Steve Shaw 10 Free SEO-Related Tools
Posted 11th August 2010 at 09:17 AM by stevenrshaw
Tags steve shaw
Today we have an article from John Wood about SEO-Related Tools. Thank you John for putting this together.
Have you ever used a flat-head screwdriver when you really needed a Philips screwdriver to do the job?
SEO Related Tools?
I know I have. It can be pretty frustrating.
Having the right tool for the job can’t help but make you more productive when it comes to performing certain tasks around the house.
The same “rule” applies to SEO copywriting. If you have access to the right tools, it will make every job faster, easier, and more enjoyable. Which will invariably lead to happier, more satisfied clients.
Fortunately, there are some great, free SEO-related tools available and waiting for you should you need them. Today I’m going to talk about 10 such tools that you might want to add to your toolkit.
1. Wonder Wheel
Use this tool to: Generate ideas and stimulate your thinking when it comes to keyword research.
How it works: Type a keyword into Google and press “search.” Then click on “other options” at the top left of the page. Under “Standard View” click on “Wonder Wheel.” Google brings up eight related keywords. Click on any of the eight keywords to make that your new starting point.
Benefit: In a matter of seconds, Wonder Wheel will give you lots of keyword ideas you might not think of otherwise. The more keywords you consider, the better your chances are of finding the ideal keywords – supply and demand wise – that will result in high and profitable search-engine rankings for your client.
2. KWMap
Use this tool to: Like Wonder Wheel, generate ideas and stimulate your thinking when it comes to keyword research.
How it works: Type in a keyword, hit return, and it brings up a “navigator panel” of related keywords. Click on any keyword and a new navigator panel is displayed using that keyword as its starting point.
Benefit: This tool offers similar benefits to Wonder Wheel. Whether you use one, neither, or both comes down to personal preference.
SEO Related Tools
3. Google Sets
Use this tool to: Generate ideas based on multiple related keywords.
How it works: Plug in up to five keywords, press a button, and Google Sets predicts other related items that fit into the “set.” Google gives you the choice of creating a small set (15 items or less) or a large set.
Benefit: Because Google Sets gives you results based on up to five different keywords, this tool will provide you with a list of related keywords Wonder Wheel and KWMap might not uncover.
4. Website Grader
Use this tool to: Help prove that the SEO work you did for your client achieved its desired results.
How it works: Go to the link and type in your client’s URL. Website Grader (from Hubspot) will provide you with a free report containing some key information about your client’s sites such as metadata, heading and image summaries, readability level, the number of pages indexed by Google, the current traffic rank of the site (according to Alexa.com) and the number of inbound links to it. It’s not as detailed as the information you’d get from website analytics software, but it’s a pretty good snapshot. Before you start a job, run this report. Then, after you’ve finished your work, every so often, run it again. Then, highlight the improvements to your client.
Benefit: If you do a good job documenting the effectiveness of your work, you’ll have happier clients which will result in more assignments (not to mention referrals) from your clients.
5. Free and Fast Search Engine Rankings
Use this tool to: Check where a web page ranks for specific keywords in the Google, Yahoo! Search, AOL, Bing, and All The Web search engines.
How it works: Insert your keywords and your client’s URL and click on “Check Rankings.” As with the Website Grader, simply run queries before and after the work is performed and show your client how much their rankings have increased.
Benefit: It gives you another way to prove to your client that your SEO work has improved their website’s search-engine ranking. This tool will also save you time. Because, without a tool like this, the only way to get this information would be to go to each search engine individually, type in your keywords, and hope you find your client’s site.
6. Spider Viewer
Use this tool to: View a web page like the search engine’s spiders see it.
How it works: Simply plug in the page URL and print this page out. It lists the page title, description, page content, and page links all on one page.
Benefit: It’s also a fast and easy way to gauge how much work a particular page needs. If it’s lacking a title or description, you know it’s in dire need of an SEO tune-up.
7. Search-based Keyword Tool
Use this tool to: Generate keyword ideas based on website content.
How it works: Input the URL of the website you want to check and click on “Find Keywords.” You can also insert keywords for Google to use as a starting point. Google will provide you with a list of related keywords plus detailed data for each, such as category information, suggested bid price, and ad/search share.
Benefit: This tool is more useful if you’re running a PPC campaign for your client versus doing straight SEO. But having said that, it’s a great way to come up with new keywords, plus you can run it on the competition’s site to see what keywords they’re focusing on. You can get a feel for each keyword’s popularity by using the suggested bid price as a barometer.
8. Advanced Google Search
Use this tool to: Search Google in a variety of different ways.
How it works: Type in your site’s domain name and keywords and, with one click, Google will show you all the pages that contain the keyword. Select one of the 11 query options and press “Search Google.”
Benefit: This tool is a great way to find out how popular certain keywords and URLs are with Google. For example, you can quickly determine how many web pages have a particular keyword in their title. This will help you determine if it’s a winnable keyword. You can also search for all pages indexed by Google that mention your client’s domain; all pages with keywords in URL/file name; and all pages with keywords in text, but not in links or title. You can search all countries or limit your choice to one of the 71 listed. All great information that will help you fine-tune your keyword research.
9. Xenu’s Link Sleuth
Use this tool to: Search any site for broken hyperlinks.
How it works: Xenu’s Link Sleuth is software you download and install on your computer. Once you install it, type in the site you want to check and it goes to work. It’s fast, easy to use, and there’s no limit to the number of links you can check with it. (Here’s a link to a blog post that talks about how to get the most out of the Xenu’s Link Sleuth.)
Benefit: Giving your client the heads up that their site has broken links is a great way to endear yourself to them. You could also make checking their site for broken links an additional service you provide for them on an on-going basis.
10. Screen Resolution Tester
Use this tool to: Check what your client’s site looks like to visitors who are viewing it using graphics cards with various resolution capabilities. Your client’s site could look great at one resolution, but off-kilter and graphically challenged at a higher resolution. It’s especially important if their site is fairly old and was constructed using some of the proprietary features of Microsoft’s now-discontinued Front Page software.
How it works: To use this tool, simply type in the site and click on the screen resolution (800 x 600 pixels to 1920 x 1200 pixels) you’d like the site to be displayed at.
Benefit: There are two main benefits. By proactively discovering there’s a problem viewing your client’s site at a certain resolution, you strengthen your bond with your client. Plus, if their site looks good at all screen resolutions, it can’t help but improve your client’s conversion rate, which if you wrote the copy, will reflect nicely on you.
Part of being a successful SEO copywriter is having the best resources at your fingertips. Add these 10 tools to your SEO toolkit and you’ll do faster and better work for every client you take on.
This article appears courtesy of American Writers & Artists Inc.’s (AWAI) Wealthy Web Writer, a free newsletter for learning how to effectively write online copy and market products on the Web. For a complimentary subscription, visit Sign Up for Wealthy Web Writer.
Steve Shaw Marketing
Have you ever used a flat-head screwdriver when you really needed a Philips screwdriver to do the job?
SEO Related Tools?
I know I have. It can be pretty frustrating.
Having the right tool for the job can’t help but make you more productive when it comes to performing certain tasks around the house.
The same “rule” applies to SEO copywriting. If you have access to the right tools, it will make every job faster, easier, and more enjoyable. Which will invariably lead to happier, more satisfied clients.
Fortunately, there are some great, free SEO-related tools available and waiting for you should you need them. Today I’m going to talk about 10 such tools that you might want to add to your toolkit.
1. Wonder Wheel
Use this tool to: Generate ideas and stimulate your thinking when it comes to keyword research.
How it works: Type a keyword into Google and press “search.” Then click on “other options” at the top left of the page. Under “Standard View” click on “Wonder Wheel.” Google brings up eight related keywords. Click on any of the eight keywords to make that your new starting point.
Benefit: In a matter of seconds, Wonder Wheel will give you lots of keyword ideas you might not think of otherwise. The more keywords you consider, the better your chances are of finding the ideal keywords – supply and demand wise – that will result in high and profitable search-engine rankings for your client.
2. KWMap
Use this tool to: Like Wonder Wheel, generate ideas and stimulate your thinking when it comes to keyword research.
How it works: Type in a keyword, hit return, and it brings up a “navigator panel” of related keywords. Click on any keyword and a new navigator panel is displayed using that keyword as its starting point.
Benefit: This tool offers similar benefits to Wonder Wheel. Whether you use one, neither, or both comes down to personal preference.
SEO Related Tools
3. Google Sets
Use this tool to: Generate ideas based on multiple related keywords.
How it works: Plug in up to five keywords, press a button, and Google Sets predicts other related items that fit into the “set.” Google gives you the choice of creating a small set (15 items or less) or a large set.
Benefit: Because Google Sets gives you results based on up to five different keywords, this tool will provide you with a list of related keywords Wonder Wheel and KWMap might not uncover.
4. Website Grader
Use this tool to: Help prove that the SEO work you did for your client achieved its desired results.
How it works: Go to the link and type in your client’s URL. Website Grader (from Hubspot) will provide you with a free report containing some key information about your client’s sites such as metadata, heading and image summaries, readability level, the number of pages indexed by Google, the current traffic rank of the site (according to Alexa.com) and the number of inbound links to it. It’s not as detailed as the information you’d get from website analytics software, but it’s a pretty good snapshot. Before you start a job, run this report. Then, after you’ve finished your work, every so often, run it again. Then, highlight the improvements to your client.
Benefit: If you do a good job documenting the effectiveness of your work, you’ll have happier clients which will result in more assignments (not to mention referrals) from your clients.
5. Free and Fast Search Engine Rankings
Use this tool to: Check where a web page ranks for specific keywords in the Google, Yahoo! Search, AOL, Bing, and All The Web search engines.
How it works: Insert your keywords and your client’s URL and click on “Check Rankings.” As with the Website Grader, simply run queries before and after the work is performed and show your client how much their rankings have increased.
Benefit: It gives you another way to prove to your client that your SEO work has improved their website’s search-engine ranking. This tool will also save you time. Because, without a tool like this, the only way to get this information would be to go to each search engine individually, type in your keywords, and hope you find your client’s site.
6. Spider Viewer
Use this tool to: View a web page like the search engine’s spiders see it.
How it works: Simply plug in the page URL and print this page out. It lists the page title, description, page content, and page links all on one page.
Benefit: It’s also a fast and easy way to gauge how much work a particular page needs. If it’s lacking a title or description, you know it’s in dire need of an SEO tune-up.
7. Search-based Keyword Tool
Use this tool to: Generate keyword ideas based on website content.
How it works: Input the URL of the website you want to check and click on “Find Keywords.” You can also insert keywords for Google to use as a starting point. Google will provide you with a list of related keywords plus detailed data for each, such as category information, suggested bid price, and ad/search share.
Benefit: This tool is more useful if you’re running a PPC campaign for your client versus doing straight SEO. But having said that, it’s a great way to come up with new keywords, plus you can run it on the competition’s site to see what keywords they’re focusing on. You can get a feel for each keyword’s popularity by using the suggested bid price as a barometer.
8. Advanced Google Search
Use this tool to: Search Google in a variety of different ways.
How it works: Type in your site’s domain name and keywords and, with one click, Google will show you all the pages that contain the keyword. Select one of the 11 query options and press “Search Google.”
Benefit: This tool is a great way to find out how popular certain keywords and URLs are with Google. For example, you can quickly determine how many web pages have a particular keyword in their title. This will help you determine if it’s a winnable keyword. You can also search for all pages indexed by Google that mention your client’s domain; all pages with keywords in URL/file name; and all pages with keywords in text, but not in links or title. You can search all countries or limit your choice to one of the 71 listed. All great information that will help you fine-tune your keyword research.
9. Xenu’s Link Sleuth
Use this tool to: Search any site for broken hyperlinks.
How it works: Xenu’s Link Sleuth is software you download and install on your computer. Once you install it, type in the site you want to check and it goes to work. It’s fast, easy to use, and there’s no limit to the number of links you can check with it. (Here’s a link to a blog post that talks about how to get the most out of the Xenu’s Link Sleuth.)
Benefit: Giving your client the heads up that their site has broken links is a great way to endear yourself to them. You could also make checking their site for broken links an additional service you provide for them on an on-going basis.
10. Screen Resolution Tester
Use this tool to: Check what your client’s site looks like to visitors who are viewing it using graphics cards with various resolution capabilities. Your client’s site could look great at one resolution, but off-kilter and graphically challenged at a higher resolution. It’s especially important if their site is fairly old and was constructed using some of the proprietary features of Microsoft’s now-discontinued Front Page software.
How it works: To use this tool, simply type in the site and click on the screen resolution (800 x 600 pixels to 1920 x 1200 pixels) you’d like the site to be displayed at.
Benefit: There are two main benefits. By proactively discovering there’s a problem viewing your client’s site at a certain resolution, you strengthen your bond with your client. Plus, if their site looks good at all screen resolutions, it can’t help but improve your client’s conversion rate, which if you wrote the copy, will reflect nicely on you.
Part of being a successful SEO copywriter is having the best resources at your fingertips. Add these 10 tools to your SEO toolkit and you’ll do faster and better work for every client you take on.
This article appears courtesy of American Writers & Artists Inc.’s (AWAI) Wealthy Web Writer, a free newsletter for learning how to effectively write online copy and market products on the Web. For a complimentary subscription, visit Sign Up for Wealthy Web Writer.
Steve Shaw Marketing
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