Knowledge is power — and when it comes to SEO, Data brings the knowledge you need to make impactful decisions regarding your website strategy. From existing site traffic (where users are coming from) to the actions on your site (where users are going next), SEO analytics provide valuable insights into your website performance.
And fortunately, you don’t need massively expensive, complicated SEO tools to access this data! In fact, there are many free and accessible SEO analytics tools you can use to audit your site, track your traffic, and more.
A little fun fact about Hennessey Digital is that we obsess so much about SEO and our clients’ results, that when we find a way to do things more efficiently for clients or to deliver better results or insights, we innovate and build a proprietary suite of tools our clients have exclusive access to in addition to the third-party tools we use.
We want to equip you with what’s out there, so below, we’re sharing the top SEO analytics tools you can use to gain more visibility into your SEO and maximize the power of your strategy!
Benefits of SEO Analytics Tools for Lawyers
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is one of the most effective digital marketing strategies law firms can use to grow their traffic and get more clients. But the effectiveness of this strategy depends on the quality and accuracy of the data that informs it. This is where SEO analytics tools come in.
The use of SEO analytics tools brings many benefits for law firms and other industries alike.
Here are just a few ways in which these tools can be used.
Review Your Traffic Sources and Quantity
SEO analytics tools grant visibility into how much traffic your website is getting and where it’s coming from. In addition to organic sources, like Google, you can see if you’re getting traffic via social media, email marketing, direct links, and more. This allows you to see your highest- and lowest-performing traffic channels.
Gain Insight Into Competitor Performance
Many SEO analytics tools allow you to analyze your competitors’ web performance, from the keywords they’re ranking for to how much traffic they’re getting to how many backlinks they have. This data can be used to inform your own SEO strategy, uncovering new keywords target or backlink sources to pursue.
Uncover New and Underperforming Keyword Opportunities
One feature of many SEO analytics tools is a “keyword gap” report, which allows you to compare your website’s ranking keywords to those of other sites, revealing untapped keyword opportunities. This can unlock additional sources of traffic. These tools also reveal your current keywords and whether any are underperforming in terms of rankings and traffic.
Analyze Audience Demographics (Age, Location, etc.)
Want to discover what types of people are interacting with your site? SEO analytics tools provide insight into audience demographics, including age, gender, interests, and location (even down to the city level). This data can help inform your targeting strategy in terms of organic efforts or paid ads.
Identify Technical SEO (404s, Pagespeed, etc.) Issues
Technical SEO issues like broken pages (404s), slow loading speed, or missing meta data can hinder your website’s rankings and user experience. There are several SEO analytics tools that provide technical SEO auditing features to uncover these issues. And many of these tools tell you how to fix them!
Optimize Content, On-Page for More Traffic
SEO analytics tools can also provide recommendations for how to improve your content and on-page SEO, such as optimizing your page titles and descriptions and increasing keyword usage. Creating better content, targeting high-value keywords, and maintaining on-page SEO best practices will help your website generate more traffic.
Best (Completely Free!) SEO Analytics Tools
We get it — staying active with your digital marketing can get expensive! Fortunately, there are many free SEO analytics tools to access the data you need. In particular, Google’s suite of SEO tools provides loads of information and insight into your website performance.
Here are the best free SEO analytics tools.
Google Analytics
Google Analytics is Google’s proprietary analytics platform that’s completely free to all website owners. It’s the primary source of accurate website analytics, pulling from Google’s first-party data.
Google Analytics provides a wealth of information spanning the entire website visitor life cycle (from acquisition to engagement to monetization to retention). You’re able to see where your website visitors are coming from, how they’re engaging with your site, whether they make a purchase or inquiry, and whether they return to your site.
Google Analytics also integrates with many digital marketing tools, feeding valuable data into your campaigns and workflows.
Google Search Console
Another free Google tool, Google Search Console focuses primarily on keyword rankings, impressions, and clicks, as well as website “health” (Core Web Vitals) and security. Google Search Console can be used to see what keywords you’re ranking for (and at what position) and how many people are clicking through to your website from the search results.
Some people prefer Google Search Console to Google Analytics due to its more user-friendly interface, but we highly recommend setting up both so you always have at least two sources of data. There are some features available in Google Analytics that are not in Google Search Console, and vice versa.
Google Trends
Google Trends is a website where you can explore trending topics, dive deeper into your chosen topics, and surface new content opportunities. Venture to the “Trending Now” report to see what topics, products, or news stories are trending by date, location, and category. You can also go to the “Explore” tab to look up a topic and see what subsequent topics may be trending in your space.
For example, an “Explore” search for “lawyers” might reveal that user interest in certain topics — such as “injury”, “labor law”, and “intellectual property” — have increased for a period of time.
When it comes to SEO, Google Trends can be used to identify the topics your audience is most interested in, inspiring new content or business opportunities.
Google Keyword Planner
Google Ads is Google’s paid advertising platform, allowing businesses to run ads in the search results. Within Google Ads is a tool called “Keyword Planner”, which you can use to find keyword opportunities and assess their search volume.
You will need to create a Google Ads account in order to access Keyword Planner, but you are not required to run any ads. As an SEO analytics tool, Keyword Planner can be used to discover keyword variations, compare search volume and competition level, and plan your SEO efforts. Of course, Keyword Planner can also be used to develop your ad strategy, if you choose to run Google Ads.
PageSpeed Insights
PageSpeed Insights is a free and easy to use SEO analytics tool that analyzes your website speed and responsiveness across digital devices. Google and users prefer websites that load quickly and are easy to navigate, so PageSpeed Insights help you identify any issues that might be hindering this.
Simply run an assessment of your domain and PageSpeed Insights will provide you with a “score” for mobile and desktop. Underneath this score you will see details about what might be slowing down your site, plus an explanation for how to fix them. Common issues impacting site performance include the presence of unused JavaScript, unnecessary page scripts, render-blocking elements, and excess third-party code. Some of these items might require developer resources to resolve them.
SEOptimer
SEOptimer is a free (though a paid version is available) SEO analytics tool that makes it easy to audit your website, conduct keyword research, monitor site traffic, and uncover backlink opportunities. Its SEO Crawler feature allows you to find hidden SEO issues, like broken links, missing meta data, and orphan pages. Website owners love SEOptimer for its ease of use, though the data is less expansive than that provided by Google Analytics or Google Search Console.
Overall, SEOptimer is a great option for those new to SEO and want to dip their feet into website data and performance.
WooRank
WooRank is a combo SEO analytics and digital marketing tool that boasts a range of features. Some of the most notable applications include keyword tracking, Competitor insights, site crawling, and lead generation tools. Not only does WooRank report on existing site performance, it can help you develop new marketing and lead generation campaigns.
Note that WooRank allows you to conduct a site audit for free (and offers a free trial), but its other features may require a monthly subscription. Starting at $19.99 per month though, this is quite affordable for the many benefits WooRank can bring.
smallseotools.com
SmallSEOTools.com, as the name suggests, hosts a suite of small and simple SEO tools. These include a free Website SEO Score Checker, Grammar Checker, Reverse Image Search, and many others. These tools are useful in conducting quick checks to find website issues, images, and misspellings. SmallSEOTools.com, however, does not necessarily provide in-depth insights, keyword rankings, etc..
SmallSEOTools.com is a great source to do a scan of your website, find issues, and then address them with your developer or SEO team. There are many other tools to explore, though, so we recommend checking those out!
Despite the misconception that “free” tools might be rudimentary or too simple, the above tools are proof that you can get accurate data and insights on a budget!
Google Search Console and Google Analytics are the top tools we would recommend, as they cost nothing to set up or maintain, and offer the best sources of data. The others provide helpful features, such as site auditing, that are invaluable when it comes to your larger SEO strategy.
Our Favorite Paid SEO Analytics Tools
Free SEO analytics are great, and we’d never knock ‘em, but sometimes you need some more advanced features to elevate your strategy. It’s undeniable that many of the features offered by paid tools provide a depth of insight not available in free applications. If you’re serious about your SEO and digital marketing, we highly recommend these!
Ahrefs is one of the top SEO analytics tools given its vast array of features and availability of quality data. Marketers and business owners alike love Ahrefs catalog of handy SEO tools, from keyword research and competitor insights, to content editing and backlink analysis.
Ahrefs also has a pretty robust website audit feature, allowing you to uncover critical site issues and how to address them. Gain visibility into your website SEO analytics, including rankings, traffic, performance, and more. Ahrefs paid subscription starts at $129 per month.
Semrush is another leading SEO analytics tool that provides a user-friendly interface, comprehensive site auditing, keyword research, social insights, and so much more. While Google Analytics reports on your website analytics, Semrush empowers you to dive deep into your competitors’ SEO strategies, uncover new keyword opportunities, and discover backlinks — all things that move your SEO forward!
Semrush has some free features, up to an extent, but most website owners would benefit most from the paid tools. The Pro plan starts at $139.95 per month and includes 5 projects, 500 keywords to track, and 10,000 results per report, which is a good start for most small businesses.
Moz is an SEO and digital marketing software that empowers business owners to work smarter, not harder, when it comes to marketing. While Moz does host a range of free SEO tools (such as their Domain Analysis and Keyword Explorer features), the paid version is really where it’s at.
With a paid Moz subscription, you get access to a treasure trove of data-driven marketing tools, like their all-in-one SEO suite, Moz Local (to improve local visibility), and access to the Moz API.
Here are just a few ways in which you can improve your website SEO with Moz:
- Discover untapped keywords with Keyword Explorer
- Skip manual grouping and save time with informed Keyword Suggestions
- Identify areas for improvement with Search Visibility Score
Optimize your content with On-page Grader - Monitor keyword rankings and fluctuations with Rank Tracker
The Starter subscription of Moz starts at $49 per month. This includes 1 user, 1 tracked site, 50 tracked keywords per month, and 20K pages crawled per month, which is fitting for most small businesses.
If you want to increase traffic and leads, you’ll need the right strategies and tools in your arsenal. SEO analytics tools provide the features and data you need to make informed decisions and skyrocket your SEO. There are so many free and paid options out there, so the best thing to do is just dive in!
At Hennessey Digital, we help law firms develop robust SEO strategies to drive traffic, leads, and new cases. We leverage a full suite of proprietary tools we built in-house our clients have exclusive access to, as well as industry-leading SEO analytics tools to provide accurate data and insights. Want an agency that will do this for you? Contact us today!
