Free 20 Point SEO Website Analysis
When Something Free Actually Means 100% Free!
In a post last week I mentioned that after reading the book, “Free” by Chris Anderson, the founders of Brownbook converted their local directory to completely free, meaning free with no strings attached.
The same holds true for my 20 Point SEO Website Analysis, meaning absolutely free with no strings or further obligation. There are, however, several restrictions, for example, your site must be a business website of at least ten pages; no illegal, pornographic, racist, or sexist websites; and my all time favorite, no make money now, get thousands of Twitter followers, or any other affiliate sites will be reviewed. So if you’re a business website owner, check it out.
Why is it that only on the web the word free doesn’t always mean 100% free? More often than not on the web it usually means free with strings attached. Take for example, Wordstream’s recent release of its new, free keyword research tool. According to the Wordstream blog this morning, “the free keyword tool by Wordstream has delivered over 100 million keywords to early adopters in its first week of use.” When they say delivered, they aren’t kidding. What they neglected to write about in the post was the part about how all you get initially are the first five results. The rest of your unlimited results, although technically still free, you have to give up your email address in order to have them emailed.
Not really all that bad when compared with others, for example, the free versions of Microsoft Office 2007 that comes with new computers or the trial version of WebCEO, a popular keyword search engine ranking tool. Hardly unexpected I might add, but your free version of Office will simply stop working after sixty days unless you purchase the licence for it, and the free version of WebCEO is pretty limited to say the least. It limits the number of key phrases you are allowed to check to five, and even worse, it doesn’t let you export your results. The full version, of course, allows for unlimited key phrases and full exports to Excel or html.
Hi Herb,
Thanks for the tool mention! You’re right that “free” usually comes with some sort of ulterior motive. Our Free Keyword Tool was certainly developed with an eye towards both generating leads and links, but it also provides a lot of value for our audience and for the search community. Really I think this new means of marketing is a very consumer-friendly shift. In exchange for an Email address the user gets free access to a tool that cost us a considerable amount of money to build, which offers functionality they might have to pay for otherwise. I happily offer some of my attention to companies who provide me with free information products or services at no financial cost; I think it’s a great system.
Anyway fair observation about “free” and thanks again for the mention!
Tom
PS – You can actually grab the first 100 keyword suggestions with no Email (there’s even a handy copy to clipboard button) for the rest you’ll need to let us in your inbox at least once
Still Tom
Tom,
Thanks for the comment. Apparently the social media monitoring tool you’re using is pretty good too.
Herb
My Daddy taught me there is absolutley nothing free in this life and we all have to answer to somebody.
Guess he was right, got 7 years for robbery.
Sandra x
Sandra,
Thanks for commenting – even if it is a little bit out of the ordinary.
Herb