Best SEO tools by Dialekta
The SEO toolbox to help you on a daily basis in your marketing and SEO strategy.
Organic SEO should be a concern, indeed a priority, for anyone at all involved with website management. Positioning yourself well on search engines using important industry keywords is crucial when looking to attract quality traffic to your site.
Did you know that 59% of Quebec residents prefer to avoid sponsored links on search engines?*
*Data source: Vividata, Autumn 2022
This statistic demonstrates the importance of working on your organic visibility. In order to help you, the SEO Team at Dialekta Montreal have compiled a practical and scalable SEO toolkit. This list of tools, aiming to assist with SEO, will be regularly updated by the team, whenever new tools become available.
Thanks to certain practical SEO tools, it is possible to build a good understanding of your current search engine performance, but also to detect new opportunities.
SEO tools
Free SEO tools
Free Google tools
Free Chrome extensions
Paid SEO tools
WordPress plugins
Free SEO tools
The best free SEO tools used daily and recommended by the team at Dialekta.
Also Asked / Answer The Public
A huge part of organic SEO relies on content creation. Keyword analytics is paramount for understanding what users are searching on any given subject. That being said, it’s always recommended you pay equal attention to the questions posed by your target audience as well. These will enable you to organize your category or product pages, as well as blog articles and any other relevant pages, accordingly in separate sections or by including a FAQ section.
Also Asked and Answer the Public, available free (as limited versions) or paid, allow you to quickly discover all questions asked by internet users in relation to any given keyword.
One should however, note that the tool can have difficulty in ranking questions which are seldom searched. We’d advise you, therefore, to start with keywords which have a more generous search volume.
Mangools : Serp Simulator
Metadata (Meta Titles and Meta Descriptions) are important in SEO as they make up the very first pieces of information that search engines and internet users see relating to your pages. Good optimisation of these elements improves the ranking, and also the click rate, of search results. One criteria of metadata ranking is to take into account the lengths mandated by Google.
- The tag title should be between 30 and 60 characters long and should not exceed 600 pixels
- The Meta Description must contain between 70 and 155 characters long and must not exceed 960 pixels
The free Mangools tool allows you to confirm tag length and to see a live preview of your link in the search engine results.
Schema FAQ Generator – by On Top Marketing
The online Schema FAQ Generator tool allows you to enter questions and responses which appear on your site, and to obtain microdata to insert into your site code. Adding structured data is the best way to indicate that a certain type of content (here an FAQ) can be found on your site. Your content will also have more chances of appearing in enriched search engine results.
Bonus! You can also use this tool to get the CSS and jQuery codes for adding accordion blocks to your pages containing relevant questions.
Chat GPT
Chat GPT from OpenAI allows you to boost your content creation and your SEO. This powerful AI tool can generate natural sounding edited texts, and possesses an encyclopedic knowledge on a wide range of subjects. We would advise, however, that you use the generated texts to inspire your content, or to borrow bits and pieces from, rather than simply copy-pasting.In any case, it can help hugely in finding relevant subjects and questions for your articles, and even to generate HTML code for technical site optimisations. Discover all the possibilities available from Chat GPT for improving your organic SEO.
In addition, if you wish to obtain a selection of prompts for Chat GPT, specifically created for SEO, copywriting, marketing and sales, then give the AIPRm Chrome extension a go!
Free Google Tools
Google offers a multitude of free tools which can help you in analyzing your organic performance and managing its optimisation.
Google Search Console
The Google Search Console is a must-have if you want to see the current and past SEO profiles of your site. This tool allows you to see the number of impressions and clicks generated during any given time frame, in addition to click rate and average position on search engines. It also allows you to see which keywords are bringing the most traffic to your site, and to see a granular overview of your site pages (clicks, impressions, average ranking.)
What’s more, the Search Console allows you to upload a sitemap file, to monitor server errors, 404 errors, security issues and much more. It then gives you a structured overview of this data, and flags up any errors which need correcting.
Google Analytics
Another must-have for your site is Google Analytics, which allows you to have a detailed overview of your traffic, whether it be organic, paid, direct etc. For SEO, it can show you which of your pages are the most and least visited, i.e those which could be optimised. You will also get an idea of the behavior of users who are sent to your site via a search engine.
Google My Business
Google My Business, which has recently rebranded from Google Business Profile, is THE tool for keeping on top of your local Google presence, which is of growing importance as users are searching more and more for local results.
Google Trends
Google Trends is the perfect tool for finding search trends for a specific time of year. For example, if an important keyword in your organization is searched more during the summer, it could be useful to employ this information when creating content or refreshing existing content in the springtime.
Page Speed Insight
A site’s page load speed is an important factor which search engines take into account when ranking results. Page Speed Insights is a free tool from Google, which allows you to test the page loading speed of your website on different devices, and offers advice on how to improve it. The tool calculates a performance score between 0 and 100, based on a variety of technical factors- 100 indicating the best load time. It then advises on how to optimise your load speed.
By using Page Speed Insights you can improve the user experience of your site and potentially your Google ranking.
Rich Results Test (structured data)
Structured data or microdata, are important in SEO because they help the indexing robots to better understand the content of your page and therefore rank them more accurately. They can increase your chances of attaining first place, and also of occupying more space in the search results in special displays provided by Google. The Rich Results Test from Google, allows you to ensure the correct implementation of these structured data. By analysing the URL of a webpage you can see which have been implemented and validated, and which are experiencing issues.
Free Chrome Extensions
Chrome extensions are really useful as they provide us with certain SEO indicators on pages visited, in just a few clicks, whether it be on your own site or those of your competitors.
SEO Meta in One Click
Thanks to the Chrome extension SEO Meta in One Click, you can easily analyse your webpages. In just one click you will have access to all the principal SEO elements of each page, such as meta tags, header tag structure, standardization, indexing status, or even information on images and links. The extension also gives you access to performance analysis tool shortcuts such as Pagespeed Insight and Check Microdata, with the option of automatically transferring the URL of the page in question.
A variety of other free Chrome extensions will also allow you to do essentially the same thing, such as SEO Pro by Marketing Syrup.
SEO Minion
Like SEO Meta in One Click, the SEO Minion extension allows you to quickly analyse the on-page SEO elements of any web page. It is used notably for obtaining information on internal and external links of a page, in order to confirm their validity in just one click; or for underlining them up so they can be spotted quickly, for example. SEO Minion also has a Hreflang verification function which allows you to control correct implementation, without having to inspect the page’s code.
MozBar
MozBar is a really useful extension which allows you to see the DA (Domain Authority) and PA (Page Authority) of any URL, directly in the search results, or from the page in question. The tool also gives an indication of the number of backlinks and referring domains there are. MozBar also allows you to obtain complementary information on the different types of links on the page (internal or external, follow or no-follow).
Keyword Surfer
This tool is extremely useful. Keyword Surfer helps generate keyword ideas and allows you to see the amount of monthly searches per term, directly in Google’s search results. For every Google search performed, you will be able to see the volume and CPC associated with the keyword entered. In addition, for each organic result you will be able to see estimated monthly traffic metrics for the domain, as well as the page data, such as the number of words and the amount of times the keyword appears on the page.
Link Redirect Trace Browser Extension
This SEO tool is also really useful, as Link Redirect Trace allows you to detect redirect loops in just one click. The tool also instantly analyzes the HTTP header, the standardization tag, the robots.txt file and the “link trust”. With this Chrome extension you can detect important technical issues on your pages.
Paid Tools
Whether it’s a matter of regularly keeping track of your performance, optimizing a large scale website, or performing an extensive keyword search, it’s sometimes worth investing in a complete SEO platform. The good news is that for the most part, paid platforms offer a free version for you to try-before-you-buy, so that you can be sure that it will fit your needs.
YourText Guru
This tool is very useful in copywriting and SEO content optimization. It allows you to know which terms and words to integrate into your text in order to reinforce your chances of positioning yourself on a certain keyword. Thanks to a detailed graph, Your Text Guru allows you to see important words you may have, or may be missing from your text, as well as their optimal density. You can also analyse any competitor pages positioned in the 10 first results, and compare their content with your own.
Semrush
SEMrush is an indispensable SEO tool, created principally to perform keyword searches. It provides detailed data on keywords, for example, the volume and monthly search, the search intention, the amount of competition and much more. The tool also allows you to keep track of the ranking of your keywords as well as those of your competitors.
Semrush has numerous other functionalities such as ‘site auditing’ which evaluates the health of your website by flagging up errors and technical issues. There is also a backlink analysis function to help you to determine effective SEO strategies. Semrush’s functionality is continually being increased and improved. It’s definitely worth keeping up to date with this tool!
Don’t hesitate to try out SEMrush for free, including the auditing function, which you should note is limited to 100 pages in this free version.
Semji
Semji is a platform which lets you manage an effective SEO content strategy from A to Z. Semji can:
- Identify the best creation and optimisation opportunities
- Prioritise content which will bring the most traffic
- Guide editors via a brief and and an SEO score system
- Increase productivity using AI
- Monitor the results of each content action
Semji is now also offering a Chrome extension which goes a little further by integrating itself directly into your CMS or preferred editor. This has increased uptake among non-SEO teams.
In the future, Semjo wants to help SEO content creators to reach the next level with the integration of ChatGPT into its functionality, which will save on copywriting time, reduce the chance of writer’s block, and aid with time-consuming tasks which can be performed by AI.
Screaming Frog SEO
Screaming Frog is another must-have SEO tool, specifically for technical aspects of SEO. The Spider from Screaming Frog SEO is a site crawler which allows you to improve your organic SEO by auditing common technical issues. Among other things, this tool can:
- Analyse your meta tags and header tags
- Find broken links
- Audit redirects on your site
- Detect information missing from your images
- Identify duplicate content
- And much more!
The free version allows you to crawl 500 URLs and for any more you will need to buy a license which will also give you access to other advanced functionalities. The paid version lets you connect with Google Analytics and the Search Console which is very handy for tying up any loose ends with your site data.
Moreover, Screaming Frog has a ‘Log File Analyzer’ – a tool which can analyse the log files of your site. These files contain all the information relating to interactions between site visitors and your site itself, such as the pages visited, errors met, server response time, crawlers, etc.
The aim of Log File Analyzer is to help you to better understand the behavior of your site’s visitors. In this way you can detect any errors or potential issues which might affect your performance.
The analysis of log files can also help you to better understand how crawlers like Googlebot access your website. You can then optimize your site in order to allow the crawlers to explore your content more efficiently.
Ahrefs
Ahrefs is often compared to Semrush as it’s another complete platform. It allows you to track backlinks, mentions and shares on social media, and to analyse your competitors’ SEO strategies. It also provides an organic search analysis for identifying the most relevant keywords for your site, as well as detailed reports on SEO performance. And what’s more, it includes a keyword search module which lets you find the most relevant terms and get suggestions on how to improve their relevance. You can sign up to try Ahrefs for free and get access to certain tools on this limited version.
Oncrawl
One of the principal functions of the Oncrawl tool is analysis of your site’s structure, which allows you to detect technical errors. The tool then offers solutions for improving site performance. Oncrawl also offers features for crawl data analysis, link and content analysis, as well as detailed reports for tracking SEO performance. Oncrawl also features automation functionalities to help you save time on analysis and optimisation of technical SEO elements. It has a user-friendly interface which is easy to pick up, making the tool even more appealing.
WordPress Plugins
If your content management system (CMS) is WordPress, there are a variety of really useful plugins available to help you improve your performance in terms of organic SEO. Here are a few must-haves which the SEO team at Dialekta have tried and tested.
Yoast SEO
This plugin is one of the most popular tools for WordPress site SEO. Yoast SEO offers a range of features to help improve the quality and the structure of your content. It allows you in particular to optimize title and meta description tags, URLS, images and both internal and external links. The tool analyzes the readability of your texts and improves their quality by suggesting strategic internal links, as well as relevant keywords and semantic terms to add. Yoast SEO also offers functions for redirect and error 404 management, along with a tool for generating an XML sitemap.
All in One SEO Pack
Just like Yoast SEO, All in One SEO Pack is a very popular extension for WordPress SEO. It offers similar functions, most notably, the ability to configure meta title and descriptions, XML sitemaps, robot.txt settings and redirects. This extension also offers a duplicate content verification feature which will help site owners to avoid penalties for doubled up content.
SEOPress
This extension is a popular alternative to Yoast SEO and All in One SEO Pack. It offers basic features such as meta title and meta description configuration, XML sitemap creation, robots.txt management and tracking of page redirects. It also provides real time content analysis and advanced social media features.
Rank Math
Rank Math is a relatively new but very popular extension for WordPress SEO. Its basic features include meta title and meta description configuration, XML sitemap creation and robots.txt management. Rank Math also offers real time content analysis, suggestions on internal links, local search functionalities and social media integrations.
W3 Total Cache
W3 Total Cache is a popular plugin for WordPress which allows you to improve the Core Web Vitals and therefore the organic SEO. This plugin was created to speed up your site’s load time by optimising the cache, which improves user experience and the position of your site in search results. W3 Total Cache also offers features for optimising meta tags, images, CSS and Javascript, as well as support for Content Distribution Networks (CDN). By optimising your site’s performance, W3 Total Cache contributes to the reduction in bounce rate and helps increase the length of time spent on your site per visit – a key factor in organic SEO.
Schema – All in One Schema Rich Snippets
Structured data helps search engines to understand the information contained within your site and to list it in their search results in the form of rich text extracts, which is more attractive to users and can help increase click rate. Schema – All in One Schema Rich Snippets is a WordPress plugin which allows you to easily implement structured data on your site. This plugin provides a wide range of structured data types such as events, products, recipes, reviews, videos, articles, etc. By using this tool you can even add star ratings to your articles, which will in turn help to draw the attention of users and increase the visibility of your content in search results.
Redirection
The WordPress plugin Redirection allows you, as its name suggests, to manage the redirects of links in a simple and effective way. It lets you create 301 and 302 redirects, to personalize your error 404 pages and to keep track of error 404s in order to correct them quickly. This plugin also has the option to track link and redirect clicks, URL modifications, and to manage redirects in bulk. With these advanced features and its user friendliness, Redirection is ideal for improving user experience and SEO whilst ensuring that internal and external links redirect correctly.
Tiny PNG, Smush and others
Image optimisation is a crucial aspect of a site’s organic SEO. In fact, images can have a significant impact upon the loading speed of a page, which is an important factor in search results ranking. Many WordPress plugins such as Tiny PNG, Performance Lab, EWWW Image Optimizer, Smush or Imagify, let you reduce the weight of the images on your site and therefore, reduce the page loading time. Most of these plugins aim to resize and compress images to reduce their weight. Some of them also allow you to change the format of your images to a new generation format like WebP for example, which is much lighter than PNG or JPEG.
Site Kit by Google
Site Kit is a free WordPress plugin developed by Google. It allows site owners to access data and statistics from several different Google services such as Google Search Console, Google Analytics, Google AdSense, Google PageSpeed Insights and many more besides, directly from their WordPress dashboard. Site Kit simplifies the configuration and implementation of these tools and provides precious information on site performance, search requests, most visited pages, ad performance and more.
WP Fastest Cache
WP Fastest Cache is a WordPress plugin which allows you to cache web pages in order to help speed up their loading time. The plugin generates static HTML files from your dynamic pages and stores them in the cache. When a user accesses a page on your site, the plugin shows them the cached version of the page, which reduces the load time considerably and improves the user experience. WP Fastest Cache is easy to install and use, and comprises a range of advanced configuration options to respond to the needs of each website. It also takes the CDN (Content Delivery Networks) into account in order to further enhance site performance.
WP-Optimize
The WP-Optimize plugin for WordPress is a tool which lets you optimize your site’s database as well as compress your images. It can delete comments, article revisions, drafts and other unneeded elements in order to improve the performance and the speed of your site. It can also perform automated maintenance tasks such as repairing damaged database tables. In summary, WP-Optimize is an excellent tool for keeping your WordPress site in good working order.
Asset CleanUp : Page Speed Booster
The Asset CleanUp: Page Speed Booster plugin for WordPress is a tool which allows you to deactivate any unneeded CSS and JavaScript files on a specific page of your website. This means you can improve the performance and loading speed of your site by reducing the number of HTTP requests. You can easily choose which files you’d like to deactivate for each page or publication on your WordPress site, which will mean you can reduce the size of the page and improve the user experience for your visitors. Using this tool requires knowledge of CSS code.
Autoptimize
The Autoptimize plugin features functions for optimising the HTML code, CSS and Javascript of your WordPress site. It can also compress and cache these files, which will help reduce page loading time. With Autoptimize you can easily combine and minimize CSS and Javascript files, making them smaller and improving your overall site speed. You can also exclude certain files or scripts from any optimization, in order to avoid conflicts with other WordPress plugins or themes. To use this plugin you will require knowledge of HTML code, CSS and JavaScript.
The SEO team at Dialekta hope that this toolkit will be helpful and give you some solid frameworks for improving your site’s organic SEO. A whole host of ranking tools, such as the free Google tools, are available free of charge to help you keep track of your site’s performance. Others, like certain Chrome extensions or WordPress plugins are much relied upon for discovering opportunities and optimising performance. The team often shares their advice in our variety of blog posts. Don’t miss our tips on technical SEO for Shopify if you’re in ecommerce!
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