If you run a website, you already know how important SEO is for attracting visitors and building visibility. Search Engine Optimization helps your site rank higher on Google and reach your target audience organically. But here’s the best part — you don’t have to pay for expensive software to track your progress. In this guide, you’ll learn how to check SEO performance free using the best tools and strategies to improve your website rankings without spending a cent.
Why You Should Check SEO Performance Regularly
Search engine algorithms change constantly, and your competitors are always optimizing their websites. If you don’t monitor your site’s SEO health, you can lose rankings and traffic without even realizing it.
Regularly checking your SEO performance helps you:
Identify what’s working and what isn’t.
Find broken links and technical errors.
Track keyword rankings and user behavior.
Improve user experience and site speed.
Strengthen your backlink profile.
Staying on top of your SEO metrics gives you the insight needed to make smart updates that drive long-term growth.
Step 1: Use Google Search Console
Google Search Console is the most reliable way to check SEO performance free because it gives you data directly from Google. Once you verify your site, you’ll gain access to valuable information about how your pages perform in search results.
What you can track:
Clicks, impressions, and average position.
Keywords your site ranks for.
Top-performing pages.
Mobile usability and indexing status.
Core Web Vitals (speed and user experience).
How to get started:
Visit search.google.com/search-console.
Add your website and verify ownership.
Wait a few days for Google to gather data.
Review reports to identify trends and issues.
Use this tool regularly to spot ranking drops early and optimize the pages that matter most.
Step 2: Connect Google Analytics
Google Analytics helps you understand what happens after visitors reach your website. It shows where users come from, how long they stay, and what content keeps them engaged.
Key insights you’ll get:
Organic traffic volume.
Bounce rates and session duration.
Top-performing landing pages.
User demographics and devices.
To connect Google Analytics with Search Console, go to the property settings and link the two tools. This combination provides a complete view of your SEO performance — from keyword clicks to conversions.
Step 3: Run a Free SEO Audit
An SEO audit reveals hidden issues that may hurt your rankings. You can easily check SEO performance free using free auditing tools available online.
Popular free tools include:
Ahrefs Webmaster Tools: Scans your site for broken links, missing tags, and SEO errors.
Ubersuggest: Offers keyword ranking data, SEO score, and backlink information.
SEOptimer: Creates detailed reports with improvement suggestions.
Screaming Frog (Free version): Crawls up to 500 URLs and highlights on-page problems.
What to look for:
Duplicate titles or missing meta descriptions.
Broken links and redirects.
Missing image alt text.
Site speed and mobile usability.
Regular SEO audits help you maintain a healthy, high-performing website.
Step 4: Analyze Your Backlinks
Backlinks remain one of the strongest ranking factors. The more high-quality links pointing to your site, the more trustworthy it appears to search engines.
Free tools to analyze backlinks:
Ahrefs Webmaster Tools: Provides a backlink profile and domain-level metrics.
Moz Link Explorer: Displays Domain Authority and top linking sites.
Ubersuggest: Shows the number of referring domains and anchor text data.
When reviewing backlinks, focus on quality over quantity. Links from reputable, relevant sites carry much more weight than dozens of low-quality ones. If you discover spammy links, disavow them using Google’s Disavow Tool to protect your ranking.
Step 5: Test Website Speed and Core Web Vitals
Site speed directly impacts both SEO rankings and user experience. A slow site can lead to higher bounce rates and fewer conversions.
Free tools to test your site speed include:
Google PageSpeed Insights: Analyzes load times and provides optimization tips.
GTmetrix: Offers detailed performance reports with easy-to-follow fixes.
Google Mobile-Friendly Test: Checks how well your website works on mobile devices.
How to improve your score:
Compress images before uploading.
Enable caching and minify scripts.
Use a fast, secure hosting provider.
Consider a Content Delivery Network (CDN) to serve your site faster worldwide.
Optimizing your site for speed and mobile users can significantly boost your search rankings.
Step 6: Review On-Page SEO Elements
On-page SEO ensures that your content is well-structured and easy for both users and search engines to understand. You can check SEO performance free by reviewing these important elements:
Title tags and meta descriptions: Use relevant keywords and keep them within character limits.
Header tags (H1, H2, H3): Organize your content clearly.
Keyword placement: Use your target phrases naturally.
Internal linking: Connect related pages to guide readers and bots.
Image optimization: Add descriptive filenames and alt text.
Plugins like Yoast SEO or Rank Math (for WordPress) make on-page optimization simple and effective.
Step 7: Monitor Keyword Rankings
Tracking your keyword performance helps you understand how your visibility changes over time. You can easily check SEO performance free with a few online tools.
Free keyword tracking tools:
Google Search Console: Displays average ranking positions for all keywords.
Ubersuggest: Tracks daily keyword movements.
SERProbot: Lets you monitor a small set of keywords without cost.
Keep an eye on pages ranking on the second or third page of Google — small updates can often push them to page one.
Step 8: Check User Engagement Metrics
Engagement metrics reveal how visitors interact with your website. High engagement signals quality to search engines, helping you climb higher in results.
Important metrics to track in Google Analytics:
Bounce rate: The percentage of users leaving after one page.
Average session duration: How long visitors stay on your site.
Pages per session: How many pages users explore before leaving.
Improving engagement can be as simple as adding visuals, improving readability, or linking to related articles.
Step 9: Optimize Local SEO (If You Run a Business)
If your business has a physical location, local SEO is key. Checking your local SEO performance helps you reach customers in your area.
Free local SEO tools:
Google Business Profile: Tracks calls, directions, and customer actions.
Moz Local Check: Ensures consistent business listings.
BrightLocal (Free trial): Monitors local rankings and citations.
Keep your Google Business Profile updated with accurate contact information, photos, and customer reviews to boost visibility in local search results.
Step 10: Compare with Competitors
Understanding what your competitors are doing right can help you improve your own strategy.
Free competitor analysis tools:
Ubersuggest: Displays competitors’ top pages and keywords.
SimilarWeb: Estimates their traffic sources and performance.
SEOquake: Offers a quick overview of on-page metrics from your browser.
Regular competitor checks show where you stand and where you can improve to outrank others in your niche.
Final Thoughts
Knowing how to check SEO performance free is one of the smartest things you can do for your website in 2025. With tools like Google Search Console, Analytics, Ahrefs Webmaster Tools, and Ubersuggest, you can track your performance, fix technical issues, and grow your organic traffic without spending any money.
SEO success comes from consistency. Review your data, make small improvements regularly, and keep producing content that truly helps your audience. Over time, you’ll see your rankings rise — and all without paying for expensive tools.
