Sally the Scribe

SEO Tools Every Content Writer Should Know

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by

Sally Eubanks
in , ,

If you’ve already read my beginner’s guide to SEO, you’ve got the basics down—how search engines boost visibility and help you grow.
Now, let’s roll up our sleeves and dive into the best SEO tools out there (both free and paid), so you can start optimizing like a pro.

This post is stacked with screenshots, examples, and simple how-tos. Bookmark it and keep it handy—it’s your go-to SEO toolbox cheat sheet.

🛠️ SEO Tool Categories Covered

  • Keyword Research
  • On-Page Optimization
  • Content SEO
  • Technical SEO
  • Backlink Analysis
  • Performance Tracking
  • Chrome Extensions

🔍 Keyword Research: How to Find the Right Keywords

1. Google Keyword Planner (Free)

Best for: Brainstorming keyword ideas + checking search volume

✅ How to Use:

  • Head to ads.google.com and log in
  • Hit “Tools & Settings” → Keyword Planner
  • Choose “Discover New Keywords”
  • Type in your topic (say, freelance writing services)
  • Set your filters—location, language, etc.
  • Scan the results: focus on Avg. Monthly Searches + Competition

📌 Pro Tip: You don’t need to run ads to use this—it works great for organic SEO, too.

2. Ubersuggest (Freemium)

Best for: Keyword difficulty + content brainstorming

✅ How to Use:

  • Go to ubersuggest.com
  • Enter a keyword or domain
  • Hit “Keyword Ideas” on the sidebar
  • Filter results by:
    • Volume (search/month)
    • SEO Difficulty (SD)
    • CPC (if planning paid ads)
  • Use the “Content Ideas” tab to see top-performing topics with backlinks and shares

📌 Export your keywords and group them into primary, secondary, and long-tail buckets.

3. Answer the Public (Freemium)

Best for: Long-tail questions + fresh content ideas

✅ How to Use:

  • Visit answerthepublic.com
  • Type in your niche (e.g. “book marketing”)
  • Scroll through the question wheel + alphabetical terms
  • Click a question to preview live Google results
  • Choose lower-competition queries that show real search intent

🎯 Turn these into H2/H3 headings to target voice search and question-style queries.

📝 On-Page SEO: Optimize Content for Humans and Bots

4. Yoast SEO (WordPress Plugin)

Best for: Real-time content scoring + meta tags

✅ How to Use:

  • Install via your WordPress dashboard
  • In your post editor, scroll to the Yoast box
  • Add your Focus Keyphrase (main keyword)
  • Follow the color-coded tips:
    • ✅ Green = Good
    • 🟡 Orange = Okay
    • 🔴 Red = Needs work
  • Tweak your:
    • SEO title
    • Meta description
    • Slug
    • Internal links
    • Readability

📌 Use the “Social” tab to control how your post looks on Facebook & Twitter.

5. Rank Math (Yoast alternative)

Best for: Optimizing multiple keywords + WooCommerce support

✅ Setup Tips:

  • Import data if switching from Yoast
  • Enable only what you need—Schema, Image SEO, etc.
  • Use Focus Keyword Analyzer to target up to 5 keywords per post

📄 Content Optimization Tools

6. Surfer SEO (Paid)

Best for: Building optimized outlines + improving content score

✅ How to Use:

  • Create a new Content Editor and enter your keywords
  • Surfer analyzes top-ranking pages
  • Track: Content Score, Word Count, Keyword Usage
  • Write in the editor or paste from Google Docs

🎯 Aim for a score of 70+ before you hit publish.

7. Grammarly + Hemingway App

Best for: Clean, clear, mistake-free writing

✅ How to Use:

  • Grammarly: Paste content or use Chrome extension
  • Hemingway: Paste your draft, revise based on highlights

📌 Strong SEO writing = clear, active, and fluff-free—these tools help get you there.

🧱 Technical SEO: Fix Issues Before They Hurt You

8. Google Search Console (GSC)

Best for: Tracking performance + fixing indexing issues

✅ Setup & Use:

  • Go to Google Search Console
  • Add your domain (DNS verification preferred)
  • Submit your sitemap (Yoast/Rank Math helps)
  • Check:
    • Pages for non-indexed URLs
    • Mobile Usability for mobile issues
    • Performance to track rankings, clicks, CTR

📌 The “Queries” tab reveals which terms bring you traffic—double down on those.

9. Screaming Frog SEO Spider (Free up to 500 URLs)

Best for: Finding broken links, duplicate content, and meta issues

✅ How to Use:

  • Download and install from screamingfrog.co.uk
  • Enter your website and click “Start”
  • Sort results:
    • 404s in Response Codes = broken links
    • Long/missing titles in Meta Descriptions
    • Duplicate pages via Canonical Links
  • Export your findings, fix inside your CMS or WordPress.

10. PageSpeed Insights / Lighthouse

Best for: Diagnosing slow-loading pages

✅ How to Use:

  • Visit PageSpeed Insights
  • Plug in your URL
  • Review:
    • LCP (Largest Contentful Paint)
    • FID (First Input Delay)
    • CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift)
  • Scroll for fixes: unused CSS, heavy images, JS issues

📌 Use WebP format, lazy loading, and caching plugins like WP Rocket or W3 Total Cache.

🔗 Backlink + Authority Tools

11. Ahrefs Free Backlink Checker

Best for: Spot-checking top backlinks

✅ How to Use:

📌 Spot where competitors are getting links—target those sites for outreach.

12. Moz Link Explorer

Best for: Checking domain authority + spam risk

✅ How to Use:

  • Create a free Moz account
  • Visit Link Explorer
  • Plug in your (or a competitor’s) domain
  • Review:
    • Inbound links
    • Linking domains
    • Spam score (keep this low—under 4%)

📈 Track Your SEO Progress

13. Google Analytics 4 (GA4)

Best for: Understanding user behavior + tracking goals

✅ How to Use:

  • Set up GA4 with Tag Manager or your theme
  • Track:
    • Top Pages
    • Traffic Sources
    • Behavior Flow

📌 Combine GA4 with GSC for full visibility into traffic + rankings.

14. SERPWatcher by Mangools / Ubersuggest Tracking

Best for: Monitoring keyword position changes

✅ How to Use:

  • Add keywords manually or import from content
  • Check daily/weekly position shifts
  • Get alerts when rankings rise or drop

🔌 Bonus Chrome Extensions

  • Keywords Everywhere: Instant keyword data on SERPs, YouTube, Amazon
  • SEO Minion: On-page SEO audit, broken link checker
  • MozBar: Authority scores in real-time
  • Lighthouse: Quick audit of performance & Core Web Vitals

🧩 Build Your Simple SEO Workflow

  1. Research: GKP + Ubersuggest + Answer the Public
  2. Optimize Content: Yoast/Rank Math + Grammarly
  3. Promote: Add internal links + share on socials
  4. Technical Check: GSC + Screaming Frog
  5. Track: GSC + GA4 + Rank Tracker
  6. Repeat Monthly: Refresh old posts + build new links

✅ Final Thoughts

SEO doesn’t have to be intimidating. With the right tools and a repeatable system, you can steadily grow your reach, traffic, and authority. Bookmark this guide. Refer to it often. Treat it like your personal SEO command center.

💬 Want more deep dives or tool tutorials? Leave a comment or head over to SallyTheScribeWrites.com.

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