The Best SEO Tools For Beginners

An SEO expert is only as good as the SEO tools they use. And though most SEO tools on the market offer the same services — like keyword research, backlink analysis and keyword gap analysis — some of them are significantly more user-friendly, particularly for those who are only just dipping their toes into search engine optimization.

In my years as an SEO professional, I’ve used dozens of tools — some free, and others with price tags in the tens of thousands. Below, I’ve highlighted some of the best SEO tools for beginners, whether your focus is on on-page optimization, realtime search trends or your site’s technical health.

1. Best SEO Tools Overall: Semrush
2. Best SEO Tool For News Sites: Google Trends
3. Best SEO Tool To Track Visibility: Sistrix
4. Best SEO Tool For Keyword Research: Also Asked
5. Best SEO Tool For Content Strategy: ChatGPT

Best SEO Tools Overall: Semrush

Price: Starts at $120/month

Semrush was one of my most-used tools when I was just starting out in the content SEO space, and it continues to be my go-to for keyword research, position tracking and competitor analysis. For absolute beginners, Semrush makes it easy to identify which keywords are improving and which ones are declining in terms of SERP position; with the Position Tracking tool, you can also track certain keywords and keep an eye on how they’re moving over time. If you’re running a smaller blog, the SEO Content Template feature can help you pinpoint keyword clusters to target and see what competitors are doing to rank for the keywords you aspire to.

Best SEO Tool For News Sites: Google Trends

Price: Free

Google Trends is one of the first places I look every morning when I’m just starting my workday. If your website covers any sort of trending news, you should be visiting the “Trending Now” tab on a daily basis; you can find both Daily and Realtime Search Trends to get an idea of what people are searching for and, from there, determine whether you can capitalize on any of the day’s trends or news stories. Those who are more focused on evergreen content can also use Google Trends to analyze things like seasonality, related queries and search interest over different periods of time.

Best SEO Tool To Track Visibility: Sistrix

Price: Starts at $108/month

Whenever Google announces any sort of core update or I notice a significant increase or decrease in organic traffic to one of my websites, Sistrix is one of the first places I turn. Sistrix’s Visibility Index can give you a good idea of how your site is performing over time and in relation to your direct competitors. Another great feature is the “Compare SERPs” option, which shows you how the SERPs for a certain keyword have changed over time (and how search intent has shifted).

Best SEO Tool For Keyword Research: Also Asked

Price: Free

Also Asked is useful for both evergreen and trending keyword research; it uses the data from Google’s “People Also Ask” rich snippet feature to map out the connection between topics and queries based on live search data. When you’re planning out keyword clusters and considering which long tail keywords to target, this is a great way to figure out how people are searching for the topics you’re covering.

Best SEO Tool For Content Strategy: ChatGPT

Price: Free

ChatGPT is ever-evolving, and anyone in the SEO space should be following its every move. When used correctly, the OpenAI chatbot can conduct keyword research, create content outlines, and even help you understand what your competitors are doing that you aren’t so you can address your weak spots. The chatbot is smart enough to take an article link you feed it and shed light on things you could improve upon. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that, yes, ChatGPT can write content as well, but I do not recommend using the chatbot for this purpose; by definition, an article without an author is not going to rank highly against Google’s E-E-A-T guidelines. Search Engine Journal has written extensively about the many benefits of ChatGPT if you want to explore further.