Having relevant and helpful content that aligns with the visitors’ search intent is quintessential for ranking at the top of the Google search results. It may sound like a completely manual process but you can save time and effort while improving on-page optimization by using SEO content writing tools.
These tools will help you research for keywords faster and more efficiently, and add them to the content at the right places while ensuring optimal keyword density. They also help you take care of finer aspects like internal linking.
In this blog post, we will cover 16 tools that help with SEO writing.
1. Google Search Console
Google Search Console is a powerful tool that reports your website’s performance on the Google search results page. Among some technical SEO highlights, GSC also reports what keywords your pages rank for.
You can apply filters to check performance of individual pages or keywords. This way, you can find keywords that you might have missed earlier or plan to add more content to boost organic traffic through existing keywords.
How to use Google Search Console for SEO Content Writing?
Google Search Console is quintessential to your content revamp strategy. It will even help you find new topic ideas. For example, if you are ranking on Page 3 or beyond for a keyword that is crucial for your business or blog, you can take a call between updating content relevant to that keyword on the same page or creating a new page.
The above image shows the position of some keywords for a specific page on our domain. Often, we add fresh content relevant to a keyword if it ranks within the first 15 search results because it belongs with that page.
However, we create new pages for keywords outside that bracket, if it has decent search volume. The strategy varies business to business though.
Pricing: Google search console is free for all website owners with a Google account.
It helps users with keeping track of, preserving, and troubleshooting the Google Search results for their website. Although you are not required to register for Search Console in order to appear in Google Search results, doing so can help you better understand and modify how Google perceives your site.
You can also avoid issues when websites undergo changes by using the Google Search Console. When changes are made, it frequently happens that GSC accounts are also erased. However, you can get your saved data back by using that specific tool after deleting the GSC accounts.
Chris Walker, Superstar SEO
2. Google Search Results Page
Google SERP is a goldmine of keywords. It provides you a list of keywords that are not just relevant to your content but also what people actually search. Sure you can’t get the search volume, but you will get many keyword ideas that will enrich your blog content.
How to use Google Search Results Page for SEO Writing?
The only challenge is learning how to use Google SERPs for keyword research. There are many options like using Google Autocomplete, People Also Ask, Related searches, search operators, and more. However, once you get the hang of it, you won’t need any other tool.
The above example shows the Google autocomplete results for the keyword ʼhow to bake a cake’. You can see what people with that search intent type into the search box and create content around it.
Pricing: Google SERP is free for anyone with an internet connection.
3. AnswerThePublic
Using Google SERPs for keyword research, though effective, takes a lot of time. You need to look up autocomplete for all characters to be sure that you covered everything, find relevant questions, and so much more.
How to use AnswerThePublic for SEO Writing?
But with AnswerThePublic, the process becomes simpler. This free SEO writing tool populates a list of all suggestions from autocomplete for the keyword of your choice. You can see the list in a mind-map format, or even export it as a spreadsheet for more analysis.
The above example shows results for the keyword how to bake a cake. It shows a keyword globe split by different question categories. It also shows keywords split based on the alphabets too, just like Google’s autocomplete suggestions.
Also, you can click on ‘Download CSV’ to get it in a spreadsheet format.
Pricing: AnswerThePublic is free for two keyword searches a day which should be enough for most bloggers. But it costs $99 per month for unlimited searches.
For the past several years, I have used Answer the Public to find out the types of questions people are asking when they search for information related to a keyword I’m writing about. Answer the Public is a free tool that visually compiles questions related to just about any keyword you put in. You can then use those questions to create individual blogs, social media posts or other pieces of content, or you can compile multiple questions into a longer ebook or white paper on the topic.
Jennifer Klemmetson, Klemmetson Communications
4. Google Trends
Google trends is an undermined tool. It can help you identify minor variations in keywords that result in a big difference in your organic traffic.
With Google trends, you can identify which keyword has a higher search volume from your preferred country within a period. It also suggests relevant keywords which can be included in your content.
How to use Google Trends for SEO Content Writing?
For example, suppose your business is based on Customer Relationship Management as a keyword. You will often come across system and software as different keyword versions of CRM. Now, if you pick the right one, you might get slightly more traffic compared to the other.
Google trends can help you identify the keyword to be picked.
The above image shows the CRM software has had a higher search volume in the United States over the past year when compared to the CRM system.
On scrolling down further, and looking at the Top queries, as shown in the above image, you can see the most trending topics around CRM.
Pricing: Google Trends is free for anyone with an internet connection.
5. Keywords Everywhere extension
Keywords everywhere is a Google Chrome and Firefox extension that gives a list of additional keywords relevant to the searched keywords, right on the Google SERP page.
It makes it easy for you to identify more keywords and see the search results and competition for them before picking them up as a part of your content.
Keyword Everywhere also shows the traffic for pages ranking on SERPs which gives an idea around how much traffic you can expect if you rank at the top. Though it’s not accurate, it gives an idea and some validation to your chosen topic idea, especially if you don’t use a paid tool like Semrush.
How to use Keyword Everywhere extension for SEO writing?
After activating the extension, search your keyword on Google. The below image shows suggestions from the keyword everywhere extension. You can see some Related Keywords, People also search for, and long-tail keywords.
By clicking on them, you can check the SERP for those keywords.
Pricing: Keywords Everywhere is free for the most part, however, you need to purchase credits to see accurate search volumes for keywords. You can secure 10,000 credits for every dollar you pay.
6. Google Keyword Planner
Google keyword planner is a product within the Google Ads interface that helps you identify keywords that are relevant to the primary keyword. This tool offers additional keywords based on various dimensions associated with a keyword.
How to use Google Keyword Planner for SEO content writing?
The below image shows suggestions for the keyword how to groom my dog.
Along with related searches, Google Keyword Planner also shows diversification of keywords based on permutations around dog breeds, body parts to groom, etc.
Google Keyword Planner also suggests a monthly search volume but it’s a very broad range for users without live Google Ads. It may not be very useful but sure gives an idea.
Pricing: Google Keywords Planner is free for anyone using Google Ads. However, accurate search volume is shown only to accounts with live Ads.
7. Ubersuggest
Ubersuggest is a decent tool for keyword research. It’s easy to use and has a freemium plan. It populates search volume estimates for keywords while suggesting new ones.
How to use Ubersuggest for keyword research?
The keyword – bbq safety tips – shows the below results.
Ubersuggest shows that this keyword has a search volume of 90 per month from the US. It also suggests that it’s a slightly difficult keyword to target through SEO.
On crawling down further, you can see related keyword ideas along with their search volume and keyword difficulty. You can consider pivoting to similar keywords for better search volume.
Ubersuggest also pops up some content ideas too.
Pricing: Ubersuggest is free for analysis of 3 keywords per day. Beyond that, you can opt for a 7-day free trial. Ubersuggest costs $12 for individual websites, there are more plans for the larger businesses too.
8. Semrush
Semrush is the gold standard of tools when it comes to keyword research. It far outweighs its closest competitors like Ahrefs and Moz in this department. Semrush provides a comprehensive list of associated keywords with search volume for different countries.
It has the most accurate search volume metrics when compared to all other tools.
Pricing: Semrush’s monthly subscription can cost you anywhere between $119.5 to $449.95.
9. Ahrefs
Ahrefs is the best keyword research tool, after Semrush. It offers a decent list of suggestions for the primary keyword, however, the search volumes are not always accurate.
Pricing: Ahrefs monthly subscription can cost you anywhere between $99 to $999.
10. Yoast SEO plugin
Yoast SEO is a free plugin that works well with the WordPress CMS. The free version of Yoast takes your primary keywords and suggests where they should be placed in the text for best SEO performance.
It also suggests a keyword density – the ratio of keywords to all words in a blog. You may choose to meet Yoast’s criteria but many of our pages ranked well without doing so. This tool also suggests adding internal and external links, which again you need not necessarily follow, but you can treat it as a checklist.
How to use Yoast for SEO content writing?
Yoast also gives you a list of items that you got right and what you can do to improve. For example, in the below image, you can see the complete checklist of on-page SEO items split into Red, Orange, and Green sections.
- Red – It’s crucial for better SEO
- Orange – These factors do have an impact but they are not critical
- Green – Good job! You got them right
Yoast also gives a score on content quality based on its readability and simplicity. However, most suggestions are somewhat superfluous and do not impact content quality or SEO performance.
Pricing: Yoast SEO plugin is free but also has a paid version that costs $99 per year, excluding VAT.
You may use Yoast SEO to get real-time feedback as you improve your blog entries using WordPress using this plugin. With the plug-in, you get an on-page SEO task checklist that pops up while you write your blog posts. When it comes to WordPress on-page SEO, Yoast SEO delivers real-time feedback on your page optimizations, makes recommendations for improvement, and helps you handle all the specifics of the process.
Ayman Zaidi, GreatPeopleSearch
11. Rankmath SEO Plugin
We use RankMath to help us with our SEO writing. First, this SEO plugin is free. Next, it tells us how to improve our content for SEO with a score. The goal is to get to 100. If I ever forget an important element like an SEO title or an image, RankMath reminds me. I find since switching from Yoast to RankMath, our SERP positions have risen.
Janice Wald, Mostly Blogging
12. Keyword Density Checker
One of the best SEO content writing tools is Keyword Density Checker. It is an awesome product for keeping your keywords in the right proportion and avoiding over-stuffing. It also offers other similar keywords that can help improve both writing and rankings. The Keyword Density Checker is easy to use and has no long-term commitment so it’s perfect to test out.
Baruch Labunski, Rank Secure
13. Surfer SEO’s Content Editor
Surfer SEO’s content editor is a very useful tool for SEO content writing. Its user-friendly interface includes a right sidebar that selects SEO-friendly terms you can include in your text in order to boost its content score. A higher content score generally means your content might rank higher in the search engine results pages. These suggested terms come from competitor analysis run by Surfer’s software. We’ve seen pretty positive results using this software and it’s helped us produce great content to the best of our ability.
Eric Ang, One Search Pro
14. Hemingway App
Hemingway is a writing app that helps you write a concise text that is easy to understand. This app helps shorten sentences making your work more legible for audience attraction. Since it’s always good to reduce the effort required to consume your content, reviewing your post in Hemingway before hitting ‘publish’ goes a long way.
Hemingway’s free version does an excellent job of stopping you from over-complicating your writing. There’s also a desktop app on average, $20 per month. With this plan, you can work offline and get integrations to publish directly on WordPress & Medium.
Charles Ngechu, EasyPaydayLoan
15. Grammarly
Grammarly will help you ensure that the content you write is grammatically correct and does not have any plagiarism. This is a good thing to have and use since it helps you create quality SEO content that will help you and your organization offer better services.
Ivy Bosibori, USBadCreditLoans
16. Google Keyword Planner
I use the Google Keyword Planner, which allows me to research and find the best keywords to use in my content so that it ranks high in Google search results.
Google Keyword Planner is a free keyword research tool for advertisers running campaigns in Google Ads.The main benefit of using Google Keyword Planner is that it provides advertisers with data on the relative popularity (search volume) of different keywords and insights into how difficult it might be to rank for those keywords in Google’s search results. This information can be valuable in helping advertisers choose the most effective keywords to target in their Google Ads campaigns.
In addition, Google Keyword Planner generates estimates for the potential click-through rate (CTR) and conversion rate that an advertiser might expect to see if they were to rank in the top position for a particular keyword. Overall, Google Keyword Planner is for advertisers looking to get the most out of their Google Ads campaigns.
Franceen Andres, CocoLoan
Accessing the right tools is just the first step.
This guide will cover all steps to building SEO writing skills.
Conclusion
In this post, we covered 10 tools for SEO content writing along with their pricing. Use them based on your budget and let us know how it worked.