By 2019, around 2.94 billion people were accessing the internet using Google Chrome. Since its launch in 2008, it has grown in popularity thanks to its easy integration and smart tools. Whether using Chrome on your phone, laptop or tablet, you can enjoy a near identical experience with all of your important information accessible from anywhere.
Another key perk of Google Chrome is the ability to add extensions to your browser. Extensions enhance the browsing experience, allowing you to complete more complex tasks without ever leaving your browser. There are extensions that remind you to take a break, add to your ToDo list, or manage your Zoom schedule without ever leaving your browser.
If your job involves any level of SEO or search marketing, you may also be interested to learn that there are hundreds of SEO extensions available. Even if you aren’t involved in SEO in your day-to-day job, it can be helpful to have access to this information to inform your decision making.
So many “best SEO extensions for Google chrome” lists include 20+ extensions that you will simply never get through. We’ve whittled down our best SEO extensions for Google chrome list to just five, so you can streamline the discovery process and avoid the deluge of information.
How to install a Chrome Extension
- Head to the Google Chrome Extension search page to get started.
- Once you have found an extension you wish to install, click on the “Add to Chrome” button.
- Check the permissions and select “Add extension”.
- The icon should now appear to the right of the address bar.
- If you don’t see it here, click on the grey jigsaw piece. This will reveal your full list of extensions.
- From here, you can click on the pin beside the extension to turn the pin blue. This will add the extension to the right of the address bar.
Important: Browser extensions can request fairly extensive permissions, including gaining access to your passwords and email account. It’s important that you only add extensions from trusted sources and check the permissions before installing.
MozBar
The MozBar Chrome extension offers greater insight into the SERPs and on-page SEO. The free version will show you the page and domain authority, allow you to explore links on the page and reveal the meta information for the page. You need to be logged into your Moz account for this extension to work.
To use the MozBar, you can click once on the icon to reveal the MozBar. There are three main menus; page analysis, highlight links and page optimisation. Use this to explore the page content, meta information, link metrics and markup.
Click again and the MozBar will disappear and you will enter DA mode, or domain authority mode. When you navigate to a new site, the DA will be shown in the middle of the icon. This is helpful for link building and understanding changes to your own website.
MozBar is excellent for those getting to grips with SEO as it introduces some key elements that you might see mentioned in a report.
TextOptimizer
This is a writing assistant tool that will help you to create more accessible content. If you’re tasked with writing the company blog and don’t have a clue where to start, this extension can help you to create something accessible and user friendly.
You can use this extension on any page and it will scan the content to extract the meaning. It will then provide a percentage score and offer content suggestions to enhance your writing. So, as I’m writing an article about SEO chrome extensions, TextOptimizer suggested that I should mention Safari, Mozilla FireFox and Internet Explorer as these are competing browsers.
SEOStack Keyword Tool
Keyword research is an ongoing task, and SEOStack Keyword Tool makes it much easier. This tool extracts information from Google, Yahoo, DuckDuckGo, YouTube, Amazon, Pinterest, Bing and Ebay to deliver low competition longtail keywords.
If you’re researching blog or content topics, this is an excellent place to start. It will allow you to select your Country and Language to make the results more relevant to your campaign. When you’re done, you can export all of the information to a CSV file for further processing.
SEOQuake
If you’re ready to get into the nitty gritty of SEO, SEOQuake is a great place to start. This extensive SEO toolbox will show you current website stats and make it easier than ever before to plan your SEO strategy.
Like MozBar, SEOQuake also offers an information bar at the top of the screen. By connecting with a free SEMRush account, you can enhance the information available. Some simple tools you might find helpful include the keyword density table, which is included in the Page Info tab. You should also explore the Diagnosis tab which includes a full SEO on-page audit. This will allow you to gain in-depth understanding of the key ranking factors that SEO professionals often talk about.
Check My Links
Broken links are a nightmare for website owners. It’s difficult to spot broken links without a special tool, and these can often be inaccurate as they count slow server times as a broken link. This is where Check My Links comes in handy. This extension for Google Chrome will quickly scan the links on any page and let you know if anything is amiss.
These Chrome Extensions should all help to bolster your understanding of SEO, so you can write with confidence, monitor your website and even identify link building opportunities.
But when you’re ready to supercharge your SEO campaigns, it’s time to bring in the experts. Auburn is a digital marketing agency based in the Midlands, get in touch to find out how we can help you grow your business online.