Every successful freelancer needs a thorough understanding of their market, competitors, and customers to ensure continued sustainable income and stay ahead of the competition for freelance talent. I know there is.
With more than half of the U.S. workforce turning to side hustles as a primary or secondary source of income to manage rising costs of living, and with an estimated 1.57 billion freelancers worldwide, competition is fierce. , the freelancer market is becoming saturated. It becomes more difficult to secure gigs and attract clients.
This is why every freelancer should have an SEO tool in their toolkit so they can gather data to help make decisions. This is a guide to important processes that freelancers face on a daily basis: knowing what tags and hashtags to use when creating content, evaluating search trends to identify new product and service ideas, and reaching out to your audience. (to stay relevant to today's conversation, etc.) Engage with customers on social media and your website (for your personal brand).
But, of course, you chose to become a freelancer because you're barely making ends meet and money is tighter than ever with rising mortgage prices. So paying for a comprehensive SEO package like Semrush might not be your first move, at least if you're trying to start a side business (or a full-time job) with as little capital as possible.
The good news is that there are free SEO tools that can be just as effective, at least initially, depending on your intended use.
But first, what exactly is SEO and why is it important?
What is SEO and how does it work?
SEO means search engine optimization. This simply means that your web pages and content are well optimized for search engines, especially the most popular search engines such as Google and Bing.
SEO is one of the most effective and important digital marketing strategies, and if you learn how to do it right, you can position your personal brand in front of thousands or even millions of customers. Google processes 8.5 billion searches every day and is estimated to have 92% of the search engine market. Therefore, even if he has less than 1% share in this market, by leveraging this huge pool of potential leads, he has the opportunity to secure many well-paying jobs and projects as a freelancer. there is.
It takes a lot of effort to earn that coveted top spot on Google's search results page every time a potential customer types in a query, but it takes a lot of effort to develop an SEO strategy and understand the data and analytics behind it. Use tools that help you understand, and you'll start seeing results.
These results include:
- Increased website traffic – more clicks and visits, which can lead to paying clients
- Consistently ranking well increases your brand awareness and increases your credibility as a freelancer.
- Pre-qualify leads to attract people who are already interested in what you have to offer
- Have a competitive advantage compared to other freelancers and companies
- Cost-effective and long-term sustainable, unlike paid advertising
Research is key to your SEO strategy as a freelancer. Understanding who your target customer base is, where they hang out, and what they search for will help you show up in search results on places like Google and Etsy.
Free SEO tools for freelancers
Let's take a look at 10 free SEO tools that you can use for data, research, and analysis that will give you useful insights as a freelancer. All of these tools are highly rated by technology review sites such as Trustpilot, Capterra, Product Review, and G2, and many boast forever free plans/features, free trials, and paid upgrade options. Some also have new features that utilize AI.
- Surple
- Google Trends
- Google Search Console
- google analytics
- similar web
- rank watch
- EtsyHunt (for SEO research when selling digital or physical products on Etsy)
- Moz Keyword Explorer
- Keyword Surfer (by Surfer) – Free Chrome Extension
- Keysearch (has a collection of free SEO research tools for Etsy, Amazon, eBay, and more)
As with any new tools you use to grow your business or build your venture, the key is to evaluate the pros and cons of each, experiment, and see what works best for your freelance endeavors. is. You can stick with one tool or use a combination of tools. But no matter what decision you make, the most important thing to remember is that ultimately, researching the customers you serve is the most fundamental part of being a successful freelancer. It means that it is a side. If you cut corners on this, you won't be able to stand out from your competitors.