In today’s digital age, whether you're a blogger, business owner, or web manager, regularly running a free website SEO audit is key to improving your Google rankings. These audits help you catch what’s working, what’s broken, and what’s missing — from technical errors to content gaps on different pages — so you can optimize your content effectively. As someone who works as both an SEO freelancer — a professional dedicated to optimizing your content and improving your website's overall health score — and a blogger, I’ve personally tested dozens of SEO audit tools over the years. I’ve used them not just for my own websites but also for clients, and I can say that a free website SEO audit tool can make a real difference. Some worked like magic, while others didn’t live up to the hype.
In this article, I’m sharing my top picks for the best SEO audit tools in the market, including those that analyze hreflang tags in 2025, based on real-world use. If you're looking for reliable tools to help you fix issues, improve rankings, and stay ahead in the SEO game, this list is made for you.
Ahrefs Site Audit — A Deep & Accurate Free Website SEO Audit Tool Trusted by Experts
If you're looking for an advanced free website SEO audit tool that delivers in-depth analysis of your website’s technical health, on-page SEO, and even user experience issues — Ahrefs Site Audit is among the most powerful options available in 2025. It’s completely cloud-based, which means there’s nothing to install. Just log in via your browser and start auditing with a ton of features designed for your SEO needs. The tool crawls your website like a search engine, identifying over 170+ SEO issues — including performance, mobile usability, content problems, and crawlability — giving you an instant overview of what needs attention. I’ve personally used this website SEO audit tool on multiple client websites and my own projects. What sets it apart is the speed and accuracy. Within minutes, I received a detailed Health Score, followed by structured reports that clearly show what’s working, what’s broken, and how to fix it — making it one of the best free SEO audit options for professionals and beginners alike.
170+ SEO Checks Across All Categories Perform a free website SEO audit with over 170+ checks across all categories.
Covers issues like Core Web Vitals, slow-loading pages, crawl errors, redirect chains, broken links, orphaned pages, JavaScript rendering issues, missing alt text, duplicate content, noindex problems, and structured data validation. These checks ensure your website SEO audit covers every critical technical and on-page factor.
Advanced Data Visualization Beautiful graphs, segmented timelines, and crawl maps help you understand trends and track issues over time — perfect for SEO audit reporting.
Smart Issue Grouping & Prioritization Errors, Warnings, and Notices are separated smartly. You can filter by importance or issue type, making large-site SEO audits easier to manage.
AI-Powered Audit Assistance The “Ask AI” feature offers solutions based on your SEO audit report — like fixing duplicate meta tags or improving page speed. The “Patches” tool can auto-generate fixes for selected on-page issues, boosting your overall SEO score.
Core Web Vitals — Field + Lab Data Ahrefs blends real-user Chrome data with Lighthouse insights to give you a full performance picture during your free website SEO audit.
IndexNow Integration & Always-On Monitoring It instantly notifies search engines of content changes and keeps running background checks — so your SEO audit is always fresh.
Pros
Accurate and up-to-date SEO audit results
Excellent technical SEO analysis with structured reports
Powerful visualization tools for professional reporting
Smart AI assistance to fix common issues
Ideal for freelancers, SEO teams, and agencies
White-label reports for client presentations
Cons
Pricier than tools like Ubersuggest or Screpy
High crawl limits needed for very large sites
Some AI features require technical knowledge
Final Verdict: Should You Use Ahrefs Site Audit? If you’re serious about improving your site’s SEO, running a free website SEO audit with Ahrefs can give you everything you need — from beginner-friendly reports to advanced crawling and AI-powered recommendations. Whether you’re managing your own blog or performing client SEO audits, this tool’s depth, accuracy, and automation make it one of the best choices for SEO site audits in 2025.
2: Sitebulb — Visual SEO Audit Software for Freelancers & Clients
If you're looking for an SEO audit A tool that goes beyond just numbers and explains every issue in a visually intuitive way, Sitebulb definitely deserves a spot on your list as a premier site audit tool. It’s a visual-first website crawling tool — perfect for freelancers, agencies, and technical SEOs who want to deliver professional and easy-to-understand reports to clients or internal teams. I’ve personally used Sitebulb for technical SEO audits, and what stood out to me the most was its visual presentation. From interactive graphs to crawl maps and heat flow diagrams, Sitebulb makes complex SEO data clear, clean, and actionable — even for non-technical clients, similar to the insights provided by a screaming frog analysis.
Key Features of Sitebulb
⦁ 300+ SEO Checks (Hints): Covers indexability, duplicate content, page speed, structured data, internal linking, and opportunities for improvement. ⦁ Visual SEO Reporting: Complex data is simplified using charts, pie graphs, bar charts, and flow diagrams. ⦁ Audit Comparison Over Time: Easily compare current and past audits to track performance report progress or regressions. ⦁ White-label PDF Reports: Fully customizable and professional reports for clients or stakeholders. ⦁ JavaScript Rendering & Crawling: Uses Googlebot-style crawling to handle JS-heavy pages accurately. ⦁ Cloud Collaboration: Cloud plan allows team-based auditing and sharing for agencies and enterprises, enhancing the use of advanced site audit tools. Pros 1. Visually rich, intuitive, and easy-to-explain SEO reports 2. Beginner-friendly interface with powerful depth for pros, allowing you to optimize the page SEO effectively. 3. Affordable pricing — Lite plan starts at just $13.50/month 4. Available in both desktop and cloud versions 5. Advanced options like scheduled audits, custom filters, and crawl prioritization are essential features of a top-tier site audit tool, ensuring hreflang tags are correctly implemented. Cons 1. Requires installation (for desktop version) 2. Slower performance on very large websites (50k+ URLs) 3. Slight learning curve for first-time users, but you'll quickly see how your website can benefit from the tool. 4. Cloud version is significantly more expensive ($240+/month) Pricing Plans Sitebulb offers three main pricing tiers. The Lite plan starts at $13.50 to $15/month, suitable for smaller sites and basic reporting. The Pro desktop plan ranges from $35 to $42/month and includes advanced features for deeper audits. The Cloud version starts at approximately $240/month, offering team collaboration, unlimited crawling, and cloud-based access. You can also get a 15% discount if you choose annual billing for managing your site’s SEO more affordably.
FAQ Is Sitebulb good for small websites? Yes, the Lite plan is great for small websites, freelancers, and beginner SEOs. It’s affordable and provides all the basic features you need for a solid audit of each piece of content on your site.
Final Thoughts
Sitebulb is ideal for SEO professionals, freelancers, and digital agencies who care not just about technical depth, but also about how results are presented. If you need to deliver clean, impressive, and insightful reports — this is one of the best SEO audit tools for 2025.
If you want an SEO audit tool that’s simple, fun, and doesn’t feel overwhelming — Morningscore is worth checking out for its outstanding SEO score. It’s a great option for freelancers, agencies, and small business owners who want to improve their website without dealing with complex dashboards. What makes it different is its gamified system — you get XP points, complete missions, and level up your SEO like it’s a game. I’ve used Morningscore myself for client SEO reports, and I really liked how easy and visual everything was. Even clients who don’t know much about SEO found the reports simple to understand.
Key Features
Easy-to-Use Dashboard: Track your website health, keywords, backlinks, and progress — all in one place. Gamified SEO Missions: Tasks like fixing broken links or improving content become fun challenges. Daily Keyword Tracking: See how your keywords rank and compare with competitors. Backlink Tracking: Know when you gain or lose backlinks and improve your site’s Linkscore. SEO Health Reports: Find and fix technical or content issues that hurt your rankings. Beautiful Client Reports: Export clean and visual SEO audit reports with your branding. AI Features Coming in 2025: Smart SEO suggestions and insights are on the way. What I Liked (Pros)
Clean and friendly design — no confusion even for beginners trying to enhance their site’s SEO with features like hreflang support.
Makes SEO tasks more fun with missions and points
Visual reports are perfect for clients
Budget-friendly compared to Ahrefs or SEMrush
Offers a free trial (no credit card needed)
What I Didn’t Like (Cons)
Not as deep or detailed as advanced tools like SEMrush
Pricing (No Table): Lite/Growth Plan: Offers essential features for those just starting, helping to identify missing alt tags and poor title tags. $49–65/month — great for personal use or freelancers Professional: $125/month — more advanced reports and scans to help you understand the pages you want to optimize. Master Suite: a comprehensive tool to optimize your content and manage your SEO tasks effectively, ensuring you cover every page of your site. $237/month — for larger teams or agencies (Annual plans offer ~17% discount or 2 months free) FAQ Is Morningscore a good SEO audit tool for beginners looking to analyze multiple pages to see where they stand? Yes, absolutely. Morningscore is made for beginners and small businesses, providing insights into hreflang implementation. It makes SEO easier to understand and gives you clear steps to follow.
If you’re serious about improving your SEO If you’re looking for a tool that goes deep into backlinks, Google penalties, and on-page SEO, then CognitiveSEO is worth checking out for its technical and SEO features. It’s mainly designed for digital marketers, SEO pros, and agencies who want a powerful audit tool with detailed link insights and easy-to-share reports that include competitive analysis. What makes CognitiveSEO different is its Google Penalty Detection feature — something very few SEO tools offer. It can tell if your site was hit by a Google penalty, which can save you a lot of stress and confusion when traffic suddenly drops.
Key Features
⦁ Penalty Detection: Detect both manual and algorithmic Google penalties that may be affecting your rankings and traffic. ⦁ Unnatural Link Finder: Uses AI to identify spammy or harmful backlinks that could get your site penalized. ⦁ Full Site SEO Audit: Checks for technical SEO issues, duplicate content, and other problems that can hurt your search visibility. ⦁ Backlink Explorer: Access 3+ million links and analyze anchor text, toxicity score, and linking domains. ⦁ Rank Tracking: Monitor your keyword rankings daily — including rankings from different countries and devices. ⦁ Content Visibility Audit: See which pages are indexed on Google, and find content that needs better optimization. ⦁ Team Collaboration: Add multiple users, share white-label reports, and create separate campaigns for each client. What I Liked
Penalty alerts are very helpful when your site loses traffic suddenly, allowing for quick action on identified SEO factors.
Deep backlink analysis — much more advanced than many basic SEO tools.
Clean reports that clients can understand easily, highlighting key audit findings and areas for improvement, serving as a comprehensive checklist for effective communication.
Good mix of automation + manual control for SEO audits.
Free trial for 7 days — no risk in testing.
Multi-user access makes it great for teams and SEO agencies.
What Could Be Better: A more detailed checklist for identifying technical SEO problems would enhance the user experience.
Interface gets slow when working with large websites or big backlink lists.
No PPC tools or ad tracking, so it’s only for SEO, making it essential for those focused on technical SEO problems and opportunities for improvement.
Entry-level plan is a bit pricey if you’re just running one small site.
Pricing Plans Starter – $129.99/month (or $89/month billed yearly) Good for small agencies. Includes: 5 SEO campaigns: 200,000 backlinks: 1,500 keywords 2 user seats; Premium – ~$199–$299/month (based on needs) Best for growing SEO teams 10 campaigns ; 1M backlinks ; 4,500 keyword rankings 5 user seats: White-label reports : Elite – ~$499/month (or $349/month yearly) Ideal for big agencies 25 campaigns using the best keyword research tools can significantly enhance your SEO strategy. 3M backlinks : 13,500 keyword rankings 10 users ; Full API access
Final Thoughts
CognitiveSEO is not just another SEO audit tool — it’s a powerful system built around backlinks, penalty detection, and technical audits, offering sorts of insights that matter. If you're managing multiple sites or clients, or worried about harmful backlinks, this tool can give you peace of mind. It’s especially good if you’ve been hit by Google updates before — or want to make sure it never happens again. Quick FAQ on how to optimize your pages to see better results in search rankings. Q: Is CognitiveSEO good for beginners? A: It’s not the simplest tool, but the interface is clean and many features are automated. Beginners can use it — but it’s especially useful for pros and agencies.
5. SEO PowerSuite – Complete SEO Toolkit You Can Run on Your Desktop
SEO PowerSuite is a powerful all-in-one SEO software designed for people who want full control over their SEO work — without relying on cloud platforms. It includes four specialized desktop tools that together help with everything from tracking keywords to auditing websites and analyzing backlinks. This tool is ideal for freelancers, small agencies, or SEO experts who prefer a one-time purchase over recurring monthly subscriptions.
What’s Inside SEO PowerSuite?
SEO PowerSuite offers four separate applications, each designed for a key area of SEO:
Rank Tracker: a vital tool for monitoring your website's performance and identifying opportunities for improvement.: Track keyword positions globally or even locally at city-level. It lets you monitor thousands of keywords, analyze SERP features, and view your ranking performance over time.
Website Auditor: Run deep technical SEO audits to uncover issues like broken links. It checks Core Web Vitals, finds broken links and duplicate content, and helps improve your site structure by analyzing your sitemap and robots.txt file.
SEO SpyGlass: This tool focuses on backlink analysis but does not include keyword density checks. A complete backlink analyzer. You can check your entire link profile, detect low-quality or risky backlinks, and even compare your backlink sources with competitors.
LinkAssistant: A valuable tool for managing backlinks and improving keyword density in your content strategy, ensuring you cover all relevant metrics like engagement and conversions. Makes link-building easier. You can manage outreach campaigns, use email templates, and discover potential websites for backlinks on various pages to see where to focus your efforts.
What Makes It Stand Out
Full desktop control – No internet required while working
No keyword or project limits – You can run audits and track as many keywords as you like
Local rank tracking – Ideal for local SEO campaigns and optimizing hreflang for different regions.
White-label reporting – Send customized reports with your branding (available in Enterprise plan)
Free version available – Great for testing the tool before committing
Where It Falls Short
No real-time team collaboration – Since it's offline, it’s not ideal for teams needing shared access
Slightly slow on older systems – It runs on Java, which can feel a bit heavy
Limited keyword research data – Not as advanced as platforms like Ahrefs or SEMrush
How Much Does SEO PowerSuite Cost?
There’s a free version that allows you to audit up to 500 URLs and analyze around 1,100 backlinks — good enough to get started. The Professional plan, priced at $299 per year, includes unlimited projects, scheduled SEO tasks, and limited cloud sync support. For agencies needing branded reports and CSV exports, the Enterprise plan costs $499 per year. Note: After the first 6 months, you’ll need to pay a small monthly fee (around $9–$15) if you want to keep receiving software updates for your pages to see continuous improvement. What Are Real Users Saying? On platforms like G2 and GetApp, SEO PowerSuite enjoys a solid 4.5 out of 5 stars for its comprehensive page audit features. Users love its deep SEO auditing features, unlimited keyword tracking, and the value it offers for a one-time price, which might be hurting your budget if you opt for recurring fees. Is SEO PowerSuite Right for You?
This tool is a smart choice if you:
Want full control over your SEO strategy
Don’t want to rely on the cloud or monthly subscriptions? You can still manage your site’s SEO efficiently.
Need powerful audits, backlink tools, and branded reports
Work solo or run a small agency
But if your workflow depends on real-time collaboration, advanced keyword databases, or a fast, lightweight interface — you might be better off with tools like Ahrefs, Surfer SEO, or SEMrush, especially for analyzing search engine results pages. Common Question regarding the best free SEO tools available. Can I use SEO PowerSuite offline? Yes — that’s one of its key benefits. You can work entirely from your desktop and keep your data private.
If you're looking for a reliable SEO tool in 2025 that handles everything from website audits to rank tracking and competitor research — SE Ranking might be exactly what you need. It’s a cloud-based platform, so you don’t need to install anything. Just log in, add your page on your website, and it will scan your site like a search engine. In a few minutes, you’ll get a full report showing technical issues, keyword gaps, backlink problems, and more. I’ve personally used SE Ranking on client websites and my own projects. What stood out the most was how well it handles daily keyword tracking and competitor research, especially at a much lower price than tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush. What I Liked About SE Ranking
The competitive analysis tools are powerful and easy to use, providing valuable metrics like traffic estimates and keyword rankings.
Daily keyword tracking is accurate, even for local searches, and can be enhanced with advanced keyword research tools.
It’s affordable, especially when compared to other top SEO platforms.
Everything is in one dashboard — from technical audits to backlink tracking, allowing for a thorough review of SEO elements.
You get access to historical data in higher plans.
Customer support is helpful, and there’s live chat available 24/7.
What I Didn’t Like
The backlink filtering options are basic compared to tools like Ahrefs.
The keyword and backlink database isn’t as large as top-tier tools, but it still offers valuable insights for your page SEO.
If you’re new to SEO, the interface may feel a little complex at first, but it offers valuable insights to optimize your content, including guidance on hreflang usage.
Regional data accuracy can vary in smaller markets.
Pricing (2025) for search engine optimization services SE Ranking offers three main pricing plans: Essential Plan: Starts from $44/month, offering auditing tools like performance reports to track your SEO success and identify poor title tags. Good for beginners — covers 5–10 websites, 100,000 audit pages, and basic competitor data. Pro Plan: Around $87/month. Best for small agencies — allows up to 30 projects, white-label reports, and historical keyword data. Business Plan: Starts from $191/month. Ideal for large teams — includes API access, full data history, and advanced features for effective on-page optimization. All plans come with a 14-day free trial, and no credit card is needed to try it, making it an accessible option among free SEO tools.
Final Thoughts: Should You Use SE Ranking?
If you're a freelancer, digital marketer, or run SEO for multiple websites — SE Ranking gives you all the essential tools in one place, including a checklist for optimizing individual pages. It helps you track rankings, fix technical SEO issues, analyze competitors, and monitor backlinks — without breaking the bank. Best for anyone who needs a professional SEO tool that’s easy to use and affordable, while also providing essential technical and SEO insights.
If you’re just starting out with SEO and don’t want to get overwhelmed by technical dashboards or complex features — Ubersuggest is the perfect entry point for managing your whole website in 2025. Created by marketing expert Neil Patel, this tool is built for small website owners, bloggers, and digital newcomers who want to grow traffic without spending hundreds of dollars, including features to analyze hreflang tags. It’s simple to use: just enter your site’s URL, and Ubersuggest shows you what’s working and what’s not. You’ll get quick access to keyword ideas, backlinks, technical issues, and even your competitors' best-performing content. It may not be the most advanced SEO platform out there — but for the price, it covers all the basics extremely well.
Key Features (2025)
Site Audit: Checks up to 1,000 pages per week and finds technical errors, slow pages, missing tags, and mobile usability issues.
Keyword & Content Ideas: Helps you discover what people are searching for, how tough the competition is, and gives ideas for content that can rank.
Backlink Checker: A vital tool for identifying duplicate pages and improving site performance. View your backlinks, anchor texts, and where your competitors are getting links from.Rank Tracking
Track your keyword rankings daily — and compare your progress with competitors. Clean, Beginner-Friendly Interface Designed with simplicity in mind — no messy charts or confusing reports. What I Like
Super easy to navigate, even for someone brand new to SEO.
Affordable monthly pricing and even a lifetime deal — which is rare.
Combines keyword research, site audit, and rank tracking in one clean dashboard for all your pages to see a comprehensive overview of your SEO efforts.
Step-by-step tips on how to fix SEO issues.
What Could Be Better
Keyword difficulty data isn’t always accurate, especially for countries outside the US.
Lacks deeper tools like topic clustering or advanced filters, which could help identify poor title tags and missing alt tags.
Not built for agencies — no white-label reports or advanced team features to manage a list of issues effectively.
Pricing (2025) Individual Plan: $29/month or $290 lifetime — good for personal sites. Business Plan: $49/month or $490 lifetime — includes more keywords and competitor data. Enterprise Plan: $99/month or $990 lifetime — for larger sites or small SEO teams, offering tools to optimize your content and improve your overall health score on various pages to see the impact.
All plans include weekly audits and daily rank tracking, and you can try it free for 7 days — no credit card needed.
What People Say about the effectiveness of free SEO tools in optimizing website performance.
Capterra Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.0/5) Many users love the price and ease of use, especially solo creators who are looking for the best choice in SEO tools. Some report data delays or less accurate metrics compared to tools like SEMrush. Real-World Use Case I used Ubersuggest for a startup blog with no traffic. It helped me find low-competition keywords that brought in the first 1,000 monthly visits — all from free organic traffic. For a $29 tool, that kind of return is impressive, especially when you can review the crawl for broken links.
Final Thoughts: Should You Try Ubersuggest?
If you're launching a new blog, managing your first website, or want a no-fuss SEO tool that works — Ubersuggest is a great pick. It’s affordable, simple, and covers all the SEO basics you’ll need to grow. Best for beginners, bloggers, and small businesses starting their SEO journey. Not recommended for agencies or expert-level SEO work.
If you run a large website like an eCommerce store or news portal and need a tool that can crawl it fast without slowing things down — JetOctopus might be the perfect fit. It’s 100% cloud-based, so there’s nothing to install. Just log in through your browser, enter your website URL, and let it start crawling — it can scan up to 250 pages per second, which is faster than most SEO tools, allowing you to see how your website stacks up. I’ve personally used JetOctopus for big client websites, and I was impressed by how quickly it processed thousands of URLs without breaking, making it one of the best tools on the market for a free SEO audit tool. But what makes it even more powerful is the log analyzer, which can help you track performance across all your pages to see trends over time. It shows exactly how Googlebot is crawling your site — which pages it's skipping, where your crawl budget is being wasted, and how you can fix it.
What Makes JetOctopus Stand Out?
Super-Fast SEO Crawler that provides a coverage report for your entire website. Scan tens of thousands of pages — even up to 100K+ — directly from the cloud, no stress on your system, and see how your website performs. Advanced Log File Analysis can help identify issues with hreflang tags. See real-time Googlebot activity. Catch fake bots, missed pages, and wasted crawl cycles. GSC + GA Integration allows for better tracking of SEO elements across multiple platforms. Combine crawl results with your real search traffic and user behavior data to make smarter SEO moves. Crawl Comparison Tool Compare two crawl sessions side-by-side — helpful after website changes, migrations, or redesigns. Fix On-Site SEO Problems Find thin content, orphaned pages, redirect loops, and broken links — fast and accurately. Visual Dashboards provide an overall health score for your SEO efforts. Use charts, maps, and filters to understand big data easily — ideal for technical teams. Why People Love JetOctopus for its comprehensive auditing tools and performance reports.
Blazing fast and perfect for enterprise websites
Unlimited crawling and log checks — no hidden caps on the number of issues you can uncover.
Combines crawl + log + traffic data in one view
Clean reporting that’s easy to understand
Helpful support with chat, guides, and webinars to assist with understanding SEO factors.
Downsides to Know
Not cheap — full package can cost between $237 to $302/month, but it offers valuable site performance insights.
Not beginner-friendly — UI and features can feel overwhelming if you're new to SEO, but they provide a long list of valuable checks to help you optimize your content.
No backlink or content optimization — this tool is focused only on technical audits
Pricing (2025) JetOctopus is sold in modules: The Crawler module costs around to analyze your pages to see their SEO health. $30–$37/month for up to 500,000 pages, making it one of the most powerful free SEO tools available. The Log Analyzer is a free audit tool that helps identify technical SEO problems on your page on your website. $60/month, great for seeing what Googlebot is doing. The GSC + GA module costs around $60/month and gives you search capabilities, including checks for hreflang implementation. + behavior data in one place. The All-in-One Plan starts at $120/month and up, with everything included plus onboarding help, ensuring that users have access to essential technical SEO elements. You can try JetOctopus with a 7-day free trial to explore the features, including the SEO spider tool that allows you to review the crawl of your site and check for hreflang issues. or demo before buying. What Real Users Say Perfect for large websites. No local setup needed, and the insights are really deep. It changed the way I do SEO audits. Fast, reliable, and full of technical power. G2 Rating: 4.4/5
Should You Use JetOctopus?
If you’re an SEO expert, agency, or managing a large website that needs in-depth crawling and log analysis — JetOctopus is absolutely worth it. But if you’re just starting out, or need help with content and backlinks across your pages to see improvements, this tool might not be for you. Best for: Enterprise websites, SEO consultants, and in-house SEO teams looking for detailed metrics like site performance. Not for: Beginners or those looking for a full all-in-one SEO suite, as it may overwhelm users with its long list of features.
If you're trying to get your business found on Google in specific cities or even zip codes, Nightwatch is a tool that can really help. It gives you detailed keyword tracking based on location, device type, and even different search engines like Google, Bing, and YouTube. I’ve personally used Nightwatch for clients with stores in multiple cities, and the way it shows keyword rankings by device and area is super helpful for understanding audit findings. It gives you the real picture — not just averages.
What I Liked About Nightwatch
Track Rankings Across Many Search Engines: Discover which pages are trying to rank and how they compare. You can follow your keywords on Google, Bing, Yahoo, DuckDuckGo, and YouTube. It even checks video results, Google Maps listings, and highlights any missing alt tags for better optimization.
Local & Device-Based Tracking: Whether it’s desktop or mobile, you can track how you're ranking in more than 190,000 locations — down to the city or postal code level.
Backlink Monitoring: It lets you see new and lost backlinks, anchor texts, and link sources — so you can stay on top of your off-page SEO with the help of a comprehensive audit your site feature, including hreflang checks.
Site Audit Features: Find broken links, missing meta tags, duplicate content, and other technical issues. You even get a health score for your site.
Track Your Competitors: See how your keyword rankings compare with your competitors — even on Google Maps.
Easy Reporting: Build clean, white-labeled PDF or HTML reports that include a coverage report for better insights. You can also connect it with Google Data Studio to make live dashboards that visualize the performance of the pages you want to track.
Google Search Console & Analytics Integration: Match keyword data with real clicks and impressions from GSC and GA — this helps you make smarter decisions.
What I Didn’t Like
It doesn’t offer deep keyword research or backlink tools like Ahrefs.
The starter plan gives limited data about competitors.
There's no mobile app — it only works on desktop browsers.
Some features (like custom reports) need a bit of practice to get used to.
Pricing (As of 2025) Nightwatch offers three main plans. Prices are monthly — annual billing saves you money. Starter Plan – $39/month or $32/month (annually) Track up to 500 keywords on 50 sites. Includes Google Analytics and GSC integration. Optimize Plan – $99/month or $79/month (annually) Track up to 1,000 keywords and manage 100 websites. White-labeled reports included, providing a professional touch for agencies using the free SEO audit tool. Agency Plan – $369/month or $295/month (annually) For agencies with lots of clients, reviewing the overall health score of their websites can reveal opportunities for improvement. Includes over 5,000 keywords, team collaboration, and API access. Free 14-day trial available — no credit card needed. What Users Say I love being able to track by city and device. It helps me know where we’re really ranking. For Google Maps and local tracking, Nightwatch is the best in this price range. Nightwatch has a 4.8+ rating on G2 — users praise its accuracy and clean interface, making it a top choice among audit tools on this list. FAQ Is Nightwatch good for beginners in SEO? Yes, especially if you're focused on local SEO. The dashboard is user-friendly, and the support team is helpful if you get stuck. Final Verdict If you're managing local SEO for a small business, a multi-location company, or you run an agency — Nightwatch is one of the best tools for rank tracking by city or zip code, helping you identify broken links that might be hurting your rankings. It doesn’t try to do everything, but what it does, it does really well. Best For: Local businesses, SEO agencies, freelancers who offer location-based SEO. Not Great For: People looking for full-suite tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush.
New to SEO? You don’t need fancy tools or expensive software to start seeing results in your search engine optimization efforts. Google Search Console (GSC) is the most reliable — and completely free — way to understand how your website performs in Google Search. When I connected one of my new sites to GSC, I started getting real insights within days — how many people saw my pages, what they clicked on, and where I ranked. It was like getting a direct line to Google’s brain, providing a ton of features for effective SEO strategies. Whether you’re a blogger, student, solo webmaster, or just starting your SEO journey, GSC gives you data that matters — in a clean, easy-to-use dashboard that shines a light on key metrics. What You Can Do with GSC on multiple pages to see how your site performs in search results.
See What’s Working: A detailed content audit can reveal the strengths and weaknesses of your current strategy. Track impressions, clicks, CTR, and average positions — understand what content is bringing traffic.
Fix Indexing Issues: Find out which pages are missing from Google Search and why — then request indexing instantly using a free SEO tool for better insights.
Improve Site Speed & Mobile Experience: Get Core Web Vitals reports — speed, responsiveness, and mobile usability insights that impact rankings.
Submit Your Sitemap to enhance your search engine optimization efforts. Help Google crawl your site more effectively by submitting your sitemap.
Stay Alert: GSC warns you about manual penalties, indexing problems, or security issues — right when they happen.
Pros
Totally free — no hidden costs, ever
Accurate data straight from Google
Clear, simple interface — easy even for beginners
Real-time alerts for issues that affect your visibility
Helps both SEO growth and technical troubleshooting
Cons
Data isn’t real-time — usually delayed by 2–3 days
Only shows Google Search data — no info from Bing or others
No built-in tools for backlink tracking or keyword discovery
Pricing Free $0/month Full access to all tools — forever No credit card. No upgrade nags. 100% free for life. Final Thoughts: Is Google Search Console Worth Using? Absolutely, and it also includes tools for optimizing hreflang. If you own a website, GSC is non-negotiable. It’s your window into how Google sees your site — what’s working, what’s broken, and where to improve. Best for: Beginners, solo creators, small websites, bloggers Not ideal for: Competitive SEO analysis or advanced backlink tracking on multiple pages to see the effectiveness of various strategies. You can’t build a strong SEO strategy without understanding your foundation — and Google Search Console gives you that foundation, for free.
What's the difference between free and paid SEO toolsFinal Thoughts In 2025, the year when SEO strategies will heavily rely on advanced page audits and site performance metrics. website health and SEO performance go hand-in-hand. Whether you're just starting out or managing multiple clients, using the right auditing tools like CognitiveSEO can save time, improve rankings, and highlight hidden issues. Start with one that fits your skill level and budget, then scale up as you grow. From technical crawlers like JetOctopus to beginner-friendly tools like Ubersuggest, the options are plenty — it’s all about choosing the one that helps you work smarter, not harder.
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Top FAQs: Free Website SEO Audit: Get Your Instant SEO Score & Fix Issues
A free website SEO audit is an online analysis of your site’s search engine optimization. It identifies SEO issues, checks rankings, and provides recommendations to improve
An SEO audit checklist is a step-by-step guide to review a site’s SEO health, covering on-page, off-page, and technical factors for better rankings and traffic.
You can run a free website SEO audit using our online tool. Simply enter your website URL, and within seconds, you’ll get a detailed SEO report with suggestions to boost your site’s performance.
Yes. Many free SEO audit tools are online, like Google Search Console, Ubersuggest, and SEO Analyzer. They help improve rankings without paid subscriptions.
Top SEO audit tools include SEMrush, Ahrefs, Moz, Screaming Frog, and Sitebulb. These tools scan websites, detect errors, and provide optimization suggestions.
