The Best Free Content Optimisation Tools For Copywriters

Web Accessibility and PR
26 May, 2020
Guest Author
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Copywriting often seems like an evergreen, stable industry, as its key components remain the same; write high-quality, informative content.

However, thanks to the evolution of technology and the continually updating algorithms used by search engines, you face many challenges when trying to write quality, rankable copy.Additionally, the ever-evolving metrics used to measure website quality and the various styles of online writing that you need to understand, all make it hard to know what readers want and stay on top of the latest developments.

Copywriters need to adapt to the latest changes, just like any other professional, if they want to remain relevant and in-demand.

Thankfully, there are a variety of different content optimisations tools out there that have been designed to help you to create informative, readable content that your clients, and their website visitors, love.

New solutions are being released all the time, which is why I’ve put together a list of the best free optimisation tools on the market right now. I’ve also discussed how they can help you create great content for any platform and on any topic, so you can find the best tools to help you improve your trade.

1. Rank Tracker

Keywords are vital to creating relevant content that will rank in search engines for the topics you’re targeting. The keywords that are related to your niche might not be obvious, so you need to use SEO tools to find them. Many of the most popular SEO tools, such as Ahrefs and SEMrush, cost money, but Rank Tracker offers a free keyword research tool.

Pros

  • The free plan offers a quality keyword research tool which provides powerful data that you can use to optimise your articles.
  • A lot of the professional features are available with the free tool, so you can save money and still get the best that this innovative tool has to offer.
  • It tracks keywords from 561 international and local search engines, so you can see what everyone is looking for.
  • The tool uses 19 different keyword search methods, so you know you’re getting reliable data.
  • You can check for unlimited keywords and review unlimited websites on the free plan.
  • It offers you a range of data in an accessible way, so you can easily audit or review a website and make an informed decision about where to go with its SEO strategy.

Cons

  • The free plan is limited, so you can’t use the tool to its full potential.
  • You can’t save or export data on the free plan, so you’ll have to use it immediately or copy it over manually to a document you can save.
  • You have to download it; you can’t just use it on the internet, which might put some users off.
  • Data can sometimes be difficult to read, and the tool looks very business-like, which might put off some users who want a more informal and colourful interface.

2. SEOquake

A free plugin that’s compatible with several popular browser types, including Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox, SEOquake allows you to quickly find out basic SEO information about any given website. As such, it’s a great way to audit a
client’s site and figure out a plan of action that will help them to grow their online presence.

Pros

  • The plugin has an easy-to-use interface that clearly displays the information you need.
  • The dashboard offers a range of features including page overview, page information and diagnosis of any issues a site might have.
  • You can use it on your mobile device, so you can take it anywhere you go.
  • The tool shows keyword difficulty, backlinks, comparisons of related websites and more.
  • The dashboard is unintrusive and can be closed, then reopened, as needed.

Cons

  • The solution is currently only available on a limited selection of browsers so if you don’t use the ones it is compatible with then you can’t use SEOquake.
  • Currently, SEOquake is only available as a plugin, so you can’t use it on the internet, which might put off some users.

3. Plagiarism Detector

Plagiarised content is bad for SEO and makes a website look lazy. It can also lead to legal issues, as most content creators don’t like their work being stolen and will seek compensation. If you want to prove to your customers that your writing is completely authentic and unique, or you’re planning to use a quote but aren’t fully confident that it hasn’t been used elsewhere, then Plagiarism Detector is a free online tool that can help.

Pros

  • Shows the results in percentage form so you can see how much of the content is unique.
  • It checks your content against millions of websites.
  • It looks out for exact-word matches, lexical frequency, matching phrases and a range of other factors.
  • Allows you to download a report which you can show to clients or other interested parties.
  • It shows you how to make your content unique.
  • There’s also a grammar checker, so you can get it to proofread your work at the same time.
  • The tool is fast, so you’ll have your results in seconds.
  • It tells you additional information about your work, such as how many words it contains and how long it would take to speak it out loud.
  • They give you the opportunity to rate your experience, so you can offer feedback.
  • The checker integrates with other tools such as Dropbox and Grammarly.
  • You have the option to paste your copy into the checker, upload a file or share a URL.
  • The tool can be used without an account, or you can create a free one to access a few more features.
  • The website is well laid-out and easy to read, with bright images and clear text.

Cons

  • You need to pay for the full plan to access all of the features the tool offers.
  • On the free plan, you can only check a limited amount of text.

4. Grammarly

Content that isn’t grammatically correct and readable will look like spam, making it incompatible with search engine algorithms and tedious for readers. As such, every writer needs to make sure that they create quality content that is thoroughly proofread before publication.

Proofreading your own work can be a challenge, particularly if you’re working to a tight deadline and don’t have time to take a look at it with a fresh pair of eyes. Grammarly can help by pointing out errors in your content and showing you how you can make it more readable.

Pros

  • Compatible with many browsers and third-party tools such as Microsoft Word.
  • Offers you the chance to adapt your writing to different styles of English, including American.
  • Checks for spelling and critical grammatical errors, so you can get an extra pair of eyes on your work.
  • The checker works in real-time, checking your content as you write it so that you can edit it as you go.
  • Emojis make it clear and easy to see the tone and style of your work and adapt it as you see fit.

Cons

  • As with many of the tools on this list, the free version has limitations.
  • The tool isn’t always completely accurate; sometimes, the synonyms are incorrect, and it makes questionable grammatical choices.
  • It doesn’t automatically change your spelling like some tools.
  • The tone on some of the suggestions can be a little condescending.
  • You have to create an account, which might put off some privacy-minded copywriters who would prefer to share their data with as few companies as possible.
  • To get the full power of Grammarly, you need to purchase a premium account. However, Grammarly discounts are regularly available.

5. Answer The Public

Content needs to answer the intention of related searches if it’s going to rank on search engines, and as such, you need to know what questions internet users are asking about your chosen topic. Answer The Public allows you to type in a keyword and view a range of related questions, making it a great way to find out what your potential readers want from your writing.

Pros

  • The free plan gives you access to most of the features but with a lower search allowance.
  • If you don’t want to give them your details, you don’t even need to create an account to access a limited amount of data.
  • Data is displayed in images, lists and graphs, making it perfect for a variety of uses.
  • You can download the information as a CSV file and access it later if you need to.
  • The data includes questions, searches including prepositions, comparisons and related searches.
  • It offers various types of question, such as can, who, where etc.
  • The tool goes through hundreds of Google searches to find the information, so you know that it is valuable and useful for your content.
  • You can adjust the search to the region or language you’re writing for.
  • Answer The Public produces a lot of quality content, insight and whitepapers as well as this innovative tool.
  • When you create a free account, you sign up to receive a newsletter, so you get content and information sent directly to your inbox.

Cons

  • The free plan only gives you limited daily searches and fewer features; you need to pay to access everything that the tool has to offer.
  • Not all of the results are grammatically correct, so you might need to check them before you use them or present them to clients for review.
  • When there are a lot of questions, some of the graphs have small writing and can be hard to read.
  • You can’t search for international searches; only one region or language is allowed on each search.
  • You can only search for one or two keywords at a time, so you can’t quickly run a bulk search on the free plan.

6. Feedly

It might sound unusual to have a news feed optimisation tool in this list, but Feedly is a great way to find trending topics and useful sources of data for your content. It pulls the latest trending stories from some of the biggest publishers on the market, so you can find all the content you need in one place.

Pros

  • The free plan gives you great value.
  • It has a clear, easy-to-read layout and responsive interface.
  • Loads of major publishers, blogs and media outlets are available on Feedly.
  • It is updated in real-time, so you get to see the latest content as it’s published.
  • The platform allows you to sort your sources into folders, so you can easily find topics related to the niches you’re writing about.
  • The solution is available on desktop and a free app, which is compatible with iOS and Android devices.

Cons

  • The free plan only lets you have a limited number of sources; you have to pay to view more.
  • Third-party integrations are also part of the paid for plan, so you have to pay for those as well.
  • You only see snippets of the story on the site; to view all of it you often have to open it in a new tab, which can lead to your browser getting cluttered!

Conclusion

All of these tools will help you to craft top-quality content and fix any small errors, but at the end of the day, the most important factor in content creation is practice.

You need to write, and read, a lot of content and never be ashamed to admit that you’ve made a mistake. Keep honing your skills, and your content will improve over time.

The world of content creation is constantly evolving, so make sure that you are too. If you’re always adapting, then you’ll always be able to offer your clients the best content that will meet their needs and help them reach the top of their target search engine results pages.

One of the key issues you’ll notice repeatedly mentioned in the cons section of this article is that most free tools have limited features; if you want to unlock their full potential, you’ll have to pay. Use the free tools to find out if they’re worth investing in, and then pay for subscriptions to access all of the features on the solutions you like, and which will enhance your content.

This list is just the beginning; with new tools released all the time, and algorithms being regularly updated, you need to be adapting and working to make your content the best it can possibly be. Best of luck to you!

Author Bio:

Hannah Stevenson is the Content Marketing Manager at UK Linkology, the highest-ranking link building agency in the UK. With more than 10 years’ experience in the content creation market, she has the expertise and insider knowledge to help you create professional, insightful content that ranks and reads well.