I’ve been dealing on a daily basis with advanced SEO strategies as part of the WordLift team, in the last year and a half. A few months back I was looking for some quick and free Google Chrome Extensions I could use to have a quick glance and an overview of any website.
As I talk to dozens of people on a weekly basis to consult on SEO related issues I’ve developed my swiss knife for SEO. This comprises mainly five Google Chrome extensions that I’ve been using on a daily basis for the last years.
Over the dozens of extensions I’ve been trying out, those have stuck with me, and I believe that if you are an SEO professional or on the road to be one, those extensions might help you out. Of course, those extensions are meant to give you a quick glance; an overview of any website you’re looking at.
Those are not meant as a substitute for a proper analysis. In fact, for a more in-depth analysis, you’ll need to check your data and cross-reference it. However, for a quick glance, those tools are quite useful.
OpenLink Structured Data Sniffer Chrome Extension
If you’ve been following how Google has been evolving in the last years. You’re aware that since 2012 it has been building up a so-called knowledge graph. In other words, Google is organizing the information on the web to have it become knowledge. This knowledge graph is built on top of triples, which are simple phrases (that comprise a subject-verb-object). Those triples are organized in data, which is called structured data. Just as humans use language; nowadays search engine use structured data to talk to each other.
With the OpenLink Structured Data Sniffer Chrome Extension, you can see the structured data present on any web page.
For instance, in the case above, you can see how with WordLift I automated the process by adding critical information about my website and the web page in the form of JSON-LD, a format that Google likes to understand web pages. Why? Because this format isn’t affecting the performance of the page and it is allowing Google bots (the crawlers that go on a web page to extract critical information to index a web page) to have rich data about the web page.
Wappalyzer Chrome Extension
If you’re like me, the first question that comes to mind when on a website is, what CMS is this website using? The fastest way to understand that if to use Wappalyzer:
The app shows you right away with a small icon on your Chrome Browser what CMS the website is using. Also, if you click on it, you’ll also have a more in-depth analysis of plugins and tools used by that website. This is by far the fastest way to assess what CMS any site is using once you land on them.
Keywords Everywhere Chrome Extension
This Chrome Extension is a goldmine. It allows me to have constant access to keywords data from the Google page. This is why I like it so much. That is why I suggest you download keywords everywhere:
You will see the data related to a keyword you type in the Google search box. You’ll also get a box on the right side that says “people also search for” which shows you all the related keywords with volume, CPC, and competition. The data seems to be pretty reliable, and I’ve been using it in the last months with great pleasure.
SimilarWeb Chrome Extension
When checking out a website, it is critical to understand its marketing mix. SimilarWeb Google Chrome Extension helps me with that! I always remind people to whom I suggest to use SimilarWeb that the data is an estimate and in no way to take it as a 100% reliable data:
In fact, the quality of data from SimilarWeb depends really on several factors. In general, it is a great tool to have a quick glance at any website. In my opinion, the app is getting better and getter.
Alexa Traffic Rank Chrome Extension
To counterbalance the data from SimilarWeb, Alexa Traffic Rank Chrome Extension is a good alternative:
Here the same caveat I did for the SimilarWeb app. It is an estimate which is not supposed to substitute a rigorous analysis but to have a quick glance of any website, in a matter of instants!
For more Google Chrome Extensions to enhance your productivity check this out:
12 Best Google Chrome Extensions for Business Professionals, Online Marketers and Digital Entrepreneurs
Key takeaway
For anyone dealing with SEO on a daily basis, having a quick glance at any website you’re browsing is critical. There are a few questions that come to mind as soon as I land on a site:
- What CMS are they using?
- What’s the marketing mix?
- Do they use structured data?
Also, it is critical to have a quick overview of keywords that might be interesting for my editorial strategy. I hope those tools will simplify your life as much as they have mine!
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