Every freelancer needs to have an SEO strategy and analytical tools in their freelancing toolkit, to … [+]
Every successful freelancer knows that it takes a thorough understanding of one’s market, competitors, and customers to consistently have a sustainable income, and to maintain an edge in the race for freelance talent.
With more than half of the U.S. workforce turning to side hustles as a primary or secondary source of income to help the manage the soaring costs of living, and an estimated 1.57 billion freelancers globally, the competition is fierce and the freelancer market is becoming saturated, making it more difficult to secure gigs and attract clients.
This is why every freelancer should have SEO tools in their toolkit, so they can gather useful data to inform their decision-making. This helps in critical processes that freelancers face on a day-to-day, such as knowing what tags or hashtags to use when creating content, assessing search trends to identify new product or service ideas, and remaining relevant in today’s conversations to keep their audience (for their personal brand) and customers engaged, on social media and on their websites.
But of course, you opted in to become a freelancer because you’re barely able to make ends meet, and with the mortgage price spike, money is tighter than ever. So paying for comprehensive SEO packages such as Semrush may not be your first move, at least not when you’re starting out and trying to launch your side hustle (or main hustle) with as little capital as possible.
The good news is that there are free SEO tools that can be just as effective—at least to begin with—depending on what you’re using them for.
But first, what exactly is SEO anyway and why is it important?
What Is SEO And How Does It Work?
SEO means Search Engine Optimization, and this simply means that your web pages and content are well-optimized for search engines, especially the most popular ones such as Google and Bing.
SEO is one of the most effective and most critical digital marketing strategies, and it helps you position your personal brand to thousands, potentially even millions, of customers, once you learn to do it right. It’s been estimated that Google processes 8.5 billion searches every day, and occupies 92% of the search engine market. So even if you had less than a 1% share of this market, you have the opportunity to secure many high-paying gigs and projects as a freelancer if you tap into this vast pool of potential leads.
Claiming the coveted top spot of Google search results pages whenever a potential customer types in a query takes significant work, but once you develop an SEO strategy and use tools to help you understand the data and analytics behind it, you will begin to see results.
These results can include:
- Increased website traffic—more clicks and visits which can convert to paying clients
- Consistently ranking well enhances brand visibility and your credibility as a freelancer
- Pre-qualified leads, as you will be attracting people who are already interested in what you have to offer
- Competitive advantage over other freelancers and even other companies
- Cost-effective and sustainable for the long-term, unlike paid advertizing
Research is key to your SEO strategy as a freelancer. When you understand who your target customer base is, where they hang out, and what they search for, you will be better positioned to appear in their search results on Google, or on Etsy, for example.
Free SEO Tools For Freelancers
Let’s have a look at 10 free SEO tools which you can use for data, research, and analytics to provide you with useful insights as a freelancer. These tools have all been ranked highly by tech review sites such as Trustpilot, Capterra, Product Review, G2, and others, and many boast forever free plans/features, free trials, and paid upgrade options. Some also have new features that are powered by AI.
- Serpple
- Google Trends
- Google Search Console
- Google Analytics
- Similarweb
- Rankwatch
- EtsyHunt (for SEO research if you sell digital or physical products on Etsy)
- Moz Keyword Explorer
- Keyword Surfer (by Surfer)—free Chrome extension
- Keysearch (has a collection of free SEO research tools for Etsy, Amazon, eBay, and others)
SEO research tools can help you rank highly, not only on Google, but on Etsy, eBay, and Amazon as … [+]
As with any new tool that you use to grow or build a business venture, the key is to evaluate the pros and cons for each, experiment, and see what works best for your freelancing endeavors. You might decide to stick with one, or use a combination of tools. But whatever you decide, the most important thing to remember is that ultimately, your research into the customers you’re serving is the most fundamental aspect of being a successful freelancer. Cut corners with this, and you’ll never stand out from the competition.