With around half of all businesses planning to increase their spending in content-based marketing, it is no surprise people want to ensure the tools they use are worth the cost. If you are a small business owner struggling to navigate the world of SEO, it may feel like many are also very expensive. So, how do you know which are the best SEO tools for a small business without breaking the bank?

Here, we outline a straightforward guide on many of the best, most affordable tools to help you leverage SEO for small businesses. So, read on to discover why investing time in learning SEO tools can significantly impact your online visibility and what you need to get that to happen in 2024 and beyond.

Must-Have Free SEO Tools

There is very little that can offer better value for money than a free tool. Still, you need to know that the software is worth investing your time in so you do not waste hours trying to leverage something that does not work.

Google has created the following tools to offer essential insights into your online efforts and can give you the data you need to start planning a more cohesive SEO strategy. However, make sure you at least understand the basics before using these. If you cannot answer the question, “What does SEO stand for?” you may be better off getting a professional to help you.

Lighthouse

Google developed this open-source tool to help you audit your website. It can generate a detailed report on areas such as:

• Loading speeds
• Mobile-friendliness
• On-page SEO data
• Accessibility
• User experience

You can use these insights to plan your next steps in removing bottlenecks from your website’s ability to appeal to potential customers.

It offers significant amounts of data, but it will give you less insight when compared to most paid software packages. As such, you may need someone to analyze them and offer guidance on which improvements will likely provide the biggest bang for their buck.

Google Search Console (GSC)

GSC is one of the most effective methods of monitoring the performance of your website over time. The cloud-based service allows you to:

• Track search engine keywords
• Discover errors on your website that may cause SEO issues
• Submit sitemaps for Google
• See which of your pages are the most popular
• Learn how high you are in search engine rankings

Using the data provided by GSC, you can focus on web pages you feel need a boost. You may discover that specific keywords suddenly drop in visibility, for example, demanding you renew the value of pages that leverage them.

In tandem with Google Analytics, GSC also lets you see large datasets in user-friendly tables and graphs. Using this, you can see if there are predictable peaks in the popularity of specific pages or keywords and plan your content strategy accordingly.

Google’s Rich Results Test

Rich results are Google listings that go beyond the simple title and description entries. Instead, they have more data available to them and can display it in a manner that promotes your website over others. For example, users can find them in tiles at the top of the screen or detailed panels beside other listings.

As Google searches through your site, it analyzes the web pages it contains to determine whether it is eligible for these rich results. To help you with this, Google offers a page where you can test out your pages individually. You can then see what Google detects and how it displays it so that you can iterate on your presentation online and improve your clickthrough ratio (CTR).

Keyword Research Tools

Keywords are short phrases that Google uses for multiple purposes, such as working out the context of your website and determining who should see your content. For example, if your site is clearly about “Cheesecake in Boston,” due to that string and its synonyms appearing on your site, Google will serve your site to people searching for such products.

Keyword research tools allow you to see the popularity and usefulness of specific keywords. You can then use this information to start planning your content strategy, strengthening organic traffic relevant to your brand.

Keyword-Tools.org

The tool available at this site pulls data from multiple sources. Not only Google, but also:

• Bing
• Amazon
• YouTube
• Twitter
• eBay

Using this information, you can optimize your content for different search engines based on the insights you get with each option. As the site has a practical, user-friendly interface, you also do not need to worry about it becoming overwhelming too fast.

KeywordTool.io

The best SEO software for a small business must be both useful and flexible enough to offer different options depending on the company’s capabilities. As such, KeywordTool.io is ideal for those still determining if they can afford a paid plan in any given payment cycle. It offers many valuable options for free accounts, so you can continue using its output even when you need to be a little more frugal.

KeywordTool.io is also a good choice when you wish to target a global market as a small business. It can generate keywords in multiple languages and help you reach a worldwide audience easier.

On-Page SEO Analyzers

These tools are vital for determining how well-optimized any specific page is. They can inform you of:

• Broken links
• Duplicate content
• Meta tag errors
• Backlink health

You can then use this information to shore up any areas where your site needs to present the correct data to Google, preventing you from making costly mistakes.

Screaming Frog

The Screaming Frog tool is a powerful piece of software that is useful for making comprehensive site audits. It provides detailed reports informing you of where every error exists and can even track these over time. It thus offers insights into how much better the site is with each iteration.

While the paid version offers advanced functions, the free version also provides valuable data to help guide ongoing development.

SEOptimer

SEOptimer offers a simple method of auditing your website. It provides easy-to-understand reports that include actionable steps to improve the site further. The tool can also assess your site’s UX, giving you information on page speeds and how user-friendly each page is. 

The free version also offers several free audits periodically, so you can run the tool whenever you create a new page or undergo large-scale updates.

Content Optimization Tools

When you start producing content for your site, such as blog posts or core site pages, you must ensure its tone matches that of your target niche. If you are not a professional writer, you may also need help understanding how to structure content, enhance your grammar, or many other areas of copywriting.

Content optimization tools can check the state of your content and tell you the changes you need to make. These updates will often make you appear more professional, giving you a better chance of engaging with users and converting them into long-term customers.

Grammarly

As writing can be a hard process to perfect for many, Grammarly offers content analysis that can help you discover things like:

• Contextual issues
• Sentence structure problems
• Synonyms for repeated words
• If your pages are too similar to others online

The tool even integrates with Google Docs and WordPress, giving you many options of how or where to use it.

While its premium version goes into more detail regarding your writing, the free version has unlimited basic spelling and grammar checks. It can help you avoid many more common errors.

Hemingway Editor

Where Grammarly corrects your spelling and grammar like a teacher, Hemingway is instead far stricter in other areas. Instead of spelling and grammar, it gives you information such as:

• How to make your writing sound more authoritative
• Whether there are better words you could use
• If your writing comes across as too advanced or simple for your target niche

You can use this to ensure those visiting the content do not get the impression they are not the target audience or that you need more confidence.

Human vs. AI-Driven Tools

As artificial intelligence or large language models become more ubiquitous, many businesses have attempted to use the tool to create and refine their SEO attempts online. However, despite the faster and more efficient output, the lack of intuition and contextual understanding has led to many failures. 

In addition, there is the problematic fact LLMs “hallucinate,” which is a fancy way of saying they make things up when they don’t know an answer. As such, while free AI tools may be helpful, they have not yet replaced the value of human creativity and oversight. They are, in fact, more likely to cause harm if you use them alone to create content.

Professional-Grade SEO Tools for Agencies

While free tools can take you far, professional SEO agencies like Rose & Cactus use advanced platforms such as Semrush, Ahrefs, and SurferSEO to go deeper.

These tools provide enterprise-level data – from competitor keyword tracking to backlink analysis and content gap insights – that most small business owners can’t easily access. Partnering with an SEO agency that uses these professional tools ensures you’re getting accurate insights, stronger strategies, and measurable results.

How to Leverage the Best SEO Tools for a Small Business

The right tools can make a huge difference in marketing. As such, you must understand the best SEO tools for a small business before choosing ones that fit your needs.

However, if you started this article thinking, “What is SEO software?” you may not understand the topic well enough to use such tools satisfactorily. 

Use the money you can save focusing on your business to hire somebody an SEO expert instead and let them take over that burden. So, contact Rose & Cactus today to learn what these tools can do in a pro’s hands.

FAQ: Best SEO Tools for Small Businesses

What are the best free SEO tools for small businesses?

Google Search Console, Lighthouse, and the Rich Results Test are free, powerful tools that help small businesses measure visibility, fix issues, and improve on-page SEO.

What is the best keyword research tool for beginners?

KeywordTool.io is ideal for beginners thanks to its simple interface and free keyword data across Google, YouTube, and Amazon search results.

How do I check if my website has SEO errors?

Use site audit tools like Screaming Frog or SEOptimer to scan for broken links, duplicate pages, missing tags, or other on-page SEO issues.

Are paid SEO tools like Semrush and Ahrefs worth it?

Yes. Paid tools provide deeper insights into keyword competition, backlink profiles, and content gaps. Agencies like Rose & Cactus rely on them for professional-grade strategies.

Should I hire an SEO agency or do it myself?

If you’re short on time or unfamiliar with SEO tools, partnering with an experienced agency ensures your strategy is built on accurate data and long-term growth.

Have more questions? Ask Rose & Cactus for a tailored SEO plan.