What Are the Best SEO Chrome Extensions?

These are the best free Chrome extensions that SEOs should use:

• Meta SEO Inspector
• Redirect Path
• Web Developer
• Wayback
• Wappalyzer
• SERP Counter
• Check My Links
• NoFollow Referrer
• View Rendered Source
• Word Counter

What Are Chrome Extensions For SEO?

Google Chrome extensions for SEO are integrated software programs users can install to improve their overall browsing experience. These can be customized to create the best setup for each individual user and their needs – like a pocket knife for browsing! For reference, Chrome extensions appear in line with the address bar on the right-hand side of the Chrome interface. In addition, most of these tools can be found in the Google Web Store.

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The SEO Chrome extensions detailed here are those that I have found to be most useful for my work, however, there are also a few that help me in everyday life as well. Installing an extension takes no time at all and they can increase your efficiency tenfold. Check out the best SEO Chrome extensions below to up your browsing game!

1. Meta SEO Inspector

This is by far the most-used SEO extension I have, and it makes SEO inspection a snap. This tool has it all when it comes to individual page evaluations.This extensions allows you to check on key SEO elements and even provides helpful warnings for problem areas. Just a few of the components it displays include metadata, headers, alt text, and canonicals. If you’re an SEO, this is a definite must-have Chrome extension.

2. Redirect Path

This chrome extension is invaluable for every SEO or web developer. It displays a drop-down list of server response codes and associated URLs, which can be copied. This allows you to be aware of every redirect and 404 error without performing a full crawl of the site. It is especially helpful when identifying and resolving redirect chains or redirects with too many hops. All of these are critical data points for Technical SEO reviews.

3. Web Developer

This one truly does it all. My favorite use for this extension is being able to view a page without Javascript or CSS. This makes it easy for me to see what it might look like to a web crawler and to quickly recognize any problems that need to be resolved. This extension also overlaps with the Meta SEO Inspector (the first tool in this list) by displaying header tags, alt text, and printing on-page links among other things.

4. Wayback

An SEO Chrome Extensions that lets you look into the past is The Wayback Machine. It allows you to view archived versions of webpages. This function can provide valuable insights into why a page may be performing a certain way in search results in relation to changes made to the page. Additionally, being able to see where it came from gives you a much greater perspective of the site. With that background information in mind, you can thoughtfully strategize the direction you should take yoru SEO strategy moving forward.

5. Wappalyzer

As an SEO, when I encounter a new site, I want to see what I‘m working with. This means the first things I want to check are the systems being used. Wappalyzer is a Chrome extension that makes this a breeze by immediately showing the variety of technologies that are being utilized by the site. From the CMS to the SEO plugin, Wappalyzer can give you a peek into the back end.

6. SERP Counter

The SERP Counter is so simple yet effective SEO Chrome Extension. It helps put SERPs into perspective, especially when queries result in links being pushed further down the page. In addition, it’s a great visual to share with others so they can know where the site stands with SEO performance. As Search Engine Result Pagess have evolved, the SERP Counter makes them easier to understand.

7. Check My Links

With the Check My Links extension, you get a fast track look at the state of links across individual pages. This tool will highlight valid links, redirects, invalid links, and more which makes optimizations that much easier. The Meta SEO Inspector (the first tool listed) displays the anchor text for each individual link as well, which is another example of how these tools work in unison.

8. NoFollow Referrer

The NoFollow Referrer extension is also helpful when you want to identify potentially problematic links that may be negatively impacting your SEO initiatives. This Chrome extension works by outlining no-follow and do-follow links so you’ll know which links are being crawled, and those that may not be. Furthermore, it saves you a trip into Google Search Console by pointing out no index HTML tags as well.

9. View Rendered Source

Being able to view how a browser renders a page is critical for SEOs who are trying to understand how search engines see the content. This convenient SEO extension displays the raw source code, the rendered source code, and a comparison of the differences between the two.

10. Word Counter

Last, but certainly not least, the humble Word Counter is my go-to SEO Chrome Extension. I frequently take advantage of this tool when writing or evaluating metadata to ensure I’m using the full available character count while avoiding potential truncation. I also like to use it in competitor comparisons to determine if page length is a commonality among top-ranking URLs.

With each of these Chrome extensions in your back pocket, you are sure to make new SEO discoveries. I speak for myself and my fellow SEO team members when I say these tools greatly impact our everyday work and allow us to communicate our findings more efficiently. While these are the most valuable SEO extensions, there are a few others I’d like to recommend for more general use. These are less technical but no less useful!

Honorable Mentions:

Each of the extensions noted below can be helpful for any marketer or web user in general. These can definitely save you a few headaches and clicks so you can get more done!

Multiple Tabs Search

With this fantastic SEO tool, you can search for multiple queries at once and have all the SERPs appear in different tabs. You can also open several pages in different tabs at once. This has been a critical tool during competitor research when I’m reviewing numerous competitor pages and it is also helpful during keyword research when I’d like to take a look at a variety of SERPs.

Copy All URLs

This is another invaluable tool similar to the one mentioned above. With Copy All URLs, you can select multiple Chrome tabs by holding “shift” then click the extension. Once copied you can paste all associated URLs wherever you need them to go. 

Save image as PNG

When my SEO efforts have me working on improving site speed, I frequently download images in order to resize and compress them appropriately. All too often, I find I have downloaded a WebP file which makes this process more difficult. This little trick allows you to download any image as a PNG and avoid the annoying discovery of a WebP in your downloads folder.

Grammarly

Honestly, if you aren’t using Grammarly, what are you doing? Grammarly is the spell check of this decade and I’m not sure how I ever survived without it. The “New Document” feature is also immensely valuable for writing and reviewing copy. It allows you to see word count, reading time, and readability in addition to the spelling and grammar corrections, all important aspects of ensuring a page comes across as trustworthy, one of the important SEO EEAT signals.

Disable Extensions Temporarily

If you’ve now installed each of these SEO Chrome extensions, you likely have a lot going on at the top of your browser. As such, I‘ll leave you with this parting extension gift. If your extensions are ever acting funky or you need to view a page without them (ad blockers are common culprits here) this extension will turn them all off at once. You can turn them all back on easily, but be sure to put this in a spot where you will not click it accidentally.

With all of that being said extensions can also add a lot of weight to Chrome. In order to avoid overly taxing your browser be sure to audit your extensions every few months. By doing this you can remove those you’re not using or deactivate extensions that aren’t used often while keeping them around for the rare instances they are needed.

Now that you know all the best SEO chrome extensions, go forth and be a better marketer, developer, or SEO! There are thousands of other SEO Chrome extensions waiting to be discovered as well. If you find another extension that is helpful, let us know below. Learn more about how our team of SEO experts can help improve your technical insights by getting in touch with us today!

Note: This article has been updated to include information relevant for 2024. 

The Top 15 Chrome Extensions For SEO is an original blog post first published on Go Fish Digital.

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I’ve found that the best way to create new content is to use a clear, step-by-step SEO content outlines that focuses on targeted strategies. Using topics, keywords, and competitors to develop a thoughtfully curated plan will make all the difference for your team. Below I have detailed the steps I use when it comes to developing an outline for SEO content outlines in a systematic way.

1. Keyword Research

Start your SEO content outlines with a high-level look at potential keywords, taking into account two different subsets of terms: those we are ranking for and those we want to rank for. First, check on valuable keywords the site is currently ranking for in lower positions. Since the site already has some traction for these words, they are attainable and could possibly rank higher with a different page. Ideally, a targeted piece of content would allow the site to see greater success for these queries.

Next, look into content gaps between your site and your competitors to gain a better understanding of the overall industry landscape. Ahrefs has a feature that pulls all the keywords that your competitors are ranking for that you are not. However, if access to Ahrefs is unavailable, it is also easy to take a manual look through the other sites. Doing this allows you to identify relevant words and phrases that your site may not currently touch on but could in the future.

It is also important to check the existing SERPs for the terms you are interested in to make sure that the intent is aligned for your pages. You don’t want to present a term to a client that seems related at face value but has search results appearing for something entirely different. This type of research can be completed with a variety of tools, or a simple incognito search of the query.

2. Topic Ideation For Your Outline

Once you’ve gathered a list of terms that look to be promising based on relevance and search value, present it to the client and ask them to identify any terms that they do not want to pursue and any that should be a priority. This is an important step in your SEO content outline because although you should be familiar with the topics their site covers, they will likely have a better understanding of the subjects and vocabulary that are most pertinent in their field. This is especially true if the client works in a niche or highly technical industry where the language used is not commonly known.

Once the list has been condensed down, try to group the keywords together to create a handful of topics for the client to choose from. Of course, you don’t want to use a broad range of terms but it is a good idea to incorporate a thoughtful variety. The grouping of terms is entirely up to you but it’s always a good idea to identify a primary keyword and then add secondary words based on that term. When the topics and their correlating keywords are ready to go, the client can choose which groups to move forward with.

3. Competitor Research

Now that you have your topics and keywords locked down, it’s time to dig into competitor pages. Doing this allows you to mimic the strategies they are successfully using, and trying to write keyword-targeted content without going through this process is sort of like shooting in the dark. You can get these insights through the Keyword Explorer tool on Ahrefs but you can also accomplish it by doing an incognito search.

No matter which method is used, open all of the links that appear on page one of the search results and take a look through them. It can be helpful to take note of the topics covered by each site and create a list that encompasses those. For instance, if you look at a SERP for “lead generation”, perhaps some pages cover lead gen strategies, tools, and case studies while others look at why it’s important, how-to guides, and examples.

You can take all of these into consideration to create a page that is more in-depth and well rounded than the rest. Typically, I like to think of these subtopics as headers so I can form my page around them. In addition to the content itself, evaluate how the pages are structured and formatted to look for commonalities. A few key things to look out for include pages that use a table, a numbered list, or some other formatted feature. Finally, take into account page length and keep the average word count in mind as you flesh out your copy.

4. Content Outline Development

When it comes to creating an actual SEO content outline to be used for drafting and editing, I prefer to use a Google doc due to its collaborative nature. In terms of building the document out, the headers will be a starting point as mentioned above in step three.

First, determine what the H1 and the following headers will look like as well. While working through this, try to keep the Answer Box and People Also Ask questions top of mind since these also make great headers. Generally speaking, though, be sure to follow best practices so that the content has a logical and natural flow for readers.

Below each of the headers, provide some direction as to what that block of text should include. For example, if you want to capture a PPA make a note to start the sentence “Blank is…” immediately after a header that contains a question. Beyond this, provide a high-level view of what the text should contain and include a list of things competitors touch on for easy reference.

The goal here is to guide your copywriter in writing optimized content that allows their expertise to shine through. I also like to incorporate E-A-T features as a reminder to the team that they will need to be included when the piece is published. I try to mimic how the page would appear on the site by noting things like the published date, author, author bio, and sources as appropriate.

Of course, do a preliminary check with your client to be sure that all the aspects of the outline are appropriate and adjust them as needed.

5. Copywriting

Now that you’ve built your SEO content outline for the page, it is time to hand things over to your writer. You should send your writer a list of target keywords with their monthly search volumes and keyword difficulties, a list of competitor pages, and then the outline itself.

Providing any other insights or context you uncovered in your research will also be helpful here. The more information you can share off the bat, the more likely it is that the outcome of the draft will align with your vision. In addition, it makes the lives of copywriters a bit easier and the task itself much less intimidating. If the client is doing the copywriting themselves, however, tools like Grammarly and Hemingway can be great additional resources to share with them.

6. Editing Your Outline

Once the copywriter has populated the content outline, you can enter into the phase of collaborative editing. Here, review the copy for search engine optimization opportunities and ensure that there is a balanced keyword to content ratio.

It is also important to take the client’s feedback into consideration as they know their offerings and consumers better than anyone else. Try to create a fair balance between the client’s wishes and the potential for success. While SEO priorities are important, the client likely knows best when it comes to their brand and audience.

7. Publishing

Once the team and client finalize the content, it’s time to publish. A few simple SEO best practices to be mindful of include making sure the metadata is optimized, the images are appropriately sized and tagged, headers are in order, and that any schema is properly implemented. Once the page has been created, be sure to do a quality assurance check before pushing it live on the site. Finally, I will often go ahead and submit the URL to be indexed in Google Search Console in the hopes of having it crawled and ranking faster.

8. SEO After Publication

With these seven steps completed, you should now have an optimized piece of content that can help improve your site’s overall performance. As with everything else in SEO, it may take a period of time for the page to begin gaining traction, but if you targeted keywords correctly, you should see encouraging growth. If your page is not performing as expected, take a second look at your content and targeted terms to determine if any adjustments can be made.

Sometimes, new content falls flat due to outside factors and it can be disappointing for both the internal and client team. An example of how this could happen is that maybe you targeted terms that became more competitive because the landscape shifted. This would make it harder for a fresh page to gain rankings amongst established competitors.

With that said, reoptimizations are a valuable eighth step and can lead to substantial results in situations like this. Reoptimizations can include tweaking keyword usage from short tail to long tail or adding a few more content sections. In this case, competitor research is once again the best signifier of which direction you should take moving forward.

If you have a content building process that works well for you, we’d love to hear about it! Feel free to leave a comment below letting us know which strategies you use. Finally, if you are looking for an SEO and copywriting team to build out your website, don’t hesitate to reach out to our SEO agency!

How To Create An SEO Content Outline is an original blog post first published on Go Fish Digital.

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From being an intern to an entry-level associate, or even as a senior executive that is new to marketing agencies, here are a few tips to help you get your bearings. Agency life comes at you fast, but there’s so much to love about it. Be sure to leverage these strategies where you work to have the most rewarding experience possible!

1. Create a Custom To-do List

No matter what project management tool your organization uses (Basecamp, Trello, Teamwork, etc.), nothing beats an old-fashioned to-do list you create for yourself. This allows you to include or exclude whatever you want or need. It is also easy to personalize formatting however it works best for you. I use this as a homebase for my workday. It’s essentially a dashboard of everything I need to get done presented to me in an easily digestible way.

For example, I organize my to-do list by day of the week so I can visualize which days are lighter or heavier on tasks. I even color-code any tasks that will be easy to knock out for an additional layer of visibility. Beyond that, I have lists of work awaiting team feedback or client feedback so that I’m always aware of where tasks are in the pipeline. Lastly, I have a spot for monthly goals and notes so that they stay top of mind. See the example below.

2. Color-Code Your Calendar

Color-coding is a foundational element of organization, and it really comes in handy when you’re looking at a weekly calendar. This empowers you to quickly take inventory of your day without having to investigate every single event or meeting for more information. You can gear up for a day full of client-facing conversations or put your head down to work on deliverables when all of your meetings are internal.

For my calendar, I keep it pretty simple. I use one color for internal meetings and another for client meetings. This way I never unnecessarily prep for a meeting that ends up being internal or show up unprepared for an external meeting. This is an easy way to stay on top of your day when things get hectic and can make your calendar feel more manageable. Plus, there’s just something uplifting about seeing an array of your favorite colors covering your schedule!

3. Organize Your Emails with Labels

With project management tools and multiple clients and coworkers vying for your attention each day, the emails never stop coming. Instead of drowning in your unreads and letting messages pile up or get lost, creating a system can keep you on track. Many email providers offer customization options, such as labels and color-coding, which are excellent tools to take advantage of.

As a digital marketer at an agency, I come into contact with many different clients on a daily basis, so I never want anything to slip through the cracks. When an email comes into my inbox, I leave it there until I’ve checked it and then I do one of two things. If there is no action needed, I will place the email under a corresponding label so that it no longer appears in my inbox. On the other hand, if there is a necessary action, I won’t move the email until I have completed the next steps.

4. Take Advantage of the Beginning of the Week

It can be easy to feel sluggish or overwhelmed by the week on a Monday, but it’s always best to tackle it head-on. I try to take advantage of Mondays as much as possible to set myself up for success the rest of the week. Oftentimes I can get ahead on one or two things, which frees up room later in the week for incidentals. Getting a little bit ahead also sets the tone for a stress-free week.

This is feasible for me because I generally don’t have many meetings on Mondays, but I’d recommend zeroing in on any day of the week where distractions are minimized. It can be tempting to slack off on days with fewer demands, but it’s always in your best interest to make the most of them. I’ve found this gives me more flexibility to explore other areas of my work, such as researching new marketing strategies or assisting in developing our internship program.

5. Set Monthly Goals for Yourself

Setting goals is something we all do, but sometimes they can feel like a pipe dream. For example, many set New Year’s resolutions and abandon them just a few months in. To avoid this, it can be helpful to incorporate intentionality into your goal setting. Consider what will be reasonably attainable, the steps you need to take toward accomplishing said goal, and a timeline.

At a marketing agency, time really does fly when you’re handling many different projects at once. Because of this, it can be easy to put off your own professional goals. This can limit your growth and your satisfaction in your work. Coming up with a process that works for you is key.

I keep my goals attainable (i.e., write a blog, try a new tool, share a helpful resource, etc.). I think through what will be involved, then I determine which I will do each month in my personal to-do list. Full transparency, I don’t always get to my goals by the end of the month, but having them there and knowing that they are feasible helps me to knock them out in due time.

6. Keep Your Extensions & Bookmarks Under Control

As an SEO, this is a big one for me and the rest of my team. There are numerous extensions, tools, and resources out there just waiting to be discovered and saved. Unfortunately, this can result in some hoarding, which can serve to clutter your workspace and slow down your browser. While it can be tempting to collect extensions and bookmarks, try to limit yourself to only what you really need.

I keep a document linked in my to-do list where I make notes of new tools, extensions, and resources I want to try out. Then I give them a shot for a short amount of time to determine if I really like them and if I utilize them enough. This leads me to audit what I have saved in my browser every few months to remove anything I don’t need access to daily. In turn, my browser is less of a mess and its performance is enhanced.

7. Use a Working Document and Spreadsheet to Avoid Unnecessary Items in Your Drive

When your laptop is your primary workspace and you spend a lot of time remote, it’s no surprise that the random documents and files tend to pile up. Trying to keep your Google or desktop drive organized and tidy is a fool’s errand due to never-ending downloads, screenshots, and other files that continuously pop up. This is one area where I’ve tried and failed to create an orderly system.

Instead, I started using a working document and a working spreadsheet. Essentially I have one doc and one spreadsheet where I draft pretty much everything before I send it in a message. This way I can avoid having a new doc created for every single task, and I can look at the history of all my work in one place. Most of the time, I’ll simply copy the draft to send it in an email or message, but if I do need to put it in a separate document, I have a trick for that, too.

The way I keep track of documents I need to save and those I can trash is by only naming the ones I want to keep. This makes it easy to eyeball my drives and clear them out periodically without worrying about trashing something I linked in a message or sent to a client. It also makes it easy to look up my older work for my own reference.

8. Try to Anticipate the Needs of Both Your Clients and Teammates

When it comes to working at a digital marketing agency, a little bit of proactivity will take you far. Not only will your future self thank you, but your coworkers and clients will, too. In regard to client work, this could mean thinking about the questions your point of contact may bring up and trying to answer those in the initial deliverable. A little bit of extra detail can go a long way when it comes to client relationships.

Furthermore, it’s easy to shortcut tasks in the hopes that you’ll save time. However, it’s more likely that an update will be requested and then you’ll spend more time on it than you would have in the first place. In addition, there are other simple things you can do for your team as well. For example, I like to check OOO calendars before messaging or assigning tasks to anyone, and I always try to find answers to questions myself before chatting with someone else.

While everyone works differently, these are a few strategies I’ve found through my years at a digital marketing agency. That said, creating a system that is best for you takes time and some trial and error! It may be worth your while to experiment with the ideas above and see how they impact your workday. Share your top agency tips below, and connect with our team today for all of your digital marketing needs!

8 Tips for Working at a Digital Marketing Agency is an original blog post first published on Go Fish Digital.

For example, the value of metadata is typically underestimated and disregarded. In addition, page layout and content are often implemented haphazardly even though they are imperative to how web crawlers view a page. Lastly, many know that images can be a snake in the weeds when it comes to page speed yet extra-large images are still common across the web. These elements may get glossed over, as many people look for “smoking gun” issues that will provide quick resolutions to their SEO woes. Unfortunately, that’s not always how SEO works.

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If you’re new to SEO or just need a refresher on best practices, I’d like to go over five major SEO mistakes you should avoid. Keep reading to learn more!

1. Simply Having A Title Tag Is Good, Not Great

Title tags are likely the primary piece of copy that the average user first takes note of, so it is important to be intentional about what is included in this bit of copy. It is also well known that title tags and meta descriptions are central contributing factors to click-through rates. Although a component as small as a title tag may seem trivial it is important to be aware that this could be the first interaction users have with your site.

There are a few key tricks to creating an effective title tag:

• Ensure the intent of the included keywords aligns with the content on the page by reviewing the existing search results for those terms.
• Place your primary keyword towards the front of the phrase to be most impactful.
• Keep your character count at or below 65 characters to avoid truncation in the SERPs.

2. Take Advantage Of Your Meta Description

We can’t forget about the importance of meta descriptions when it comes to metadata. This is your chance to really draw users in, but it is often overlooked since it likely isn’t a formal ranking signal in search algorithms. It is important to be clear and concise here as users tend to scan SERPs very briefly before making a decision about which link will get their click.

Here are some things to keep in mind when developing a meta description.

• Include a persuasive call to action that entices a click.
• If possible, naturally incorporate eye-catching words like “get,” “free,” “best,” “easy,” etc.
• Keep the character count at or below 156 characters to avoid truncation in the SERPs.

3. Don’t Mix Up Header Hierarchy

While working on a variety of websites and on-page optimizations, I’ll sometimes come across page headers that are all over the place. This is often due to the fact that the headers have been used stylistically instead of strategically. In many website templates, setting a piece of text as a heading element (H2, etc.) can make the copy larger and more pronounced, but that is not its only purpose. The heading elements of a web page work to guide search crawlers and outline content hierarchy. For instances where you want your piece of text to look like a header but it falls outside the natural hierarchy of proper heading element structure, consider using CSS to mimic the visual appearance of a header without adding an HTML tag to the code.

With all of this in mind, I would recommend these tips for headers:

• Ensure the H1 is the first header on the page.
• There should only be one unique H1 per page.
• Be logical about the order of your headers, strategically nest content together and use headers in numerical order.
• Avoid using header tags (<h1>, <h2>, etc.) in any type of templated or navigational elements.
• Heading elements should only be used in the body of a web page and not in sitewide elements like the header or footer

4. Content Quality Versus Quantity

When it comes to content, more is not always better. As search engines evolve, improvements in machine learning are becoming more focused on language understanding. In short, this means you will be less likely to get away with content that is not meaningful, no matter how much of it there is. Furthermore, Google’s E-A-T initiative highly stresses the importance of quality in terms of expertise and accuracy.

A few things to consider when it comes to content:

• A web page does not have to be overly long to be effective, length does not define performance.
• Including an author’s biographical information and sources can signify to search engines and users alike that a site or piece of content is authoritative and trustworthy.
• Content should be structured so that it is easily digestible on both desktop and mobile screens.

5. Double-Check Images To Save Time

Extra-large images can slow your page down substantially, which can reduce SEO value and overall success. Images are common culprits that contribute to low site speed scores and poor user experience. Plugins are a great way to resolve these issues in a snap. Although they aren’t always a perfect fix in every situation, WP Smush and WP Rocket are two favorites I often test out.

Image do’s include:

• Resize large images to the actual size you are hoping to render on a page.
• Compress your resized image even further, try to stay below 100 KB, some great free tools include https://tinyjpg.com/ and https://imagecompressor.com/.
• Include descriptive alt text that explains what is happening in the image and how that relates to the page.
• Use a lazy loading configuration when possible to defer loading requests until they are needed.

All too frequently, people are under the impression that merely checking SEO boxes is enough to create real results. As with most things in life, the easy way is not the best way. Every aspect of SEO requires diligence and this is true for even the most basic items. Although optimizing metadata, content, and images may not be the most groundbreaking tactic, it is one that is proven to work.

Are you curious about any other facets of SEO? Read all about our data-based approach to SEO or drop us a comment below!

5 Basic SEO Mistakes To Avoid is an original blog post first published on Go Fish Digital.