This is a short, opinionated list of the Chrome extensions we actually reach for in day-to-day SEO work — not a directory of everything that exists. Each entry says what the tool does and the moment you’d use it. We have no affiliation with any of them; install from the Chrome Web Store and check permissions yourself, as extensions can read the pages you visit.
For inspecting a page’s SEO
Detailed SEO Extension — one click shows a page’s title, meta description, headings outline, canonical, robots directives, and schema. The fastest way to answer “what is this page telling search engines?” without opening DevTools. SEO META in 1 CLICK is a solid alternative with a similar readout; pick one, not both.
For technical checks
Lighthouse — already built into Chrome DevTools (no install needed): performance, accessibility, and SEO audits per page, including Core Web Vitals lab data. Link Redirect Trace — shows every hop in a redirect chain with status codes; essential when auditing redirects or a migration. Wappalyzer — identifies the CMS, framework, and analytics stack of any site, which tells you what technical constraints you’re working with.
For content and SERP work
Keyword Surfer — overlays search volume estimates directly on Google results while you browse; treat the numbers as directional, not gospel. NoFollow — outlines nofollow, ugc, and sponsored links on any page, useful when reviewing internal linking or evaluating link placements. Ahrefs SEO Toolbar — if you have an Ahrefs subscription, brings authority and backlink metrics into the SERP; skip it if you don’t.
An honest note on extensions
Most SEO extensions restate what free tools already tell you. Before installing anything, know that Chrome DevTools plus Google Search Console covers the majority of real diagnostic work — extensions just make it faster. Our free in-browser tools handle the generation side (meta tags, schema, robots.txt, sitemaps) with nothing to install, and the technical SEO checklist shows where each check fits in a full audit. Back to all resources.