{"id":2333,"date":"2023-09-11T05:02:46","date_gmt":"2023-09-11T05:02:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/best-free-tools-to-get-started\/"},"modified":"2023-09-11T05:02:46","modified_gmt":"2023-09-11T05:02:46","slug":"best-free-tools-to-get-started","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/best-free-tools-to-get-started\/","title":{"rendered":"Best Free Tools to Get Started"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"\">\n<p>SEO monitoring is about regularly checking your SEO performance and making sure your website is free from major technical issues.<\/p>\n<p>Monitoring key aspects of SEO is important because it allows you to react to things that can impact your visibility in search engines, such as declining keyword rankings.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This article will help you understand what\u2019s worth monitoring on your site regularly and how to do it using only free\u00a0tools.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" style=\"\"><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\"\/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style=\"\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n<p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The only two free tools you\u00a0need\u00a0<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>The tools you will need are <a href=\"https:\/\/search.google.com\/search-console\/about\">Google Search Console (GSC)<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/webmaster-tools\">Ahrefs Webmaster Tools (AWT)<\/a>. Both tools are free for website owners.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Google Search Console is one of the essential tools in SEO. It features data straight from Google, so many SEOs believe it\u2019s the most accurate source for some metrics, such as organic traffic.<\/p>\n<p>While being an indispensable tool for SEO, GSC is not perfect. It shows limited data for keywords, backlinks, and SEO issues. Fortunately, AWT is a great tool to fill GSC\u2019s data\u00a0gaps.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" style=\"\"><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\"\/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style=\"\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n<p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What to monitor in SEO (and\u00a0how)<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>To get started with monitoring your SEO, you\u2019ll need to track\u00a0these:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Organic traffic\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Keyword rankings\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Backlinks\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Selected technical issues\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Here\u2019s why and\u00a0how.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Organic search traffic<\/h3>\n<p>Organic traffic refers to the clicks you get from search engine results pages (SERPs) when you rank for keywords searchers use. The higher you rank, the more traffic you can\u00a0get.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s the most high-level metric in SEO; most SEO tactics aim to increase it.\u00a0 You need to track organic search traffic to understand whether your SEO efforts are working.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to\u00a0check\u00a0<\/h4>\n<p>Use Google Search Console.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Note that you need to open GSC (or create an account if you don\u2019t have\u00a0one).<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Go to <strong>Search results<\/strong> report (\u201cPerformance\u201d section)\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Set a time range and make sure your data is set to <strong>Web<\/strong>\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>The <strong>Clicks<\/strong> metric is your organic search traffic\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\" width=\"1999\" height=\"959\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image3-1-2.jpg\" alt=\"Search results report in Google Search Console\" class=\"wp-image-166435\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image3-1-2.jpg 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image3-1-2-680x326.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image3-1-2-768x368.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image3-1-2-1536x737.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\" width=\"1999\" height=\"959\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image3-1-2.jpg\" alt=\"Search results report in Google Search Console\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-166435\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image3-1-2.jpg 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image3-1-2-680x326.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image3-1-2-768x368.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image3-1-2-1536x737.jpg 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>You can also see the same traffic data in AWT if you <a href=\"https:\/\/help.ahrefs.com\/en\/articles\/5311821-how-do-i-see-my-google-search-console-performance-in-ahrefs\">link your GSC account<\/a>. The benefit here is that you will be able to see data past GSC\u2019s 16-month limit.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"781\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image10-3.png\" alt=\"Google Search Console data in Ahrefs Webmaster Tools\" class=\"wp-image-166436\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image10-3.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image10-3-680x266.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image10-3-768x300.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image10-3-1536x600.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"781\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image10-3.png\" alt=\"Google Search Console data in Ahrefs Webmaster Tools\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-166436\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image10-3.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image10-3-680x266.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image10-3-768x300.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image10-3-1536x600.png 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"\/><\/figure>\n<div class=\"recommendation\">\n<p>Pro Tip<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommendation-content\">\n<p>Some SEOs and content marketers monitor conversions from organic traffic to see which pages have the biggest impact. It\u2019s not something everyone does because the <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/buyers-journey\/\">buyer\u2019s journey<\/a> for content can be too complex to properly attribute to a single article or even a set of articles.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>If you want to track conversions from organic traffic, you can do that for free using Google Analytics or its free alternatives like Matomo.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Keyword rankings<\/h3>\n<p>Keyword ranking is the position a page ranks for a given keyword on the\u00a0SERP.<\/p>\n<p>You need to track keyword positions because when they go down, you lose traffic. You don\u2019t need to track rankings for <em>all <\/em>of your keywords, though. You just need to track <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/how-many-seo-keywords\/\">target keywords<\/a> for all important pages.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>You also need to know when they go up because that probably means your SEO is working.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to\u00a0check<\/h4>\n<p>You can use GSC or\u00a0AWT.\u00a0<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Google Search Console will limit your data to 1,000 keywords (or 5,000 through API) and 16 months of data history. On the other hand, your keyword data is updated daily.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/webmaster-tools\">Ahrefs Webmaster Tools<\/a> has no limits for keywords, backlinks, or data history. It\u2019s easier to navigate and, on top of rankings, you get access to SEO metrics related to your keywords (for example, search volume or <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\/glossary\/keyword-difficulty\">Keyword Difficulty<\/a>). Data updates depend on the popularity of the keyword and your\u00a0site.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you\u2019re using Google Search Console, you\u00a0can:\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>1. Go to the <strong>Search results <\/strong>report and set up a new filter for the exact query you want to check. You will be able to see only one query at a\u00a0time.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1052\" height=\"432\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image2-3.png\" alt=\"Adding a filter in Google Search Console\" class=\"wp-image-166437\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image2-3.png 1052w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image2-3-680x279.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image2-3-768x315.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1052px) 100vw, 1052px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1052\" height=\"432\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image2-3.png\" alt=\"Adding a filter in Google Search Console\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-166437\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image2-3.png 1052w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image2-3-680x279.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image2-3-768x315.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1052px) 100vw, 1052px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>2. Enable the <strong>Average position<\/strong> metric.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1942\" height=\"1410\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image6-3.png\" alt=\"Keyword ranking data in Google Search Console\" class=\"wp-image-166439\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image6-3.png 1942w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image6-3-585x425.png 585w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image6-3-768x558.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image6-3-1536x1115.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1942px) 100vw, 1942px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1942\" height=\"1410\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image6-3.png\" alt=\"Keyword ranking data in Google Search Console\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-166439\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image6-3.png 1942w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image6-3-585x425.png 585w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image6-3-768x558.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image6-3-1536x1115.png 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1942px) 100vw, 1942px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>If you\u2019re using Ahrefs Webmaster Tools:\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>1. Go to your <strong>Dashboard<\/strong> and click on the <strong>Organic keywords<\/strong> card.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"511\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image9-3.png\" alt=\"&quot;Organic keywords&quot; card in Ahrefs Webmaster Tools\" class=\"wp-image-166523\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image9-3.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image9-3-680x174.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image9-3-768x196.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image9-3-1536x393.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"511\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image9-3.png\" alt=\"&quot;Organic keywords&quot; card in Ahrefs Webmaster Tools\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-166523\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image9-3.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image9-3-680x174.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image9-3-768x196.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image9-3-1536x393.png 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>2. The tool will take you to <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/site-explorer\"><strong>Site Explorer<\/strong><\/a> where you can see your keyword rankings (\u201cPosition\u201d column), which pages rank (\u201cURL\u201d column), and how fresh the data is (\u201cUpdated\u201d column).\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"831\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image11-3.png\" alt=\"Organic keywords and their positions in Ahrefs Webmaster Tools\" class=\"wp-image-166443\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image11-3.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image11-3-680x283.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image11-3-768x319.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image11-3-1536x639.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"831\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image11-3.png\" alt=\"Organic keywords and their positions in Ahrefs Webmaster Tools\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-166443\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image11-3.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image11-3-680x283.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image11-3-768x319.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image11-3-1536x639.png 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>3. To get a list of only your most important keywords, plug them into the <strong>Keyword<\/strong> filter. Make sure to set \u201cis\u201d and \u201cany\u201d\u00a0modes.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"439\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image4-4.png\" alt=\"Setting up a filter in Ahrefs Webmaster Tools\" class=\"wp-image-166445\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image4-4.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image4-4-680x149.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image4-4-768x169.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image4-4-1536x337.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"439\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image4-4.png\" alt=\"Setting up a filter in Ahrefs Webmaster Tools\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-166445\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image4-4.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image4-4-680x149.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image4-4-768x169.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image4-4-1536x337.png 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"\/><\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Referring domains\u00a0<\/h3>\n<p>Referring domains are the unique websites pointing to your site. Monitoring them is the best way to see whether your link profile is growing.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>A growing link profile means that your site is gaining <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\/glossary\/website-authority\">authority<\/a>, which can help your pages rank higher.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to\u00a0check\u00a0<\/h4>\n<p>Use <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/webmaster-tools\">Ahrefs Webmaster Tools<\/a>. You\u00a0can:<\/p>\n<p>1. Go to your <strong>Dashboard<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>2. Access the <strong>Backlinks<\/strong> card, which gives you a quick insight into backlinks growth.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>3. Click on the card to get more data (if you need\u00a0it).<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1316\" height=\"498\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image1-6.png\" alt=\"Referring domains overview in Ahrefs Webmaster Tools\" class=\"wp-image-166446\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image1-6.png 1316w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image1-6-680x257.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image1-6-768x291.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1316px) 100vw, 1316px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1316\" height=\"498\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image1-6.png\" alt=\"Referring domains overview in Ahrefs Webmaster Tools\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-166446\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image1-6.png 1316w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image1-6-680x257.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image1-6-768x291.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1316px) 100vw, 1316px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>4. The tool will take you to <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/site-explorer\"><strong>Site Explorer<\/strong><\/a><strong>,<\/strong> where you can see all <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\/glossary\/backlinks\">backlinks<\/a> from the domains, <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\/glossary\/domain-rating\">Domain Rating (DR)<\/a>, and other related data.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1018\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image8-4.png\" alt=\"Referring domains report in Ahrefs Webmaster Tools\" class=\"wp-image-166447\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image8-4.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image8-4-680x346.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image8-4-768x391.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image8-4-1536x782.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1018\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image8-4.png\" alt=\"Referring domains report in Ahrefs Webmaster Tools\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-166447\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image8-4.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image8-4-680x346.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image8-4-768x391.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image8-4-1536x782.png 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>You should aim to build as many or more links than your competitors to increase your chances for ranking. Read our <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/link-building\/\">Link Building for SEO: The Beginner\u2019s Guide<\/a> to learn\u00a0how.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Technical SEO issues\u00a0<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/technical-seo\/\">Technical SEO<\/a> issues refer to possible problems Google may have with finding, <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\/glossary\/crawlability\">crawling<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\/glossary\/indexability\">indexing<\/a>, and understanding your\u00a0site.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Monitoring for technical issues matters because it allows you to find and fix errors that can hurt your rankings.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommendation\">\n<p>Note<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommendation-content\">\n<p>Some issues can have a bigger impact than others (especially <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/seo-issues\/\">these nine issues<\/a>). Your site may have some lesser issues (such as missing image alt text) and still rank\u00a0high.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to\u00a0check\u00a0<\/h4>\n<p>Use <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/webmaster-tools\">Ahrefs Webmaster Tools<\/a> to monitor for serious technical issues, i.e., errors.\u00a0You can:<\/p>\n<p>1.\u00a0Open AWT and go to <strong>Site Audit.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>2. Click on <strong>Errors<\/strong> in the \u201cIssues distribution\u201d card.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1670\" height=\"906\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image7-4.png\" alt=\"&quot;Issues distribution&quot; card in Ahrefs' Site Audit\" class=\"wp-image-166449\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image7-4.png 1670w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image7-4-680x369.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image7-4-768x417.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image7-4-1536x833.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1670px) 100vw, 1670px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1670\" height=\"906\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image7-4.png\" alt=\"&quot;Issues distribution&quot; card in Ahrefs' Site Audit\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-166449\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image7-4.png 1670w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image7-4-680x369.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image7-4-768x417.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image7-4-1536x833.png 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1670px) 100vw, 1670px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>3. Go to the issue list, then click on the question mark next to the error and follow the instructions.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1073\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image5-5.png\" alt=\"All issues report in Ahrefs Webmaster Tools\" class=\"wp-image-166450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image5-5.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image5-5-680x365.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image5-5-768x412.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image5-5-1536x824.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1073\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image5-5.png\" alt=\"All issues report in Ahrefs Webmaster Tools\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-166450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image5-5.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image5-5-680x365.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image5-5-768x412.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/image5-5-1536x824.png 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>To keep your site in good technical health, schedule regular crawls in AWT and fix the most pressing issues.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" style=\"\"><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\"\/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style=\"\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n<p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What NOT to monitor in SEO (and\u00a0why)\u00a0<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Here are some popular metrics used in SEO that, in our opinion, are not worth regularly monitoring. That said, they may be useful in other situations.\u00a0<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Domain rating <\/strong>\u2013<strong> <\/strong>Refers to the relative strength of your backlink profile. It\u2019s a useful proxy for a quick assessment of other sites (for example, for link building) but not very useful for consistent monitoring on your own\u00a0site.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li><strong>Click-through rate <\/strong>\u2013<strong> <\/strong>Refers to the proportion of page impressions on the SERPs that turned into clicks (available in GSC). It\u2019s too confusing as a sitewide metric, but it can be helpful only when checked on the page level. Also, a low CTR doesn\u2019t necessarily mean there\u2019s something wrong with a given page (SERP features and ads can take away clicks).\u00a0<\/li>\n<li><strong>Engagement metrics <\/strong>\u2013 Especially <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/bounce-rate\/\">bounce rate<\/a>, engagement rate, <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\/glossary\/dwell-time\">dwell time<\/a>, time on page, and session duration. They are either irrelevant to SEO or unreliable for analyzing content.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Final thoughts\u00a0<\/h2>\n<p>You can do a lot with <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/webmaster-tools\">AWT<\/a> and GSC. But there are some aspects of SEO monitoring that only premium SEO tools can\u00a0do.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Thorough rank tracking <\/strong>\u2013 A premium <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/rank-tracker\">rank tracker<\/a> unlocks ranking data for different locations and mobile devices. Monitoring progress is easier with access to ranking history and a special competitor report. You also get access to the <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/share-of-voice\/\">share of voice<\/a> functionality, which can make a more useful KPI than particular keyword rankings.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li><strong>Competitive analysis <\/strong>\u2013<strong> <\/strong>With a tool like Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/site-explorer\">Site Explorer<\/a>, you can get an insight into your <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/seo-competitor-analysis\/\">competitors\u2019 SEO strategy<\/a> by seeing which keywords they rank for and how they earn backlinks.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li><strong>Email alerts <\/strong>\u2013<strong> <\/strong>A feature you can also find in tools like Ahrefs that lets you set up notifications when a competitor\u2019s site ranks for new keywords or gets new backlinks (<a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/alerts\">watch short demo<\/a>). You can also get notified of mentions of your brand and products.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Got questions or comments? Ping me <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/m_makosiewicz\">on X<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/seo-monitoring\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>SEO monitoring is about regularly checking your SEO performance and making sure your website is free from major technical issues. Monitoring key aspects of SEO is important because it allows you to react to things that can impact your visibility in search engines, such as declining keyword rankings.\u00a0 This article will help you understand what\u2019s [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2334,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2333","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-seo"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2333","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2333"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2333\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2334"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2333"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2333"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2333"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}