Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) tools abound as the internet continues to drive an organisation’s ability to function. A good website – in the broadest sense of the term – needs to work. Using tools to ensure this is the only option if, like me, you don’t have a degree in coding.

But the high cost of typically subscription based tools makes this unreasonable for nonprofits who don’t want to spend tons of rands. What’s more, there are so many that knowing what is needed can be a challenge on its own.

Spending Where It Matters

The best nonprofit SEO isn't about who can afford the fanciest subscription. It's about spending energy on the tools that actually answer the right questions: who's finding you, what they're searching for, and where you're disappearing from results.

Google invests billions in tools like Search Console and Analytics, and then gives them away for free. Not out of generosity, but because better websites mean better search results. Better search results means a better user experience, which in turn keeps Google as the top online platform.

In short, they want to help.

Free SEO Tools For Nonprofits That Pull Their Weight

Google Search Console is where you begin. It’s basically Google sending you notes on what’s working and what’s broken. If someone in Durban searches for “children’s literacy programmes” and clicks on your site, you’ll see it. If they search for something you should be ranking for but aren’t, you’ll see that too.

Google Analytics steps in once they arrive. Do they spend time with your impact stories? Or leave the donation page before taking action? It’s all there, laid out in ways that don’t require a degree in statistics to interpret.

Google Keyword Planner then helps with the language problem. It shows the reality of search behaviour instead of what you assume people type, and can be found under the ‘planning’ section on your Google ads site.

Note that you don’t need to run ads to use it!

And then there's Google Business Profile. Still ignored by far too many South African nonprofits, despite being free. It takes ten minutes to set up, and suddenly your centre in Soweto is showing up when people search "community centre near me."

 You’ll notice that Google offers many free things. Not only is this a plus, but these tools are designed to work with Google Chrome.

SEO pays off slowly, but steadily. Publish content that's useful, keep your site technically sound, and Google will reward you.

When to Spend a Little

There are some tools that are worth the price tag if you've mastered the free ones.

AnswerThePublic shows you the actual questions people ask. If the solution you offer addresses the question “Where can I donate to the Penguins?”, but no one is actually searching this question, then you will be able to see and adapt how you position yourself.

Note that this isn’t changing your entire operation. It’s saying, “we offer x, so let’s make sure that people aren’t failing to find us because the synonyms of x are more popular”

Ahrefs and SEMrush are brilliant, but they aren't cheap anymore. If you decide to invest, do it with clear intent. They'll show you which technical issues are slowing your site and which of your pages Google thinks matter most. For bigger organisations aiming at growth, the spend can be worth it.

Ahrefs has some pretty awesome free features that I use on my own site, including a monthly Site Audit where any potential issues will be flagged. Unfortunately it doesn’t say how to fix it, but it is useful when it comes to assessing if your site's health is where it should be.

Even Grammarly gets a mention. Not because it makes you rank higher, but because clear writing keeps readers around. If your content is full of distracting mistakes, people bounce (this is the technical term), and Google notices when they do.

Building the Toolkit

Start with the free Google tools. They'll answer most of what you need to know. Once you've got the hang of them, then — and only then — add a paid tool. And it goes without saying that you shouldn’t get a paid tool unless you know what it’s going to offer you and you know what to do with it.

Don't get distracted by shiny tactics while the basics are falling apart. A quick, mobile-friendly website with clear navigation will always win over a bloated, keyword-stuffed one.

If you're on WordPress, Yoast SEO is a solid companion. The free version gives you the prompts you need for meta descriptions, titles, and readability. But don’t be fooled by it being ‘free’: it is only free if you already have a paid WordPress account, which itself costs more than other options.

Making It Stick

The trick with SEO isn't the tools, it's using them consistently. Take two hours a month to check Search Console. Look at the patterns: which pages pull in visitors, which search terms bring them, and where they fall away.

Keep track of your most important keywords, even if it's just in a spreadsheet. Seeing what you are ranking for, what you aren’t, and where your competitors are beating you is a great starting point.

Google Alerts is another freebie worth using. It emails you whenever your organisation (or the topics you care about) get mentioned online. That's both free reputation tracking and a way to spot partnership opportunities.

Playing the Long Game

SEO pays off slowly, but steadily. Publish content that's useful, keep your site technically sound, and Google will reward you.

I spoke in my previous article on the value of putting content first to help you rank on Google. I still believe this. Good content is what people want, but knowing how to package this content in a search engine friendly way helps to ensure that what you do reaches the relevant people.

These free tools form part of this. At the end of the day, this isn't about tools for their own sake. It's about making sure that when someone is searching for help, or for a cause to support, they find you. The tools are just the scaffolding. The stories are what matter.

Image credit: PxHere.