5 Free SEO Tools to Boost Your Website's Traffic and Performance

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) has long been an essential strategy for increasing traffic. By modifying website structure, content, and data analysis, for example, a website may rank better on search engines (for example, Google) and gain more free traffic.

    Tool 1: Screaming Frog - Identifying problematic pages

    You may have heard that when multiple pages on a website have issues (such as 404 errors or non-existent pages), it can cause a drop in rankings. It is almost impossible to manually check the pages when a website has a certain scale. Screaming Frog is a website scanning tool that helps us identify broken pages and perform remedial actions, including redirecting 404 errors to other relevant pages. You can download the scanning software from the official Screaming Frog website. Screaming Frog allows free scanning of 500 pages and allows filtering of pages that require special attention. However, if your website has more than 500 pages, you may consider purchasing the paid version.
    Tool link: https://www.screamingfrog.co.uk/seo-spider

    Tool 2: MozBar Understanding competitors' website authority

    Moz is a well-known SEO tool and the first company to introduce the concept of Domain Authority (DA). DA represents the likelihood of a website ranking higher in search results. DA is calculated based on various factors, including root domain and link numbers. MozBar is a free tool provided by Moz. After installing its Chrome plugin, you can easily view the Domain Authority (DA) and Page Authority (PA) of your own website and competitors' websites. Generally, large media websites and government websites have higher DA. As long as your DA is higher than your competitors, your website has a higher chance of ranking higher in search results.
    Tool link: https://moz.com/products/pro/seo-toolbar

    Tool 3: Google Search Console - Understanding website search performance

    Google Search Console is a free tool provided by Google that helps monitor website search result rankings, keywords, click-through rates, etc. Using this tool also helps Google's search engine gain a clearer understanding of your website. The features include:

    • Understanding the traffic to your website from search results
    • Discover the most frequently searched terms and landing sites.
    • Recognize which websites are connecting to yours.
    • On the website, monitor problems that occur.
    • Submit a sitemap to help Google understand the structure of your website.

    Tool link: https://search.google.com/search-console/about

    Tool 4: Google Analytics - Understanding overall website performance

    Google Analytics is also a website analysis tool under Google, which can be considered as a fundamental tool for websites. It provides useful information such as website views, user numbers, and user sources. It also allows for more in-depth user behavior tracking, including setting goals and using UTM tracking. Among these five tools, Google Analytics is the first and essential one. Installing Google Analytics is not as difficult as imagined. If you are using the WordPress platform, you can install plugins and complete the setup with simple steps. If you have a self-built website, it is recommended to ask the technical personnel responsible for your website to perform this task.
    Tool link: https://analytics.google.com/analytics/web/

    Tool 5: Similar Web - Analyzing competitors' performance

    In marketing, we often want to know our competitors' performance to understand our own position within the industry. There are free tools available that allow us to glimpse into competitors' website traffic and sources. In the free version of Similar Web, you can see your competitors':

    • Total page views
    • Traffic sources
    • User locations
    • Average user visit duration

    Tool link: https://www.similarweb.com/


    However, please note that when using these tools, the traffic numbers they provide may not be accurate. Therefore, when using these tools, it is important to observe competitors' traffic trends and the composition of their traffic (whether it is organic or from social platforms), and then compare them with your own traffic trends and composition, rather than solely relying on the numbers. Hopefully, the above information can help friends who are just starting their SEO work.