SEO tools I actually use
Hands-on reviews of the tools I run on my own site and client work. Real pricing, what each tool does well and where it falls short, and a straight answer on who it is for and when a free option does the same job.
Affiliate disclosure. Some links on this page and in the reviews are affiliate links. If you start a trial or subscribe through them, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. I only write about tools I actually use, and the verdicts are honest either way. When a tool is weak in an area, the review says so.
The reviews
Hands-on reviews, one tool at a time.
Each review takes a single tool, explains what it does well, where it falls short, what it really costs, and who should and should not buy it. More are on the way as I put other tools through real work.
SE Ranking: the all-in-one SEO tool I use
A full hands-on review of SE Ranking: rank tracking, audits, keyword and competitor research, the 14-day trial, and how its pricing compares to Semrush for a small business or freelancer.
Read the full review → Review / technical SEOScreaming Frog: the crawler I audit with
The desktop crawler I open to run a technical audit, including on this site. What it finds, the free 500-URL version versus the paid licence, where it frustrates, and who actually needs it.
Read the full review → Guide / free toolsFree SEO tools every small business should use
The free tools that cover most of small business SEO, Search Console, Analytics, PageSpeed, Keyword Planner and more, what each one does, and the point where free runs out.
Read the guide → Guide / local SEOThe best SEO tools for local SEO in the Philippines
Which tools genuinely help a Philippine small business rank in the map pack and near-me searches, which free ones cover the basics, and where a paid tool finally earns its keep.
Read the guide →How these reviews work
From real use, not a feature list.
The same approach as the rest of this site: tools are run on floxolab.com and client work before they are written up here, with the weak spots noted alongside the strengths and free options pointed to when they do the job.
Tools FAQ
Straight answers about these reviews.
How do you pick which SEO tools to review?
I review the tools I run on my own site and client work first, so every review is hands-on rather than a spec sheet rewrite. The focus is on tools that small businesses and freelancers can actually afford and use, not just enterprise platforms.
Do I need a paid SEO tool to do SEO?
No. Google Search Console is free and covers the most important data for a small site. A paid tool helps once you are tracking many keywords, watching competitors, or auditing larger sites. The reviews here say plainly when a free option does the same job.
Want the tools used on your site, not just reviewed?
Reading about tools is one thing. Knowing which problems your site actually has is another. Start with the fixed-price SEO audit: I run the tools on your site and send back a prioritized fix list. Or read the SEO overview first.