The SEO tools worth using are the ones that answer a real question about your website: how people find you, what is broken, which searches you could win and what your competitors are doing. For most UK small businesses, two free Google tools, Search Console and Google Analytics 4, cover the essentials. Paid tools come into their own when you want deeper competitor research, link analysis or regular site audits.
Rather than a ranked list, this guide groups well-known SEO tools by what they do, so you can pick the right one for the job and avoid paying for features you will never use.
Free tools from Google: start here
Google Search Console
If you only use one SEO tool, make it this one. Search Console shows the searches your site appears for, how often people click, which pages Google has indexed and any problems it has found. It also reports on Core Web Vitals and mobile usability, lists the sites linking to you and lets you submit your sitemap. It is free, and the data comes straight from Google.
Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
GA4 tells you what visitors do once they arrive: which pages they view, where they came from and whether they complete actions such as enquiries, calls or purchases. Set up key events (conversions) so you can see which organic landing pages actually bring in business, not just traffic. Connecting GA4 to Search Console brings search data and on-site behaviour together.
PageSpeed Insights
This free Google tool tests how quickly a page loads and responds on mobile and desktop, and suggests improvements. It reports Core Web Vitals, including Interaction to Next Paint, which replaced First Input Delay as the responsiveness measure in 2024.
Google Business Profile
Not a traditional SEO tool, but essential for local businesses. Your profile controls how you appear in Google Maps and local results, and its performance data shows how many people called, requested directions or visited your website from it.
Google Keyword Planner
Found inside Google Ads, Keyword Planner suggests related keywords and gives rough search volume ranges. It is designed for advertisers, but it is a useful free starting point for keyword ideas.
Website crawlers for technical SEO
Screaming Frog SEO Spider
Screaming Frog crawls your website in the same way a search engine would and lists every page with its title, description, headings, status code and links. It is excellent for finding broken links, redirect chains, missing or duplicate titles and pages that are hard to reach. There is a free version with limits and a paid licence for larger sites and advanced features. It is a technical tool, so expect a learning curve.
Several all-in-one suites below also include site audit tools that run a similar crawl and present the results as a prioritised list of issues.
All-in-one SEO suites
Ahrefs and Semrush
These are two of the best-known paid SEO platforms. Both offer keyword research with search volume and difficulty estimates, competitor analysis, backlink analysis, rank tracking and site audits. They are particularly useful for seeing which keywords competitors rank for, where their links come from and where the gaps are in your own content. Both are subscription products aimed at people who use them regularly.
Moz
Moz is another long-established SEO platform covering keyword research, link analysis, rank tracking and site audits. Many people know it for its free learning resources as well as its paid tools.
Other useful tools
- Bing Webmaster Tools: the free Microsoft equivalent of Search Console. Bing powers several other search services, so it is worth verifying your site.
- Rank tracking tools: monitor where you appear for chosen keywords over time, including in specific towns or cities. Most suites include this.
- SEO plugins for WordPress: plugins such as Yoast SEO and Rank Math make it easier to edit page titles, meta descriptions, sitemaps and structured data without touching code.
How to choose the right SEO tools
- Start with your goals. Do you want more local enquiries, more online sales or to fix a drop in traffic? The goal decides which data you need.
- Get the free foundations right. Set up Search Console, GA4 with key events, and your Google Business Profile before paying for anything.
- Add paid tools when you have a clear use. If you regularly research competitors or build links, a suite such as Ahrefs or Semrush pays its way. If you check it once a quarter, a trial or an agency audit may be better value.
- Act on the data. Tools report problems; they do not fix them. Set aside time to work through the findings.
Using tools well
Treat tool scores and estimates as guides, not facts. Search volumes are approximate, “difficulty” scores vary between platforms and site audit warnings are not all equally important. Focus on the issues that affect real visitors and real rankings, and measure success in enquiries and sales rather than tool metrics. Our guide to measuring SEO returns explains how to connect the data to business results.
FAQs
Can I do SEO with free tools only?
Yes, especially for a small local business. Search Console, GA4, PageSpeed Insights and Google Business Profile cover the essentials. Paid tools mainly add competitor and link insights.
Is Ahrefs or Semrush better?
Both are strong and cover similar ground. The best choice often comes down to which interface you find easier. Most offer trials, so try before committing.
How often should I check my SEO tools?
A monthly review of Search Console and GA4 is enough for most small businesses, with a deeper technical audit a few times a year or after major website changes.
Do I still need an agency if I have the tools?
Tools show you what is happening; experience tells you what to do about it and in what order. Many businesses use tools themselves and bring in an agency for strategy, technical fixes and link building.
Get more from your SEO data
Pure Marketing is a Google Partner agency in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter. We use these tools every day to find and fix what is holding websites back. Request a free SEO audit, read about our in-depth SEO audits or explore our wider SEO services.
