SEO Tools
A starting point for the free, official tools worth knowing, and the categories of tools used in SEO work.
Free, official tools
These are made by Google and Bing directly, and cost nothing to use.
Google Search Console
See how Google crawls and indexes your site, which search queries bring traffic, and any technical issues Google has flagged. This is the single most useful free tool for understanding how your site actually performs in search.
Google PageSpeed Insights
Check a page's loading speed and Core Web Vitals on both mobile and desktop, with specific suggestions for what is slowing the page down.
Google Business Profile
Manage how your business appears on Google Search and Maps, including hours, photos, posts and reviews. Central to local SEO.
Google Analytics
Track visits, traffic sources, and how people use your website after they arrive, including which pages they view and where they drop off.
Google Rich Results Test
Check whether a page's structured data is set up correctly and eligible for enhanced search result features, such as FAQ or review snippets.
Bing Webmaster Tools
Similar to Search Console, for how Bing crawls, indexes and ranks your site. Worth setting up alongside Google, since Bing still sends meaningful traffic.
Categories of SEO tools
Beyond the official Google and Bing tools above, these are some commonly used tools worth knowing in each category, including their free or freemium tiers. Listing a tool here is not a paid endorsement or affiliate link; RankSols does not earn anything from these links. Pricing and free-tier limits can change, so check each tool's own site for current details.
Keyword research tools
Help you find what people actually search for, how often, and how competitive a term is to rank for. Good keyword research is usually the starting point before writing or optimising any page.
Backlink checkers
Show which sites link to yours and to your competitors, so you can assess authority, spot weaknesses and find realistic link opportunities.
Site crawlers
Crawl your website the way a search engine would, surfacing broken links, redirects, duplicate content, missing metadata and other technical issues across every page at once.
Rank trackers
Monitor where your pages rank for chosen keywords over time, so you can see whether your SEO work is actually moving the needle. Search Console's own Performance report is a genuinely free starting point; dedicated rank-tracking platforms exist but are mostly paid.
Local listing checkers
Check how consistent your business name, address and phone number are across directories and listings, since inconsistent details can weaken local search visibility.
Speed and performance tools
Measure page load time in more detail than Core Web Vitals alone, including waterfall charts that show exactly which file or request is slowing a page down.
Prefer not to figure it out yourself?
Our free SEO audit covers technical SEO, on-page SEO, content, keywords, backlinks, indexing and Core Web Vitals, using the same kinds of checks these tools perform, with the findings explained for you.
Get Free SEO AuditFrequently asked questions
Does RankSols build its own SEO tools?
Not at this time. This page explains the categories of tools useful for SEO work and links to official, free tools where relevant.
Which tools does RankSols use for client work?
The specific tools used can vary by project. Ask us directly if you would like to know what we use for your site.
Are the Google tools listed here really free?
Yes. Google Search Console, PageSpeed Insights, Google Business Profile, Google Analytics, the Rich Results Test and Bing Webmaster Tools are free to use.
I do not have time to use these tools myself. What are my options?
Our free SEO audit covers the same areas these tools check, with findings explained in plain language and prioritised for you.