Over 50 Free SEO Tools and Much, Much More about Using SEO Techniques
Posted July 7, 2010 in Tools/Resources
SEO tools are something that every freelancer with a website or blog can use. A proper understanding of SEO techniques can provide greater exposure for your business by increasing the traffic to your website.
In this post, I’ll touch on some of the basics about SEO (or search engine optimization), share a few basic techniques, and provide a list of over 50 free tools that you can use to analyze how well your freelance website is doing in the search results.
What is SEO?
For those of you who are not familiar with SEO, the term stands for search engine optimization. It refers to statistics and tools that you can use to analyze how a website indexed by the major search engines such as Google, Yahoo, Bing, MSN, and others.
Ranking well in the search results can be important for a business because most people turn to the search engines when they are looking for a product or service. However, few people look at the results that appear after the first few pages. This means that if you are a freelance web designer and your web design site appears on page ten of the search engine results, prospective clients using a search tool are less likely to find your website than if your web design site appears on page one of the search engine results.
The matter is made even more complex by the fact that many search engines, such as Google for example, have recently started to personalize their search results to the individual user. For more details on this change, Danny Sullivan discusses personalized search engine results in detail at Search Engine Land.
In fact, search engines frequently tweak and update the algorithms that they use to determine search results. They do this so often that a whole field of SEO specialists has formed. Those who are really serious about getting the best search engine results or about understanding how their website is currently doing in the search engines should consult a specialist. (Personally, I’m not a SEO specialist, but I do think that most freelancers can benefit from using a few basic SEO techniques).
There are two areas that most freelancers will want to think about when considering SEO for their freelancing website–their website design and their content.
SEO in Your Website Design
There are some strategies you can use when you design your freelancing website to make sure that it is search engine friendly. We’ve covered a few of these strategies before in our post, 10 SEO Techniques All Top Web Sites Should Use, but in case you missed that post here those points are again:
- Pay attention to the title tag
- Make use of the description and keyword meta tags
- Include alt attributes on images
- Use title attributes and descriptive text on links
- Create a sitemap
- Publish content that is relevant to your site’s purpose
- Link out and receive links in from reputable sites
- Use social media
- Don’t use Adobe Flash or splash pages
A change to our original advice is that the Google and Yahoo search engines apparently no longer use the keyword meta tag. However, thinking through the process of what search terms (key words) might apply to your site is not a bad idea. It’s also important to remember that other search engines may still use the keyword meta tag.
SEO in Your Content
If you’re a freelance writer, you’ve probably been contacted at least once by a client or would-be client who has asked you to pack a piece of web content with an exact phrase, or phrases. The request can make for very awkward wording and, in a worst case scenario, make the content virtually unreadable.
The phrases or words that search engine users are likely to search for are referred to as keywords. The reason that a writer may be asked to repeat a certain word in an article or blog post is because the client may be hoping to achieve a certain key word density. Keyword density refers to the number of times that a keyword appears on a page. Theoretically, if a keyword or keyword phrase is used just enough times, the page in which it appears will rank higher in the search results. That is why some clients request web content that is packed with certain words or phrases. Using your keywords in the title of your page and in internal headings will also help your page range better for that phrase.
However, using a keyword excessively in web content is known as keyword stuffing. Those who use keyword stuffing mistakenly think that they are improving their rankings in the search engines. Actually, the practice can harm your search engine rankings. Even worse, keyword stuffing can frustrate your readers and cause them to mistakenly believe that your site is a spam site.
Many SEO specialists are now also recommending that content be optimized for something that they are calling social SEO. Social SEO simply means that your content is written with social media sites (such as Facebook and Twitter) in mind. It’s important to consider social media sites because more and more users are using these sites to discover content. If your freelance business blog ranks well in social media, it makes it that much easier for your clients to find you.
A Few More Words About SEO
Once again, it’s important to remember that search engines are constantly changing and evolving to meet the needs of their users. Google, and other search engines, update their search algorithms regularly in order to improve the quality of the information that their engine returns.
Search engine optimization techniques that worked well a decade ago may not work well today. Likewise, search engine optimization techniques that work well today may not work well in a decade.
Over 50 Free SEO Tools
Now that we’ve discussed SEO theory, it’s time to share some free SEO tools. Keep in mind that most of the organizations that offer free SEO tools also offer paid SEO services. Some of these tools may represent trial offers, so read the fine print before downloading any tool.
As I stated earlier, if you are serious about using SEO for your freelance business website or blog it is not a bad idea to get a consultation from one of these companies. If you decide to get some help with SEO, remember that not all companies have the same level of expertise, so make your selection carefully.
Here is the list of over 50 free SEO tools by source (in alphabetical order by the site where they are found):
- Link Popularity Checker–Shows inbound links for Google, Yahoo, MSN, AltaVista, Allintheweb & HotBot.
- MSN Position Search–MSN Search for up to 15 keywords on one domain.
- Page Rank Search–Google search results with PAGE RANK bar and inbound links.
- Yahoo Rank Position–Shows Yahoo rank position, number of entries indexed.
- Google Rank Position–Shows Google rank position, PAGE RANK, number of entries indexed, DMOZ and Google Dir status.
- Google vs Yahoo Graph–Graphically shows the top 50 in Google and Yahoo linked.
- Keyword Density Analysis–Determines density of one, two, and three word phrases.
- Multi Datacenter PageRank Checker–Checks page rank values across all Google data centers.
SEO Book (You must register to use these tools.)
- Rank Checker–Checks the rank of your site on Google, Yahoo, and Bing.
- SEO Toolbar–Allows you to view SEO data as you browse.
- SEO for Firefox–Adds SEO information to Google and Yahoo search results
- Myriad Search–Meta search that examines Google, Yahoo, MSN and Ask Jeeves.
SEOMoz (You must be logged in to use these tools.)
- Open Site Explorer–View site’s analytics on custom API.
- Linkscape–Professional inlink tool.
- SEO Toolbar for Firefox–Linkscape as a toolbar for Firefox.
- Term Target–Examines a specific page to see which keywords are used.
- Popular Searches–View the most popular sources for a specific date on a number of well-known sites including Technorati, Flickr, Del.icio.us, Yahoo Buzz, Google Hot Trends, eBay Pulse, AOL Hot searches, Lycos, Ask, and Amazon.
- Trifecta–Provides an estimate of the importance of a page, blog, or domain.
- Term Extractor–Analyzes a page and shows keywords.
- GeoTargeting Detection–Checks to see if your website is set up for geo targeting searches.
- SEO Toolbox–Includes many free SEO tools.
- SEMToolBarTM–Downloadable toolbar lets you view SEO information as your browse.
- Search Engine Optimization/KSP Tool–Provides Google and Yahoo search engine statistics for specified keywords.
- Check Server–Looks for issues that prevent your site from being crawled by the search engines.
- View Page Source–Shows the source code of a URL.
- Domain Age Tool–Determines the age of the domains entered.
- Domain Stats Tool–Enter domain and find out domain age, number of pages indexed, and number of backlinks.
- HTTP/HTTPS Header Check–Lets you examine the HTTP headers from the web server after you request a URL.
- Search Engine Friendly Redirect-Enter URL–Checks your redirect to see how SE friendly it is.
- Website Keyword Suggestions–Provides keyword suggestions along and keyword traffic estimates for the entered website.
- Backlink Anchor Text Analyzer–Blacklink analyzer that shows URL and anchor text.
- Check Yahoo Page Rank–Allows you to check the Yahoo WebRank of up to five URLs at a time.
- URL Rewriting Tool-Creates Mod–Rewrites rules to convert dynamic URLs to static looking URLs.
- Search Engine Spider Simulator–Displays page content minus code.
- Similar Page Checker–Compares pages for similar content.
- Keyword Research Tool–Tool returns similar keywords found in the meta keywords of sites searched by your choice of nine search engines.
- Link Appeal-Enter UR–Rates for link appeal.
- Link Popularity Checker-Enter URL–Displays backlinks on five search engines.
- Search Engine Position Checker-Enter URL/Keyword–Displays top 50 for nine search engines.
- HTML Header View–Shows HTTP headers the web server is sending.
- Web Page Analyzer-Enter URL/Keyword–Checks copy for optimization.
- WebSEOAnalysis–Comprehensive website analysis. (Exclusive)
- Keyword Battle–Shows how your site ranks for a particular list of keywords (Exclusive)
- Keyword Analyzer–Allows you to determine the percentage of keywords in a particular page.
- Duplicate Content–Lets you compare content between two URLs.
- HTML Validation–Determines whether a list of URLs are valid according to W3C standards.
- PageRank Check–Lets you check your site’s page rank.
- Multi DC PageRank–Lets you check your site’s page rank across multiple data centers.
- Indexed Pages–Shows which pages on your site are indexed in Google, Yahoo, and Bing.
- Link Popularity–Shows the number of incoming links to a URL.
- Reputation Tracker–Tracks recent social media mentions of your site.
- Domain Info–Provides the current status of your domain name.
- Site Submitter–Allows you to submit your site to major search engines and directories and includes recent traffic statistics.
What About You?
We’ve provided some basic information about search engine optimization. We’ve shared some SEO techniques. We’ve also listed some free SEO tools for you to explore.
Do you use search engine optimization for your freelance website or blog? What tips do you have? What are your favorite tools?
Share your answers in the comments.
Related posts:
- 10 SEO Techniques All Top Web Sites Should Use
- 13 Most Unusual Search Engines You Should Remember
- Solo SEO Link Search Tool – Fast and Free
- 10 Productivity Tools for Computer Addicts
- 70 Tools Freelancers Rely on Most
About the author: Laura Spencer is a freelance writer from North Central Texas with over 20 years of professional business writing experience. If you liked this post, then you may also enjoy Laura’s blog about her freelance writing experiences, WritingThoughts. Laura is also on Google+.
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76 Comments
ноктопластика
July 7th, 2010 at 8:38 amAnd don’t forget SearchStatus for Firefox.
Btw great article :)
Jordan Walker
July 7th, 2010 at 8:57 amNo longer need to worry about the keyword meta tags, Google does not take those into consideration when indexing your page. Copywriters will be glad to know, that content is still king with search engines!
Dainis Graveris
July 7th, 2010 at 9:03 amReally useful tips and resources about SEO. Even beginner will understand how to use these tips to his web page.
Excellent article!
Dainis
Alexa Steele
July 7th, 2010 at 9:43 amAs a writer, I will never again work with a client who asks for keywords to be stuffed into their content.
I recently tried to help a gentleman who was using a program called Site Build It to build and host his website. He kept asking me to rewrite the content based on the software’s evaluation of his keyword density. Worse yet, his chosen keyword phrase was only good for a headline or subtitle, it was too awkward to fit into a paragraph.
If you want high keyword density make sure to pick a keyword or phrase that fits smoothly into a paragraph, not some awkward, stilted phrase that no one would ever put into a sentence.
Laura Spencer
July 7th, 2010 at 9:53 amноктопластика — Thanks for adding the link. We’ll be doing a list of Firefox SEO tools soon.
Jordan Walker–That was my understanding too. :-)
Dainis Graveris–I’m glad you found it helpful. I know that a lot of freelancers have questions about SEO.
Alexa Steele–You must have gotten the same sorts of projects that I did. :-) That awkward phrasing is one reason I don’t take those sorts of projects anymore.
Keep the comments coming (and share links to your favorite SEO tools)!
Key Chains Key Cases Wholesale
July 7th, 2010 at 10:01 amYou get access to every SEO Tool I needed to use to become successful and all my SEO tips and tricks.
bbriniotis
July 7th, 2010 at 10:15 amGreat article Laura. You gathered together all the basic concepts and the most important free and non-free SEO Tools. Thanks for mentioning Web SEO Analytics.
Finally I want to add that indeed SearchStatus is a great plugin for Mozilla and I certainly recommend it.
Matt Clarke
July 7th, 2010 at 10:52 amHi All, I have written a back to basics guide to web seo tutorial for you guys to use.
Please visit http://www.design-intellect.co.uk/guide_how_to_web_site_optimsation_web_seo_tutorial_walkthrough.html Cheers, Matt.
Clervius
July 7th, 2010 at 1:41 pmLaura, I must admit. I am impressed. I’m at work and I decided to bookmark so I can read over and change my whole SEO tactics when I get home. I want to be like you some day…
Jae Xavier
July 7th, 2010 at 1:58 pmLaura: SEOMoz is a great website also. The site author was invited by a U.S presidential candidate to do SEO work.
Laura Spencer
July 7th, 2010 at 2:26 pmKey Chains–Well, what can I say to a guy (or gal) with a name like that?
bbriniotis–Thanks for the compliment. I know that SEO is your thing, so it means a lot.
Matt Clarke–Thanks for sharing your tutorial.
Clervius–I’m glad you liked it well enough to bookmark it. As for wanting to be like me when you grow up I’ll let you in on a little secret…I got older, but I never really “grew up.” ;-)
Jae Xavier–Yep, I’ve got SEOMoz on there. (After reading your comment I double-checked just to make sure.)
Keep the comments coming!
dattai
July 7th, 2010 at 5:00 pmGreat artile
Thanks a lot
echic
July 7th, 2010 at 8:07 pmthank you for the sharing. this is a great article
Daniel
July 7th, 2010 at 10:08 pmExcelent article. Thanks for sharing! i believe social networking is becoming one the most important aspects for traffic generation, and of course, fresh, viral and creative content.
wwebz
July 8th, 2010 at 2:51 amWow its very useful list i must bookmark it :)
Jim Coursey
July 8th, 2010 at 3:19 amGreat article but you forgot to cover the most crucial aspect in search engine optimization – inlinks a.k.a backlinks. On-page SEO nowadays is really a small percentage when it comes to your rankings. Inlinks are much more important. I can recommend SEOElite for finding “backlink hubs” manually but recently I have been using seobdb.com more and more to find related discussion forums for my projects. You really can’t beat viral and positive talk in the forums :)
Ivor Tetteh-Lartey
July 8th, 2010 at 6:56 amIt is very difficult to write key word phrases on your website pages, especially if the phrase you want has a comma. It may not read well in a proper sentence, but using words such as “in” is regarded by Google as a stop word and makes it difficult to rank, I think Yahoo treat these word differently. When I look at my competition I see that they have simply listed their key words.
Google require a key word density of about 6-7%, which means that you need to post more pages with different key words on each.
Web Design
July 8th, 2010 at 7:45 amGreat post Laura, lots of SEO Tools I’ve never heard about before.
Stephanie
July 9th, 2010 at 1:54 amThis is really one of the most useful articles I have ever encountered! :D Thanks Laura for the great amount of information on SEO and for the tools listed. I’m always hesitant in using more SEO techniques, thinking that to do so I need to pay for the service. I will definitely check these out when I have the time.
Gadsden Web Design
July 9th, 2010 at 11:10 amLaura,
Thank you for providing this list. It helps us provide continuous value to our clients.
Once a client realizes the value of improved SERP, by way of increased leads and sales, it really energizes their thought process of what other keyword phrases they need to emphasize.
Steve
Kok Siong
July 9th, 2010 at 8:25 pmThanks for sharing so many SEO free tools for us! I would like to try the WebSeoAnalytic tool. I think it will be a great analyzer for my website SEO.
Web Consulting
July 11th, 2010 at 1:33 amThis is an outstanding article! Thank you for posting. I posted an Introduction to Search Engine Optimization here:
http://www.veesolutions.com/search-engine-optimization-introduction.html
Trade Show SEO
July 11th, 2010 at 12:43 pmYou did a great job on this one Laura and I love how you display your graphics within your content.
Rednights
July 12th, 2010 at 7:49 pmSome of these SEO / website rater are quite brutal in some of their requirements, Google Buzz links? Are you kidding? Oh well, great listing here.
Post Free Ads
July 12th, 2010 at 9:29 pmI am impressed with the elaborate stuff here worth millions.
Thanks for the precious tips.
Regards,
Sheila
CharlieHash
July 16th, 2010 at 3:07 amLaura, I must say, this is one of the effective article about SEO, you have given each and everything about SEO in this single article, most of the time many bloggers thinks that SEO is only applicable for content – which is not true, you have define all the terms in one place….
Bruce Jones
July 25th, 2010 at 12:06 pmIt looks like I need to add to my SEO tool box with some of these suggestions
seo tools review
July 26th, 2010 at 8:29 amThat is fantastic article! Thanks for sharing all these great tools with us!
Free Online Ads
July 27th, 2010 at 2:17 amWonderful article.
The “10 SEO Techniques All Top Web Sites Should Use” could mean 10 years of any layman’s effort in finally getting things right. Yes, it takes long time for people to learn. SEO is not taught in the schools. This is one street smart knowledge any webmaster needs to know.
Thanks a million.
Best wishes,
Jessica S.
site builder
August 9th, 2010 at 10:49 amwow thanks
it looks very helpfull
seo sem services
October 4th, 2010 at 2:09 pmthanks for share your knowledge …..
koko
October 18th, 2010 at 7:58 amThe best way to optimize your SEO campaign is to ensure that you are allotting your time and resources to worthwhile endeavors
billy
December 8th, 2010 at 5:37 amthese guys are excellent at seo, they have some good techniques too. http://www.seo-quotes.com.au/
Free SEO Tools and SEO Reviews and SEO Information
December 28th, 2010 at 3:07 amProper Seo link building strategies
1. Get links from related but non-competitive sites.
2. Have different anchor text (related and different) in the links
3. Try to get links from high PR pages for optimal seo rankings
4. Submit to directories (most are free) but get links from other web site also
5. Get links with different title text in the title from other sites
6. Find authority sites of your niche and get links from them also
7. Submit your e book to e book directories
8. Write different articles with variation(at least 50% differ from original) and submit to article directories.
9. Release a press release by using a press release company(on line).
10. Get links from different PR and different IP addresses sites for optimal seo rankings
11. Make sure inbound links point to internal pages as well as your home page(Deep Linking) for optimal seo rankings
12. Do not try to get temporary links for optimal ranking in seo
13. Not come from pages that links to bad neighborhood
sue baker
January 20th, 2011 at 6:20 pmThanks, Good stuff!
kanem
April 26th, 2011 at 6:32 amGreat!!!. What a comprehensive list of seo tools. I am very thankful for this.
envelop
July 31st, 2011 at 11:24 amAwesome list of SEO tools. Thanks for this article.
Lemont Website Design
September 22nd, 2011 at 10:52 pmThe best way to optimize your SEO campaign is to make sure you are focusing on a small set of the right keywords and not trying to be a jack of all keywords.
Lee
October 17th, 2011 at 2:29 pmFantastic content thank you very much indeed, I have just started up an SEO blog, I shall think about this when developing some more information thank you.
-Lee
任意売却
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Plagiarism Checker Free
March 8th, 2012 at 7:47 amHiya, I’m really glad I’ve found this info. Nowadays bloggers publish only about gossips and net and this is actually annoying. A good blog with exciting content, that is what I need. Thanks for keeping this web-site, I’ll be visiting it. Do you do newsletters? Cant find it.
Idecidetiff
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vergi5
April 28th, 2012 at 11:25 amIt’s problematic to put in writing key word critical phrases for your website pages, especially if any saying you’d like provides a comma. It could possibly possibly not look over good from a adequate heading, however , implementing key phrases which include “in” is looked upon by just MSN as the avoid word of mouth together with will make it problematic that will standing, It is my opinion Yahoo and Google care for those word of mouth in another way to. Lake consider my best contest That i look at they own only mentioned your key words.
MSN demand key word density of 6-7%, that means you must place even more sites utilizing numerous key words regarding every one..
Friendship Quotes
May 6th, 2012 at 8:25 amOver 50 Free SEO Tools and Much, Much More about Using SEO Techniques | FreelanceFolder Very nice post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wanted to say that I have really enjoyed surfing around your blog posts. In any case I’ll be subscribing to your rss feed and I hope you write again very soon!
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