by Dan Dixon, Web Reach Consulting
Free tools have been somewhat of a well-guarded secret for search marketers. Find a good one and you can save hours of work and tedious activity. Thankfully, tools are starting to pop up that combine various features and make it a lot easier for business owners to do quick checks. Here’ s a quick list of good new tools, and a few golden oldies.
Oldie but Goodie: XML Sitemap Generator
Create an XML sitemap to help Google with indexing. It takes only minutes, is free, and you can download it online. Or for larger sites, the standalone version is affordable.
SEO-Browser gives you a quick review of SEO info as well as a visual representation of a page from a search engine perspective, to help you protect against hidden content.
Keyword Quick Check: RankQuest Keyword Density
Keyword density checks have lost some importance but still have their place in SEO; this tool breaks it down by tags, body, and more. Check your competition or your site.
On-Page Link Check: iWebTool Visual PageRan
The visual PageRank tool shows the PR of all links, as well as whether they’re nofollow attributed. Great for monitoring competition and making sure linkers give you credit.
Quick Competition Check: Fuzz Find
Real-time search with a twist – this tool shows combined rankings in Google, Yahoo, and Bing, providing a conglomerated SERP page. See where you stack up with the Big 3.
Keyword Research Leviathan: Google Keyword Tool
Google’s keyword tool was designed for AdWords use but has tons of uses for SEO including synonyms and search quantity. Use it to make quick keyword lists.
Keyword Ranking Tool Antique: Mike's Marketing Tools
Mike’s Marketing Tools has a unique combination of a multiple search engine AND multiple keyword ranking check. This speeds up the process of checking your rankings.
Download These Browser Extensions NOW
SEO Book Keyword Rank Checker – Multiple terms, search engines
SEOMOZ Site Tools for Chrome – One-click loveliness
Firefox Webmaster Tools – Turn off CSS, view Alt tags, and more
