What does MyBizGrade check?

We analyze your website speed, SEO tags, Google reviews, social media presence, and accessibility. Each area gets its own score and letter grade.

How is the grade calculated?

Each category is scored from 0 to 100 based on real data from your site. The overall grade is a weighted average across all five categories.

Yes, the full audit and grade are completely free. You can upgrade to a Pro report with copy-paste fixes for $39 if you want help improving.

What's in the Pro report?

You get a priority action plan, copy-paste ready fixes for every issue, time estimates, and a downloadable PDF. It tells you exactly what to change and how.

How long does the audit take?

Most audits finish in under 30 seconds. Complex sites with many pages may take up to a minute.

Do you store my data?

We store your audit results so you can revisit your report. We never sell your data or share it with third parties.

How often should I check my grade?

We recommend running a new audit every month. Your online presence changes as you update your site, get new reviews, and post on social media.

MyBizGrade was built by a small team of developers who wanted to make online presence auditing simple and affordable for small businesses.

Free vs Paid SEO Tools: What Small Businesses Need

## You Do Not Need to Spend $100 Per Month on SEO Tools. But Free Has Limits. The SEO tool market is massive. Ahrefs, SEMrush, Moz, Ubersuggest, Screaming Frog, and dozens more compete for your subscription dollars. Monthly costs range from $29 to $449 or more. For small business owners managing their own SEO, the question is simple: do free tools get the job done, or do you need to pay? The honest answer: free tools handle 80% of what most small businesses need. Paid tools provide the remaining 20%, which matters more as you grow. This guide compares the best free and paid SEO tools by function, so you make the right choice for your budget and goals. ## What SEO Tools Actually Do Before comparing tools, understand the categories of SEO work they support: **Keyword research:** Finding the search terms your customers use **Rank tracking:** Monitoring where you appear in search results **Site auditing:** Scanning your website for technical SEO problems **Backlink analysis:** Seeing who links to you (and competitors) **Competitor analysis:** Understanding what your competitors do online **Content optimization:** Improving your pages for target keywords **Local SEO:** Managing your Google Business Profile and local citations No single tool does everything well. The best approach combines several tools covering different functions. ## The Best Free SEO Tools (And What They Do Well) ### Google Search Console **Cost:** Free **Best for:** Rank tracking, indexing, technical issues This is the single most valuable SEO tool available, and it costs nothing. Google Search Console shows you: - Which keywords bring traffic to your site - Your average position for each keyword - Click-through rates - Indexing errors and coverage issues - Mobile usability problems - Core Web Vitals data Every business with a website should set up Google Search Console. No paid tool replicates the first-party data Google provides here. ### Google Analytics **Cost:** Free **Best for:** Traffic analysis, user behavior, conversions Google Analytics tracks who visits your site, where they come from, what they do, and whether they convert. It tells you which pages attract the most organic traffic and which ones have high bounce rates. ### Google Business Profile Insights **Cost:** Free **Best for:** Local SEO performance Built into your Google Business Profile dashboard. Shows how people find your listing, what actions they take (calls, directions, website clicks), and how your profile performs over time. ### Google PageSpeed Insights **Cost:** Free **Best for:** Website speed and performance Test any URL and get detailed performance scores, Core Web Vitals measurements, and specific recommendations for improvement. ### Google Keyword Planner **Cost:** Free (requires a Google Ads account, but you do not need to run ads) **Best for:** Basic keyword research Provides search volume estimates, competition levels, and keyword suggestions. The data is less precise for accounts not actively spending on ads, but it is a solid starting point. ### Ubersuggest (Free Tier) **Cost:** Free for limited searches per day **Best for:** Keyword research, basic competitor analysis Neil Patel's tool offers keyword suggestions, search volume data, and basic site audits. The free tier limits daily searches but provides enough for occasional research. ### WAVE Accessibility Tool **Cost:** Free **Best for:** Website accessibility audits Scans any page for accessibility issues. Not strictly an SEO tool, but accessibility improvements often boost SEO performance. ### AnswerThePublic **Cost:** Free for limited searches **Best for:** Content ideas, question-based keywords Shows what questions people ask about a topic. Use it to plan blog posts and FAQ content targeting long-tail keywords. ## What Free Tools Lack Free tools have real limitations: **No comprehensive backlink data:** Google Search Console shows some links pointing to your site, but the data is incomplete. You see samples, not the full picture. **Limited competitor intelligence:** Free tools show your own data well. Seeing competitor backlinks, rankings, and traffic requires paid tools. **No automated rank tracking:** Manually googling your keywords in private browsing works, but it does not scale. Tracking 50 keywords weekly by hand is tedious. **Basic keyword data:** Free keyword research tools give ballpark numbers. Paid tools provide precise volumes, keyword difficulty scores, and SERP analysis. **No historical data:** Free tools show current snapshots. Paid tools track changes over months and years, revealing trends. ## The Best Paid SEO Tools (And When They Are Worth It) ### SEMrush **Cost:** Starting at $139.95 per month **Best for:** Comprehensive SEO, competitor analysis, rank tracking SEMrush is the most feature-rich SEO platform. It covers keyword research, site audits, rank tracking, backlink analysis, competitor research, and content optimization in one tool. **Worth it if:** You manage SEO for multiple websites or treat SEO as a primary marketing channel generating significant revenue. ### Ahrefs **Cost:** Starting at $99 per month **Best for:** Backlink analysis, keyword research, competitor research Ahrefs has the largest backlink database and excellent keyword research tools. Its Site Explorer shows any website's backlink profile, top pages, and ranking keywords. **Worth it if:** Link building is a core part of your strategy, or you need deep competitor backlink data. ### Moz Pro **Cost:** Starting at $99 per month **Best for:** Local SEO, beginner-friendly interface Moz offers keyword research, rank tracking, and site audits with a more approachable interface than SEMrush or Ahrefs. Moz Local (separate product) manages business listings. **Worth it if:** You want a simpler tool with strong local SEO features. ### Ubersuggest (Paid) **Cost:** $29 per month or $290 lifetime **Best for:** Budget-conscious small businesses wanting paid features The paid version removes daily limits and adds competitor analysis, more keyword data, and automated site audits. The lifetime deal makes it the cheapest paid option long-term. **Worth it if:** You want paid tool capabilities without spending $100 or more per month. ### Screaming Frog **Cost:** Free for up to 500 URLs, $259 per year for unlimited **Best for:** Technical site audits A desktop crawler scanning your entire website for broken links, duplicate content, missing tags, and other technical issues. The free version works for small sites. **Worth it if:** Your website has more than 500 pages or you need deep technical audits. ## The Recommended Toolkit by Budget ### Budget: $0 (Free Only) - Google Search Console (rank tracking, technical issues) - Google Analytics (traffic analysis) - Google Business Profile Insights (local SEO) - Google PageSpeed Insights (speed testing) - Google Keyword Planner (keyword research) - Ubersuggest free tier (supplemental keyword data) - GradeMyBiz (overall online presence assessment) This toolkit handles the core needs of most small businesses doing their own SEO. ### Budget: $30 Per Month - Everything in the free toolkit above - Ubersuggest paid plan (unlimited keyword research, site audits, competitor data) This is the sweet spot for small businesses wanting more data without a big expense. ### Budget: $100 or More Per Month - Everything in the free toolkit - Ahrefs or SEMrush (comprehensive SEO platform) - Screaming Frog paid (if site is large) This level makes sense for businesses generating significant revenue from organic search, or for marketing professionals managing SEO for clients. ## When to Upgrade From Free to Paid Stick with free tools if: - You are getting started with SEO - You have a small website (under 50 pages) - Your primary traffic source is local search - You are not in a highly competitive industry - Your budget is tight Consider paid tools if: - You need to track rankings for 20 or more keywords - Link building is a priority - You compete in a crowded market - You manage SEO for multiple websites - Organic traffic drives meaningful revenue for your business - You need detailed competitor intelligence ## For more on this topic, read [How to Check Your Business Online Presence in 5 Minutes](/blog/how-to-check-business-online-presence). For more on this topic, read [What Makes a Strong Online Presence in 2026](/blog/strong-online-presence-2026).The One Tool Every Small Business Should Start With Before investing in any SEO tool, know where your online presence stands right now. GradeMyBiz gives you a free, instant assessment of your website, Google Business Profile, reviews, social media, and business listings. It shows you the specific areas needing attention so you focus your efforts (and any tool budget) where it matters most. Get your free grade at [https://grademybiz.vercel.app](https://grademybiz.vercel.app) and build your SEO toolkit from there. The right tools depend on your goals, budget, and growth stage. Start free, learn the fundamentals, and upgrade when the data proves the investment pays for itself.