Prove it.
Has someone ever issued that challenge to you? You claim something. They don’t believe it and they want to see proof. The same is needed for your SEO. Without analytics tools to measure your performance, it’s all just a bunch of nice claims. You don’t know what’s working for you and what isn’t. Without measurement, it’s impossible to achieve search engine optimization.
You might get there but you won’t know it.
Most people think analytics are complicated (and they can be, don’t misunderstand), but there are plenty of free, user-friendly reports that can help you get a better understanding of how you’re doing and what your audience is responding to. Here are some of our favorites:
Google Analytics
This is the analytics platform that nearly everyone starts out with but it’s not just for beginners. There are some robust features and insights that can be achieved through this tool. One of the reasons it’s so popular (other than it’s Google, of course) is its split testing abilities through Google Adwords.
Don’t forget Google Webmaster Tools. These handy tools allow you to see your site as Google does to help troubleshoot poor SEO performance. Page Speed Insights can help you understand how quickly your page is loading, which factors into search results. There are a lot of fun tools to play around with in there and Google has tons of resources to help you make the most of their free tools.
Website Grader by HubSpot
This handy tool can quickly analyze your site’s SEO. Just enter your URL and your email and you’ll get a rundown from HubSpot. You’ll receive a grade based on mobile readiness, SEO, security, and performance.
Site Meter
Site Meter’s website tracking and counter tools are free initially, with some advanced paid features. Their detailed reporting tells you who’s visiting your site, where they came from/how they found you, their interests, and other analytics.
Check My Links
One of the major problems a lot of sites have is broken links. This negatively impacts organic listings. Check My Links crawls your website page by page and lists any broken links. The extension is primarily for web designers, developers, and content editors.
Screaming Frog SEO Spider Tool
Similar to Check My Links, Screaming Frog offers broken link detection. The free version also reviews 301 redirects, analyzes page titles and metadata, reviews meta robots & directives, discovers duplicate pages, generates XML sitemaps & more. A more robust version is available, but at a cost.
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SEO Report Card
This site compares your site to that of your competitors and issues a report that includes rank analysis and link-building numbers versus your competitors. It also offers on-site analysis, website accessibility insight, and trust metrics.
Moz Pro
This final tool is free initially for a 30-day trial. The reason Moz Pro made the list (even though it’s not free forever) is that it is one of the most robust sites not only as an analytics tool but for the countless resources it provides on SEO. Try its Keyword Explorer to figure out the best keywords to place for or use Moz Pro and its Open Site Explorer to uncover a wealth of knowledge about your site, its links, and spam analysis. If you want to learn more, it is one of your best options.
A Final Mention about Website Analytics Tools
If you’re looking for a way to improve your SEO, begin by drawing a line in the sand today and record your current analytics. From there you can chart a course of where you want to go. If you’re not sure where that is or how to get there, consult with Oyova. We can help show you what’s important to analyze and track to get you on your way to better SEO.