Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
Originally published August 18, 2022.
10 Free SEO Tools Every Photographer Needs
The right free SEO tools cover everything a photography website needs: keyword research, technical checks, and performance tracking. You do not need an expensive software stack to do real SEO work. These are the 10 free SEO tools I use in real client work, what each one does, and when to reach for it.
Free SEO Research And Tracking Tools
1. Google Search Console
Google Search Console documents the keywords and pages that currently rank for your site. It shows which queries bring impressions and clicks, which pages Google has indexed, and any crawl problems. This is the first tool to set up, because it measures everything else you do. Start with How To Use Google Search Console To Refine Keywords.
2. Google Keyword Planner
Google Keyword Planner reveals search volume and related keyword ideas straight from Google’s own data. You can use it without running ads, and it belongs at the center of every keyword research session.
3. Google Trends
Google Trends shows how interest in a topic changes over time. It earns its place when a topic is growing quickly or is seasonally influenced, which describes most of the wedding industry. Check it before you invest in content for a seasonal keyword.
4. Answer The Public
Answer The Public maps the questions people ask about a topic. The free tier covers a few searches a day, which is enough to build a question list for a blog post or FAQ section.
5. PageSpeed Insights
PageSpeed Insights measures how fast your pages load on mobile and desktop and names the specific files slowing them down. Since oversized images are the most common speed problem on photography websites, pair it with the Photographers Guide To Showit Image Optimization.
6. Screaming Frog SEO Spider
Screaming Frog SEO Spider crawls your website the way a search engine does and reports titles, descriptions, headings, broken links, and redirects. The free version crawls up to 500 URLs, which covers most photography and small business websites entirely.
Free SEO Chrome Extensions
7. HeadingsMap
HeadingsMap displays the heading structure of any page you visit. Use it to check your own pages against proper header tag structure, and to study how ranking competitors organize their pages.
8. SEOquake
SEOquake surfaces keyword density, internal and external links, and page metrics for any page in your browser. It is a fast first pass on initial keyword research and competitor review.
9. Meta SEO Inspector
Meta SEO Inspector shows a page’s meta tags at a glance: title, description, robots directives, and structured data. Use it to confirm your own settings published correctly and to inspect competitor pages.
10. Rich Results Test
Google’s Rich Results Test checks whether a page’s structured data qualifies for enhanced search listings. As search moves further into AI-assisted results, structured data is how you state plainly who you are and what your pages cover.
This list replaces a few tools from the original 2022 version of this post that have since changed pricing or availability. Everything above is what the Morris & Co. Marketing team actually uses today.
Bonus: Other Free Chrome Extensions Worth Installing
- GoFullPage for full page screenshots of designs and audits
- Loom for recording quick walkthrough videos
- Tag Assistant for verifying Google Analytics and tag installations
- Fonts Ninja for identifying typography on any website
- Dark Reader for saving your eyes during long research sessions
Put The Tools To Work
Tools only help when they feed a process: research keywords, structure pages, publish content, then track results in Search Console and adjust. If you want to see where your website stands first, request an SEO audit, or work with a Showit SEO expert and website designer for a full strategy. Visit the MoCo.Marketing contact page to take the next step toward organic traffic from Google.
