic area. Companies with one or more physical addresses can optimize pages for different regions, and BrightLocal's local search results checker can help. It displays Google Search or Google Maps results for any city, ZIP code, or country. Simply enter a search query and view localized search results for the first 10 pages.

Improve your SEO with the free Ubersuggest toolkit, which offers a domain overview and keyword suggestions.

Ahrefs

Like Moz, Ahrefs provides a suite of complementary tools for SEO research, including a WordPress SEO plug-in and an SEO assistant for your browser toolbar. It's also one of the few companies offering optimization features for non-Google properties, such as Bing and Amazon.

Optimize your website using Ahrefs tools like:

  • Free Keyword Generator.
  • Backlink Checker.
  • Keyword Difficulty Checker.
  • SERP Checker.
  • Keyword Rank Checker.
  • Website Authority Checker.
  • Broken Link Checker.
  • Website Traffic Checker.

[Read more: Finding the Right Online Digital Marketing Course for You]

BuzzSumo

Increase clicks to your website using BuzzSumo's influencer tool. Simply input your keyword to find related influencers on Twitter, YouTube, or Facebook. For Twitter, BuzzSumo identifies users with your keyword in their bios or those who've tweeted articles about your topic. Or you can filter YouTube results by category. The paid version of BuzzSumo also shows influential Facebook pages.

Semrush

Ensure your website is SEO-optimized by signing up for a free Semrush account. It helps with many types of SEO, including technical and on-page. You can also review your local citations to verify your NAP (business name, address, and phone number). Upgrade to the paid version to research keywords for pay-per-click (PPC) advertising.

Semrush offers the following features and tools:

  • Keyword Magic Tool.
  • Keyword Overview.
  • Position Tracking.
  • Site Audit.
  • Domain Overview.
  • Listing Management.

HigherVisibility

Want to see how your meta description and page title will appear on Google's SERPs? Use HigherVisibility's SERP Snippet Optimization Tool. Once you add your URL, meta description, and title, HigherVisibility produces a virtual search result listing. From there, you can alter your entry to improve your click-through rate.

Ubersuggest

Improve your SEO with the free Ubersuggest toolkit, which offers a domain overview and keyword suggestions. Or use individual tools to assess your website traffic and more. Ubersuggest is also the only free SEO software on our list offering complimentary artificial intelligence tools for writing assistance.

Ubersuggest tools include:

  • Website Traffic Checker.
  • SEO Analyzer.
  • AI Sentence Rewriter.
  • Backlinks Checker.
  • A/B Testing Significance Calculator.
  • AI Paragraph Rewriter.
  • Open Graph Generator.
  • AI Rewriting Tool.

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