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🧰 SEO Tools That Won't Break the Bank
Published 15 days ago • 5 min read
🧰 Smart tools. Useful tips. Weekly.
Hola friend 👋,
I’m Josep. Each week, I hunt down practical tools and productivity hacks to help digital doers like you do more with less effort.
This week: we’re diving into the world of SEO.
I know, I know. SEO has become a tough game, especially for smaller content-focused projects. The constant algorithm changes and the rise of AI-generated content have made it harder than ever to rank.
But that doesn't mean we should give up on it. At our sister site, EmailTooltester.com, organic traffic is still our number one source of visitors. We have, however, diversified our traffic sources, so we don't have all our eggs in Google's basket.
SE Ranking organic traffic report for EmailTooltester
This week, my goal is to help you get started with SEO affordably. Small, non–content-focused businesses can skip tools like Semrush and Ahrefs, which typically run you well over $1,500 per year on even the lower tiers. There are powerful, budget-friendly alternatives that can help you get seen without breaking the bank.
Plus: a brilliant off-topic tool for creating stunning visuals, a productivity hack to reclaim your focus, and a plot twist that will make you rethink data security.
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If you’re looking for a powerful, all-in-one SEO platform that won’t break the bank, SE Ranking is a brilliant choice. It offers a comprehensive suite of tools that are very similar to what you’d find in Ahrefs or Semrush, but at a fraction of the cost.
SE Ranking has most of what you will need to manage your SEO strategy, including keyword research, rank tracking, site audits, backlink analysis, and competitor research. It also has some different features, like a content marketing platform and a social media management tool.
The main difference between SE Ranking and its more expensive competitors is likely the size of its database. While it’s difficult to compare them directly, it’s (probably) a safe assumption that SE Ranking’s database isn’t as extensive. However, for the price, it’s an incredibly powerful and feature-rich platform.
If you're looking to expand your reach beyond Google Search, Keyword Tool is a fantastic resource. In a world where diversifying your traffic sources is more important than ever, this tool gives you keyword data from a wide range of platforms.
Keyword Tool provides keyword suggestions from YouTube, Bing, Amazon, Etsy, Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest (among others). This makes it incredibly useful for finding untapped opportunities and understanding what your audience is searching for on different channels.
I’ve used Keyword Tool in the past, and I was impressed with the depth of the data it provides. The main limitation is that it’s purely a keyword research tool; it doesn’t offer the other SEO features you might find in an all-in-one platform (rank tracking, SEO audits, etc.). It’s also not the cheapest, with plans starting at $69 a month.
If you’re looking for a simple, lightweight, and incredibly useful SEO tool, Keywords Everywhere is one you should consider. It’s a browser extension that shows you keyword data directly in your browser – incredibly convenient for quick research.
Keywords Everywhere is all about simplicity. Once you’ve installed the extension, you’ll see search volume, CPC, and competition data for any keyword you search for on Google. But it also provides data for YouTube, Amazon, Instagram, Etsy and many more. It’s a simple but effective way to integrate keyword research into your daily workflow.
🤓Nerd alert: It also comes with API and MCP access, so you could use it to develop your own apps and scripts to customize keyword research. Of course, you’ll need to be able to use advanced coding techniques like API calls.
I’ve been using Keywords Everywhere for a few months, especially to get YouTube video ideas, but it won’t cover all your SEO needs (e.g. unlike SE Ranking, Ahrefs or Semrush). However, it’s incredibly affordable and a generous credit system.
🛠️ Alternative to: Ahrefs, Keyword Tool, Semrush, Moz
Whisk (from Google) is a fascinating AI image editor that lets you create and edit images using natural language. It’s a bit like Gemini’s image generator, but I’ve found it to be more intuitive and user-friendly.
Whisk is all about simplicity. You can apply some filters: change the aspect ratio, use reference images and more. This makes it incredibly easy to generate your AI images. I’ve been playing around with Whisk for a while, and I’m really impressed with the results.
This tool is ideal for content creators, marketers, and anyone who wants to create custom images without needing to learn prompt engineering.
Stop letting your calendar react to everyone else’s priorities. With time blocking in Google Calendar, you can turn your schedule into a tool that actively protects your most important work.
The idea is simple: instead of leaving your day open and hoping to “find time” to focus, you proactively schedule it. For example, block out 9–11 AM for “Deep work, no meetings” and mark the slot as busy.
During that time:
Silence notifications
Close your inbox
Commit to working on just one or two high-impact tasks
To make each block even more effective, add your top three priorities directly in the event description. This removes friction when you start, because you already know exactly what you’re working on. It also helps you avoid wasting the first 10 minutes deciding what to do.
The added bonus is visibility. Your colleagues can clearly see when you’re unavailable, which reduces interruptions and last-minute meeting requests.
🍿 Plot Twist of the Week
A couple of months ago, a massive data breach hit Salesforce, exposing the personal information of over a billion people. The incident affected multiple Fortune 500 companies, including Allianz, Google and Dior – source.
The stolen data includes names, email addresses, phone numbers, and job titles. It’s a stark reminder that even the biggest and most secure companies are vulnerable to attack.
The lesson? Security extends beyond your own systems to wherever your data resides. These companies had to notify clients of the breach, even though their systems weren't directly compromised.
That’s it for this week. Thanks for reading! Next time, we’ll be diving into the world of video explainer tools.
🧰 Smart tools. Useful tips. Weekly. Hola friend 👋, I’m Josep. Each week, I hunt down practical tools and productivity hacks to help digital doers like you do more with less effort. This week: my favourite (lesser-known) AI tools heading into 2026. AI-powered apps are popping up everywhere, and it’s getting harder to tell the game-changers from the gimmicks. It feels like a new "AI wrapper" is launched every day. So, this issue is about the tools I believe are already delivering real results...
🧰 Smart tools. Useful tips. Weekly. Hola friend 👋, I’m Josep. Each week, I hunt down practical tools and productivity hacks to help digital doers like you do more with less effort. This week: tools to create stunning explainer videos without needing a Hollywood budget. Video is one of the most effective ways to build trust and explain what you do, but creating high-quality video is still expensive, time-consuming, and frustrating for most creators. The good news is you don't need a film...
🧰 Smart tools. Useful tips. Weekly. Hola friend 👋, I’m Josep. Each week, I hunt down practical tools and productivity hacks to help digital doers like you do more with less effort. This week: AI website builders that are more than just hype. I remember one of the first AI website builders I heard about was "The Grid." A promising idea that, in the end, didn't quite deliver on its revolutionary promise – that was a few years ago, and AI was more ‘artificial’ than ‘intelligent’. But we all know...