Why I Stopped Using Expensive SEO Tools and Built My Own Notion System
How a custom Notion setup replaced three paid tools and saved me $200/month.
I used to subscribe to three SEO tools: one for keyword research, one for rank tracking, and one for competitor analysis. That’s over $200 per month. For a freelancer, that’s painful. I started looking for a simpler, cheaper way.
Notion can’t crawl websites or provide search volume data. But it can organize and visualize any data you import. I began by exporting keyword lists from free tools (Google Keyword Planner, Ubersuggest) and pasting them into a Notion database. Then I manually checked rankings once a week and logged them. It took 30 minutes a week.
For competitor analysis, I created a database of competitor pages with properties for their top keywords, backlink count, and content freshness. I update it monthly using free tools like SimilarWeb and Moz’s free backlink checker. It’s not real-time, but it’s good enough for strategic decisions.
The result: I canceled two subscriptions and kept only one (for backlink data). I now spend $50/month total. My Notion system isn’t as automated, but it forces me to review data regularly, which I actually prefer. If you’re tired of paying for tools you barely use, consider building your own. Our templates can get you started.