Google’s Top 5 SEO Tools
Before you pay for another SEO tool, try these five free options from Google. Here’s why they work.
Matt G. Southern, Senior News Writer, has been with Search Engine Journal since 2013. With a bachelor’s degree in communications, Matt specializes in gathering details, checking facts, and making complex subjects easy to understand. In addition to writing articles, Matt oversees strategy development for SEJ’s news department.
Before you pay for another SEO tool, try these five free options from Google. Here’s why they work.
Perplexity’s new AI browser, Comet, is now live. Here’s how it fits into the company’s long-term vision for search and task automation.
Former Google Search engineer Andrew Yan launches Athena, a startup helping brands optimize their visibility in AI-generated answers.
Google’s John Mueller explains how to remove pages from Google Search, why sitelinks can’t be controlled manually, and when to use the URL removal tool.
Google has added a comparison mode to Search Console’s 24-hour view, letting you analyze hourly performance trends against previous days.
Google Search can now call local businesses using AI to gather pricing and availability info on your behalf. Here’s how it works.
Google rolls out Gemini 2.5 Pro and Deep Search for paid subscribers, offering expanded support for reasoning, coding, and research tasks.
Google updated the Search Analytics API with a metadata field that helps identify when recent data is still being processed.
Meta is taking action against unoriginal content, cracking down on accounts that repost others’ work without permission or meaningful edits.
Adobe’s latest report finds 77% of Americans report using ChatGPT as a search engine, with nearly 1 in 4 preferring it over Google.
Google updates its structured data documentation to clarify how merchants should implement return policies and loyalty programs.
TikTok has denied a Reuters report claiming it’s building a standalone U.S. app with a separate algorithm.
An investigation by SEO expert James Brockbank shows that ChatGPT may cite hacked websites and expired domains in business recommendations.
YouTube says its July 15 monetization update won’t specifically target reaction or clips channels, but warns enforcement will increase for repetitive or spam-like content.
Google Search Console now shows performance data for Discussion Forum rich results as a distinct search appearance.
A new Ahrefs study of 600,000 pages finds no correlation between AI content and Google rankings, easing concerns about algorithmic penalties.
Businesses adopting AI tools without proper planning are facing costly setbacks. Experts and research warn: AI needs human oversight.
YouTube is updating its monetization policies to target mass-produced and repetitious content. Here’s you need to know.
Cloudflare’s new pay-per-crawl feature blocks AI crawlers and allows publishers to charge for access, sparking debate in the SEO industry over content visibility and monetization.
YouTube is replacing the “returning viewers” metric with new viewer segments to help creators better understand long-term audience engagement.
A study finds Google’s AI Mode returns different URLs 91% of the time for the same query, offering insight into how sources are chosen.
Google says core updates rely on long-term patterns, not recent link spam. Should you disavow? Here’s what John Mueller told SEO professionals.
Most top-ranking websites fail HTML validation. Google explains why perfect code isn’t required, and what matters instead.
Google has finished rolling out its June 2025 core update.
Google has launched a new integrated version of Search Console Insights, offering simplified performance data in the main dashboard.
YouTube rolls out experimental AI features to improve video discovery, including a search carousel and conversational assistant.
Google’s new Preferred Sources lets users customize Top Stories with favorite publishers. How could this shift impact search visibility?
Google’s new Offerwall feature lets publishers monetize through surveys, ads, or micro payments. Could this reshape your revenue strategy?
Google’s srsltid parameter is showing on blog and homepage URLs, affecting reporting and analytics, but not affecting rankings.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says ChatGPT is no longer just a “Google replacement,” describing its shift toward task completion and assistant-style workflows.