If you’re trying to grow your website or blog, you’ve probably heard about SEO (Search Engine Optimization). It’s what helps your site show up on Google when someone searches for things related to your business.
But let’s be honest most SEO tools out there are expensive. If you’re just starting or working with a tight budget, it feels overwhelming. The good news? There are affordable SEO tools (and even some free ones) that can help you boost your rankings without burning your wallet.
In this blog, I’ll walk you through some budget friendly SEO tools that are actually useful, especially if you’re a small business owner, blogger, or freelancer.
Why Do You Even Need SEO Tools?
Before we dive into the tools, let’s understand why they’re important.
Imagine you open a shop in a busy market, but you never put up a signboard. No one knows what you’re selling. SEO tools help you:
- Find what people are searching for online (keywords)
- Check how your website is doing
- Find out what your competitors are doing
- Fix technical errors on your website
- Get more people to visit your site organically (without ads)
1. Ubersuggest – Budget-Friendly and Beginner Friendly
Price: Free (limited searches) / Paid plans start around ₹900/month
Why it’s great:
Ubersuggest by Neil Patel is perfect for beginners. It helps you with keyword research, content ideas, backlink data, and even SEO audits. The interface is super simple, and it explains everything in a non-technical way.
What I liked:
When I started blogging, I used Ubersuggest to find long-tail keywords (less competitive ones) and it really helped me rank faster.
2. Google Search Console – Free and Powerful
Price: Completely Free
Why it’s great:
This is Google’s own tool, and it shows you how your website performs in Google search. You can see:
- Which keywords bring traffic
- If there are any errors
- Which pages are doing well
What I liked:
It helped me realize that some pages were not being indexed. I fixed them, and traffic improved in a few weeks.
3. Answer The Public – Content Idea Goldmine
Price: Free for limited searches / Paid plan available
Why it’s great:
This tool helps you understand what people are asking about online. Just type in a keyword, and it gives you hundreds of questions and phrases people search for.
Perfect for: Bloggers and content creators who want to write articles that answer real questions.
4. Screaming Frog SEO Spider – Free for Up to 500 Pages
Price: Free (limited) / Paid version available
Why it’s great:
This tool helps you do a technical audit of your website. It checks for:
- Broken links
- Duplicate content
- Missing meta descriptions
- Page speed issues
Note: The interface is a bit advanced, but YouTube tutorials can help.
5. Keywords Everywhere – Browser Extension
Price: Free version available / Paid version very cheap (₹250–500 depending on usage)
Why it’s great:
It shows keyword search volume and competition right inside Google when you search something.
Very handy: You don’t need to log in anywhere. Just install the extension on Chrome or Firefox, and you’ll get keyword data instantly.
6. Rank Math – Free SEO Plugin for WordPress
Price: Free / Paid version available with more features
Why it’s great:
If you have a WordPress website, Rank Math helps you optimize every page and blog post. It guides you step by step even tells you if your SEO score is good or needs improvement.
Bonus: It also connects with Google Analytics and Search Console.
7. Canva – For Creating SEO-Friendly Images
Price: Free / Pro version optional
Why it’s useful for SEO:
Images matter in SEO too! A blog post with attractive and fast loading images performs better. Canva helps you create social media posts, featured images, infographics, and more without being a designer.
Tip: Use proper file names and alt texts in your images. It helps with image SEO.
8. Small SEO Tools – Mini Tools for Everything
Price: Free
Why it’s great:
It offers tons of mini tools like:
- Plagiarism checker
- Keyword density checker
- Backlink checker
- Image compression
You can’t rely on it for heavy analysis, but it’s handy for quick checks.
9. MozBar – Free Chrome Extension
Price: Free / Paid plan for more features
Why it’s great:
MozBar gives you SEO metrics while you browse websites. It shows:
- Page Authority
- Domain Authority
- Number of backlinks
You can compare your website with competitors easily.
Start Small, Grow Steady
You don’t need to spend thousands of rupees each month on fancy SEO tools. When I started my journey, I only used free tools and still managed to grow traffic slowly but steadily.
Here’s what I recommend:
- Start with Google Search Console and Ubersuggest
- Use Answer The Public for content ideas
- Install Rank Math on WordPress (You need WordPress Business Account there)
- Keep checking your site health with tools like Screaming Frog or Small SEO Tools
Over time, if you feel the need for deeper analysis, you can always upgrade.
My Personal Tip
Don’t get too obsessed with tools. They’re helpful, yes but consistency and content quality matter more. Write for real people, answer their questions, and be helpful. That’s the best SEO strategy, even if you’re on a budget.
Pingback: Why SEO Specialists Should Master Google Analytics - PratsDigital