Ready to harness the almighty power of search engine optimization (SEO) for your website, but not sure what tools to use? The internet is brimming with SEO tools that promise to get your website noticed, so choosing the best one is a chore.
Some of the best SEO tools are free to use. Others are prohibitively expensive for budget-conscious individuals. With that in mind, we’ve sorted the wheat from the chaff to give you a go-to list of the best SEO tools in various categories. And if you’re hosting your site with Bluehost, you’ve already got a head start with built-in SEO features that make optimization less of a headache. Let’s check out some of the best SEO tools for beginners!
What is SEO?
Search engine optimization or SEO is an approach to improving a website’s content so that it appears higher in search engine results pages (SERPs) than other relevant websites.
To rank higher than your competitors in Google’s SERPs, you’ll need to produce high-quality, relevant content. You should also make sure your website is organized in a way that’s appreciated by Googlebot, Google’s web crawler.
The three types of SEO
There are many types of SEO, but the main ones are on-page, off-page and technical SEO. Having a strategy for all three types will help you cater to the algorithms that dictate your website’s search rankings. But first, let’s dive a little deeper into all of these.
On-page SEO
Following an on-page SEO strategy involves making improvements to your website. For example, add internal links, fix broken links, create high-quality content and make effective use of keywords and title tags.
Off-page SEO
In off-page SEO, your goal is to demonstrate authority by getting attention from other websites (e.g., backlinks) and platforms (e.g., Facebook, Twitter).
Technical SEO
Technical SEO relates to tweaking your website so that search engines get a good impression of it. This involves improving your page speed.
Why you need an SEO tool to improve your website
If you have a small business with a niche market, you may not see the value of directing time, effort or money to SEO. However, the principles of SEO can be applied to almost any website. And tools can make your life so much easier!
So even if you think you don’t need it for your business to thrive, you should consider its benefits for your website’s traffic. You can use SEO tools to:
- Find out what your competitors are doing well (or not so well).
- Identify primary keywords and related keywords that can help boost your search engine rankings.
- Streamline your SEO processes (for example, auditing) so you can spend time on keeping other parts of your website or business ticking over.
- Get an easy-to-understand guide to your website’s SEO performance.
How SEO tools help beginners
Getting started with SEO (Search Engine Optimization) can be overwhelming, but the right SEO tools simplify the process and help beginners build a strong online presence.
Here’s how SEO tools benefit beginners:
- Keyword research: Find relevant keywords with high search volume and low competition.
- SEO audits: Identify website issues, from slow page speeds to missing meta tags.
- Content optimization: Improve readability, keyword usage and structure for better rankings.
- Competitor analysis: Understand what’s working for others in your niche and refine your strategy.
- Backlink insights: Discover high-quality link-building opportunities to boost domain authority.
- Performance tracking: Monitor website traffic, keyword rankings and user behavior.
By using tools like Yoast SEO, Google Search Console and SEMrush, beginners can easily optimize their websites, improve rankings and attract more organic traffic without needing technical expertise.
How to pick the best SEO tool for you
It probably goes without saying, but make sure you do your research to ensure the SEO tool you’ve chosen is the best one for your website. For example, if you publish your musings on a small blog just for fun, you probably don’t need to invest hundreds of dollars a month on an enterprise-grade SEO tool.
Before you decide on an SEO tool, think about your:
SEO and business goals
Before getting an SEO tool, consider your key performance indicators for SEO.
Let’s say your goal is getting more website traffic through backlinks. In practice, that will require you to get another website to link to your website. While there are many ways to get backlinks, you won’t really know how your link-building efforts are doing without supporting them with an SEO tool that helps you conduct backlink analysis.
The best thing about these SEO tools is that you can access them in myriad ways. So, you don’t have to go out of your way to achieve the best possible results.
For example, let’s say you run an eCommerce store and want to get sales while working on increasing your site’s organic search traffic. In that case, you can use SEO-friendly eCommerce platforms or WooCommerce hosting plans to equip your website with numerous tools that help you get a grip on your SEO.
Boosting your eCommerce success
To meet the diverse needs of eCommerce businesses, Bluehost offers a comprehensive Bluehost WordPress Commerce Solution. This package equips online store owners with a suite of tools designed to enhance website functionality, improve SEO and streamline operations. With features ranging from booking and appointment scheduling to gift card integration and promotional campaigns, Bluehost ensures you have everything necessary to boost your online visibility and effectively sell your products and services.
- Yoast Local SEO: Optimize your website for local search queries, enhancing visibility among nearby customers. This feature ensures your business appears prominently in local search results, driving more targeted traffic to your site.
- PayPal and Stripe integration: Seamlessly process payments through trusted platforms like PayPal and Stripe. This integration provides customers with secure and familiar payment options, enhancing their purchasing experience and increasing conversion rates.
- Ecomdash reporting: Access detailed sales, inventory and performance reports to make informed business decisions. Comprehensive analytics help you monitor your store’s performance, identify trends and optimize strategies for growth.
- AI site creation tools: Leverage AI-powered tools to quickly design a professional and customized website. These tools simplify the site-building process, allowing you to create a visually appealing and functional online store without extensive technical expertise
By integrating these features, Bluehost‘s WordPress Commerce Solution empowers you to maintain full control over your site’s performance, security and search rankings, facilitating both growth and success in the competitive eCommerce landscape.
Budget
If you run a Google search for the best free SEO tools, you’ll find many SEO tools with free options offering limited features, encouraging you to upgrade to a paid plan.
The good news? Depending on your needs, you may not need to upgrade at all. If all you need is a keyword research tool, you can get an SEO tool that only does that. This could help drive down the cost and ensure that you get a high-quality tool with full functionality.
Level of experience
If you’re just dipping your feet in the SEO game, don’t worry — the water is warm and beginner-friendly SEO tools are easy to find. Many SEO analysis tools provide user-friendly graphs and audit reports that save you considerable time and hassle, while teaching you a few SEO tricks along the way.
If you’re already an SEO whiz, you can get advanced SEO tools to maximize the rankings of your web pages.
Website
Effective SEO requires preparation. So, if your website doesn’t have a lot of content, it may be hard for it to rank highly on Google’s SERPs.
Moreover, SEO strategies aren’t a one-size-fits-all sort of thing. For example, if your website’s goal is boosting the online presence of your local business, you need local SEO — which is different from regular SEO.
Competitors
If it seems like your competitors are miles ahead in SEO, you’ll probably want to find out why. A competitive analysis can help you get the scoop on what’s working for your competitors and give you some tips to catch up with them.
Depending on your business goals, you might consider employing SEO specialists or a content marketing team.
5 best keyword research tools for SEO
Best SEO tools in 2025
If you’ve been working hard at building your website and its content and you’re ready to show it to the world, check out the tools below:
- Best free SEO tool: Bluehost SEO Checker – Improve your website SEO
- Best SEO tool for WordPress users: Yoast SEO – Optimize blog posts, generate sitemaps & improve readability.
- Best free SEO tools: Google Analytics & Google Search Console – Track traffic, monitor performance & fix SEO issues.
- Best budget-friendly SEO tool: Moz – Affordable keyword research & backlink analysis.
- Best eCommerce SEO tool: KWFinder – Find low-competition, high-converting keywords.
- Best SEO tool for reporting: Ahrefs – Comprehensive site audits & competitor analysis.
- Best SEO tool for bloggers: SurferSEO – Optimize content for rankings & readability.
- Best all-in-one SEO tool for beginners: SEMrush – Keyword research, competitor tracking & SEO audits.
- Best SEO tool for comprehensive insights: Ubersuggest – Affordable SEO insights, keyword research & backlink analysis.
Best free SEO tool: Bluehost SEO Checker
Struggling to get your website noticed on Google? The Bluehost SEO checker is a free, easy-to-use tool that helps you analyze and improve your website’s SEO in just a few clicks!
Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced website owner, SEO errors can prevent your site from ranking higher. Bluehost’s free SEO checker provides:
- Instant website audit: Identify SEO weaknesses and areas for improvement.
- On-page SEO insights: Get a detailed analysis of meta tags, headings and keyword usage.
- Performance & speed checks: Ensure your site is fast and mobile-friendly for better rankings.
- Technical SEO fixes: Detect indexing issues, broken links and duplicate content.
- Actionable SEO recommendations: Step-by-step guidance to improve your search engine visibility.
The Bluehost SEO Checker is perfect for beginners who want to instantly optimize their websites without technical expertise. Whether you’re a blogger, business owner or eCommerce seller, this tool helps you take the first step toward higher rankings—completely free!
Best SEO tool for WordPress users: Yoast SEO
Yoast SEO claims to be the top SEO plugin for WordPress and with 13 million users, it’s easy to see why. Its name serves as a guide to pronouncing founder Joost de Valk’s first name.
With Yoast SEO, you get more than an SEO tool. It recognizes many semantic variants of keywords to aid natural writing. Plus, if you’re a creature of habit, its SEO workouts can help you keep up a routine of maintaining your website’s SEO health.
For businesses targeting local search rankings, Yoast SEO also offers a Local SEO feature, helping websites optimize for Google Maps, improve local search visibility and ensure consistent business information across search engines.
Key features:
- Keyword optimization: Yoast SEO analyzes your content to ensure you’re using target keywords effectively.
- Content analysis: The plugin offers readability analysis, helping improve content quality for both search engines and users.
- Internal linking suggestions: Premium users can access automatic internal link suggestions based on content relevance.
- Redirect manager: Helps you manage 301 redirects and avoid 404 errors.
Pros:
- Highly user-friendly interface, especially for beginners.
- Helps improve both on-page SEO and content readability.
- Provides valuable SEO suggestions with clear action points.
Cons:
- The free version is somewhat limited, especially for advanced SEO needs.
- Premium version required for features like internal linking and redirect management.
Best SEO tool for data analysis: Google Analytics and Google Search Console
Google Analytics
Google holds a 90% search engine market share across all devices, making it essential to follow its metrics to improve your website’s search ranking. Because if Google gives your website a clean bill of health on Core Web Vitals, has a better chance of achieving a good Google search ranking. have a better chance of achieving a good Google search ranking.
There’s a caveat, though — not every SEO service Google provides is free. For example, you’ll need to pay for its keyword planner on Google Ads, a pay-per-click (PPC) advertising platform. Still, Google’s free services have plenty to offer and they are continually updated and expanded.
Also read: What Is The Advantages of Google Ads? + How They Benefit You
Through Google Analytics, you can get a free report on your website’s traffic in real-time or over different time periods.
A high-traffic period might show you that a marketing campaign is working well or tell you that you need to redouble your SEO efforts. And the conversion tracking feature lets you know how your website is doing in terms of your key performance indicators.
Many SEO novices find Google Analytics 4 to be a bit confusing. If you fall into this category, you should consider reading a quick guide on how to customize Google Analytics before you get started.
Google Search Console
Google’s Search Console, previously called Google Webmaster Tools, promises to help you “make your site shine in Google Search Results.”
While Google Analytics can help you improve many aspects of your website, Search Console is primarily focused on helping your website climb the SERP mountain. Use Search Console to identify technical problems that may be hurting your SEO efforts. Plus, you can get to grips with important SEO data, such as your website’s position, keyword rankings and impressions.
If you’re new to Google Search Console, make sure to carefully verify your website ownership after signing up.
Best SEO tool for those on a budget: Moz
Moz is a well-known SEO tool that offers a comprehensive suite of features for those looking to improve their website’s search engine performance. It provides valuable insights into keyword rankings, backlinks and site audits.
Moz’s intuitive dashboard helps you track SEO progress over time, making it easy to spot areas for improvement. The tool also includes MozBar, a free Chrome extension that provides instant SEO metrics while browsing any webpage.
Moz’s Keyword Explorer is another powerful feature, helping users find the best keywords for their content strategy. Additionally, its Link Explorer tool provides in-depth backlink analysis to strengthen your site’s authority.
Pros:
- User-friendly interface with detailed reports
- Great for keyword research and link analysis
- Provides a free browser extension for quick SEO insights
Cons:
- Free version has limited features
- Premium plans can be expensive for small businesses
Best SEO tool for reporting: Ahrefs
If you’ve been in the SEO game for a while, this probably won’t be the first time you see the name Ahrefs. For the uninitiated, the first thing you need to know is that it’s pronounced “h-refs.” The second thing? It’s a fantastic SEO tool for site audits.
The Ahrefs auditing feature lets you take a deep dive into your website’s SEO health. Beginners and SEO pros alike will find the data they need, visualized in an appealing manner.
Using this tool, you can easily identify issues such as duplicate content and poor speed, both of which hurt SEO rankings. But the usefulness doesn’t stop at SEO audits. Ahrefs now offers Ahrefs Webmaster Tools for free, providing backlink analysis, technical SEO audits and keyword insights at no cost. This is a great starting point for beginners who want to improve their site’s rankings.
For example, the Keyword Explorer will ensure you aren’t stuck for keyword ideas and the Site Explorer can give you useful data on any website’s organic traffic. Not to mention that the Ahrefs website offers many free SEO tools, such as its backlink checker and its Chrome extension comes in handy.
Best SEO tool for eCommerce: KWFinder
Used by Airbnb, Skyscanner and Adidas, the KWFinder tool from Mangools is great for helping you identify long-tail keywords to drive sales at your eCommerce store. These low-competition keywords are often used when customers are close to the point of purchase.
For the keyword-obsessed, KWFinder makes life easier by identifying specific keywords that strike a balance between keyword difficulty and search volume. KWfinder uses the benchmarks of Moz and Majestic in its keyword difficulty calculations.
With KWFinder, you can also identify long-term SEO trends, such as seasonal trends. This feature is especially useful for eCommerce store owners, as it can give an overview of the products potential customers are searching for.
The icing on the cake? Mangools has a free SEO browser extension for Chrome and Firefox, which has many additional features. Especially when you pair it with a paid Mongools account.
Best SEO tool for blogs: SurferSEO
If SEO blogs are your thing, SurferSEO will have you catching some big waves in no time. Do you know what you want to write about, but you need help with structuring your posts? This nifty tool has an outline builder that also focuses on making your posts SEO-friendly. Other features include auditing, keyword research and a content editor. For bloggers, this content editor is particularly useful.
Writers can get SEO assistance on article structure and keywords. In addition, the overall SEO health of an article can be rated using the Surfer Content Score.
SurferSEO’s content editor, which uses AI and natural language processing, has a built-in plagiarism checker to ensure you aren’t penalized in SEO rankings. Also, integration with Google Docs and WordPress makes for a great user experience.
Best SEO tool for beginners: SEMrush
If this isn’t your first SEO rodeo, you’ve probably read an article on the SEMrush website. SEMrush’s blog articles are often top of the SERPs for SEO topics, which is a testament to its search engine savvy.
That brings us to a standout SEMrush feature for beginners: a great knowledge base, which includes blog posts, user manuals, videos, webinars and more.
Yes, you can access the knowledge base for free and yes, you’re right — a knowledge base isn’t an SEO tool. So, what do you get for signing up? An arsenal of features that are great for novices, including competitor analysis, content optimization, keyword analytics and social media tools.
Best SEO tool for comprehensive insights: Ubersuggest
Created by digital marketing expert Neil Patel, Ubersuggest is a user-friendly SEO tool that offers keyword research, backlink analysis and site audits. It’s ideal for both beginners and experienced SEO professionals looking for an all-in-one solution at a competitive price.
Ubersuggest provides valuable keyword insights, including search volume, competition level and keyword difficulty. Its SEO audit tool helps identify website issues, while the backlink checker allows users to analyze their own and competitors’ link-building strategies.
Key features:
- Keyword research: Find relevant keywords with search volume, CPC and competition data.
- SEO audit: Get a detailed analysis of your website’s performance and areas for improvement.
- Backlink analysis: Discover backlink opportunities and analyze competitor strategies.
- Content ideas: Generate topic suggestions based on trending and high-ranking content.
Pros:
- Offers a free version with essential SEO features.
- Great for keyword research and backlink analysis.
- Simple, beginner-friendly interface.
Cons:
- Free version has limitations on daily searches and reports.
- Data accuracy may sometimes vary compared to premium SEO tools.
SEO tools comparison table
SEO tool | Best for | Key features | User-friendliness |
Bluehost SEO Checker | Free SEO analysis & optimization | On-page analysis, speed checks, technical fixes | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Best for beginners) |
Yoast SEO | WordPress optimization & readability | Keyword optimization, readability analysis, meta tags | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Best for all users) |
Google Analytics | Website traffic analysis | Traffic monitoring, user behavior insights, conversions | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Learning curve) |
Google search console | Search performance tracking | Search indexing, keyword tracking, crawl errors | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Helpful for optimizations) |
Moz | Budget-friendly SEO | Keyword research, link analysis, mozbar SEO extension | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Beginner-friendly) |
Ahrefs | Comprehensive SEO audits | Backlink analysis, keyword tracking, rank monitoring | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Best for advanced users) |
KWFinder | Ecommerce keyword research | Long-tail keyword research, SEO trends | ⭐⭐⭐ (Great for ecommerce) |
SurferSEO | Content optimization & blog SEO | Ai-powered content analysis, SERP analysis | ⭐⭐⭐ (Best for bloggers) |
SEMrush | All-in-one SEO for beginners | Keyword research, competitor tracking, SEO audits | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Feature-rich) |
Ubersuggest | Comprehensive SEO insights | Backlink checker, site audits, content ideas | ⭐⭐⭐ (Good for SEO beginners) |
Other SEO tools to consider
- Screaming Frog SEO Spider: A website crawler that allows you to crawl websites’ URLs and fetch key on-site elements to analyze from an SEO perspective.
- BuzzSumo: While not solely an SEO tool, BuzzSumo helps you discover the most shared content online and the influencers who are sharing it.
- Majestic SEO: Majestic specializes in backlink analysis and has its own link index database.
- Google Keyword Planner: This is a free Google Ads tool for new or experienced advertisers that’s like a workshop for building new Search Network campaigns or expanding existing ones.
- Long Tail Pro: A cloud-based software for keyword research, particularly focused on finding long-tail keywords.
- Woorank: A website review and SEO tool that provides an in-depth analysis of your site’s on-page and off-page SEO.
- SERanking: An all-in-one SEO platform that includes keyword rank tracking, website audit, competitor analysis and more.
- Raven Tools: An SEO platform offering various tools, including website audits, rank tracking and backlink analysis.
- SEOquake: A free plugin that provides you with key SEO metrics, along with other useful tools such as SEO Audit and many others.
- AnswerThePublic: A tool that visualizes search questions and suggested autocompleting searches in an image called a search cloud. Useful for finding topic and content ideas for website.
- DeepCrawl: A website crawler that helps identify and monitor technical aspects of your website that could affect your SEO performance.
- Google Trends: A free tool from Google that allows you to see how search query volume changes over time.
- ChatGPT: A free and highly versatile AI tool that can help with content briefs, evaluating content and keyword planning.
- SEO Monitor: An SEO keyword ranking tool that has a unique forecasting feature to project traffic and revenue gains.
Final thoughts
Once you know your website’s SEO needs, all you have to do is pick the best SEO tool. But before you reach for your bank card, check if your web host offers any SEO tools with your hosting plan. Bluehost offers built-in SEO tools as part of its hosting services, giving your website a competitive edge from the start.
Want to boost your website’s rankings effortlessly? Bluehost provides the Bluehost SEO Checker, a free tool designed to help users analyze and improve their website’s search performance. In addition, Bluehost’s WordPress Commerce Solution provides SEO-optimized hosting, seamless Yoast SEO integration and tools designed for better search performance. Get started today and grow your online presence with ease.
FAQs
The best SEO tool for beginners:
1. Bluehost SEO Checker
2. Yoast SEO
3. KWFinder
4. Ahrefs
5. SEMrush
These tools help beginners optimize content, improve rankings and track SEO performance.
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is improving your website’s visibility in search engine results, which is crucial for attracting organic traffic and increasing your website’s credibility.
Backlinks are links from other websites to yours. They signal to search engines that your content is valuable, helping to improve your search rankings.
Yoast SEO is a popular choice. It integrates seamlessly with WordPress websites. So, even beginners can easily optimize their site with features like automatic sitemap generation and on-page analysis.
SEO results can take anywhere from 3 to 6 months to appear. It depends on the competitiveness of your niche, the quality of your content and the effectiveness of your strategies
While SEO is primarily for websites, it can be applied to social media platforms and videos to increase visibility and engagement.
2 Comments
Hi, thank you for sharing such an informative article! It covers everything what I was looking for. Good job and keep going!
Hello, excellent article. In my particular case, I’ve tried some tools, especially Ubersuggest, although I think it still has some way to go to be a powerful tool. It lacks detailed reports and is a bit basic. SemRush is too expensive, although I acknowledge its features. As I said, thanks for the article.