We run most of our SEO work on free tools: Google Search Console, Google Analytics 4, Google Business Profile, Keyword Planner, PageSpeed Insights, Bing Webmaster Tools and Looker Studio. The only paid tool in our everyday stack is the Rank Math SEO plugin. Here is what each one does for us, and what it costs as of November 2026.
Business owners ask us which tools they should buy. The honest answer is that you can see most of what matters for free. Expensive suites are useful, but they are not where SEO results come from.
Key Takeaways
- Google’s own tools show what Google actually sees about your site. Start there.
- A small business can track indexing, traffic, local visibility and speed for $0.
- On WordPress, an SEO plugin handles titles, schema, sitemaps and redirects. Rank Math is free, with paid plans from about $9 a month.
- Bing and AI assistants matter too, so we submit sites to Bing Webmaster Tools and use IndexNow.
- Tools only report problems. The results come from fixing them and publishing useful pages.
Our stack at a glance
| Tool | What we use it for | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Google Search Console | Indexing, search queries, rankings, requesting indexing | Free |
| Google Analytics 4 | Visits, sources, form leads and calls | Free |
| Google Business Profile | Google Maps visibility, reviews, local insights | Free |
| Google Ads Keyword Planner | Search volume and cost per click | Free with a Google Ads account |
| PageSpeed Insights | Core Web Vitals and speed fixes | Free |
| Rank Math | Titles, descriptions, schema, sitemaps, redirects | Free; PRO about $9/month, Business about $28/month |
| Bing Webmaster Tools and IndexNow | Bing indexing and fast URL submission | Free |
| Cloudflare | Caching, speed and blocking spam bots | Free plan |
| Looker Studio | Monthly client reports | Free |
Google Search Console: the one tool every site needs
If you use only one SEO tool, use Search Console. It shows which of your pages Google has indexed, which it skipped and why, the searches that show your site, and your average position for each. When we publish or rebuild a page, we inspect the URL and request indexing here. When rankings drop, this is the first place we look.
Google Analytics 4: what happens after the click
Rankings mean little if visitors leave. We set up GA4 to record form submissions and phone-number clicks as key events, so we can see which pages and searches bring real leads, not just traffic.
Google Business Profile: the local ranking engine
For local businesses, the Business Profile often drives more calls than the website. We use it to keep categories, hours, services and photos accurate, reply to reviews, and read the search and call insights each month. Learn more about our Google Business Profile optimization.
Keyword Planner: real demand numbers
Google Ads Keyword Planner is free with a Google Ads account. We use it to check monthly search volume and cost per click before we write a page, which is why our service and industry pages quote real numbers with a date.
PageSpeed Insights and Cloudflare: speed and security
PageSpeed Insights shows how fast a page loads for real visitors and what slows it down. We pair it with Cloudflare’s free plan, which caches pages close to visitors and lets us block bad traffic. We recently used a free Cloudflare rule to stop bots that were sending fake leads through our own contact form, with no effect on page speed.
Rank Math: our one paid tool
Our website runs on WordPress, and Rank Math handles the on-page basics: titles and meta descriptions, schema markup, XML sitemaps and 301 redirects when we retire or merge a page. The free version covers most small business sites. At regular prices, PRO for your own sites is about $9 a month, and agencies managing client sites need the Business plan, about $28 a month. Rank Math often discounts the first year.
Bing Webmaster Tools and IndexNow
Bing powers more than Bing.com. Its index also feeds other search and AI products, so we verify every site in Bing Webmaster Tools. With the IndexNow protocol, a site can tell Bing and other participating engines about new or updated pages right away, instead of waiting to be crawled. Both are free.
Looker Studio and our client portal
Raw data is hard to read, so we turn it into simple monthly reports with Looker Studio, Google’s free reporting tool. For clients, our client reporting portal brings Search Console, GA4, Business Profile data, a Google Maps rank grid and AI visibility tracking into one login.
What about Semrush, Ahrefs and other suites?
All-in-one suites are useful for competitor research and backlink data, and many agencies rely on them. But they estimate what Google knows, while Search Console reports it directly. For most small businesses, the free tools above show everything you need to start, and the money is better spent on content and fixes.
Tools don’t do SEO. People do.
Every tool on this list reports problems. None of them fixes a slow page, writes a useful service page or earns a local link. If you want a team to do that work, see our SEO services, read how much SEO costs in 2026, or request a free review.
Frequently asked questions
What SEO tools does a small business really need?
Start with Google Search Console, Google Analytics 4, Google Business Profile and PageSpeed Insights. All four are free and cover indexing, traffic, local visibility and speed. Add an SEO plugin such as Rank Math if your site runs on WordPress.
Are free SEO tools good enough?
For most small businesses, yes. Google’s own tools show what Google sees, which paid tools can only estimate. Paid suites mainly add competitor research and backlink data.
How much does Rank Math cost?
The core Rank Math plugin is free. At regular prices on rankmath.com, the PRO plan for your own sites is about $9 per month, and the Business plan for agencies managing client sites is about $28 per month. Rank Math often runs first-year discounts.
Do I need to pay for keyword research?
Not to start. Google Ads Keyword Planner is free with a Google Ads account and shows search volume and cost per click for the keywords you enter.
Prices as of November 2026. Sources: Rank Math pricing; Google, Bing and Cloudflare product pages.
