Looking to pump up your SEO game in 2026? Well, I've got some cool tools to help you out! We’re diving into some handy options like Ubersuggest, which is not only budget-friendly but also packed with features to help you rank better. And let me tell you, the price is a steal compared to those big-name tools like Ahrefs and SEMrush. We'll also chat about some other nifty tools that can give you insights into your website's performance without breaking the bank. So grab your favorite snack and let’s get into the nitty-gritty of SEO tools that won’t make your wallet cry!

Takeaways:

• If you're looking to boost your SEO game in 2026, there are some super affordable tools out there that you can totally check out!
• Ubersuggest is a total steal at $290 for a lifetime deal, and it's packed with features to help you rank better.
• Ahrefs and SEMrush are great, but they can be real wallet-busters; who wants to pay $950 yearly for that?
• The new tool Answer Socrates is just $9 a month and offers tons of SEO metrics and keyword insights—what a bargain!
• Ubersuggest has a free plan to test the waters, because who doesn't love free stuff, right?
• Don't forget to explore site audit tools that can help you identify issues and improve your website ranking effectively!

Links referenced in this episode:

• ahrefs.com
• ubersuggest.com
• semrush.com
• Answer Socrates
• podpage.com

Mentioned in this episode:

Profit From Your Podcast: Turn Your Listeners Into a Livelihood

Check out my book Profit From Your Podcast: Proven Strategies to Turn Listeners Into a Livelihood. NOW AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO BOOK.

Profit From Your Podcast

Confusing navigation? Yeah, that’s a big no-no in the website world, folks! If you confuse, you lose, and we’re here to make sure you don’t trip over your own website. We’re looking at how to make your navigation bar a breeze, not a maze. I mean, we all want visitors to know exactly what to do when they land on our site, right? Let’s chat about the do's and don'ts of website navigation, share some witty banter, and maybe even throw in a few tips that’ll have your audience clicking like crazy.

• Confusing navigation bars will definitely lead to losing visitors faster than you can say 'where am I?'
• When you start your website, ask yourself what you want people to do first, it's crucial!
• Keep your top navigation simple, too many links make it a confusing maze for visitors.
• Your hero image should be eye-catching but not so huge that it overshadows your content!
• Featured episodes can help guide new visitors to your best stuff without overwhelming them.
• Always think about what action you want your visitors to take while browsing your site.

• podpage.com
• nosyaf.com
• podcastwebsitetips.com
• powerofpodcasting.com
• SEO Browser Extension Video
• November SEO 101 Meetup

Five SEO Extentions

Detailed SEO Extention

Keyword Surfer Extention

Ahrefs SEO Toolbar Extention

Keywords Everywhere (not free)

Mentioned in this episode:

Join our SEO 101 Meetup

​Want more people to find your podcast, not just hear about it? Join podcast expert Dave Jackson and SEO guru Matt Diamonte (from heytony.ca) for a live webinar where you’ll learn how to use SEO to grow your podcast audience—without needing to be a tech wizard. You’ll discover practical ways to get your show ranking higher in Google, attract more listeners, and make your podcast easier to find than ever.

Monthly Meetup

Hey everyone, Dave Jackson here! In this episode, I sat down with Jim McLeod, the mind behind the book The Visual Marketer: The Marketer’s Crash Course for Creating Memorable and Effective Visuals. We dove deep into what it takes to build not just a brand, but a truly standout visual brand for your podcast or business.

Here’s what you’ll learn today:

• Why your brand is much more than just your logo. Jim breaks down the misconception that your brand is simply your logo — it’s every interaction people have with your business.
• How to think about your logo and colors. We chat about why starting your logo design in black and white is so important, and how to pick colors that mean something to your audience (and why blue is so common in tech, for example).
• Choosing colors that help you stand out. Jim shares how owning a color, like T-Mobile’s magenta or Home Depot’s orange, can boost your recognition. He even discusses surprising meanings behind colors like red, blue, green, and neon, and how international audiences might interpret them differently.
• Survey and analytics tips. I ask Jim for his best practices on getting meaningful feedback from your audience — including the need to pair survey responses with real analytics, since what people say and what they do can be totally different.
• The power of faces and typography. YouTube thumbnails (and all digital artwork) can benefit from bold faces and bold type — but you do have to strike the right balance based on whether you’re the brand or the topic is the draw.
• Common design mistakes. We tackle the issue of not leaving enough white space, and why consistency with your fonts, colors, and layouts is absolutely essential for quick brand recognition.
• How to research your competition and carve your niche. Jim recommends creating Pinterest boards or swipe files to study what others are doing — and then finding your spot in the “white space” to stand out, without looking totally out of place in your market.
• Using AI for visual design and prompts. Jim gives his take on trusting AI-generated color palettes and how to create consistent visuals even when you’re using tools like ChatGPT or Canva.

Plus, we touch on classic rivalries (Coke vs. Pepsi, Marvel vs. DC, Red Sox vs. Yankees) and how even your color choice can put you side-by-side — or directly opposite — your biggest competitors.

Shout-outs in this episode to Stephanie Graham (for the neon color question!) and Zita Christian (for the story on Tiffany blue and copyright — wild stuff).

Here is the video version.

Check out Jim’s book at visualmarketer.co and subscribe to his newsletter at MarketingByDesignKit.com.

Coming up next month: I’m thrilled to welcome Matt Diamante of heytony.ca to talk simple, actionable SEO tips for podcasters and creators! Check out his YouTube Channel.

Register for SEO 101 HERE

And don’t forget — if you haven’t tried Podpage yet, get your 14-day free trial here.

Thanks for listening — keep building that brand and I’ll catch you in the next...