{"id":229,"date":"2025-11-07T08:08:42","date_gmt":"2025-11-07T08:08:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/optimisedaf.com\/?p=229"},"modified":"2026-08-27T10:55:42","modified_gmt":"2026-08-27T10:55:42","slug":"actually-affordable-seo-tools-3-free-alternatives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/optimisedaf.com\/af\/actually-affordable-seo-tools-3-free-alternatives","title":{"rendered":"(Actually) Affordable SEO Tools + 3 Free Alternatives"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-8f1ad751b4e22125ce6581653719910f wp-block-paragraph\">If you\u2019re looking for a way to grow your online visibility, then you should be investing resources in SEO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-e01b075de9b61ba2ab7e071a5db503a1 wp-block-paragraph\">But if you\u2019re on a budget, you may struggle to find affordable SEO tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-c455badc841791dac8336911d36468b9 wp-block-paragraph\">Since you found this blog, though, you\u2019re in luck.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-939b8f03389262f3ae79ed20c1ed21c1 wp-block-paragraph\">We\u2019ve got a list of affordable SEO tools to get your site ranking without having to worry about maxing out your credit card, or selling your kidneys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-cfc904f3c11fcfb6c24a5e79f8d26bdf wp-block-paragraph\">(P.S. We\u2019ve also featured free alternatives if you don\u2019t need all the functionalities of the affordable ones).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-dd542dccf5a3cabf251076cf8681f814 wp-block-paragraph\">So, without further ado, let\u2019s get into this list of affordable SEO tools (and 3 free alternatives).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">(Actually) Affordable SEO Tools + 3 Free Alternatives<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For this list, the tools are broken up into functions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These functions are on-page, off-page, or technical SEO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>On-page SEO<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ah, on-page SEO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Even though it\u2019s a lot more people-focused now, you\u2019ll still spend 90% of your time trying to rearrange shit just so that you get a gold star from Google.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On-page is my favourite branch of SEO, and it\u2019s what I spend the majority of my time doing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And the thing that takes up a huge chunk of that time is keyword research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"keyword_research\"><\/span><strong>Keyword Research<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_83 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">What&#039;s In The Blog<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a948095082e7\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"ez-toc-cssicon\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseprofile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a948095082e7\"  aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/optimisedaf.com\/af\/actually-affordable-seo-tools-3-free-alternatives\/#keyword_research\" >Keyword Research<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/optimisedaf.com\/af\/actually-affordable-seo-tools-3-free-alternatives\/#content_optimisation\" >Content Optimisation<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/optimisedaf.com\/af\/actually-affordable-seo-tools-3-free-alternatives\/#pre-publishing\" >Pre-publishing<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/optimisedaf.com\/af\/actually-affordable-seo-tools-3-free-alternatives\/#backlink_analysis\" >Backlink Analysis<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/optimisedaf.com\/af\/actually-affordable-seo-tools-3-free-alternatives\/#link_building\" >Link Building<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/optimisedaf.com\/af\/actually-affordable-seo-tools-3-free-alternatives\/#competitor_analysis\" >Competitor Analysis<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/optimisedaf.com\/af\/actually-affordable-seo-tools-3-free-alternatives\/#local_seo\" >Local SEO<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/optimisedaf.com\/af\/actually-affordable-seo-tools-3-free-alternatives\/#rank_tracking\" >Rank Tracking<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/optimisedaf.com\/af\/actually-affordable-seo-tools-3-free-alternatives\/#site_auditing_reporting\" >Site Auditing &amp; Reporting<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/optimisedaf.com\/af\/actually-affordable-seo-tools-3-free-alternatives\/#a_conclusion_yeah_why_not\" >A Conclusion? Yeah, Why Not.<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I\u2019m a nerd for SEO tools, but keyword research tools are my favourite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There\u2019s so much functionality, and you can spot a good from a bad one really quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At its core, for a keyword research tool to be good, it\u2019s got to be reliable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And there are a ton of affordable SEO tools out there that can tackle keyword research reliably.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But I had to go with just one which stood out as the most reliable and cost-effective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For that, I chose&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Ubersuggest<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/optimisedaf.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Ubersuggest.png\" alt=\"affordable keyword research tools\" class=\"wp-image-588\" style=\"object-fit:contain;width:800px;height:600px\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cost: $29\/month (Individual Plan)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/neilpatel.com\/ubersuggest\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Ubersuggest<\/a> extension for Google Chrome was the very first SEO tool I ever used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And it\u2019s the keyword research tool I suggest as far as affordability goes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With the Individual plan, you get:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>150 searches a day<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Setting up tracking for 1 domain<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>125 tracked keywords per domain<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>5 competitors per domain<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>1,000 pages a week for site audits<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>1 user seat<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The tool also only uses organic data, which (in my opinion) makes it a better tool for SEO keyword research than other tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Especially considering that paying for data that\u2019s not purely linked to organic search seems pointless if you\u2019re on a budget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I managed to snag a lifetime deal which gave me access to an Individual plan and AnswerThePublic for $120 as a once-off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s the most I\u2019ve ever spent on an SEO purchase, but it was worth the investment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The only drawback to this is that you don\u2019t get search intent with your keywords, which can be tricky if you\u2019re still learning the ropes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But, if you\u2019re looking for a reliable (and affordable) keyword research tool, then I (uber)suggest you take a look at Ubersuggest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Free Alternatives<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You won\u2019t find a truly free alternative \u2013 keyword research is a valuable part of SEO, so most companies tend to gatekeep it a bit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That being said, there are some free plans (though they are limited).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here are the top 3:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Semrush&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/analytics\/keywordmagic\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Keyword Magic Tool<\/a> (Free plan)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/keywordtool.io\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Keyword Tool<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ahrefs&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/keyword-generator\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Free Keyword Generator<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you\u2019re doing paid search, you could also use <a href=\"https:\/\/ads.google.com\/intl\/en_za\/home\/tools\/keyword-planner\/?subid=za-en-ha-aw-sk-c-bau!o3~CjwKCAiA1MCrBhAoEiwAC2d64Uuo6lEhgdi1I77nV6y-gzKp4BBoOk517ssAhCnQU86J6Ei_RidU6RoCxJcQAvD_BwE~151865801651~aud-1225341335502:kwd-58879037234~19700237476~648528764522&amp;utm_source=aw&amp;utm_medium=ha&amp;utm_campaign=za-en-ha-aw-sk-c-bau!o3~CjwKCAiA1MCrBhAoEiwAC2d64Uuo6lEhgdi1I77nV6y-gzKp4BBoOk517ssAhCnQU86J6Ei_RidU6RoCxJcQAvD_BwE~151865801651~aud-1225341335502:kwd-58879037234~19700237476~648528764522&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gclid=CjwKCAiA1MCrBhAoEiwAC2d64Uuo6lEhgdi1I77nV6y-gzKp4BBoOk517ssAhCnQU86J6Ei_RidU6RoCxJcQAvD_BwE&amp;gclsrc=aw.ds\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Google Keyword Planner<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But that\u2019s effort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once you&#8217;ve found your keywords, it&#8217;d make sense to put them to use in some content.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Which means content optimisation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"content_optimisation\"><\/span><strong>Content Optimisation<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Content optimisation tools help you refine and improve your content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They make sure your stuff&#8217;s a better fit for your audience, and for search engines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Optimising content can be a real bitch to deal with sometimes, so having tools like this come in handy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As far as content optimisation goes, the most affordable SEO tool for the job is\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>WriterZen<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/optimisedaf.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/WriterZen.png\" alt=\"affordable content optimisation tools\" class=\"wp-image-589\" style=\"object-fit:cover;width:800px;height:600px\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cost: $150 (All-In-One Basic Plan)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/writerzen.net\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">WriterZen<\/a> is an AI researching, optimising, writing, and editing tool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019ll help you do keyword research, write your content, make sure it\u2019s optimised, or write it for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We use WriterZen ourselves, so we can definitely vouch for it as an affordable content optimisation tool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With the All-In-One Basic Plan, you\u2019ll get access to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>50 articles a month<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Unlimited AI writing<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>30,000 keyword credits<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>10,000 keyword clusters<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Free Alternatives<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Considering the bang for your buck with WriterZen, it\u2019s a pretty affordable SEO tool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But if you\u2019re really strapped for cash, you can look at:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Yoast\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/yoast.com\/research\/real-time-content-analysis\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Real-time Content Analysis<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Semrush\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/swa\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">SEO Writing Assistant<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.copy.ai\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Copy.ai<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Optimised content&#8217;s gotta go somewhere.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Like a site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But before you go flinging your content into the aether, you should make sure you give it a once-over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"pre-publishing\"><\/span><strong>Pre-publishing<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pre-publishing is the most important step in the content-creation process (in my opinion).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is the point where you make sure everything\u2019s up to scratch and that there aren\u2019t any mitsakes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There were a lot of tools for this list, but I had to go with\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Rank Math<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/optimisedaf.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Rank-Math.png\" alt=\"affordable pre-publishing seo tools\" class=\"wp-image-591\" style=\"object-fit:cover;width:800px;height:600px\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cost: $5.75\/month (Pro Plan)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I gave this one a lot of thought, and I was really conflicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I love Yoast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s what I started with, and it\u2019s still a tool I highly recommend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I even wrote an article about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/pulse\/which-yoast-lights-matter-ian-du-toit\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Yoast lights<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But I found <a href=\"https:\/\/rankmath.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Rank Math<\/a>, and it\u2019s been a game-changer for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Pro Plan gives you:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Unlimited personal websites<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tracking for 500 keywords<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A custom schema generator (and templates)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tracking Google Index status<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Google Trends integration<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tracking the top and bottom 5 keywords<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tracking the top and bottom 5 posts<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Check ranking keywords for each post<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Automated find and replace for alt tags<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s also more lightweight than the main competitors, which is a pretty big bonus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Free Alternatives<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Most (if not all) of the affordable SEO tools in this category also come with a free alternative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I recommend Rank Math\u2019s free plan, but here are some others:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/yoast.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Yoast<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.seopress.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">SEOPress<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/theseoframework.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">The SEO Framework<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And that covers on-page SEO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Next up: Off-page SEO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Off-page SEO<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Off-page SEO is like a popularity contest, but with \u201cpretty please\u201d emails and gossiping about competitor sites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s also the only time when I consider it necessary and acceptable to interact with people outside of you, the lovely visitors to this site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When people think off-page, they usually think backlinks.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And that&#8217;s where we&#8217;ll begin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"backlink_analysis\"><\/span><strong>Backlink Analysis<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I know how important backlinks are, but they\u2019re still a ton of effort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So it really helps to have a tool to do that for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And it helps even more if it\u2019s one of those affordable SEO tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I\u2019ll be honest in saying that I don\u2019t really know a ton about what makes one backlink analysis tool better than another, apart from the quality of the backlinks it finds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So if you do, let me know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I\u2019d love to learn more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Back to the topic, though.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Majestic<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/optimisedaf.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Majestic.png\" alt=\"affordable backlink analysis tools\" class=\"wp-image-587\" style=\"object-fit:cover;width:800px;height:600px\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cost: $49.99\/month (Lite Plan)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Launched back in 2008, <a href=\"https:\/\/majestic.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Majestic<\/a> has solid reporting and deep crawling capability.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s also got a cool name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Lite Plan gives you access to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A site explorer<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Link graphs<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Link context<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Related sites<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Trust Flow<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Topical Trust Flow<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Referring Domains<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Referring IPs<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Referring Subnets<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Backlink Campaigns<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Bulk Backlink Checker<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>PDF Reports<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It also refreshes links on a pretty regular basis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So if you\u2019re one of those people who emphatically checks their stuff, you\u2019ll enjoy Majestic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Free Alternatives<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If Majestic isn\u2019t majestic enough, you can try these free alternatives:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/backlink-checker\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Backlink Checker<\/a> by Ahrefs<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkody.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Linkody<\/a> (30-day free trial)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.seoreviewtools.com\/valuable-backlinks-checker\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">SEO Review Tools<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now that we&#8217;ve analysed our current links, it&#8217;s time to build some new ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"link_building\"><\/span><strong>Link Building<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Link building has always been a contentious avenue within SEO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A lot of that has to do with the fact that, for a long time, paying for backlinks was a great way to boost your site\u2019s visibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nowadays, though, paying for backlinks won\u2019t lead to much growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Apart from having your site\u2019s visibility reduced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So growing downward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Which isn\u2019t really a thing, but I\u2019m keeping it in because I\u2019ve committed to it now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are a couple of affordable SEO tools to handle link building.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Unfortunately, they\u2019re pretty limited, and hide a lot of functionality behind paywalls (which we hate).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Luckily, we found one that didn\u2019t have too steep a wall to scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The most affordable backlink building tool I\u2019d suggest is\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Buzzstream<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/optimisedaf.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Buzzstream.png\" alt=\"affordable backlink building tools\" class=\"wp-image-590\" style=\"object-fit:cover;width:800px;height:600px\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cost: $24\/month (Starter Plan)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.buzzstream.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Buzzstream<\/a> labels itself as \u201cThe world\u2019s best outreach CRM\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now, I don\u2019t have a lot of experience with it myself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But I do know that it\u2019s one of the most affordable link building tools out there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Starter Plan gives you access to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Contact info discovery<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Open, click, &amp; reply tracking<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Email templates<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Email scheduling<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Automated followups<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Publisher metrics<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Influencer metrics<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Twitter conversation tracking<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Email performance reports<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Link monitoring for 1,000 links<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>30 prospecting searches a month<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I don\u2019t know if it really is the world\u2019s best outreach CRM.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I\u2019m not an outreach expert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But I do know that you\u2019ll be hard-pressed to find SEO tools that\u2019ll help you build backlinks for the same price as Buzzstream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Free Alternatives<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you\u2019re looking for something with less functionality (like purely email scraping), then you\u2019ll probably get by fine with these alternatives:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/hunter.io\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Hunter<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>SEO PowerSuite\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.link-assistant.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Link Assistant<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/snov.io\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Snov.io<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you prefer a more active approach to off-page SEO, you could have a go at your competitors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"competitor_analysis\"><\/span><strong>Competitor Analysis<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you can\u2019t beat \u2019em\u2026 Figure out how you can.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And that\u2019s what competitor analysis is for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Finding out what your competitors are doing (and where they\u2019re fucking up a little bit) is how you get ahead in the SEO game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because it\u2019s such an important part of SEO, you\u2019ll find competitor analysis as an add-on to just about every SEO tool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But for the sake of this article (and because I did a stupid amount of research to find info this specific), I\u2019m only going to consider either:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2022 Solely competitor analysis tools<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2022 Or tools that lean heavily on competitor analysis as a feature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And the one that came out on top for that was\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>SpyFu<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/optimisedaf.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/SpyFu.png\" alt=\"affordable competitor analysis tools\" class=\"wp-image-592\" style=\"object-fit:cover;width:800px;height:600px\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cost: $39\/month (Basic Plan)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.spyfu.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">SpyFu<\/a> is one of the most well-known names in the SEO industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Partly because it sounds cool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And partly because it\u2019s one of the most affordable SEO tools on the market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Basic Plan includes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>100 domain overview PDF\u2019s<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>250 sales leads &amp; domain contacts<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>5,000 weekly tracked keyword rankings<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It doesn\u2019t have the biggest toolset \u2013 but it\u2019s seriously good at competitor analysis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Free Alternatives<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">SpyFu\u2019s good for competitor analysis on a budget, but if you\u2019re looking for something cheaper, you can look at:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.similarweb.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">SimilarWeb<\/a> (Free trial)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/vaizle.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Vaizle<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/isearchfrom.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">ISearchFrom<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Another important aspect of off-page SEO is local SEO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So that&#8217;s up next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"local_seo\"><\/span><strong>Local SEO<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Who doesn\u2019t love spending hours trying to convince Google that their (insert product) store is better than the other (insert product) store?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I don\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Which is why tools to handle the job of local SEO are a godsend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And what\u2019s better than local SEO tools?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Affordable local SEO tools!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So, without further ado, the tool for the job is\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Semrush&#8217;s Listing Management Tool<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/optimisedaf.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Semrushs-Listing-Management-Tool.png\" alt=\"affordable local seo tools\" class=\"wp-image-593\" style=\"object-fit:cover;width:800px;height:600px\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cost: $20\/month (Basic)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Semrush\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/listings-management\/start\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Listing Management Tool<\/a> is pretty helpful if you\u2019re looking for bulk uploading on multiple directories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Basic Plan does that for one business location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But we\u2019re here for affordable SEO tools, so $20 for listing alone isn\u2019t good enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Which is why it also gives you:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>NAP management<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>70+ directories cleanup<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Google Business Profile integration<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Voice search optimisation<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Keyword optimisation<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Analytics reviews<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Responding to reviews<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Semrush definitely isn\u2019t known for being cost-effective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But it\u2019s got one of the most affordable SEO tools in the local SEO game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For that reason, it\u2019s on this list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Free Alternatives<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you\u2019re looking for something that costs less, you could try:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Localo\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/localo.com\/local-seo-tool\/free\/local-rank-checker\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Local Rank Checker<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/business\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Google Business Profile<\/a> (who woulda guessed this\u2019d be here)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.brightlocal.com\/free-local-seo-tools\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">BrightLocal<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now that both your on- and off-page SEO are covered, it&#8217;s time for the least favourite of the SEO family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Technical SEO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Technical SEO<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Technical SEO is like hunting for treasure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Except, instead of a treasure map, you\u2019re looking at a robots.txt file.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And instead of finding anything of value, you find 404s and noindex tags.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">People also consider it the most difficult.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Which I\u2019d say is due in part to the fact that when one thing breaks, you:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">a) Don\u2019t know what broke<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">b) Fuck up more stuff trying to fix it<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">c) Fix the thing but have no clue how you did<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">d) Have the process repeat<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">e) Realise you didn\u2019t back up the site so now you can\u2019t rollback (always back up your site, folks).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you don\u2019t know what you\u2019re doing here, you\u2019ll see a really big domino effect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And watch, slowly, and one thing leads to another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Where, finally, you end up with a clusterfuck of 404s and error messages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And your site collapses, along with your dreams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Technical SEO is a mission, so we&#8217;ll start with the most fun bit: rank tracking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"rank_tracking\"><\/span><strong>Rank Tracking<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The digital equivalent of watching paint dry, rank tracking is a \u201churry up and wait\u201d kinda thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So, it really helps if you can go do literally anything else and have something track your ranks for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And, while it\u2019s doing that, why not make it affordable?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So, the most affordable digital eyes to watch your digital paint dry belong to\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Serpple<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/optimisedaf.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Serpple.png\" alt=\"affordable rank tracking tools\" class=\"wp-image-594\" style=\"object-fit:cover;width:800px;height:600px\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cost: $19\/month (Side Hustler Plan)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.serpple.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Serpple<\/a> is a super sleek, simple (and affordable) SEO tool that\u2019s really good at tracking ranks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Side Hustler Plan includes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>100 tracked keywords<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>1 tracked domain<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>2 tracked competitors<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Content audits for 10 pages<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>50 keyword suggestions<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Monitoring for 50 backlinks<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It was built by a guy called Adam White.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So, just for context: the dude\u2019s got 7 kids, and he directs movies in his free time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And he STILL managed to make a tool that beats out most competitors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">AND he kept it affordable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Guess you could call him a White knight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Free Alternatives<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you\u2019re not a side hustler (maybe you\u2019re a side-side hustler), you may want to look at these alternatives:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>TheHOTH\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehoth.com\/search-engine-rankings\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Free Rank Tracker<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/seotesting.com\/ranktracker\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">SEOTesting<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Good ol\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/search.google.com\/u\/0\/search-console?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Google Search Console<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Alright, alright.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Let&#8217;s get to the part of technical SEO that actually is fun.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Criticising things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"site_auditing_reporting\"><\/span><strong>Site Auditing &amp; Reporting<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I love on-page SEO. But I also love one very specific part of technical SEO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And I love that part because it\u2019s all about telling people what they\u2019re doing wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And that\u2019s why I love site auditing and reporting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Only problem is, there aren\u2019t many affordable SEO tools that actually do the job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But after searching and searching (and personal experience), I can say that the most wallet-friendly way to tell people their site sucks is\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>SEOptimer<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/optimisedaf.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/SEOptimer.png\" alt=\"affordable seo audit tools\" class=\"wp-image-595\" style=\"object-fit:cover;width:800px;height:600px\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cost: $19\/month (DIY SEO Plan)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Super simple, super sleek, super affordable. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.seoptimer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">SEOptimer<\/a> is my go-to for site audits and reports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It doesn\u2019t provide a complete site audit, but it gives you an incredibly good idea of what\u2019s wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you level up to other plans, you can white-label the tool, and even embed it into your site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The DIY SEO Plan gives you access to a site audit that checks 100 different website points in the space of around 30 seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you\u2019re looking for affordable SEO tools to handle auditing and reporting, they don\u2019t come much better than this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Free Alternatives<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This one\u2019s also tricky to get alternatives for, since $19 is pretty cheap for this much functionality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But there are some options you could look at, even though they\u2019re more limited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Semrush\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/features\/site-audit\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Site Audit<\/a> (Free trial)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>AIOSEO\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/aioseo.com\/seo-analyzer\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">SEO Analyzer<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/seomator.com\/free-seo-audit-tool\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">SEOMator<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"a_conclusion_yeah_why_not\"><\/span><strong>A Conclusion? Yeah, Why Not.<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Well, that wraps it up, folks. I had fun writing this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I hope you had fun reading it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you enjoyed it, why not try some of the tools?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Or leave a comment below and let us know your thoughts and feelings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There\u2019s plenty more, so stay tuned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Or don\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I can\u2019t tell you what to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I\u2019m not Google.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We\u2019ve got a list of affordable SEO tools to get your site ranking without having to worry about maxing out your credit card, or selling your kidneys.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":596,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-229","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-seo-listicles","category-seo-tool-reviews"],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/optimisedaf.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Affordable-SEO-tools.png?wsr","author_info":{"display_name":"Ian Du Toit","author_link":"https:\/\/optimisedaf.com\/af\/author\/ian"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/optimisedaf.com\/af\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/229","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/optimisedaf.com\/af\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/optimisedaf.com\/af\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/optimisedaf.com\/af\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/optimisedaf.com\/af\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=229"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/optimisedaf.com\/af\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/229\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":725,"href":"https:\/\/optimisedaf.com\/af\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/229\/revisions\/725"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/optimisedaf.com\/af\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/596"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/optimisedaf.com\/af\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=229"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/optimisedaf.com\/af\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=229"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/optimisedaf.com\/af\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=229"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}