Some people, even at Google, still think that Google hates SEO. In some cases it really does. At the same time Google loves SEO as actions speak louder than words. Google provides not a few, not several but by now 10 free Google SEO tools everybody should use. I remember the times when we had none of them. Today we have an abundance of data Google allows us to mine.
You know, I’m often quite critical of Google but when there is one thing the search giant does right then it’s the plethora of tools it offers. So here is the list of 10 free Google SEO tools everybody should use. Most of these SEO tools are good for keyword research and on page SEO. Please read to the end, I guess some of you won’t know all of them.
- Google Webmaster Tools
Google Webmaster tools is the equivalent of a mechanic looking after you car daily but for websites of course. Identify broken links, malware and other issues and find out what search queries lead to your pages even with clickthrough statistics. It even checks your website speed and tells you why it’s too slow. - Google Analytics
In case you still don’t know GA you have probably slept for years. Some SEOs don’t use it due to paranoia of being controlled by Google though. You have to decide yourself what’s more important, a very useful analytics tools or the fact that Matt Cutts can look under your skirt. - Google Website Optimizer
With Google Website Optimizer you can test different versions of your pages. This way you can determine the best converting ones. It’s called A/B split testing or multivariate testing and is all the rage lately in SEO circles and beyond. - Google Zeitgeist
Google Zeitgeist is not a tool in the strictest sense but you can use it keyword research nonetheless. In fact it shows the most popular queries so it’s a good starting point in your SEO campaign. Take the Zeitgeist popular keywords and then test some keyphrases containing them with the other tools that will follow in this list. Also checkout the current Zeitgeist aka Hot Trends. - Google Trends
Google Trends lets you compare traffic for popular search terms and websites. This way you can determine whether a topic is rising in popularity or not. Works gret combined with Google Zeitgeist and Google Insight for Search - Google Insights for Search
Insights for Search is like Google Trends on steroids. You can look up most keywords here, even those that aren’t popular at all. Compare up to five keywords and their ensuing traffic. - Google Traffic Estimator
This is a classic tool. It says “Adwords” but you can use it to find out the probably number visitors a keyword can bring to your site. - Google Keyword Tool
The Keyword Tool is like the Traffic Estimator but from a differnet angle. Some people prefer this others prefer that. You’ll want to check both to make sure you’re on the right track with your keywords. - Google Search Based Keyword Tool
This very neat tool allowas you to find out related keywords to a site or existing keyword or rather both. It’s connected to Google Insights for Search is a very useful way. - Google Ad Planner
Google Ad Planner is like Alexa and SpyFu in one. Use it to screen popular sites or your competitors for keyword intelligence or both.
While using theses tools remember to take the numbers with a grain of salt, they are never completely accurate but in many cases thy are the best numbers we can get. As you can see Google facilitates both keyword research and on page SEO. We get even some assistance with link building by Webmaster Tools.
So does Google hate SEO? Maybe some engineers are rooted in the past or prefer prejudice over judgment but based on the tools Google works together with webmasters and SEOs the best it can. Don’t ignore the tools Google offers. You lose money right now when you do.
On a side note: Guess what the Google Search Based Keyword Tool suggest me when I add my site onreact.com and SEO? The first result is: Google SEO tools. This is just coincidence, I didn’t check the tool to get inspired to this article but the other way around. So in a way Google knows what I will think next.
Can I just point out that the Google estimation tools are absolutely off reality when it comes to volume… Even in your screenshot above, I am pretty sure there are over 125 searches per month on webmaster SEO… and that’s seems to be broad matched !
Great free tools by Google! Although some tools may not be that accurate, but still the name Google that reliability, so it can be still the basis of SEO in websites.
Thanks Eloi: Indeed you can’t rely on those numbers but they can give an idea which keywords are more popular compared to others based on the differences.
To make sure compare the numbers with a keyword you rank at #1 and know home many people search for it and clickthrough based on analytics.
Google is a moving target…but they’re smart and they even sometimes level the playing field for most everyone. Thank you for the post.
Great list. Thanks for sharing
I do not think google SEO tools there that much. clear my online store using google webmasters tool facility and that was enough to help.
good information. thanks.
I’d also add Google Reader, which can be used to monitor feeds for areas you’re working in, and help to develop ideas for creating relevant content on current topics Google will love.
Thanks for this works :)
This is classical in terms of seo. Nada seems to annoy upon it than that.This is just what was forewarned about some years ago at the last big internet about seo in ’93!
I wonder if there’s a secret set of tools that the pros use?
A few essentials for any webmaster or SEO there. Personally, I think Analytics is the best of the bunch and can help you find long tail search terms that you maybe hadn’t even thought of, but that could bring a lot of traffic, thanks for opening my eyes to some of the others though :)
I disagree with Eloi – we’ve found the Google tools to be quite reliable. We definitely see much more action on those keywords which have higher volumes. The impressions that we come across will also typically match up to the keyword volumes (although obviously a little less).
The content on your website needs to be fresh, interesting and updated regularly so your human readers and the search engine spiders will come back. The easiest way to ensure that your site gets new content is to have an area on your site for a blog or news section. Then get members of your organization including the CEO to post new and interesting articles.
Google SEO
Anything you post, the content must be fresh, unique and relevant to your website. So that visitors can get their required information what they want.
These are great tips – and yes the content DOES need to be fresh. I am always pushing my clients to blog more often, or let me do it for them so they’ve got a constant stream of content on their websites. It’s only for the best!
The content on your website needs to be fresh, interesting and updated regularly so your human readers and the search engine spiders will come back. The easiest way to ensure that your site gets new content is to have an area on your site for a blog or news section. Then get members of your organization including the CEO to post new and interesting articles.
I have found the google tool to be very accurate on high volume search terms but definitely not on the low volume search terms.
Local searches that either show no volume or a very small volume still get hits to the website from those search terms it seems.
Look at the highest volume related keywords to get an idea of the main terms people are looking for and then you can localized them.
Good overview of the google tool tray
Very exclusive post for using Google and seo.
These are great tips for SEO.
Good tools from the Internet master Google, i used most of these tools for optimise seo and index to google, in these tools google webmaster tools, googleanalytics and keyword tool are used frequently………… Good post to understand different tools from Internet Giant Google….. Keep writing