The SEO Practitioner’s Toolkit: What We Actually Use and Why

An honest, opinionated comparison of SEO tools from a consultant who uses them daily on client work. Not affiliate rankings — real opinions on what's worth paying for, what's free and essential, and what's overrated.

Why Another SEO Tools List?

Every “best SEO tools” article you’ll find online is written to sell affiliate links. The rankings are determined by commission rates, not practical value. A tool that pays 30% recurring commission will always outrank one that pays a flat £5 referral — regardless of which is actually better for your business.

This page is different. These are the tools we actually use on client engagements — the ones that earn their place in our workflow through genuine utility, not marketing budgets. Where we have strong opinions, we share them. Where a free tool outperforms a paid alternative, we say so. Where something is overrated, we’ll tell you that too.

Every tool below has been evaluated through real use on real projects — technical audits, content strategy, local SEO campaigns, LLM optimisation and WordPress development. Use the filters to find what’s relevant to your needs, and look for the “Sean’s pick” badge on the tools we reach for most.

19 tools

★ Sean's pick

Screaming Frog

Crawl & Technical Freemium

Free up to 500 URLs · £199/yr

The industry standard for a reason. Nothing else gives you this level of crawl control.

Full breakdown

Strengths

Unmatched crawl depth and configurability. Custom extraction, rendering, log file analysis, change detection. The 500-URL free tier is genuinely useful for small sites. Handles JavaScript rendering. Integrates with GSC, GA4 and PageSpeed Insights APIs.

Limitations

The UI looks like it was designed in 2005 and never updated. Steep learning curve for non-technical users. Memory-hungry on large crawls — you need a decent machine for 100k+ URL sites. Reports are functional rather than pretty.

What we use it for

Every technical audit. Pre-migration crawls. Ongoing monitoring. Redirect chain analysis. Custom data extraction from client sites.

Visit Screaming Frog ↗

Sitebulb

Crawl & Technical Paid

From £13.75/mo

Screaming Frog's data with client-ready visualisations. Brilliant for reporting, not a replacement for Frog.

Full breakdown

Strengths

Beautiful visualisation of crawl data — site structure diagrams, issue prioritisation, internal link flow maps. Client-friendly reports you can export directly. Hints system explains issues in plain English. Good JavaScript rendering.

Limitations

Less configurability than Screaming Frog for advanced use cases. Subscription pricing adds up if you only audit occasionally. Slower on very large sites. The hints can be overly prescriptive for experienced SEOs.

What we use it for

Client-facing audit reports where visual clarity matters. Internal link analysis. When you need stakeholders to understand technical issues without translation.

Visit Sitebulb ↗

★ Sean's pick

Google Search Console

Crawl & Technical All-Rounders Free

Free

Non-negotiable. This is Google telling you exactly what it sees. Everything else is interpretation.

Full breakdown

Strengths

Authoritative data straight from Google — impressions, clicks, average position, CTR. Index coverage reports show exactly what's indexed and what isn't. Core Web Vitals field data. Manual action notifications. URL inspection tool for real-time index status.

Limitations

Data is sampled and delayed (typically 2-3 days). Limited to 16 months of historical data. Query data is filtered — you won't see every query. No competitor data. The interface is functional but not powerful for complex analysis without exporting.

What we use it for

Daily monitoring. Index troubleshooting. Identifying cannibalisation. Tracking CTR improvements. Submitting sitemaps. Literally the first tool to check for any SEO engagement.

Visit Google Search Console ↗

★ Sean's pick

Ahrefs

Keyword & Content All-Rounders Paid

From $129/mo

Best backlink database in the industry. The Content Explorer and keyword difficulty scoring are genuinely best-in-class.

Full breakdown

Strengths

The largest and most frequently updated backlink index. Keyword Explorer has the most accurate difficulty scores in my experience. Content Explorer is exceptional for finding link-building opportunities and content gaps. Site Explorer gives you a comprehensive view of any domain. Batch analysis for multiple URLs.

Limitations

Expensive, especially at higher tiers. Rank tracking is solid but not as granular as dedicated tools. Content writing tools are mediocre — stick to dedicated tools for that. The learning curve is real. Credit-based system can be frustrating if you run lots of reports.

What we use it for

Backlink analysis and competitor link profiling. Keyword research for commercial pages. Content gap analysis. Finding unlinked brand mentions for outreach.

Visit Ahrefs ↗

SEMrush

Keyword & Content All-Rounders Paid

From $139.95/mo

The Swiss army knife. Does everything competently, nothing best-in-class except maybe PPC intelligence.

Full breakdown

Strengths

Most comprehensive all-in-one platform. Position tracking, keyword research, site audit, backlink analysis, content tools, PPC research, social media — it's all there. The competitive analysis features are strong. Keyword Magic Tool handles topic clustering well. The site audit tool is genuinely useful for quick health checks.

Limitations

Tries to do everything, which means some features feel like afterthoughts. The backlink database is smaller than Ahrefs. Can feel overwhelming — too many features, too many upsells. Gets expensive fast when you need multiple user seats. Some data can be inaccurate for low-volume keywords.

What we use it for

Agencies managing multiple channels for multiple clients. Competitive keyword analysis. PPC research. When you need one login for everything and don't want to manage multiple subscriptions.

Visit SEMrush ↗

★ Sean's pick

AlsoAsked

Keyword & Content Freemium

Free limited · From $15/mo

Simple, brilliant, underrated. The best tool for understanding what questions people actually ask.

Full breakdown

Strengths

Scrapes Google's People Also Ask data and visualises the question tree. Shows the relationships between questions — what leads to what. Exceptional for planning FAQ sections, content clusters and answer engine optimisation. Clean, focused interface that does one thing brilliantly.

Limitations

Limited to PAA data — doesn't cover keywords, volume or difficulty. Free tier is very restricted. Data freshness depends on Google's PAA display. No rank tracking or competitive features. Niche tool that complements rather than replaces broader platforms.

What we use it for

FAQ section planning. AEO content strategy. Understanding the question landscape around a topic. Building comprehensive guides that answer real questions in the right order.

Visit AlsoAsked ↗

AnswerThePublic

Keyword & Content Freemium

Free limited · From $11/mo (via SEMrush)

Great for brainstorming. The visual wheel is impressive in client meetings. Less useful than AlsoAsked for actual SEO work.

Full breakdown

Strengths

Visual question mapping that's instantly understandable. Good for ideation and brainstorming sessions. Covers questions, prepositions, comparisons and alphabetical variations. The visual output makes excellent presentation material for content strategy pitches.

Limitations

The data isn't as actionable as AlsoAsked for SEO planning. Visualisations prioritise aesthetics over utility. Now owned by SEMrush, so the free tier has been progressively restricted. Doesn't show the relationships between questions — just lists them.

What we use it for

Initial content ideation sessions. Client presentations to demonstrate the breadth of a topic. Brainstorming blog post ideas. Less useful for structured SEO planning.

Visit AnswerThePublic ↗

★ Sean's pick

Google Business Profile

Local SEO Free

Free

Your local search shopfront. If you do nothing else for local SEO, get this right.

Full breakdown

Strengths

Direct control over how you appear in Google Maps and local search. Review management, posts, Q&A, service descriptions, photos, attributes. The Insights data (searches, views, actions) is genuinely useful for tracking local visibility. Free and essential.

Limitations

The interface changes frequently and not always for the better. Support is notoriously unhelpful for suspended or disputed listings. Limited category options for niche businesses. You're entirely at Google's mercy — algorithm changes can tank visibility overnight. No competitor benchmarking built in.

What we use it for

Every local business without exception. Primary local SEO management. Review monitoring and response. Weekly posts to signal activity. Service and product catalogue management.

Visit Google Business Profile ↗

BrightLocal

Local SEO Paid

From $39/mo

The best dedicated local SEO platform. Essential if you manage multiple locations or need citation auditing at scale.

Full breakdown

Strengths

Local rank tracking across Map Pack and organic. Citation auditing and building. GBP audit tool that flags optimisation opportunities. Review monitoring across platforms. Local search grid (shows Map Pack rankings by geographic point). White-label reporting for agencies.

Limitations

Only useful for local SEO — no value for non-local campaigns. Citation building is semi-automated but still requires manual verification. The interface can feel dated. Some features overlap with what you get free from GSC and GBP Insights.

What we use it for

Multi-location businesses. Agencies managing local SEO for multiple clients. Citation consistency auditing. Local rank tracking at geographic granularity.

Visit BrightLocal ↗

★ Sean's pick

RankMath

Schema & AI WordPress Freemium

Free · Pro from $7.99/mo

The best WordPress SEO plugin full stop. We use it on every WordPress build.

Full breakdown

Strengths

More schema types in the free tier than Yoast offers in its paid version. Clean interface for managing meta titles, descriptions and schema. Built-in redirect manager. Content analysis that's less annoying than Yoast's traffic light system. Excellent JSON-LD output. Advanced schema editor in Pro for custom types.

Limitations

The schema it generates is good but not as precise as hand-compiled JSON-LD for complex implementations. Can conflict with theme-level schema if both are outputting markup (we handle this in our custom themes). The "SEO score" can encourage cargo-cult optimisation if taken too literally.

What we use it for

Every WordPress site. Meta management, basic schema markup, redirect management, sitemap generation. Our standard recommendation for new builds. We leave existing Yoast setups in place unless there's a specific reason to migrate.

Visit RankMath ↗

Schema Markup Validator

Schema & AI Free

Free

Essential for validating JSON-LD before deployment. Not glamorous, completely necessary.

Full breakdown

Strengths

Validates against the full Schema.org vocabulary. Catches errors that Google's tools miss (they only validate types Google uses). Shows warnings for recommended properties. Tests by URL or code snippet.

Limitations

Only validates syntax and vocabulary — doesn't tell you if your schema will generate rich results. Doesn't catch logical errors (e.g. FAQPage schema with answers that don't match the page content). No batch testing.

What we use it for

Validating all JSON-LD before pushing to production. Checking for syntax errors in custom schema implementations. Verifying schema after CMS or plugin updates.

Visit Schema Markup Validator ↗

★ Sean's pick

Google Rich Results Test

Schema & AI Free

Free

Shows you exactly what Google sees. The preview feature alone makes it indispensable.

Full breakdown

Strengths

Shows which rich result types your page is eligible for. Renders JavaScript to test dynamically generated schema. Preview of how rich results will appear in search. Identifies specific errors and warnings that affect Google's processing. Tests live URLs or code snippets.

Limitations

Only tests schema types Google supports for rich results — doesn't cover the full Schema.org vocabulary. Can be slow to reflect recent page changes (use URL Inspection in GSC for real-time). Doesn't test AI Overview eligibility or citation likelihood.

What we use it for

Final validation before deployment. Checking rich result eligibility after schema changes. Verifying that JavaScript-rendered schema is accessible to Google. Client demonstrations showing schema implementation results.

Visit Google Rich Results Test ↗

Otterly

Schema & AI Paid

From $25/mo

The best of the AI visibility tracking tools so far. Still a young category — expect rapid evolution.

Full breakdown

Strengths

Tracks brand mentions and citations across Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity and other AI platforms. Monitors competitor AI visibility. Shows trends over time. Useful for proving ROI of LLM optimisation work to clients.

Limitations

The entire AI visibility tracking category is still maturing — data can be inconsistent. AI responses vary by session, location and prompt phrasing, so "tracking" is inherently noisier than traditional rank tracking. Can't capture every query variation. Pricing can escalate with query volume.

What we use it for

Monitoring AI citation trends for client reporting. Competitive AI visibility benchmarking. Validating LLM optimisation impact. Supplementing — not replacing — manual AI platform testing.

Visit Otterly ↗

★ Sean's pick

Google PageSpeed Insights

Performance Free

Free

The benchmark that matters. This is what Google uses, so this is what you optimise for.

Full breakdown

Strengths

Shows both lab data (Lighthouse) and field data (CrUX) for Core Web Vitals. Specific, actionable recommendations with estimated savings. Mobile and desktop scores separately. The field data section shows real-user experience, not synthetic tests. Free and authoritative.

Limitations

Lab scores can be volatile — run the test three times and you'll get three different scores. Doesn't provide waterfall charts for debugging specific bottlenecks. Recommendations can be generic and not always applicable. Field data requires sufficient traffic to appear.

What we use it for

Core Web Vitals monitoring. Pre/post optimisation comparison. Client reporting on performance improvements. Quick health checks on any URL.

Visit Google PageSpeed Insights ↗

GTmetrix

Performance Freemium

Free limited · From $14.95/mo

Best waterfall charts in the business. When PageSpeed Insights tells you what's slow, GTmetrix shows you why.

Full breakdown

Strengths

Detailed waterfall charts showing every request, timing and dependency. Historical performance tracking over time. Multiple test locations. Video capture of page load. The waterfall analysis is genuinely more useful than any other performance tool for diagnosing specific bottlenecks.

Limitations

Free tier limited to one test location and basic features. The scores use their own grading system which doesn't directly map to Google's Core Web Vitals (which is what actually matters for rankings). Can encourage over-optimising for GTmetrix scores rather than real-user experience.

What we use it for

Debugging specific performance bottlenecks. Understanding request waterfalls. Historical performance tracking. Identifying exactly which script, image or font is causing slowdowns.

Visit GTmetrix ↗

WebPageTest

Performance Free

Free

The most advanced free performance testing tool. Overkill for most people, invaluable when you need the detail.

Full breakdown

Strengths

Multi-step testing (e.g. test a page after navigating through the site). Connection throttling that simulates real-world conditions. Film strip view of visual loading progress. Block specific requests to isolate performance impact. Detailed TCP/TLS connection analysis.

Limitations

The interface is intimidating for non-technical users. Results require expertise to interpret. Test queue can be slow during peak times. No built-in historical tracking (you'd need to export and track manually). More tool than product — no hand-holding.

What we use it for

Advanced performance debugging. Testing the impact of removing specific third-party scripts. Pre/post deployment comparison. When you need to prove exactly which element is causing a performance issue.

Visit WebPageTest ↗

★ Sean's pick

WP Rocket

WordPress Performance Paid

From $59/yr

The best WordPress caching plugin. Set it up properly once and forget about it.

Full breakdown

Strengths

Page caching, browser caching, GZIP compression, lazy loading, critical CSS generation, JavaScript deferral — all in one plugin that actually works. The configuration is sensible out of the box. Plays well with most hosting environments and CDNs. Excellent documentation. Reliable — doesn't break things.

Limitations

Paid only — no free tier. Won't fix fundamental performance issues caused by bloated themes or page builders. The "Remove Unused CSS" feature can occasionally break layouts if not tested. Some managed hosts (like Kinsta) have their own caching that conflicts if you don't configure correctly.

What we use it for

Every WordPress site that isn't on a host with superior built-in caching. The first performance plugin we install. Combined with a quality host and lightweight theme, this gets most sites to 90+ PageSpeed scores.

Visit WP Rocket ↗

ShortPixel

WordPress Performance Freemium

Free 100 images/mo · From $3.99/mo

Best image optimisation for WordPress. WebP conversion that actually works reliably.

Full breakdown

Strengths

Automatic compression and WebP conversion on upload. Bulk optimisation for existing media libraries. Preserves originals for rollback. Integrates with most page builders and CDNs. API available for non-WordPress use. Lossy, glossy and lossless options.

Limitations

Credit-based pricing means costs can surprise you if you upload lots of images. The free tier (100 images/month) is tight for active sites. Doesn't address the fundamental issue of uploading 4000×3000px images when 1200px would suffice — you still need to resize before upload for best results.

What we use it for

Automated image optimisation on WordPress. WebP conversion for Core Web Vitals improvement. Bulk optimising existing media libraries on client sites.

Visit ShortPixel ↗

★ Sean's pick

Google Analytics 4

All-Rounders Free

Free

Essential but frustrating. The data is invaluable; the interface is a downgrade from Universal Analytics.

Full breakdown

Strengths

The only free analytics platform with Google's depth of data. Event-based model is more flexible once you understand it. Conversion tracking, user journey analysis, audience insights. Integration with Google Ads, Search Console and BigQuery. The Explorations feature is powerful for custom analysis.

Limitations

The interface is significantly worse than Universal Analytics was. Reporting is less intuitive — many reports that were one click away now require custom explorations. Data thresholds hide low-volume data. Real-time reporting is limited. The learning curve from UA to GA4 is steeper than it should be. Sampling kicks in on larger datasets.

What we use it for

Conversion tracking and attribution. User behaviour analysis. Organic traffic reporting. Setting up goals and events that map to business KPIs. Required for any serious SEO reporting — pair with Search Console for the complete picture.

Visit Google Analytics 4 ↗

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need paid SEO tools to do SEO properly?

For basic SEO, no. Google Search Console, Google Business Profile, Google Analytics, PageSpeed Insights and the Rich Results Test are all free and essential — they should be your foundation regardless of budget. Paid tools become worthwhile when you need competitive analysis (seeing what competitors rank for), comprehensive backlink data, or efficiency at scale (auditing large sites, tracking hundreds of keywords). For a small business doing their own SEO, the free Google tools plus one paid platform like Ahrefs or SEMrush covers most needs.

Which is better: Ahrefs or SEMrush?

It depends on what you prioritise. Ahrefs has the better backlink database and more accurate keyword difficulty scores — it's our preference for link analysis and content research. SEMrush is more comprehensive as an all-in-one platform — better PPC tools, more integrated reporting, more features overall. If you do pure SEO, Ahrefs. If you manage multiple channels (SEO, PPC, social, content), SEMrush. If budget allows only one, we'd choose Ahrefs for the backlink data alone. Neither is wrong.

What tools do you use for AI visibility tracking?

Honestly, the tooling for AI visibility is still maturing. Otterly is the strongest dedicated platform we've tested — it tracks citations across Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity and other AI platforms. But we supplement it with systematic manual testing: running priority queries across each AI platform monthly, documenting responses and tracking citation changes over time. The manual approach is more labour-intensive but catches nuances that automated tools miss. See our AI Visibility Tracking service page for how we approach this for clients.

Why do you recommend RankMath over Yoast?

RankMath offers more schema types in its free tier than Yoast offers in its paid version. The interface is cleaner, the content analysis is less patronising, and the built-in redirect manager removes the need for a separate plugin. That said, if you're already running Yoast and it's configured correctly, there's rarely a compelling reason to migrate — the risk of a botched migration outweighs the incremental benefit. For new WordPress builds, RankMath is our default recommendation.

Are these affiliate links?

No. None of the links on this page are affiliate links. We don't earn commission from any tool listed here. The recommendations are based entirely on our experience using these tools on real client work. This is why we can be honest about limitations — we have no financial incentive to pretend everything is perfect.

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