SEO Strategy – 5 Free Google Tools to Upgrade
There are many examples of already existing paid tools in the SEO space, and Moz is a prime example of this. However, if you are just starting out and this is not affordable, then do not despair, because. there are quite a few other resources available.
In this post, we’re going to share five of Google’s most preferred free tools and how they can help you start or upgrade your SEO strategy.
Google Trends
Google Trends is used to track “trends” around search queries. This makes it a great keyword research tool.
Search for new keywords
When you go to Google Trends, you will see a search bar where you can enter the name of a global topic or a specific search term. After entering a query, you will be presented with a trend chart of interest to the query over time.
This might be helpful already, but the real useful information is at the bottom of the page: More Related and Related Searches.
Both of these fields will be set to “trending” by default. This means that topics and requests are currently gaining momentum. These are the same keywords that you can quickly earn money on, as it is possible to quickly respond and become a pioneer by getting a rating.
Advanced Keyword Research
Even at a basic level, Google Trends is useful, but you can always take it a step further.
At the top of Google Trends, there is a menu that allows you to specify region, time period, category, and search platforms.
Region allows you to specify where you want your search data to come from geographically. This can be especially useful when dealing with local SEO projects.
Category allows you to select the subcategory in which you are going to compete. This is a good feature for people who offer a service in a specific industry or who have a widespread request.
The tool allows you to refine data for specific platforms such as YouTube Search, Image Search, Google Shopping Search, and News Search. Search platform modifiers are great for those with an integrated SEO plan.
Rising Retail Categories
While it’s almost impossible to predict what the next big thing in e-commerce will be, you can still stay among the market leaders with popular retail categories.
This is a compilation of Google retail data. It will show you the currently trending product categories and the search terms around them, as well as where exactly they are trending.
Like eCommerce SEO, this can give you a good idea of which products to focus on for the biggest potential impact.
Like enterprise local SEO, the ability to use this data to determine which products to focus on in each market.
visual stories
Google summarizes Visual Stories as “concise visual stories for busy marketers driven by trending topics and data from Google.”
These “stories” range from holiday shopping trends to industry-specific case studies and more. These are interactive slides, each containing multiple ideas or data points.
For example, there is a “visual story” about the automotive industry. Throughout history, there are common data that give an idea of how the pandemic has affected the car buying process.
However, these data points focus on more than just search data. Clearly, this was a full blown Google case study. Some general ideas relate to the desires, experiences, and perceptions of the audience.
Grow My Store
Grow My Store is a fantastic tool for those who sell online or in person. Grow My Store tests sites for Google IDs for successful online stores.
These IDs are broken down into five categories: Product Information, Store Details, Personalization, Customer Service and Security.
This tool literally conveys Google’s idea of what it takes to have a business website that sells a product. Some of the components include product reviews, buyer profiles, live chat, and HTTPS.
To use Grow My Store, you simply answer three questions: what is your domain, what type of business do you have, and what industry are you in?
Once you answer the questions, you’ll see a preview of your report with your total score and some data for your industry. To get the full report with recommendations, you need to create an account. The report will then be sent to the specified email address.
Once you have an account, you can create (and track) a checklist of changes that need to be made by Google.
Plus, you’ll get customized data and insights based on your industry.
To find this data in Grow My Store, select “Reach More Customers” from the menu. If you scroll down the page a little, you will find a section titled “Understanding Industry Trends.” Here it is possible to select your industry and specific category to get specific information such as top searches in that industry, best months for an industry, and so on.
Test My Site
Another great analysis tool from Google is Test My Site.
Like Grow My Store, Test My Site tests three very specific categories of features on your web site. It’s speed, personalization and experience. Unlike Grow My Store, Test My Site is designed for any website, not just online stores.
The first report you’ll get from Test My Site is a mini report that breaks down your mobile site speed and any recommendations for fixes. There is another tool that will show you the potential ROI of your website speedup! Let’s talk about buy-in.
If you want to get even more information about what to do, then you must subscribe to receive the full report. A full report is emailed to you and contains recommendations and explanations for both marketers and developers. The report contains links to other resources and case studies and includes tactical advice in the form of a checklist.
Let’s draw a line
While Google is often quiet about what they care about on websites, they have created quite a few resources that can give you an idea of what they think is important.
With these tools, you can easily take both the first and subsequent steps forward.
But it’s not just the tools, is it?
In 2021, data is more important than ever, and who better to get data from than the leaders themselves?
Now try and develop your SEO – use free stuff first!
