If you have an online presence, then you want it to be a platform that addresses the needs of your users but can also be indexed by search engine rankings. While it is possible to manually look at every on-page element of your website, leveraging the best on-page tools can make a significant difference in your website’s search engine rankings.

We have compiled the best free tools that will help you optimize your on-page search efforts.

Why You Need On-Page SEO

On-page SEO refers to the front-facing aspects of your website that will attract both users and search engines. This is done by looking at the HTML source code and the page’s content, such as meta tags or headers.

While we like to separate keyword research as a separate part of search engine optimization, keyword optimization itself is a core part of on-page optimization. Including keywords in the meta description, for example, can help Google and other search engines recognize relevancy when its spiders crawl your website.

Concentrating on on-page SEO is an often quick way to increase your website's exposure and relevance to search engines, ensuring higher ranks and an increase in organic visitors.

Analyze Your Keywords with Google Keyword Planner

With any SEO campaign, knowing which keywords to target is essential. One useful search engine tool that can assist you in determining which keywords to concentrate on is Google Keyword Planner. This on-page SEO tool provides features including monthly search volume data, keyword competitiveness analysis, and keyword suggestions depending on your input. This Google tool is essential for making sure that the users who would be interested in your content find it.

Although Google Keyword Planner's core capabilities are free, upgrading to a Google Ads account can provide you access to even more tools and deeper insights for campaign optimization. Businesses trying to get the most out of their keyword research efforts may find this to be especially helpful.

Optimize Your Content with Yoast SEO

We have many clients that use WordPress and if you do too, then you need Yoast SEO. The Yoast SEO tool is a WordPress plugin that will offer real-time insight into your content. For example, Yoast SEO will tell you if your meta descriptions are too long if your keyword is not being used enough, and so on.

With the help of this tool, you can also enhance your on-page SEO with a variety of features like readability analysis, SEO keyword focus, and internal linking ideas. As mentioned, it is always our go-to when helping our WordPress clients.

Check Your Meta Descriptions with Screaming Frog SEO Spider

Meta descriptions play a significant role in attracting clicks from search engine results pages. Another great tool that can help optimize them is Screaming Frog. While this SEO tool allows you to check all your on-page elements we especially love it for meta descriptions.

The free version of Screaming Frog allows you to crawl up to 500 URLs, which is a significant amount of content to parse through. This can help you pinpoint areas for improvement and ensure your meta descriptions are optimized for better search engine performance.

For larger websites, upgrading to the paid version of Screaming Frog removes the crawl limit and offers additional features such as custom extraction, JavaScript rendering, and integration with Google Analytics.

Boost Readability with Hemingway Editor

Hemingway Editor is a free online tool that highlights difficult phrases and offers simpler substitutes to improve the readability of your writing. This tool is invaluable for making sure that your content satisfies readability standards and can be accessed by a wide range of users. By making your material easier to read, you can lower bounce rates (the rate at which users exist on a website) and keep your readers engaged. 

As another plus, Hemingway is named after Ernest Hemingway who was known for using concise language that was well-written but got straight to the point. As the writer's idiom goes - it helps you to show not tell!

Although the internet version is free, a desktop edition with more features and offline access is available for purchase.

Enhance Visual Content with Canva

While On-Page SEO is primarily centered on content and HTML, the experience of the user should not be overlooked. With Canva, a free graphic design tool, you can make beautiful graphics for your website. Canva offers an array of templates and design components that facilitate the creation of visually captivating content that accentuates your written content.

This not only helps you break up the text so that it is not overwhelming to the reader, but it allows you the ability to use alt image tags. These tags make websites accessible to readers, but they can also be optimized with keywords, creating another source to draw in new users searching for a specific phrase. 

Validate HTML and CSS with W3C Validator

Looking at HTML and CSS specifically, these elements can ensure that your website is functional, but they can also increase user experience, which again helps with search visibility. 

A free tool that verifies your web pages adhere to web standards is the W3C Validator. You can use this tool to find and address problems that could be affecting the functionality and accessibility of your website.

There is an advanced version for websites that require advanced coding, but for the average user, the free version is suitable. 

Improve Site Speed with PageSpeed Insights

SEO rankings and user experience both heavily depend on site performance. A free tool from Google called PageSpeed Insights evaluates the functionality of your website and offers doable suggestions for speed optimization. It assesses your website across desktop and mobile platforms, providing details on things like browser caching, server response times, and image optimization.

The recommendations that PageSpeed Insights can range in complexity, but implementing them can drastically improve your website's performance. 

Monitor Backlinks with Moz Link Explorer

Backlinks are an essential part of on-page SEO, contributing to your site's authority and search engine rankings. With the free tool Moz Link Explorer, you can assess the quality of your backlinks, examine your backlink profile, and find fresh link-building prospects.

Although Moz's free edition gives insightful information, purchasing the Pro version unlocks a more complete set of features, such as sophisticated link analytics, spam score analysis, and access to a larger backlink database.

Examine The On-Page Elements of Your Website

Here at Starbound SEO, we're experts in using open and practical SEO tactics to assist companies maximize their online visibility. Our team of professionals are available to assist you in achieving outstanding on-page assistance.

Get in touch to find out more about how we can improve your site's rankings and increase traffic.

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