When you start learning SEO, any free Chrome extension feels like a breakthrough.
But once you work with real projects, the difference isn’t about adding more tools — it’s about building a focused, reliable stack.
These are the tools I actually use every day as part of my professional workflow, after years of trial, error, and small wins.
The mindset shift — from checking to managing SEO
At the amateur stage, SEO often means running occasional audits and reacting to red flags.
When you take the next step, you start managing SEO: tracking consistently, making structured changes, and basing decisions on real data.
That’s when tools stop feeling like toys and become part of your daily system.
Professional SEO can also get expensive if you try to subscribe to everything at once.
That’s why it’s smarter to build a stack you actually use and understand, rather than chasing every new platform.
Pick a few tools you are comfortable with, learn them well, and you will go further than someone juggling a dozen logins.
Here is my current setup, focused on what matters most: technical clarity, measurable progress, and control.
My core tool stack
1. SE Ranking
What I use it for: Site audits, keyword research, keyword rank tracking, and competitor analysis.
Why I like it: SE Ranking gives me almost everything I need to perform both strategic analysis and solid technical SEO. The interface is fast, the reports are clear, and the data is reliable across projects. Functionally, I rarely miss anything compared to larger platforms, and the pricing is much more reasonable.
Alternatives: Ahrefs and Semrush are both excellent tools with deep link data and advanced reporting. The only real drawback is cost. When I have access, I still use them for occasional deep dives, but I don’t need them in my daily workflow.
For anyone starting to take SEO seriously, SE Ranking is a cost-effective and well-rounded tool I can easily recommend.
2. Screaming Frog
What I use it for: Technical crawls, redirects, meta data, broken link checks, and a quick overview of site structure.
Why I like it: Screaming Frog is fast, reliable, and easy to use for spotting missing titles, duplicate H1s, incorrect canonicals, or pages returning the wrong status code. It’s also perfect for mapping the overall site structure before larger audits. When SE Ranking’s site audit stops at surface level, Screaming Frog keeps digging and often finds the smaller issues others miss. I also use it frequently to export data for deeper analysis — sometimes even running it through AI tools for pattern detection.
Alternatives: Sitebulb and JetOctopus are excellent visual and cloud-based crawlers, but I keep returning to Screaming Frog for its precision, control, and speed.
3. Superspora 🐿
What I use it for: SEO logging, progress tracking, and keeping every domain and page organized over time.
Why I like it: We wanted to build a real SEO management platform, something designed specifically for managing SEO work and not just another general project tool. Superspora became the result, and it turned out so useful that we decided to make it available for everyone. It keeps everything in one place: domains, pages, tasks, updates, and notes. That structure helps me stay consistent when working page by page across long periods, without losing the thread or forgetting what comes next. Traditional project tools like Asana, ClickUp, or Monday are great for teamwork, but they do not think in SEO terms. This one does.
It is perfect for tracking progress, logging changes, and keeping a clear record of what has been done. Each update can also be reported back to the client, so they see what was done, not just the ranking results. Over time, this makes SEO work more transparent, repeatable, and easier to manage.
Alternatives: You could try to recreate this workflow in Notion or Airtable, but they will not connect SEO context, freshness, or site structure as naturally as Superspora does. This is the tool I wish had existed years ago, which is exactly why we built it.
If you want to see how it works in practice, visit Superspora.com to learn more about its features and use cases.
4. MetaTags.io
What I use it for: Instant previews of how titles and descriptions appear on Google, Facebook, and X (Twitter).
Why I like it: MetaTags.io is fast, accurate, and private, with no signup or tracking. It shows exactly how your snippets will look when shared, which makes it easy to catch issues before publishing.
Alternatives: You can also try the ThisSiteChecker SEO Online Checker, which includes a built-in SERP preview along with useful on-page data. It is not as polished visually as MetaTags.io, but it gives more information in one place. Another option is SERPsim if you like working with keyword overlay suggestions.
A small tip is to keep these tools in a browser folder of favorites. That way, you always have quick access to them when writing or reviewing new pages.
5. AnswerThePublic
What I use it for: Finding real questions people ask online.
Why I like it: It visualizes “who,” “what,” and “why” queries beautifully, perfect for planning FAQs and blog topics.
Alternatives: AlsoAsked or free “People Also Ask” scrapers can give similar insights, but I like ATP’s clarity when presenting ideas to clients.
6. ThisSiteChecker Tool
What I use it for: Heading Health Check, Image Health Check, and Index Issues Detector.
Why I like it: These tools are simple, fast, and lightweight. I created ThisSiteChecker to give something back to beginners in the SEO world, a small set of tools you can use freely while learning and taking your first steps.
Some of them turned out to be so useful that I use them myself, especially the Heading Health Check, which I have yet to find a true alternative for. It is my go-to before publishing to confirm that heading structure makes sense and follows best practice.
All tools are privacy-friendly and store nothing, which keeps things clean and focused on learning. Whether you are a beginner or a professional, they help you fix the essentials quickly and understand why each step matters.
My WordPress SEO plugins
Rank Math SEO
I use Rank Math SEO when clients will manage the site themselves. It gives them a clear and visual way to edit titles, descriptions, and redirects directly in WordPress.
I always recommend using the Pro version of SEO plugins if possible, but the free version of Rank Math is still much better than having nothing at all.
When I set it up, the first two features I activate are the 404 log and 301 redirects. They are reliable, easy to use, and make it simple for clients to keep their sites healthy without touching code.
I also turn off all analysis and tracking features, since they add unnecessary noise and data. Keeping it simple helps clients stay focused on what matters: clean titles, working redirects, and content that keeps improving over time.
Slim SEO
For my own sites, I prefer Slim SEO. It is ultra-light, fast, and gives me full control over what is output on each page. No extra scripts, no bloat, and no unnecessary settings getting in the way.
I manually write custom schema (JSON-LD) for every page and post. This ensures that Google reads exactly what I intend, not what a plugin guesses. For anyone who wants that same level of control, Slim SEO is absolutely worth trying.
I recommend keeping an eye on Slim SEO as it keeps evolving. Once you start working in detail and know exactly what you want to achieve, this plugin becomes more valuable. When I use it without being in “expert mode,” it can have a few weak spots that beginners might struggle to figure out.
So my advice is to start with Rank Math, and when you are ready to write schema data manually or with AI help, try Slim SEO. It gives you that extra level of control that makes a difference.
→ Related reading: WordPress SEO in 30 Minutes
Bonus layer — tracking and behavior tools
These tools do not optimize your site directly, but they connect SEO with real user behavior and data-driven decisions.
- Microsoft Clarity – heatmaps and session replays that show how visitors actually move and click on your pages.
- Google Tag Manager (GTM) – keeps analytics, events, and scripts structured and easy to maintain.
- Google Search Console (GSC) – your main channel for understanding how Google views and indexes your content.
- Bing Webmaster Tools – similar to GSC, but for Bing. It provides indexing insights and keyword data that can reveal opportunities outside Google.
- Google Analytics 4 (GA4) – for engagement and conversion tracking, especially once Consent Mode v2 is configured.
- AI tools – helpful both for sparring and for analyzing large datasets. They make it faster to spot trends, summarize audit exports, or interpret ranking shifts that would take hours manually.
I do not count these as direct “SEO tools,” but they are an essential part of the measurement layer. Once you start managing SEO professionally, you will use them regularly to confirm that your work actually improved visibility, engagement, and conversions.
What “pro” really means
Becoming a professional in SEO is not about collecting subscriptions or chasing every new AI tool. It is about building trust and trust in your data, your logs, and the workflow that keeps you improving over time. A good tool stack is simple, consistent, and easy to repeat.
The goal is not to spend more, but to get more done. Start with one rank tracker, one crawler, and one log system. Once that foundation works, you can add automation and insights that genuinely make your work better, not just busier.
It is also important to stay curious. New tools and methods appear constantly, and SEO evolves faster than most fields. Make it a habit to test, learn, and update your routines. The people who grow fastest are the ones who keep learning, not the ones with the biggest budgets.
In SEO, progress comes from curiosity and consistency — not from how many tools you use, but from how well you use them.