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13 Most Popular DIY SEO Tools & Software (2024)

September 08, 2023
Written and researched by experts at AvadaLearn more about our methodology

By Sam Nguyen

CEO Avada Commerce

In this article, we’ll unveil the 13 best DIY SEO tools and software of 2023 that will help you optimize your website for search engines without breaking the bank.

Key Takeaways

  1. Semrush: Best for agencies and mid-to-large scale businesses looking for an all-in-one SEO solution.
  2. Google PageSpeed Insights: Best for webmasters focused on improving site speed and user experience.
  3. Pingdom Speed Test: Best for website owners who need detailed performance insights and server response times.
  4. Ahrefs Webmaster Tools: Best for those looking for deep insights into backlinks, keyword rankings, and website health.
  5. Keyword Surfer: Best for small businesses and individual bloggers focusing on keyword research directly within the Google search page.
  6. KWFinder By Mangools: Best for businesses in niche markets looking for long-tail keywords and local keyword research.
  7. Google Search Console: Best for anyone with a website, as it’s a fundamental tool for monitoring website health and performance in Google search.
  8. Screaming Frog: Best for SEO professionals and agencies needing to conduct in-depth website audits.
  9. Surround Sound by Semrush: Best for brands wanting to monitor and improve their online reputation and SERP rankings.
  10. SE Ranking: Best for small to medium-sized businesses looking to keep track of keyword rankings and competitor analysis.
  11. Surfer SEO: Best for content marketers and SEOs focused on optimizing existing content for SERP rankings.
  12. Jasper AI: Best for solo entrepreneurs and content creators looking to automate content creation while keeping SEO in mind.
  13. Grammarly: Best for anyone writing online content, providing both grammar checks and style suggestions to improve readability and SEO.

All-in-One DIY SEO Tool

Semrush

diy seo tool

Overview

Semrush is a comprehensive all-in-one DIY SEO software that offers a vast range of features for website auditing, competitor analysis, keyword research, and more. Founded in 2008, Semrush has quickly become a favorite among SEO professionals and DIY-enthusiasts alike. Whether you’re a blogger, an e-commerce business owner, or a digital marketer, Semrush offers tools that can help you make data-driven decisions to improve your website’s SEO ranking.

Key Features

  • Keyword Research: Semrush offers one of the most detailed keyword research tools, providing not just search volume but also keyword difficulty, CPC, and more.
  • Competitor Analysis: Identify what your competitors are doing right and the areas where you can beat them. Check out their backlink profiles, keywords, and other metrics.
  • On-Page SEO Checker: This feature helps you optimize your website content for search engines. It provides suggestions on meta description, title tags, and other on-page elements.
  • Backlink Analysis: Comprehensive tools for both tracking your backlinks and scoping out your competitors’.
  • Site Audit: Automatically scans your website to find SEO-related issues and provides actionable advice to resolve them.
  • Traffic Analytics: Get insights into your website’s traffic, identify the sources, and understand user behavior.
  • Content Marketing Toolkit: Includes a topic research tool, SEO writing assistant, and a content audit feature.
  • Social Media Tracker: Monitor your social media performance and compare it against competitors.

Pros and Cons

Pros
  • Comprehensive Suite: All-in-one tool that covers nearly every aspect of the SEO DIY guide.
  • Data Accuracy: Provides reliable and accurate data.
  • User-Friendly: Easy-to-use interface with intuitive dashboards.
  • Regular Updates: Continuously updated database of keywords and backlinks.
  • Excellent Support: Provides detailed documentation and customer service.
Cons
  • Price: Somewhat expensive for small businesses or individual users.
  • Limited Projects: The base plan limits the number of projects you can track simultaneously.

How to Use

  • Sign-Up and Dashboard: Start by creating an account and navigating to your dashboard.
  • Project Setup: Add a new project and enter your website details to begin site auditing, tracking, and more.
  • Keyword Research: Navigate to the keyword research section and input your desired keywords to get a wealth of information to guide your strategy.
  • Competitor Analysis: Input the URLs of your competitors to get valuable insights.
  • On-Page SEO: Use the on-page SEO checker to evaluate your website’s content and get actionable recommendations.
  • Backlink Analysis: Visit the backlink analysis section to check your site’s backlink profile or evaluate those of your competitors.
  • Regular Monitoring: Keep an eye on your dashboard for regular updates and metrics to understand how your SEO efforts are paying off.

Pricing

Semrush offers 3 pricing plans:

  • Pro: $129.95/month, for newbies and small teams, including 5 projects; 500 keywords to track; 10,000 results per report; SEO, PPC, and research tools: Competitor analysis, keyword research, website audit, backlink analysis, advertising tools, and more
  • Guru: $249.95/month, for midsize businesses and agencies, including 15 projects; 1,500 keywords to track; 30,000 results per report and All Pro features plus: Content Marketing Toolkit, multi-location and device tracking, Looker Studio integration, and more
  • Business: $499.95/month, for enterprises and large agencies, including 40 projects; 5,000 keywords to track; 50,000 results per report and all Guru features plus: Share of Voice, API access, PLA analytics, free migration from third-party tools, and more

Pagespeed Tools

Google PageSpeed Insights

diy seo tool

Overview

Google PageSpeed Insights is a free tool provided by Google that analyzes the performance of your website on both mobile and desktop devices. In today’s fast-paced digital world, page speed is a crucial factor for user experience and DIY SEO software. Google PageSpeed Insights offers a straightforward way to understand how well your site performs and provides actionable recommendations to improve its speed.

Key Features

  • Speed Score: The tool provides an overall speed score ranging from 0 to 100, giving you a quick snapshot of your website’s performance.
  • Performance Metrics: Offers key metrics like First Contentful Paint (FCP), Time to Interactive (TTI), and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS), among others.
  • Device-specific Analysis: Separate scores and recommendations are provided for desktop and mobile, enabling you to optimize for both platforms.
  • Actionable Recommendations: You get a list of actionable recommendations to improve page speed, such as image optimization, code minification, and server response times.
  • Core Web Vitals: This feature allows you to measure how your site performs based on the Core Web Vitals metrics that Google considers crucial for user experience.

Pros and Cons

Pros
  • Free to Use: There’s no cost involved, making it accessible for everyone.
  • Simple Interface: The tool is very user-friendly, with a clean design that’s easy to understand.
  • Actionable Insights: Provides straightforward advice on what needs to be improved, helping even non-technical users understand how to enhance page speed.
  • Data from Real Users: The metrics are often derived from real-world user experiences, adding to the reliability of the data.
  • Integration with Chrome DevTools: The tool shares the same underlying technology as Chrome DevTools, allowing for more in-depth analysis if needed.
Cons
  • Limited Detail: Though it gives actionable advice, some users may find the lack of in-depth explanations a downside.
  • Technical Jargon: Some of the terminology can be complex for those unfamiliar with web development.
  • No Historical Data: The tool does not track your performance over time, so you would need to manually document this information.

How to Use

  • Visit Google PageSpeed Insights: Navigate to the Google PageSpeed Insights website.
  • Enter URL: Input the URL of your website in the text box provided.
  • Analyze: Click on the “Analyze” button.
  • Review the Report: After a brief period, you’ll receive a report with an overall performance score and a detailed breakdown of various metrics and recommendations.
  • Implement Changes: Go through the list of actionable recommendations and start implementing them on your website to improve its speed. You may need the help of a developer for some of the more technical aspects.
  • Re-Test: Once changes have been made, run the test again to see the improvement in your speed score.

Pricing

Google PageSpeed Insights is free to use.

Pingdom Speed Test

diy seo tool

Overview

Pingdom Speed Test is another widely-used tool for analyzing website performance, specifically focusing on load times and other speed-related metrics. Unlike Google PageSpeed Insights, Pingdom offers more detailed insights into the elements affecting your page speed. It provides a granular breakdown of every element loaded on the page, making it easier for you to pinpoint bottlenecks and make targeted improvements.

Key Features

  • Performance Grade: Pingdom provides an overall performance grade based on various metrics like load time, page size, and the number of requests.
  • Load Time Breakdown: Offers a waterfall chart detailing how long each element takes to load, including scripts, images, CSS files, and more.
  • Server Response Codes: Highlights any issues with your server response, such as 404 errors, that could be affecting your speed.
  • Page Size: Gives you a detailed view of the size of each component on your page, from images to scripts, allowing for optimized resource delivery.
  • Geographic Selection: You can choose from multiple test locations around the world, enabling you to test speed from the perspective of different audiences.
  • Content-Type Analysis: It breaks down how different content types (HTML, images, scripts) contribute to the overall loading time.

Pros and Cons

Pros
  • Detailed Insights: Provides a more granular view of elements affecting page speed than many other tools.
  • User-Friendly: Offers a user-friendly interface with easily digestible visual data, like waterfall charts and graphs.
  • Multiple Locations: Test your website’s performance from various geographic locations.
  • Real-time Analysis: Unlike some tools, Pingdom offers real-time data analysis.
  • Performance Grade: Gives you a straightforward grade, helping you quickly gauge your website’s performance.
Cons
  • Complex Data: Can be overwhelming for those not familiar with website development terminology.
  • No SEO Recommendations: Unlike some other tools, Pingdom focuses strictly on speed and doesn’t offer an SEO DIY guide.

How to Use

  • Navigate to Pingdom: Open the Pingdom Speed Test website in your web browser.
  • Enter URL: Type in the URL of the website you wish to test into the designated field.
  • Choose Testing Location: Select the testing location that’s closest to your target audience from the dropdown menu.
  • Start Test: Click the “Start Test” button to initiate the analysis.
  • Review Results: Once the test is complete, you’ll be presented with an extensive report detailing your website’s performance metrics, including an overall grade, load time, and individual element analysis.
  • Implement Recommendations: Work through the list of recommendations to improve your site’s speed. Depending on the issues identified, you may need the assistance of a web developer.

Pricing

Based on your targets, you can refer to these pricing plans of Pingdom:

  • Synthetic Monitoring: starting at $15/month, useful to check performance, availability, and transactions of web applications.
  • Real User Monitoring: also starting at $15/month, useful to check and troubleshoot performance of web applications following the perspectives of users.

Keyword Research Tools

Ahrefs Webmaster Tools

diy seo tool

Overview

Ahrefs Webmaster Tools (AWT) is a powerful platform that goes beyond keyword research to offer a variety of features like site audits, backlink analysis, and more. While Ahrefs is well-known for its paid DIY SEO software, AWT provides a free version aimed at webmasters who want to get a sense of their website’s SEO health. 

The platform integrates seamlessly with Google Search Console and Google Analytics, making it a robust tool for anyone serious about improving their website’s performance.

Key Features

  • Keyword Research: AWT offers an extensive database of keywords, including their search volume, CPC, and keyword difficulty.
  • Site Audits: You can conduct comprehensive website audits that highlight SEO-related issues and offer actionable recommendations.
  • Backlink Analysis: AWT provides a detailed look into your website’s backlink profile, as well as that of your competitors.
  • Dashboard: A user-friendly interface that compiles your site’s key metrics in one place.
  • Integration with Google Services: Directly import data from Google Search Console and Google Analytics for more comprehensive insights.
  • Custom Crawls: Allows you to customize the frequency, speed, and parameters of your website crawls.
  • Project Management: You can manage multiple projects easily, especially beneficial in the paid version which has no project limitations.

Pros and Cons

Pros
  • Comprehensive Toolset: From site audits to keyword research, AWT offers a wide array of features.
  • Easy-to-Use: The user interface is intuitive, making it easy to navigate through various features.
  • Google Integration: The ability to import data from Google Search Console and Google Analytics is a big plus.
  • Customizable: Offers flexible crawl settings for in-depth site audits.
  • No Project Limit: The paid version allows you to manage unlimited projects, making it scalable for growing businesses.
Cons
  • Cost: The paid version can be expensive for small businesses or individual users.

How to Use

  • Sign Up: Navigate to Ahrefs Webmaster Tools and sign up for an account.
  • Google Search Console Integration: You’ll be taken to the Google Search Console page. Select the most suitable option according to your requirement and choose to import data via Google Search Console for a quick and simple setup.
  • Ownership Verification: Confirm that you’re the owner of the website by following one of the provided verification methods. After that, click “Continue.”
  • Configure Site Audits: You will be led to the final step of the setup, where you can customize your crawls—from frequency to URL sources, scan speed settings, and constraints.
  • Project Setup: After configuring, click “Continue” to complete the setup. All your projects will be displayed in AWT’s Dashboard.
  • Start Exploring: Once your project is set up, you can begin exploring the various features from keyword research to site audits and backlink analysis.

Pricing

It offers 4 plans of pricing:

  • Lite: $99/month, perfect for small businesses with features such as SEO Dashboard, Site Explorer, Keywords Explorer
  • Standard: $199/month, perfect for marketing consultants or freelancers with all Lite features, plus Portfolios, Position history chart, SERP updates, etc
  • Advanced: $399/month, perfect for in-house marketing teams with all Standard features, plus Site Audit, Looker Studio, etc
  • Enterprise: $999/month, perfect for enterprises or agencies with all Advanced features, plus API, SSO, Directory Listing, Access management, etc

Keyword Surfer

diy seo tool

Overview

Keyword Surfer is a Chrome extension designed for keyword research right within Google search results. Unlike many standalone keyword research tools, Keyword Surfer works seamlessly as you perform Google searches, offering immediate insights into keyword metrics and competitor analysis. It’s a go-to tool for content creators, marketers, and SEO professionals who need quick and accessible keyword data without switching between multiple platforms.

Key Features

  • Real-time Keyword Data: Get instant keyword metrics including search volume, CPC, and more, directly in Google search results.
  • Competitor Analysis: The extension provides an in-depth analysis of your top competitors, such as word count and keyword usage rates.
  • Content Editor: An integrated content editor helps you optimize your written content based on targeted keywords.
  • Keyword Suggestions: Alongside your search, you’ll find related keyword suggestions that you may not have considered.
  • Global Data: Offers keyword data from multiple countries, helping you in international SEO do it yourself guide.
  • Easy to Use: Since it’s a Chrome extension, you can easily toggle it on or off as needed.

Pros and Cons

Pros
  • Convenience: Keyword Surfer’s integration with Google search makes it highly convenient for on-the-fly keyword research.
  • Competitor Insights: Offers valuable information about what top-ranking competitors are doing right.
  • Content Optimization: The built-in Content Editor makes it easier to optimize your content for best DIY SEO software.
  • Multi-Country Support: Valuable for those targeting international markets.
Cons
  • No Historical Data: Unlike some other tools, it doesn’t provide historical keyword data.
  • Not as Comprehensive: May lack some advanced features that standalone keyword tools offer.

How to Use

  • Installation: Go to the Keyword Surfer website and click on “Add to Chrome.” Follow the prompts to add the extension to your Chrome browser.
  • Begin Research: Start researching keywords by simply typing them into Google search. Keyword Surfer will automatically display relevant metrics alongside the search results.
  • Competitor Analysis: Pay attention to the metrics provided for your top competitors, such as word count and keyword usage rates. Focus only on competitors that share your search objectives.
  • Choose Your Keyword: After analyzing the data, select the most suitable keyword you want to target for your content.
  • Content Editor: Open the Content Editor and start writing your article. As you write, aim to change the keywords’ color indicators from red to green by effectively incorporating them into your content.
  • Optimization: Use the Content Editor’s guidelines to fine-tune your article for best DIY SEO software effectiveness.

Pricing

It offers 4 pricing plans:

  • Essential: $89/month, for small teams or individuals with 15 Content Editor credits
  • Advanced: $179/month, for experts or mid-sized businesses with 45 Content Editor credits
  • Max: $299/month, for big teams or agencies with 90 Content Editor credits and all add-ons included
  • Enterprise: Custom pricing for enterprises or large agencies with a custom number of articles, unlimited organization seats and dedicated customers, etc.

KWFinder By Mangools

diy seo tool

Overview

KWFinder by Mangools is a dedicated keyword research tool designed to make the process of finding long-tail keywords easier and more efficient. It’s a part of the Mangools suite, which offers various SEO tools like backlink analysis and site audits. 

KWFinder is known for its user-friendly interface and detailed metrics, making it an excellent choice for both SEO beginners and experts. With a 10-day free trial, users can get a feel for the tool’s capabilities before deciding on a subscription.

Key Features

  • Long-Tail Keyword Research: Specializes in finding long-tail keywords that are less competitive but can drive significant traffic.
  • Regional Filtering: Allows users to target specific regions and languages for more localized keyword research.
  • Competitive Metrics: Provides detailed insights into the Keyword Difficulty score and the competitive landscape for each keyword.
  • Search by Domain: Offers the ability to analyze any domain to find out which keywords it ranks for.
  • Comprehensive Data: Displays a wealth of information including search volume, trends, and Cost Per Click (CPC).
  • Related Keywords: The tool also suggests related terms and keywords, providing you with more opportunities to target

Pros and Cons

Pros
  • User-Friendly Interface: The platform is easy to navigate, making it suitable for users of all experience levels.
  • Localized Research: The regional and language-specific filters are beneficial for businesses targeting local audiences.
  • Detailed Analysis: Offers comprehensive data like Keyword Difficulty and competitor analysis.
Cons
  • Limited Free Access: After the trial period, you’ll need a paid subscription to continue using the tool.
  • Cost: The subscription pricing may be a bit steep for individual users or small businesses.

How to Use

  • Sign Up: Register for Mangools’ 10-day free trial using your email address.
  • Dashboard Access: After signing up, you will be taken to a page where you can either buy a subscription or proceed to the dashboard to explore the free trial.
  • Choose Search Type: Open KWFinder and decide between the two available options: “Search By Keyword” or “Search By Domain.”
  • Enter Details: Type in your keyword, select the region and language, and then click the “Find Keywords” button.
  • Analyze Data: You will be presented with a detailed analysis of your chosen keyword along with related terms. Look at metrics like Keyword Difficulty, search volume, and CPC to gauge the keyword’s potential.
  • Finalize Keywords: After a thorough analysis, pick the keywords that align with your DIY SEO software and start optimizing your content accordingly.

Pricing

It offers 4 pricing plans:

  • Entry: $29/month with features such as 25 keyword lookups, 50 keywords suggestions, 15 competitor keywords, etc
  • Basic: $49/month with all Entry features with more quantities, such as unlimited tracked domains or 100,000 backlink rows, etc
  • Premium: $69/month with all Basic features with more quantities such as unlimited keyword suggestions, added seats included and additional seat per month
  • Agency: $129/month with all Premium features with more quantities such as 1,200,000 backlink rows or 150 site lookups, etc

Technical SEO Tools

Google Search Console

diy seo tool

Overview

Google Search Console (formerly known as Google Webmaster Tools) is a free web service offered by Google that helps you monitor, maintain, and troubleshoot your website’s presence in Google Search results. It’s a must-have tool for anyone serious about optimizing their website for search engines. The platform provides critical insights into how Google views your website, what queries lead people to your site, and how well your site performs on both desktop and mobile.

Key Features

  • Performance Monitoring: Track key metrics like clicks, impressions, click-through rates (CTR), and your website’s position in search results.
  • Index Coverage: See which pages from your website have been indexed by Google and identify any issues that prevent indexing.
  • URL Inspection: Test individual URLs to see their status, including whether they’ve been indexed and how they appear in search results.
  • Sitemaps: Submit your website’s sitemap directly to Google to facilitate quicker indexing.
  • Core Web Vitals: Assess the speed and usability of your site, which are important ranking factors.
  • Mobile Usability: Analyze how well your website performs on mobile devices and identify areas for improvement.

Pros and Cons

Pros
  • Comprehensive Insights: Get detailed information on how your site is performing in Google Search.
  • Direct Communication: Receive alerts and notifications directly from Google about any issues or penalties affecting your website.
  • Data Integration: Easily integrate with other Google services like Google Analytics for a more complete view of your site’s performance.
Cons
  • Learning Curve: Some features can be complex for DIY SEO for small businesses.
  • Limited to Google: The insights you get are specific to Google’s search engine and may not reflect performance on other search engines.
  • Delayed Data: Some reports might not be real-time and can be delayed by a few days.

How to Use

  • Account Access: Log in with your Google account. If it’s a company website, make sure you’re logged in with the corporate account to avoid any complications.
  • Go to Webmaster Tools: Navigate to Google Webmaster Tools to start the setup process.
  • Add Property: Select the “Add a property” option.
  • Enter URL: Choose the “Website” option from the drop-down menu and enter the website’s exact URL as it appears in the browser’s toolbar. Click “Continue.”
  • Verification: Choose one of the available methods to verify that you own the website. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.
  • Multiple Versions: If your website supports both HTTP and HTTPS, make sure to add each version as a separate property. The same applies if you have different domains (e.g., www and non-www).
  • Dashboard Monitoring: Once verification is complete, you’ll gain access to your dashboard where you can monitor your website’s performance and make necessary improvements.

Pricing

Google Search Console is free to use.

Screaming Frog

diy seo tool

Overview

Screaming Frog’s SEO Spider is a robust and flexible website crawler, designed to quickly audit and analyze a website from an SEO perspective. Used by SEO professionals and marketers alike, the software scans URLs and retrieves key elements to analyze, such as HTTP status codes, meta tags, and much more. This technical SEO tool is particularly useful for large websites that require in-depth analysis and provides an invaluable overview of your website’s SEO health.

Key Features

  • Website Crawling: Extensively crawl a website’s URLs to collect data for SEO audit.
  • Custom Source Code Filter: Allows you to search for anything within the website’s source code and filter results.
  • Meta Data Analysis: Analyzes meta tags, meta descriptions, and titles to identify inconsistencies or issues.
  • Broken Link Checker: Identifies broken links and redirects to help you improve website navigation and user experience.
  • Duplicate Content: Detects any duplicate content that could affect your website’s SEO ranking.
  • Robots and Directives: Checks for Robots.txt and Meta Robots for accurate crawling and indexing.
  • Integration with Google Analytics: Connect with Google Analytics for an even more comprehensive view of SEO metrics.

Pros and Cons

Pros
  • Comprehensive Analysis: Provides a complete SEO overview, including broken links, redirects, and duplicate content.
  • Customization: Highly customizable with options for filtering, including searching for custom source code.
  • Speed: Quick at crawling and retrieving data, even for large websites.
  • Data Export: Easy export options for your data in CSV format for further analysis.
Cons
  • User Interface: The interface can be overwhelming for beginners, especially those not familiar with technical SEO terms.
  • Resource-Intensive: The tool can be heavy on computer resources, especially while crawling large websites.

How to Use

  • Prepare Your URLs: Create a txt or CSV file containing the complete list of URLs you wish to examine.
  • Open Screaming Frog and Configure: Start the SEO Spider software and navigate to Configuration > Custom > Search in the top-level menu.
  • Set Custom Source Code Filter: Here, you can set up your Custom Source Code Filter based on your specific requirements.
  • Choose Mode: Click on “Mode” and then choose “List” from the top toolbar.
  • Import URLs: Click “Select from a file,” and navigate to where you’ve stored your txt or CSV file containing the URLs. Alternatively, you can paste the URLs directly if you’ve copied them.
  • Start Crawling: Once the URLs are imported, the tool will begin crawling and analyzing the URLs based on your customized settings.
  • Review and Export Data: After crawling is completed, you can review the data, apply additional filters, and even export the data for further analysis.

Pricing

It offers 2 choices for user:

  • Free version: $0 with limited features such as Find broken links, Analyze Page Titles & Meta Data, 500 URLs, etc
  • Paid version: $259/year with all features such as Unlimited URLs, Scheduling, Custom robots.txt, JavaScript Rendering, etc

Tools for SERP Ranking Success

Surround Sound by Semrush

diy seo tool

Overview

Surround Sound by Semrush is a cutting-edge tool designed to help you dominate the Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs). It scans the web for any mention of your brand or keywords, providing you with a centralized dashboard where you can monitor how your brand is performing online. The tool transforms the raw data into actionable insights that you can use to improve your DIY SEO software and SERP rankings.

Key Features

  • Brand Monitoring: Keeps track of any mention of your brand across the web, helping you understand your online presence.
  • Keyword Tracking: Monitors how well your target keywords are performing in the SERPs.
  • Dashboard Analytics: All the data is centralized in an intuitive dashboard for easy tracking and analysis.
  • Actionable Suggestions: Automatically generates a list of recommendations based on your search terms that can be acted upon.
  • Team Collaboration: Allows you to easily delegate tasks to your team members, fostering efficient teamwork.

Pros and Cons

Pros
  • Real-Time Monitoring: Immediate updates make it easier for you to react quickly to changes in your brand’s online status.
  • Comprehensive Data: Collects and analyzes a wide range of data, providing a holistic view of your online presence.
  • User-Friendly Interface: Intuitive dashboard makes it easy even for beginners to navigate and interpret the data.
  • Actionable Insights: Transforms raw data into a set of practical suggestions to improve your SEO and brand presence.
Cons
  • Subscription Costs: The tool is not free, and the costs might be a barrier for smaller businesses or individual users.

How to Use

  • Create an Account: Sign up for an account with Surround Sound by Semrush to get started.
  • Enter Search Terms: Once your account is set up, input the search terms related to your brand or targeted keywords.
  • Dashboard Analysis: As soon as you enter your search terms, every website with content related to your brand or keywords will appear in your dashboard.
  • Transform Data: Use the information generated from your search to create a list of actionable suggestions. These can be tasks you can execute yourself or delegate to your team members.
  • Track Progress: Inside the Surround Sound dashboard, you can monitor the advancement of delegated tasks and keep track of your SERP outcomes.

Pricing

$129.95–$499.95/month

SE Ranking

diy seo tool

Overview

SE Ranking is a comprehensive SEO platform that offers various tools to help you monitor, optimize, and improve your website’s visibility in search engines. It provides real-time data on keyword rankings across all major search engines, enabling you to gauge your SEO do it yourself guide effectively. From keyword tracking to competitor analysis, SE Ranking offers a multitude of functionalities that can contribute to your SERP ranking success.

Key Features

  • Real-Time Keyword Tracking: Monitors your website’s keyword rankings across multiple search engines in real-time.
  • Competitor Analysis: Allows you to identify and monitor your competitors, helping you strategize your SEO efforts more effectively.
  • Geolocation Features: Offers the option to track rankings based on specific geographic locations.
  • Project Building: Allows you to create tailored projects to focus on particular aspects of your SEO strategy.
  • Comprehensive Dashboard: All information is displayed on an easy-to-read dashboard, making data interpretation straightforward.

Pros and Cons

Pros
  • Accuracy: Provides accurate, real-time data for your keyword rankings across all major search engines.
  • Flexibility: Offers a wide range of features, including geolocation and competitor analysis, allowing for a more targeted SEO strategy.
  • Customizable: Allows you to build projects that are specific to your needs, providing more focused insights.
Cons
  • Complexity: The plethora of features might be overwhelming for SEO beginners, requiring a learning curve to fully utilize the tool.

How to Use

  • Register for an Account: The first step is to register with the SE Ranking tool to get access to its features.
  • Build a Project: After registration, select the “Build a project” option to start setting up your best DIY SEO software tracking parameters.
  • Add Details: At this stage, input the keywords you want to track, choose the search engine, set the geographic location, and add competitors if needed.
  • Follow On-Screen Instructions: After adding all the details, select “Next” and follow the on-screen directions to finalize the setup.
  • Monitoring: Once your project is set up, you can start monitoring your keyword rankings and SEO performance through the dashboard.

Pricing

It offers 3 pricing plans:

  • Essential: $55/month, for newbies and freelancers with features such as 10 Projects, 1 Manager seats, 5 Competitors, etc
  • Pro: $109/month, for teams and small agencies with all Essential features with more quantities.
  • Business: $239/month, for businesses and mid-size agencies with all Pro features with more quantities and added API

Surfer SEO

diy seo tool

Overview

Surfer SEO is a cutting-edge tool designed specifically to optimize your content for better SERP (Search Engine Results Page) rankings. Its primary feature, the SERP Analyzer tool, can assess your site’s content against the top 50 results for a given keyword. This helps you understand where you stand and what you need to improve to move up the ranks.

Key Features

  • SERP Analyzer: Conducts in-depth analysis of your content against the top 50 SERP results for a keyword.
  • Content Audit: Highlights missing phrases, words, backlinks, and keywords that could improve your content’s ranking.
  • Real-Time Ranking: Displays your current page rank based on the analyzed keyword.
  • Competitive Analysis: Allows you to add your URL for side-by-side comparison with top-ranking sites.
  • Actionable Insights: Provides practical recommendations for content optimization.

Pros and Cons

Pros
  • Comprehensive Analysis: In-depth analysis of SERP competitors, giving you a clear roadmap to improve your content.
  • Real-Time Data: Provides real-time ranking status, enabling you to make instant adjustments to your strategy.
  • Actionable Feedback: The content audit feature provides actionable insights, making it easier to focus your optimization efforts.
Cons
  • Cost: Surfer SEO is a paid tool, which might be a DIY SEO for small businesses or individual users.
  • Learning Curve: The tool’s robust features may require some time to fully understand and implement effectively.

How to Use

  • Account Creation: Start by creating an account with Surfer SEO and log in.
  • Open SERP Analyzer: Navigate to the SERP Analyzer tool within the dashboard.
  • Enter Keyword: Type in the keyword you wish to analyze and run the tool. It will show you the top 50 search results for that keyword.
  • Add Your URL: Add your website’s URL in the provided search box to include it in the analysis.
  • Analyze & Audit: After running the analysis, it will show you where your page ranks. Click on the audit option to find out what elements you’re missing in your content.
  • Optimize Content: Make the suggested changes to your content based on the audit report.

Pricing

$89-$299/month.

Tools For Creating SEO-Optimized Content

Jasper AI

diy seo tool

Overview

Jasper AI is an artificial intelligence-powered writing assistant designed to generate high-quality content efficiently. The tool’s unique feature is its ability to integrate with Surfer SEO to produce SEO-optimized content. Jasper is ideal for bloggers, content marketers, and anyone who requires quick, efficient, and SEO-friendly content.

Key Features

  • AI-Powered Writing: Utilizes machine learning to create articles, blog posts, and other forms of content.
  • Template Library: Offers a variety of templates for different types of content, making it easier to get started.
  • SEO Mode: Integrates with Surfer SEO to provide real-time recommendations for optimizing content.
  • Content Regeneration: If you’re not satisfied with the first draft, you can easily regenerate the content.
  • User-Friendly Interface: Designed for ease of use, allowing users to focus on creating the content rather than navigating the tool.

Pros and Cons

Pros
  • Ease of Use: Its user-friendly interface makes it accessible even to non-technical users.
  • SEO Optimization: The SEO mode allows for content optimized for search engines right off the bat.
  • Time-Saving: Generates quality content quickly, saving you time and effort.
  • Variety of Templates: With a multitude of templates, you’re likely to find one that fits your specific needs.
Cons
  • Subscription Cost: While there is a free trial, long-term use will require a paid subscription, which may not be feasible for everyone.
  • AI Limitations: Although advanced, the AI might not fully capture nuance and tone, requiring human editing for best results.

How to Use

  • Start with Free Trial: Sign up for Jasper AI’s free trial to test its features.
  • Choose a Template: Browse through the available templates and choose one that suits your needs.
  • Describe & Activate SEO Mode: Enter a description of the content you want to create and turn on SEO mode, which integrates with Surfer SEO for optimized content.
  • Fill Requirements & Create: Complete the rest of the content requirements and hit the ‘Create’ button.
  • Regenerate if Needed: If you’re not satisfied with the generated content, simply hit the ‘Regenerate’ button to produce a new copy.

Pricing

It offer 3 pricing plans:

  • Creator: $49/month with 1 Seat, 1 Brand Voice, 50 Knowledge Assets, etc
  • Teams: $125/month with everything in Creator with more quantities, such as 3 seats, 3 Brand Voices, Create your own template
  • Business: Custom pricing with everything in Team with more quantities, such as no limits on all features, API access, team onboarding, etc

Grammarly

diy seo tool

Overview

Grammarly is a digital writing assistant that offers real-time grammar checking, spell checking, and style checking. More than just a proofreading tool, Grammarly helps optimize your content for readability and SEO. It’s a popular choice among writers, bloggers, and content marketers who want to polish their text to a high standard.

Key Features

  • Real-Time Grammar Check: The tool scans your text for grammatical errors as you write, making it easier to correct mistakes on the go.
  • Spell Check: Beyond grammar, it also identifies and corrects spelling mistakes.
  • Style Checker: Provides style suggestions to make your text more compelling and easier to read.
  • Browser Extension: Available as a Chrome extension, integrating Grammarly into your workflow is seamless.
  • Dashboard: A central dashboard where you can paste your text for a more detailed review.
  • Premium Features: Offers advanced suggestions for sentence structure, tone, and even plagiarism checks in its premium version.

Pros and Cons

Pros
  • User-Friendly: Intuitive interface that even those new to writing tools can navigate easily.
  • Real-Time Feedback: Offers immediate feedback, which can be particularly useful for those on tight deadlines.
  • Multi-Platform Support: Available as a browser extension, desktop app, and even a Microsoft Word add-in.
  • SEO-Friendly: By improving the readability and grammatical integrity of your content, it indirectly helps with SEO.
Cons
  • Limited Free Version: The free version offers basic suggestions, requiring a premium subscription for advanced features.
  • Occasional False Positives: Although rare, the tool might flag stylistic choices as errors, which could be confusing for new users.

How to Use

  • Sign Up for Free Version: Start by signing up for Grammarly’s free version using your email.
  • Download the Chrome Extension: This will allow you to use Grammarly across various web-based applications.
  • Copy-Paste Your Article: Paste your text into the Grammarly dashboard to receive real-time suggestions.
  • Review Suggestions: The free version offers basic grammar and spelling checks. Upgrade to premium for more advanced suggestions.
  • Make Changes and Publish: Once you’re satisfied with the edits, you can publish your polished article on your website.

Pricing

There are 3 options of pricing plans:

  • Free: simple writing suggestions and tone detection
  • Premium: from $12/month with everything in Free, plus vocabulary ideas, tone suggestions, etc
  • Business: from $15/member/month with everything in Premium, plus features for teams such ass centralized billing, style guides, etc

DIY Seo Tool: FAQs

Absolutely! With the plethora of DIY SEO software available today, you can definitely perform basic to intermediate SEO tasks on your own. While having a background in web development or digital marketing could be helpful, many platforms and software are user-friendly and designed for people without technical expertise. There are also numerous tutorials, guides, and online courses to get you up to speed with SEO best practices.

Doing SEO at home requires a strategic approach and the right set of tools. You’ll need to focus on different aspects of SEO, such as keyword research, on-page optimization, link building, and site performance analysis. Here are some steps to get you started:

  • Keyword Research: Identify keywords relevant to your website’s content using tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, or KWFinder.
  • Content Creation: Write high-quality, SEO-optimized content that incorporates your target keywords naturally.
  • On-Page SEO: Optimize meta descriptions, title tags, and header tags. Use tools like Google Search Console to analyze website performance.
  • Link Building: Use outreach strategies to get high-quality backlinks from reputable websites.
  • Site Performance: Ensure that your website loads quickly and is mobile-friendly. Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights for this.
  • Analytics: Track your website’s performance using analytics tools to understand what’s working and what needs improvement.

While some advanced SEO tasks might require premium tools, there are plenty of free resources to get you started:

  • Google Tools: Google offers a suite of free SEO tools like Google Analytics, Google Search Console, and Google Keyword Planner.
  • Free Versions of Premium Tools: Many premium tools offer free versions with limited capabilities but enough functionality for basic tasks. For instance, the free version of SEMrush offers limited keyword insights.
  • Community Resources: Online forums, blogs, and free courses are a great way to acquire SEO knowledge.
  • Manual Work: Tasks like email outreach for backlinking, social media engagement, and on-page SEO can be done manually without any cost, though they will require a significant time investment.

It is possible to do some aspects of SEO without tools, but it’s a lot more time-consuming and less precise. For example:

  • Keyword Research: You can manually search for keywords on Google, but it won’t give you the same level of insight as a dedicated keyword research tool.
  • On-Page SEO: You can manually optimize title tags, meta descriptions, and content, but tools can make this process faster and offer suggestions you might not have considered.
  • Analytics: While you can ask users how they found your site, using an analytics tool provides a more accurate and comprehensive understanding of your website’s performance.
  • Link Building: This can be done manually via email outreach, but using a tool can help you find opportunities more quickly.

Final Words: DIY SEO Tools (2023)

In conclusion, leveraging the right DIY SEO tools can significantly elevate your website’s performance, offering comprehensive solutions for keyword research, content optimization, and analytics. With these 13 essential tools in your arsenal, mastering SEO has never been more accessible.


Sam Nguyen is the CEO and founder of Avada Commerce, an e-commerce solution provider headquartered in Singapore. He is an expert on the Shopify e-commerce platform for online stores and retail point-of-sale systems. Sam loves talking about e-commerce and he aims to help over a million online businesses grow and thrive.