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While organic digital marketing depends heavily on design and development, it’s important not to underestimate the role that SEO and a content marketing strategy plays in the success of your efforts.
Fortunately, there is an abundance of free SEO tools out there that can ease the process of content creation and achieving higher search engine rankings. Since there are far too many to mention in one post, today we’ll just focus on the amazing free Google tools that we use at Integrity every day.
You may not have thought of Google as anything more than a high-powered search engine. And while that is undeniably the main function, Google has so much more to offer. They have created a range of simple-to-use tools that can help you to generate higher quality content more effectively.
When it comes to measuring and attaining the goals you’ve set for your site’s SEO and content, Google Analytics is the number-one most valuable resource.
If you’re not using it to perform data analytics on your website, you should be. Among many other things, GA4 gives you insights into who your audience is, what their interests are and how they’re being reached. All of this information will be helpful when outlining your content strategy and then, once it's implemented, understanding how successful it has been.
Google is even kind enough to provide free online training courses to help you understand and get started with Analytics, so there’s no need to feel intimidated by the process!
Google Search Console is your ultimate resource for seeing what actual users are searching for when they find your site in the SERPs (search engine results pages).
You can include your site’s search queries (clicks and impressions) in your keyword research to ensure you’re hitting relevant, highly searched-for terms. This also reveals to you what terms you’re getting seen on SERPs for repeatedly but may have low CTRs (click through rates).
SEO is multi-faceted, and your website’s performance can have a direct impact on how it ranks on Google.
PageSpeed Insights is a quick and easy tool that gives you loading time and performance for your site on both desktop and mobile. It also identifies opportunities for improving your site's core web vitals that can be passed along to a developer, if needed.
While not relevant for every business, brick-and-mortar companies will find that Google Business Profile is a crucial component to their SEO and marketing strategy.
Since Google dominates search, having accurate information, compelling content and excellent reviews on Google Business Profile can make a difference in lead generation and customer impressions.
We love Google Drive and all its functions as a content tool at Integrity because it makes collaboration easy.
Google Docs is an excellent way to create content and send it through an approval process (clients don’t need a Google account in order to review content in Docs, unlike many content marketing-specific platforms).
Google Sheets are versatile and excellent for getting organized. From tracking our own Integrity blog contributions from employees to creating easy-to-review keyword lists, it’s a tool we can’t live without.
Google Trends allows you to explore any topic and see what’s trending in various regions. In the “stories trending now” feed, you may spot a popular subject that is relevant to your industry. Knowing what people are talking about and what’s peaking their interest right now will help you to create content that grabs your audience’s attention.
Google Alerts is a content change detection and notification service that will send you emails when it finds new online activity that matches the search terms of your choice. With it, you can keep track of who’s mentioning you or your product/service and what they are saying. It can also alert you to what others are talking about in your niche and help spark ideas for what you ought to be writing. And don’t worry about being bombarded with alerts — you can choose the type of results you want and how often you want them to be shared with you.
Though these tools are by no means the keys to our success, there’s no denying that they make our job a lot easier! We're sure that you'll find them helpful for keeping your efforts organized, targeted and more effective, too.
Tired of trying to figure out all of these content tools on your own? Integrity's very own content and digital marketing teams are ready to collaborate!
