It’s not always easy to commit to writing a blog when you’re running a small business. Whether there aren’t enough hours in the day, or you find the blank page a little intimidating (which is a real thing even with the most seasoned writers), keeping your blog up-to-date is rarely the biggest priority for business owners.

But there are real benefits to having a business blog. From climbing in Google rankings to boosting your social media presence, a blog with a great content marketing strategy behind it can bring serious results. You can make more sales, connect better with customers, and grow your business faster.

 

17 free tools that will help you write better, faster blog posts

Sitting down to write a blog post becomes a whole lot easier with the right tools at your fingertips. These 17 tools are widely used by bloggers everywhere — and best of all, they’re free.

Use these handy links to find the right tool for your biggest blogging bugbear:

 

Free Tools For Blog Idea Generation

 

1. Google Trends

If you’re ever stuck for ideas, Google Trends should be your go-to website. Here, you’ll find tons of information about the latest searches, which you can refine by region, year, and more.

You’ll find out how popular your search topic is, and find other related queries you can research to add more value to your blog posts.

2. Answer The Public

For business bloggers, Answer The Public is a godsend. While only your first 3 daily searches are free, this is more than enough for small business owners looking for great ideas.

Simply enter a 1-2 word search term and find out what people around the world are asking about that topic. The easy-to-understand mindmap format is great for understanding which searches crop up most.

answer the public data example

3. Reddit

If you already use Reddit as a casual browser, you’re halfway to seeing how you can use it as a mine of information for your business blog. Subreddits cover all kinds of topics — seriously, all kinds.

Search your industry to find and join related subreddits, then take a look at new and hot topics to find out which questions are generating the most interest. You can then use these questions as the basis of your next blog post.

reddit data example

4. Portent Content Idea Generator

If you’re unsure what title to use for your next blog post, use Portent’s Content Idea Generator to find lots of ideas around your subject.

While this tool is useful if you’re really stuck for inspiration, it uses generic templates to come up with specific ideas for your topic. That means you won’t get suggestions that delve into the nitty-gritty of your industry, or help answer the burning questions your customers are asking. For those suggestions, use Reddit, Google Trends, or Answer The Public.

portent content idea generator example

Free Grammar Tools For Blog Writing

 

5. Grammarly

If you’ve browsed the internet for more than half an hour, you’ve probably encountered a Grammarly ad. And with good reason — the app is among the most popular writing software in the world. It’s easy to use, informative, and super helpful.

If you find spelling and grammar difficult to deal with, Grammarly is one of the easiest ways to tackle it. It will notify you when you misspell a word or misuse a punctuation mark, and even make suggestions for simplifying your writing.

screenshot of grammarly homepage

6. Thesaurus.com

Get creative in your blog posts with a little help from thesaurus.com. If you’re sick of writing words like great or easy, find an alternative with an online thesaurus.

A word of warning, though: only use words if you’re 100% sure what they mean. And make sure they’re appropriate for your context. For example, obvious is given as a synonym for easy — but there’s a lot of difference between an easy solution and an obvious solution.

thesaurus.com data example

7. Dictionary.com

This is the sister site to thesaurus.com, so you’ll notice a lot of similarities in the design and user experience of dictionary.com. Here’s where you can check you’re using words correctly — which is especially useful if you’re also using a thesaurus.

It’s also useful to use a dictionary if you’re using a word with multiple meanings. Sometimes a word that sounds the same isn’t always spelled the same. For example, complementary colours are very different from complimentary colours.

dictionary.com data example

Free Tools To Help You Write Better And Faster

 

8. Hemingway App

Writing with direction and finesse is an art — it takes a lot of practice to get it right. The Hemingway app (named after the famously spare-with-words writer Ernest Hemingway) helps you cut through the babble of your writing and get to the point.

Simply copy your text into the editor and watch the app work its magic. It’s a great way to help you get into the habit of writing concisely, with readability in mind. Plus, it takes a lot less time to write shorter sentences when you get used to it, so this app can help you save time on your blog writing, too.

hemingway app homepage screenshot

9. Google Docs

If you don’t already use a word processing program, sign up for a free Google Docs account. You’ll get all the functionality of a program like Microsoft Word, but your documents will be stored in the cloud, so you can access them anywhere.

Google Docs allows you to collaborate with colleagues, friends, or editors on a single document. Simply send the link to your blog post draft to someone you trust, and they can proofread it before you hit publish. It’s a great way to spot errors before your blog post goes live.

google docs demo screenshot

10. Trello

If organisation isn’t your strong suit, a project management program like Trello can help you get your ideas in order before you start writing.

Use Trello to write down all your blog post ideas on separate cards. Then move them between three separate buckets: To Write, Written, and Published. Not only will this help you plan future blog posts, it’ll also give you a little motivation boost to see your cards moving through the workflow.

trello demo screenshot

11. Evernote

Like Trello, Evernote is useful for helping organise your ideas before you start writing. I believe a good plan makes blog writing a lot easier, so by using a note-taking app like Evernote, you can plan on-the-go — so when you sit down to write, all your notes are ready and waiting.

evernote screenshot

12. The Most Dangerous Writing App

This one is only for the hardcore. The Most Dangerous Writing App is designed to force writers to concentrate on your project by deleting your work if you stop writing for more than a few seconds. I’ve used it, and it is pretty harsh.

When you stop writing, the screen begins to blur and fade. If you start writing again before the timer runs out, your work will be saved. If you make it to the end of the timer (choose from increments from 5 minutes to 1 hour) your work won’t be deleted, so you can copy it over from the app into your blog platform.

This tool is fantastic for helping you get words down on the page — but you should only use it if you’re confident you can write consistently for a sustained period of time.

most dangerous writing app text disappearing example

Tools To Help With SEO Blog Writing

 

13. Keyword Planner

Keyword planner is the number one tool you need to make sure your blog posts are SEO-friendly.

The keyword planner in Google Ads tells you how many people have searched for any given search term in a set period of time. You can use this information to decide whether it’s worth writing a blog post based on that search term — and whether or not you’re likely to rank well for it.

Keyword planner isn’t the most user-friendly tool out there for beginners, but it’s among the most useful tools you can use if you want to get serious about SEO in your blog writing. Google also offers this guide on how to use keyword planner effectively to help you get started.

keyword planner data example

14. Yoast SEO

Yoast SEO is the most commonly used plugin for monitoring SEO best practice on your website — and if you don’t already, you can use it for your blog, too.

Yoast tells you where you need to make changes to your webpage to give it the best possible chance of ranking in Google. You’ll enter the keyword you want to rank for, and Yoast will help you optimise your page. Best of all, Yoast SEO uses easy-to-understand language, so all business owners can make well-informed decisions about your website’s SEO.

yoast seo example

Free Blog Formatting Tools

 

15. You Can Book Me

Not sure where to send your customers when they reach the end of your blog post? This handy tool is ideal for lead generation. You Can Book Me enables potential customers to schedule a meeting with you or a member of your team. Simply link it to your calendar to show when you’re available.

By embedding this form at the bottom of your blog posts, you’ve got an automatic lead capture tool — and a strong call-to-action you can use whenever you need to. It’s a great way to make sure you can connect with as many potential customers as possible.

you can book me screenshot

16. Button Optimizer

Buttons are a great way to draw attention to the action you want your readers to take when they reach the bottom of your blog post. But it can be a bit fiddly to create buttons, especially if your design skills aren’t up to scratch.

Tools like Button Optimizer makes it easy to create and embed simple buttons in your blog post.

button optimizer screenshot

17. Canva

This one is great if you’re a whiz at writing blog posts, but less confident when it comes to design. Canva is a free design website that gives you tons of functionality over your images. So if you want to add photos, graphics, or other imagery to your blog post, you can give them a professional makeover with Canva.

canva screenshot

More Useful Blogging Resources This Way

If you’re looking for more ways to make business blogging easier, take a look at my resource pages. I’m always adding new content to help small business owners grow their online presence. To make sure you never miss a trick, sign up to my newsletter — I’ll only send you content I think you’ll love.

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