The longer you blog, the more time-saving tools you learn about.
Many of those tools include plugins if you’re self-hosted.
Even if you’re not self-hosted, you can install browser extensions which will save you time blogging.
This post describes 10 of the best free Google Chrome browser extensions. This article reviews Pinterest, Ahalogy, Nimbus, Pocket, Grammarly, Keywords Everywhere, SEOQuake, Moz, RiteTag, and Check My Links.
Although written for bloggers, anyone can use these Chrome browser extensions.
After reading this post, you’ll know why you should use these browser extensions, and you’ll even know how to get a premium Grammarly account for free by joining the Grammarly referral program.
In addition, the post includes a Google Chrome extension tutorial and shows you how to add and disable Chrome extensions.
Let’s get started learning information about how to get a Grammarly referral and other information about Grammarly.
At the time of this writing, these are my Google Chrome browser extensions.
I find the Pinterest Chrome Extension helpful in order to pin other people’s pins onto my Pinterest boards. I throw a linky party on Monday. The winner gets their pin pinned to the linky party Pinterest board.
I encounter a problem when the winner doesn’t have a Pinterest share button. Fortunately, I have the Pinterest browser extension. When I click the browser extension button, all the pinnable pins appear. I just click the one I want, choose my board, and in a second, the pin is on the Pinterest board. Pinterest even offers to show me my pin is on the board if I have any doubts my pin is there.
Ahalogy
For a long time, Ahalogy was the tool I used to schedule my pins to my Pinterest boards. After all, I can’t be at a computer all the time and Pinterest schedulers optimize my pins; they put my pins on my boards at optimal times. Ahalogy is easy to use and free. I switched to Viralwoot which is not a browser extension. For more information about Viralwoot read Viralwoot: This Wonderful Pin Scheduler is the Fastest Thing I’ve Seen.
Nimbus
You use Nimbus to make screenshots. Notice all the choices you have when you install the Nimbus Chrome extension. I usually choose Selected Area and then crop out the part I don’t want.
Once you’re done selecting the part of the screenshot you want, click the pencil to edit. When you’re in Edit mode, you can resize your screenshot and choose shapes and colors to enhance your screenshot.
If you’re happy with your screenshot, click the check mark to save as is. If you change your mind and decide you don’t want your screen capture, click the X.
What if you don’t want to clutter your computer with a bunch of screenshots? Nimbus offers you the option of sending your screenshot to Google so you can have a link.
Nimbus and Paint are my go-to tools for screen capture.
Pocket is my go-to browser extension.
When I find an article I want to save for later reading, I put it in my Pocket app.
All I do is click the picture of the pocket on my browser extension. The article goes to my Pocket where I tag it. Pocket then suggests other other, related, articles which I can read or also put in the Pocket app.
It gets better: I can read the articles I put in Pocket when I’m offline. I spend a month off-line on a cruise ship in the summer so this feature is helpful.
Grammarly and the Grammarly Referral
Grammarly is a free app that edits your writing.
Over 15 million people use Grammarly to improve their writing.
Downloading the Grammarly Chrome browser extension is free.
Grammarly uses artificial intelligence to let you know what writing errors you have. Just click on the red squiggly line and Grammarly will tell you how to fix your error.
Grammarly works with WordPress, Gmails, and recently started fixing writing errors on Google Docs although it’s still in Beta. Many bloggers report they first write their draft on Google Docs for many reasons, so Grammarly is helpful.
Your free Grammarly account includes basic spelling and grammar errors for an individual account. In addition, Grammarly provides explanations about why it considers your writing in error.
You can learn from the instruction and click to let Grammarly correct your writing. However, Grammarly has been known to be wrong, in which case you can choose to ignore Grammarly’s correction.
Grammarly’s premium account includes more advanced checks of your writing and a check of academic writing.
Grammarly Referral Program
When I originally reviewed Grammarly, I did not realize how much interest there was in the Grammarly referral program.
If you want to be able to have free access to a Grammarly premium account, you can! All you have to do is refer a friend when you sign up for Grammarly.
Each referral is good for one free week of the Grammarly premium account. In other words, make one Grammarly referral, and get one free week of the Grammarly premium account. Make a Grammarly referral 52 times, and you’ll get a year’s worth of Grammarly premium for free.
You see all you get when you get the premium plan from the screenshot.
In my experience, one of the reasons I’ve found Grammarly to be mistaken in catching my errors is Grammarly doesn’t seem to have the ability to detect correct spelling within context.
If you look at the screenshot, under Other Features, you’ll see catching contextual spelling and grammar errors is one of the perks of the premium plan which would come with the Grammarly referral program.
Also, the premium plan is helpful for institutional use as well as individual use.
Look: I retyped the previous sentence and, sure enough, Grammarly put a red squiggly line under my spelling error.
Also, see Apps for Writers.
Keywords Everywhere
UPDATE: October 1, 2019 Keywords Everywhere is now a paid tool.
I use Keywords Everywhere in Conjunction with SEOquake.
The Keywords Everywhere extension is a free SEO keyword research tool that shows you Google keyword search volume.
Notice what happened when I plugged in Keywords Everywhere into Google.
Since my Keywords Everywhere browser extension is on, the search volume, Cost-Per-Click and difficulty level of focus SEO keywords pertaining to the seed keyword populated.
Note: These metrics are only for the Google search engine.
SEOquake
SEOquake tells you a keyword’s Search Volume, Cost Per Click, and Level of Difficulty.
You need to type your the focus SEO keyword you’re thinking of using into Google.
Look at the screenshot to see what populated.
I looked for a keyword for this post, so I typed into Google’s search bar “Google Chrome Extensions.”
There are 74,000 searches for this term each month, a Cost Per Click of $.86, and a Competition Difficulty of .04.
Will I use the term? No. I read Cost Per Click should be under .20.
[For more information about SEOquake and Keywords Everywhere, read How to Do the Best Free Keyword Research Every Time & Never Leave Google.]
Moz
When Moz changed the tool that shares people’s Domain Authority rankings, I was disheartened. Moz only allowed me to use the tool for free 10 times a month.
I can be of good cheer. The Moz Chrome extension shows me what I need to know — the DA of my site and competitors’ sites.
The best part: When I check the Domain Authority Rankings using the Moz Chrome Extension, my queries are unlimited. When I’m signed into Moz, the DA of the website I’m on appears.
RiteTag
RiteTag recommends hashtags relevant to your content. This saves you time having to think of hashtags that match your content yourself.
I used to use the RiteTag extension. I’ll tell you why I stopped.
The tool recommends SO many relevant hashtags, I felt overwhelmed.
Blogger and SEO Expert Robin Khokar recommends RiteTag.
UPDATE: Since the publication of this post, the RiteTag company contributed this information:
“RiteTag Pro also includes a powerful mobile app, and what’s more, the browser extension is for Safari and Firefox, too.”
Check My Links
After finishing the draft of this post, I discovered the Check My Links Chrome Extension
An easy way to get links is to discover a broken link on someone’s blog and offer a link to your post as a substitute. If the blog has a higher Domain Authority ranking, you’ll get a link which will boost your SEO if yours is accepted as a replacement.
Step 1: Go to the Chrome Web Store.
Step 2: Click Add to Chrome. Click Add Extension.
Step 3: Click Cache Valid Links. Decide if you want nofollow links checked.
Step 4: Click Save My Preferences.
When you click the icon for the Check My Links extension, you’ll see that the extension is working because the links populate that the tool is scanning. The red area notifies you if any links are broken.
There is no need to keep checking back by clicking the icon in the Chrome Extension tool bar. Broken links will show up in red.
Robin Khokar also recommends Check My Links.
Chrome Extension Tutorial
Should you decide you want any of these top Chrome extensions or if you are unhappy with any of them once you install them, follow this Chrome extension tutorial:
Click this link to install a Google Chrome Browser Extension. The link will take you to the Google Chrome Web Store. Type the name of the extension in the Search Extensions box. Then click Add to Chrome.
How to Disable Chrome Extensions
Should you decide you’re unhappy with any of these extensions, once you add the extension to your toolbar, follow these instructions to disable Chrome extensions:
Step 1: In the upper right of your screen, when you’re in Google Chrome, you’ll see 3 dots, one over the other. The dots will be next to your avatar. The dots are under the “X” which you would click to leave the browser. Click the 3 dots.
Step 2: Click More Tools. Then click Extensions.
Step 3: You will see a search bar at the top of the next screen. Type in the name of the browser extension.
Wrapping Up: Grammarly Referral and Other Best Google Chrome Extensions
In closing, all of these Chrome extensions have different purposes and all of them are free to use. You don’t even have to worry about slowing down your site by installing a plugin.
Are you familiar with any of them? Which Chrome extensions do you recommend? I look forward to your views in the comments section.
Please share so people discover these 10 free best Chrome extensions and how to use the Grammarly referral program to get a free Grammarly account.
Related Reading
SEO SEM Strategy: Here are the 5 Things You Need to Consider
Source for the Grammarly Referral Program
https://techonation.com/get-grammarly-premium-account-free/
