Free isn’t a word I hear often as a small business owner, everything seems to come with a price tag (and honestly, it should). People’s insights, experience, and expertise are valuable, especially when they understand something you don’t. That said, as a self-proclaimed digital marketing expert, I’ve tested a lot of tools over the years, both paid and free, and there are a handful of free ones that are absolutely worth your time to learn and implement.

As a small business owner myself, I know how important it is to take advantage of solid free resources whenever possible, especially if you’re just getting started and finally turning your attention to marketing. These are my go-to Google tools that I recommend over and over again to businesses across all industries.

If you live in Arizona and you’re not quite at the stage of implementing marketing tools yet, check out Business One Stop, where you can do a step by step walkthrough on how to build a business plan that actually works for you and your business.

Google Analytics

Google Analytics is a beast! It took me a few months to get used to the interface and really understand all the nooks and crannies of the platform and how my business was generating web traffic. But once I actually understood how to best utilize the platform and properly cater my business to it, it’s been an absolutely necessary tool I look at on a weekly basis. I say this with love as a fellow business owner, but learn your damn numbers! Financially, but also digitally. If you’re only getting a few hits a week to your website, that should tell you something. Google Analytics provides all that data. They also have a ton of videos available to help you learn the platform.

Heres a snapshot of all the things Google Analytics can do:

• Show where your website traffic comes from
  • See if people are finding you through Google search, social media, email campaigns, or direct visits—so you know what’s actually working.
• Track what pages people visit most
  • Identify your most popular services, blog posts, or landing pages and double down on what’s getting attention.
• Understand how users move through your site
  • See the path visitors take (like homepage → services → contact) and spot where they drop off.
• Measure conversions (aka actual business results)
  • Track actions like form submissions, purchases, or booking requests so you know if your website is doing its job.
• Learn basic audience insights
  • Get a snapshot of your visitors—location, device (mobile vs desktop), and general behavior patterns.
• Spot problem areas on your website
  • High bounce rates or short visit times can signal confusing pages, slow load speeds, or unclear messaging.
• Track campaign performance
  • If you’re running ads, email campaigns, or social promos, you can see which ones are driving real traffic and conversions.
• Measure growth over time
  • Compare traffic and performance month-over-month to see if your marketing efforts are actually moving the needle.

Start your free Google Analytics account here.

If you need more help implementing Google Analytics into your website feel free to schedule a consulting call and we can get your on the right path to tracking your data!

Google Business Profile

Getting found online can feel like a game of luck, unless you know a few insider moves. That’s where your Google Business Profile comes in. It takes a lot of that guesswork out of the equation, especially when it comes to local visibility, which is one of the things I love most about it. As an Arizona-based business, my local clients mean everything to me. Some have found me through my profile, while others have come in through good old SEO, but there’s no denying that GBP plays a role in both. So what exactly makes it so valuable, and how can it support your small business?

• Get you found in local searches
  • Show up when people search things like “photographer near me” or “best plumber in Phoenix.”
• Display key business info instantly
  • Your hours, phone number, website, and location are right there, no extra clicks to your website needed.
• Collect and showcase customer reviews
  • Build trust fast with real feedback (and give you a chance to respond and engage).
• Drive calls, directions, and website clicks
  • Customers can contact you directly from your listing with one tap.
• Post updates, offers, and events
  • Share promotions, announcements, or seasonal offers directly on your profile.
• Showcase photos of your work or space
  • Visuals help people quickly decide if you’re the right fit.
• Answer FAQs before people even ask
  • Use the Q&A section to handle common questions and remove friction.
• Track performance insights
  • See how many people viewed your profile, clicked, called, or asked for directions.

Create your free Google Business Profile here.

Google Search Console

Google Search Console pulls back the curtain and shows you exactly how your website is performing in search, without all the guesswork. Instead of wondering how people are finding you, you can actually see the keywords they’re using, the pages they’re landing on, and where you’re showing up (or not).

As a small business owner, that kind of insight is huge. Whether it’s improving your rankings, fixing pages that aren’t being seen, or understanding what your audience is actually searching for, Google Search Console gives you the clarity to make smarter moves. So what are the biggest benefits, and how can it support your growth online?

• Show how your site performs in Google search
  • See how often your site appears, gets clicked, and your average ranking position.
• Reveal the exact keywords people are searching
  • Find out what search terms are bringing people to your site (and where you can improve).
• Spot indexing issues
  • Know if Google can’t find or index certain pages—so you can fix them and get them seen.
• Submit new pages for faster indexing
  • Launch a new service or blog? You can request Google to crawl it sooner.
• Catch mobile usability problems
  • Make sure your site works smoothly on mobile (which is where most users are).
• Monitor website health and errors
  • Get alerts for issues like broken pages, server errors, or security concerns.
• Track backlinks and internal links
  • See which websites are linking to you and how your own pages are connected.

Check out Google Search Console and see what it can do for you.

These three free tools make up the building blocks of my digital business. From here I was able to grow and better understand what my idea audience was telling me, what searches were relevant to potential clients, and how I could optimize my content to obtain better search traffic. All were critical in gaining traction as a boutique digital marketing agency and I hope you can also find these tools useful for your own business.