When you’re managing your SEO solo, the right tools make all the difference — not just in saving time, but in actually helping you get results that move the needle.
Whether you’re just getting started or leveling up your strategy, this curated list of SEO tools includes what we’ve actually used (and still currently do in our own business), trust, and recommend to small business owners who want to stay hands-on and in control.
Let’s break these down by what they’re best used for within your business’s online presence!
These help you discover what your audience is searching for — and how to create content around it.
A beginner-friendly platform that helps you find keyword ideas, search volume, difficulty, and even content inspiration.
Pulls real search volume data directly from Google. Located inside your Google Ads dashboard in the ‘Tools’ section under ‘Planning’, it’s reliable and useful for local businesses targeting a geographic area.
A Chrome plugin and tool for keyword search data that works in real time, plus offers ChatGPT prompt templates and local SEO integrations.
A question-based keyword research tool that reveals what people are really searching — helpful for blog content, service pages, and FAQs.
Tools that help optimize your actual content, meta info, and website hierarchy and structure so Google knows what your site is about, so you can be on your way to becoming a topic authority go-to source!
A powerful WordPress plugin that helps you optimize title tags, meta descriptions, sitemaps, schema markup, and even add focus keywords with ease.
Not technically an SEO tool, but clean, clear writing = better rankings and conversions! Nothing makes me less likely to trust a business than some obvious spelling errors. Great for blogs, service pages, and email copy (and pretty much everything else that I use when typing).
Ahh yes, everyone’s favorite, the technical side. Let’s help you tackle site performance, crawlability, mobile responsiveness, and more.
This desktop tool scans your website for broken links, duplicate titles, redirects, and technical SEO gaps. Plus, it’s undeniably the coolest name for an SEO tool out there tbh.
The non-negotiable tool for monitoring your site in Google Search. Our personal go-to tool on a consistent basis. See what keywords you’re ranking for, fix indexing issues, and submit sitemaps.
An all-in-one SEO platform that handles rank tracking, keyword audits, competitor research, and on-page scoring. Compile each client as a project for easy jumping from one to the next. This is our holy grail of an SEO software, and we couldn’t recommend it enough.
Ahrefs is the best for deep competitor research, backlink analysis, and tracking keyword trends over time. Even as a free resource, it provides tons of helpful data to level up your SEO game.
Perfect for installing and managing tracking codes (like GA4, Hotjar, or custom events for your conversion tracking) without touching code each time. Basically, this will help you turn the data into a journey of explaining the ROI behind your website to see how effective of a sales machine your site really is.
See what’s working — and what needs work — in your SEO plan. This is where consistency and continual attention, tweaking, tinkering, and updating will pay off over time.
Monitor traffic, user behavior, conversions, and goals — GA4 is essential to understanding how SEO supports your bigger marketing picture.
Known for competitive research, SEMrush also includes keyword tracking, backlink audits, site audits, and local SEO monitoring.
Growing your backlink profile, domain trust, and authority will help push you leagues ahead of your competitors. They establish trust to search engines, build authority, and grow your backlink strategy but utilizing these platforms.
And if you need more in-depth explanation about these concepts and other SEO info, get yourself a copy of our Hot Girls Know SEO guide!
This is a browser extension to check domain authority and keywords while you browse.
HARO was previously shut down but is now back under new ownership. Still a great platform to earn backlinks by contributing quotes to journalists and blogs. We suggest creating a folder for it within your email to keep things organized, since they email twice a day.
Compress images without losing quality. This plugin reduces load time, which improves your website’s performance and mobile-friendliness (aka SEO factors). Small implementations can have big impacts, especially in the world of search engine optimization.
Keep your SEO organized with a system you can stick to, and that’s why we created Hot Girls Know SEO. At the end of the day, it’s about making progress, however that looks like within your business. We recommend setting up a spreadsheet to track:
Focus keywords by page
What’s optimized (title, meta, content, image alt text)
Keyword positions over time
Your test results (CTR, bounce rate, conversions)
Want a done-for-you roadmap? Grab our full DIY SEO Guide + Checklist, Hot Girls Know SEO →
Here’s a quick-reference list of everything we covered — plus what each tool does and why you might use it:
| Tool | Why You Should Use It |
|---|---|
| Ubersuggest | Simple keyword & content research tool for beginners. |
| Google Keyword Planner | Accurate keyword data straight from Google. |
| Keywords Everywhere | Chrome plugin with keyword volumes & prompts. |
| Answer the Public | Uncovers real user questions for content strategy. |
| All-In-One SEO (AIOSEO) | WordPress plugin for titles, sitemaps, and schema. |
| Yoast SEO | SEO plugin with real-time suggestions and readability checks. |
| Grammarly | Polishes your copy for readability and clarity. |
| Screaming Frog | Technical audit tool that finds broken links and issues. |
| Google Search Console | Tracks rankings, clicks, and search visibility. |
| Google Analytics 4 | Measures how users find and interact with your site. |
| Google Tag Manager | Manages scripts + tracking without a developer. |
| SE Ranking | All-in-one platform for rank tracking and audits. |
| Ahrefs | Deep competitor analysis and backlink explorer. |
| SEMrush | Keyword tracking, competitor insights, and SEO audit tools. |
| MozBar | In-browser view of domain/page authority and links. |
| HARO | Free backlink opportunities via journalist connections. |
| TinyPNG | Compresses images for faster load times and better SEO. |
You don’t need every tool on this list.
You just need the right mix for your stage, your goals, and your bandwidth.
Start simple, stay consistent, and remember — SEO works best when you own the strategy.
And if you need that step-by-step guide? Get your copy of Hot Girls Know SEO (HGKS), our DIY SEO Guide + Checklist!
Keep creative friends!
– Mad Banana Team
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