Satelo / Free SEO tools

Free SEO tools: a task-by-task map for small sites

You can run a small site's SEO without a paid subscription. The trick is to know which free tool answers which question, and where free data stops being reliable. The most accurate data about your own site is free and comes from the search engines themselves. Free plans of commercial tools are for looking at other sites, and they come with limits.

Start with first-party tools

These are free, official and about your own site, so nothing else is more accurate:

Google Search Console. Queries, clicks and impressions from Google, the Page indexing report, links to your site and Core Web Vitals. Google notes that its Links report isn't a complete list, but it's the closest you'll get for free.
Bing Webmaster Tools. The same kind of data for Bing, which also matters because many AI assistants use Bing's index.
Yandex Webmaster. Essential if any of your audience speaks Russian: indexing, excluded pages, queries and the site quality index.
PageSpeed Insights for speed and real-user Core Web Vitals, and Google's Rich Results Test for structured data.
Your analytics. GA4, Yandex Metrica or a privacy-friendly counter show all visits, not only search. See GA4 for bloggers.

Links and authority

To see who links to a site, you need a crawler of the whole web, which is expensive to run, so free access is limited. Ahrefs Webmaster Tools is free for sites you can verify as yours. Moz's Link Explorer gives limited free queries. For a quick look at any domain, the Satelo Quality Score checker combines open data (Majestic Million, the Common Crawl web graph, Tranco, the Chrome UX Report, Internet Archive and WHOIS) into one 0–100 score with sources. Comparisons: free domain authority checkers, free Ahrefs alternatives and cheap Ahrefs alternatives. What the scores mean is on the website authority hub.

Traffic of other sites

Nobody outside a site has its real traffic, so every free traffic tool shows estimates. Use them for orders of magnitude and comparisons, not exact numbers. Our traffic checker shows which signals exist for a domain and where each comes from; best free website traffic checkers compares the alternatives.

Keywords and content

For keyword ideas, start with what you already rank for: the Search Console Performance report shows real queries. Google's Keyword Planner is free but requires a Google Ads account and shows broad volume ranges unless you run ads. Autocomplete, "People also ask" and the questions in your niche's communities are free and often closer to how people really search. For a full suite on a budget, see free Semrush alternatives.

AI helpers

AI assistants are useful for drafts, clustering keywords, writing schema and checking pages at scale, as long as you verify their output. Through MCP servers they can also call SEO data tools directly: see the best MCP servers for SEO and Claude Code for SEO. Satelo has an MCP server too, described on the AI agents page.

How to choose and what to watch for

One tool per question. Indexing → Search Console and Yandex Webmaster. Links → a link index. Traffic of others → several estimates side by side.
Check the limits. Free plans change, and limits on queries, rows and history are common. Look at the current terms on the vendor's site before building a routine around one.
Don't chase third-party scores. DA, DR and similar metrics are estimates from each vendor's own data, and they differ between tools. Use them to compare sites, not as a goal.
Prefer tools that show sources. A number without an explanation of where it came from is hard to act on.

Run a free site check

Free tools: AI crawler checker · llms.txt generator · Sponsored link checker

Free and cheaper alternatives to paid suites

ArticleFree Ahrefs Alternatives for Small SitesFree Ahrefs alternatives for backlinks, keywords, site audits and competitor checks: 12 tools, what each one does well, and a zero-budget SEO stack to copy.ArticleCheaper Ahrefs Alternatives for Small Sites and Solo SEOsCheaper alternatives to Ahrefs, checked on vendor pricing pages: Ubersuggest, Mangools, SpyFu, Moz Starter, Ahrefs Starter, and what you give up at each price.ArticleFree Semrush Alternatives That Small Sites Can Actually UseFree Semrush alternatives matched to each job: keywords, rank tracking, site audits, backlinks and competitor checks, with free limits checked October 16, 2026.

Authority, links and traffic

ArticleFree Domain Authority Checkers: Moz DA, Ahrefs DR, Semrush AS and OthersFree domain authority checkers side by side: Moz DA, Ahrefs DR, Semrush Authority Score and Satelo QS. Free limits, data sources and why the scores disagree.ArticleFree Website Traffic Checkers Compared: What You Get Without PayingFree website traffic checkers compared: what Similarweb, Semrush, Ahrefs, Ubersuggest and Satelo show without paying, their limits, and how to cross-check them.ArticleFree Similarweb Alternatives: How to Estimate Any Site's TrafficFree Similarweb alternatives compared by data source: keyword-based estimates, popularity ranks like Tranco and CrUX, and open data that works for small sites.

Keywords and content

ArticleSEO Content Brief Template for Bloggers: Copy It, Fill It, Hand It OffA free SEO content brief template for bloggers: each field explained, a filled-in example, free ways to gather the data, and a version to hand to an AI writer.ArticleHow to Find Low-Competition Keywords for a New Blog (Free Method)How to find low competition keywords for a new blog with free tools only: autocomplete, People Also Ask, reading the top results, Trends and Search Console.

Analytics

ArticleGA4 for Bloggers: A Simple Setup for Small SitesGA4 for beginners who run a blog: install the tag, set up two key events, link Search Console and read the five reports that actually matter for a small site.ArticleHow to Track ChatGPT and AI Traffic in GA4How to check ChatGPT traffic in GA4: the built-in AI Assistant channel, a custom channel group for missed sources, Explorations, and why AI visits undercount.

AI tools and automation

ArticleMCP Servers for SEO: What Each One Gives Your AI AgentSEO MCP servers compared from their own docs: Search Console, Analytics, Ahrefs, Semrush, SE Ranking, DataForSEO, Screaming Frog and Satelo. Data, cost, setup.ArticleClaude Code for SEO: How to Set Up MCP Servers and Run Real SEO TasksHow to use Claude Code for SEO: connect Search Console and other MCP servers, run five real tasks with copy-paste prompts, and know where to check its work.

FAQ

What is the best free SEO tool?

For your own site, Google Search Console, plus Bing Webmaster Tools and Yandex Webmaster depending on your audience. They are free, official and more accurate than any third-party estimate.

Is there a free alternative to Ahrefs?

For your own verified sites, Ahrefs Webmaster Tools is free. For other sites, free options give limited link data; the Satelo checker combines open datasets into a free Quality Score with sources.

Can I check another site's traffic for free?

Only as an estimate. Free tools use rank lists, user panels or search models. Compare several signals and treat the result as an order of magnitude.

Is Google Keyword Planner free?

Yes, but it requires a Google Ads account and shows broad search volume ranges unless you run campaigns. Search Console queries are often more useful for a small site.

Are free SEO tools accurate?

First-party tools such as Search Console are accurate for your own site. Third-party free tools show estimates from their own data, which can differ a lot between vendors, especially for small sites.

Is the Satelo checker free?

Yes. Checking any domain's Quality Score is free and requires no account. The score is based mostly on open data, and every value is shown with its source. Satelo is in public beta.

Check your site's Quality Score

Free, no sign-up: a 0–100 score from mostly open data. Then add your site to Satelo and get partner articles from sites of your level.

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