SEO Tools & Analytics
The tools I use for research, audits, content planning and reporting, and how their data turns into clear, practical SEO decisions.
What this service covers
- Google Search Console
- Ahrefs / SEMrush
- PageSpeed Insights
- Google Analytics
- Screaming Frog
- Claude
- ChatGPT
How Tools Support Better SEO
SEO involves a lot of guesswork unless you have reliable data. The right tools show how people find your site, how search engines see it, what competitors are doing and where technical or content problems are hiding.
I use a mix of Google’s free tools, professional SEO platforms and AI assistants. Tools are only as useful as the judgment applied to their data, so I use them to inform decisions rather than replace thinking. Access to certain reports and features depends on the accounts, permissions, plans and scope of each project.
Tools I Use or Work With
Seven tools and tool groups, and what each one is for.
Google Search Console
Google Search Console is a free tool that shows how your site performs in Google Search: the queries that bring impressions and clicks, which pages are indexed, mobile usability, Core Web Vitals and security or manual-action messages. It supports performance analysis, indexing checks and technical monitoring. Its data comes only from Google and is sampled or delayed in places.
Ahrefs / SEMrush
Ahrefs and SEMrush are professional SEO platforms used for keyword research, competitor analysis, backlink analysis and site audits. They help estimate search demand, find ranking opportunities and see who links to you and to your competitors. Their figures are estimates drawn from their own data sets, so I use them to compare and prioritize, not as exact truth.
PageSpeed Insights
PageSpeed Insights tests how fast a page loads and how it performs on key experience measures, using lab data and, when available, real-user field data. It highlights opportunities such as image compression or reducing unused code. Scores vary between tests and devices, so I look at the underlying issues rather than chasing a single number.
Google Analytics
Google Analytics shows what visitors do once they arrive: where they come from, which pages they view and which actions they take, such as calls, form submissions or purchases when tracking is set up. It connects SEO activity to business results. Accuracy depends on correct setup, consent settings and what you choose to track.
Screaming Frog
Screaming Frog is a website crawler that scans your pages roughly the way a search engine might. It uncovers broken links, redirect chains, missing or duplicate titles and descriptions, heading problems, canonical issues and more. It is excellent for technical audits, though it needs interpretation, because not every flagged item is a real problem.
Claude
Claude is an AI assistant I use to support research, content outlines, summarizing data, structuring reports and speeding up repetitive tasks. It is useful for organizing ideas and drafting, but it can be wrong. All AI-assisted work is reviewed, fact-checked and edited by a human before it is used.
ChatGPT
ChatGPT is another AI assistant that I use for ideation, content planning, drafting support and exploring how topics are discussed. As with any AI tool, outputs can contain mistakes or generic wording, so they are checked against reliable sources and rewritten with real expertise before anything is published.
Why SEO Tools Matter
Tools turn opinions into evidence. They show which pages attract visitors, which searches you are missing, where technical problems sit and how you compare with competitors, so effort goes where it counts.
They also make progress visible. Clear before-and-after data is what lets you judge whether SEO work is paying off, rather than relying on impressions.
No tool replaces strategy or experience, and AI tools in particular should support research and drafting, not replace human review, fact-checking and SEO judgment.
What This Means for Your Business
How good tooling and careful analysis help you.
Clearer priorities
Data shows which fixes and opportunities are most worth your budget.
Competitor insight
See what others rank for and where realistic gaps exist.
Early problem detection
Crawls and monitoring catch issues before they hurt performance.
Measurable progress
Reports tie SEO work to traffic, enquiries and other outcomes.
Faster, better workflows
AI assistants speed up research and drafting under human review.
More confident decisions
You understand what is happening and why.
SEO Audit and Reporting Workflow
How the tools fit together, from the first audit to the monthly report.
Connect and verify data sources
Search Console and Analytics are checked or set up, with the access and permissions your project allows.
Crawl and benchmark
A site crawl and speed tests establish a baseline of technical and on-page health.
Research and competitor analysis
Keyword, competitor and backlink research in Ahrefs or SEMrush shape the opportunity list.
Plan and prioritize
Findings are combined into an action plan ordered by impact and effort.
Implement and track
Changes are made, and performance is monitored through the same tools.
Report and refine
A clear monthly report explains what changed, what it means and what comes next.
How I Use Data to Support SEO Decisions
Data starts the conversation but does not finish it. I combine search performance, analytics, crawl results and competitor research to form hypotheses, then test them through careful changes and measure the results.
I also pay attention to the limits of each source: estimates are not exact counts, short-term movement is often noise and correlation does not prove cause. When data is unclear, I say so, and I recommend the next sensible step rather than overstating certainty.
Typical Reports and Deliverables
Depending on your project’s scope, tools-based work can include:
- Search Console and Analytics setup review
- Site crawl and technical audit report
- PageSpeed and Core Web Vitals review
- Keyword and competitor research summary
- Backlink profile overview
- Performance dashboard or summary
- Monthly SEO progress report
- Plain-language recommendations for next steps
Frequently Asked Questions About SEO Tools & Analytics
I use Google Search Console, Google Analytics, PageSpeed Insights, Screaming Frog, Ahrefs or SEMrush, and AI assistants such as Claude and ChatGPT to support research and workflow.
It shows how your site appears in Google Search, including queries, clicks, impressions, indexing status, mobile usability and Core Web Vitals, plus important messages from Google.
Both provide keyword, competitor and backlink data that Google’s free tools do not. Their figures are estimates, so they are best used for comparison and prioritization, with whichever platform is available for your project.
It tests how fast and stable a page is, using lab and real-user data, and suggests improvements. I use it to find real causes of slowness, not just to chase a score.
It shows how organic visitors behave and which actions they complete, which connects SEO work to business results such as calls, enquiries and sales when tracking is configured.
It crawls your site to find issues such as broken links, redirect chains, missing or duplicate titles, heading problems and canonical errors, which I then review and prioritize.
I use them to support research, outlines, drafting and organizing information. Everything is reviewed, fact-checked and edited by a human, because AI can make mistakes.
Search engines focus on quality and helpfulness, not on how content was produced. Unreviewed, generic AI text can be poor quality, so I make sure content is accurate, original and genuinely useful.
Reports usually cover work completed, key traffic and visibility metrics, notable changes and recommended next steps, depending on the data sources and access available for your project.
I combine search, analytics, crawl and competitor data to find opportunities, prioritize by impact and effort, then measure results after changes, while being honest about the limits of the data.
Related Services
These services work well together. See how each one fits.
Want Clearer SEO Data and Reporting?
Let’s talk about what you need to measure and how reporting can help you make better decisions.