Getting started with search engine optimisation (SEO) is no easy thing. It can be incredibly daunting, even if you do understand the principles and have a reasonable working knowledge of the subject.
Consulting a professional can be very useful, but there are also lots of ways you can get started by yourself. The first task is to get to grips with the basics, and the good news is that there are lots of free, cheap and user-friendly SEO tools available to help:
- Google Analytics. One of the most widely used tools for analytics, Analytics is the perfect place to start on your SEO journey. It offers detailed website traffic statistics, along with audience insights and lots more. Both the interface and reporting tools are user-friendly too.
- SEOQuake by SEM Rush. This is a toolbar extension that has become hugely popular, primarily because you can use it on the go without having to log into a separate platform or portal. According to TechRadar which lauds SEOQuake as one of its favourite free tools of 2018, you can use it to quickly access details ranging from a site’s traffic history to SEMRush ranking – although you will need a little practise.
- Google Webmaster Tools. Another handy free set of tools from Google, Webmaster Tools helps you to start optimising your site easily. It’s designed for SEO novices, so all you need to do is to connect a site to get going. One of the useful features it offers is PageSpeed Insights, which measures the loading speed of your pages on both desktop and mobile, which is essential for both SEO and visitor retention.
- Yoast. com puts Yoast in its list of the best free SEO tools of this year, and it’s easy to see why. Yoast is a useful tool for WordPress websites, which helps you to craft optimised content for your website. It analyses as you create and offers suggestions for improving your content.
- WooRank. This tool is quick, easy and free (for one report a week). Simply enter the URL of your website to access a detailed report on how SEO-friendly your site is.
- Copyscape. Copyscape is a very handy tool for analysing website and blog content to avoid duplicating someone else’s content. Duplicate content is terrible for SEO, so this plagiarism checker can help you make sure that your content is completely unique.
- Open Site Explorer. This tool, by Moz.com, does a huge amount – starting with discovering potentially SEO-damaging links. It can also help you to identify potential link building opportunities and research backlinks, as well as offering an enormous amount of data and insight into your website.
- Google AdWords Keyword Planner. This is a free tool that helps you to pin down the keywords you should be targeting, by offering information into search traffic and competition for a particular keyword.
If you need help with SEO, the Ambos Digital SEO team are on hand to provide advice, strategy and support.
