Learn SEO Without Paid Tools: 9+ Free Google SEO Tools You Must Know

Many beginners think they need paid SEO tools to succeed, but that is a common myth. In reality, Google provides everything you need to learn SEO for free. These tools are powerful, reliable, and used by professionals worldwide.

I break down each tool’s purpose and explain how it helps with SEO tasks like keyword research, website analysis, page speed optimization, local business visibility, and performance tracking.

You don’t need expensive tools to start SEO.

Google itself provides powerful FREE SEO tools that help you:

• Improve website ranking
• Find keywords
• Understand users
• Increase traffic
• Fix technical SEO issues

1. Google Search Console (GSC)

Link: https://search.google.com/search-console

Google Search Console helps you understand how Google sees your website. It shows keyword rankings, clicks, indexing issues, and errors.

How to use it?

1. Go to Google Search Console
2. Login with your Google account
3. Add your website URL
4. Verify ownership (HTML file / DNS / Google Analytics)
5. Submit sitemap (yourwebsite.com/sitemap.xml)
6. Check Performance → Search results
7. Fix errors shown in Pages → Indexing

Benefits

• Completely free
• Shows real Google data
• Helps fix indexing problems
• Best tool for SEO beginners
• Disadvantages
• No competitor analysis
• Data is limited to your website only

Disadvantages

• No competitor analysis
• Data is limited to your website only

2. Google Analytics 4 (GA4)

Link: https://marketingplatform.google.com/about/analytics/

Google Analytics shows how users behave on your website after they visit.

How to use it?

1. Open Google Analytics
2. Create a new property
3. Select GA4
4. Add your website URL
5. Install tracking code on your site
6. Check Reports → Acquisition
7. Analyze top pages and traffic sources

Benefits

• Tracks traffic sources
• Shows user behavior
• Conversion & event tracking
• Free and powerful

Disadvantages

• Learning curve for beginners
• Data delay (24 hours sometimes)

3. Google Keyword Planner

Link: https://ads.google.com/

Google Ads Keyword Planner helps you find keyword ideas and search volume.

How to use it?

1. Create a Google Ads account
2. Open Tools → Keyword Planner
3. Click Discover new keywords
4. Enter your topic
5. Analyze search volume & competition
6. Choose low-competition keywords

Benefits

• Accurate keyword data
• Shows search volume
• Free to use
• Useful for SEO & Ads

Disadvantages

• Requires Google Ads account
• Shows keyword ranges, not exact numbers

4. Google PageSpeed Insights

Link: https://pagespeed.web.dev

Google PageSpeed Insights tool checks website speed and Core Web Vitals.

How to use if?

1. Open PageSpeed Insights
2. Enter website URL
3. Click Analyze
4. Check speed score
5. Fix issues like image size, JS, CSS
6. Re-test website

Benefits

• Improves page speed
• Shows mobile & desktop performance
• Gives clear suggestions

Disadvantages

• Technical fixes may be hard
• Score may change frequently

5. Google Trends

Link: https://trends.google.com

Google Trends helps you find trending topics and keywords.

How to use it?

• Open Google Trends
• Enter keyword
• Select country
• Compare keywords
• Find rising topics
• Use ideas for blog content

Benefits

• Free trend analysis
• Best for content ideas
• Shows seasonal trends

Disadvantages

• No exact search volume
• Limited SEO metrics

6. Google Business Profile (GMB)

Link: https://www.google.com/business

Google Business Profile (GMB) or Google My Business is used for local SEO and Google Maps visibility.

How to use it?

1. Create Google Business Profile
2. Add business name & category
3. Verify with OTP
4. Add photos & services
5. Collect reviews
6. Post updates weekly

Benefits

• Free local traffic
• Google Maps ranking
• Customer reviews

Disadvantages

• Limited to local businesses
• Needs regular updates

7. Google Tag Manager

Link: https://tagmanager.google.com

Google Tag Manages tracking codes without coding.

How to use it?

1. Create GTM account
2. Add container to website
3. Create tags (GA4, events)
4. Set triggers
5. Preview & publish

Benefits

• No developer needed
• Easy event tracking
• Clean website code

Disadvantages

• Confusing for beginners
• Needs testing

8. Looker Studio (Google Data Studio)

Link: https://lookerstudio.google.com

Google Data Studion now known as Looker Studio creates SEO and traffic reports.

How to use it?

1. Open Looker Studio
2. Create new report
3. Connect GA4 or Search Console
4. Choose templates
5. Customize charts
6. Share with link

Benefits

• Visual dashboards
• Shareable reports
• Connects GA4 & GSC

Disadvantages

• Setup takes time
• Not beginner-friendly at first

9. Google Merchant Center (Bonus – eCommerce)

Link: https://merchants.google.com

Google Merchant Center used for Google Shopping SEO.

How to use it?

1. Create Merchant Center account
2. Verify website
3. Upload product feed
4. Fix errors
5. Enable free listings

Benefits

• Free product visibility
• Improves shopping results
• Integrates with Ads

Disadvantages

• Only for eCommerce
• Product approval issues

10. Schema Validator (Schema.org Validator)

Link: https://validator.schema.org/

Schema Validator is a free tool by Schema.org that helps you test and validate structured data (schema markup) added to your website.

How to use it?

1. Open https://validator.schema.org/
2. Choose “Code Snippet” or “URL”Paste your schema markup code (JSON-LD)
3. Click Run Test
4. Check for:
5. Errors (must fix)
6. Warnings (recommended to fix)
7. Correct errors in your schema
8. Re-test until no errors appear

Benefits

• Completely free
• Official tool from Schema.org
• Easy to use for beginners
• Helps improve rich results eligibility
• Works with Google-supported schema types

Disadvantages

• No SEO suggestions beyond schema
• Does not show ranking impact
• Requires basic understanding of schema terms

Important Points to Remember While Using Free Google SEO Tools

• Focus on Learning, Not Just Numbers
• Always Use Real Data from Google Tools
• Give Tools Some Time to Show Results
• Fix Errors Shown in Tools First
• Don’t Use All Tools at the Same Time
• Keep Your Website User-Friendly
• Use Keywords Naturally
• Regularly Check Performance Reports
• Validate Technical SEO Changes
• Keep Learning and Practicing