Chrome plugins or extensions are applications that are built to enhance the power and usefulness of Google’s Chrome Browser.
Did you know?
“Google Chrome has become one of the most widely used web browsers in the world and has recently ended the 18 year reign of Internet explorer.”
Chrome’s swift and elegant interface along with user-friendly and helpful extensions has successfully catapulted it over other browsers in competition. Being an avid chrome user, I decided to list the top 20 chrome plugins that I feel digital marketing professionals should know about and try. I have divided the plugins in 4 different categories with 5 top examples of each.
Top 5 Chrome plugins for SEO
#1. Open SEO Stats (FREE)
It is one of the most widely used extension by SEO experts. It was previously called as PageRank status extension. It allows you to view and access Alexa, Quantcast and compete rank of a web page. It also shows backlinks, Whois, social counter, indexed pages etc.
Add to Chrome Here
#2. SEO QUAKE (Free)
Being able to quickly do an SEO audit of a website is essential in this digital age. SEO Quake allows you to diagnose issues on your website and pull competitive metrics from other websites.
This is a free extension and quite beneficial – You can use it to:
- Check all major metrics
- Generate .CSV report of SERPs
- Keyword report
- SEO audit report
- Report on all internal and external links and many more.
#3. MozBar (Free)
For SEO experts, the more tools you have to generate information about a website, the better. Mozbar is your very own all-in-one SEO toolbar that you can use to get comprehensive information about a website.
While Mozbar is for free, MozPro is paid with a minimum pricing of $99 per month. The free version of Mozbar offers custom search options, shows page and domain authority, check and compare link metrics, keyword statistics and many more.
Add to Chrome Here#4. Google PageSpeed Insights (Free)
Speed is the name of the game in the digital world. If your site isn’t loading within 3 seconds, you will lose site visitors! So, it is imperative to keep quickly be able to check the PageSpeed of the site. This free plugin allows you to check the page speed score of a web page with a single click.
Add to Chrome Here
#5. goo.gl URL Shortener
Social media experts will understand the importance of URL shortening, especially when you are posting regular tweets on Twitter and other social media channels. Goo.gl URL shortener help you shorten a URL in just two clicks. It saves a lot of time when you don’t have to copy and paste URLs to a different tab to get a short URL.
You can get this extension here –
Add to Chrome HereTop 5 Chrome plugins for Increasing Productivity
#1. Todoist: To-Do list and Task Manager (Free and Paid version available)
What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you start thinking about increasing your productivity? A to-do list and a task manager, right?
This plugin helps in improving your productivity by offering you a powerful task manager. You can use it to add tasks, projects, break down tasks, share them, set priority and many more. Check the video below to see how it works:
The plugin comes in two versions. Most of the essentials are available in the free version. In the paid version, you get to put reminders for tasks, add labels, comments or notes to various tasks and projects.
Add to Chrome Here#2. LastPass: Free Password Manager (Free)
With so many accounts to manage on a daily basis, it gets harder to remember all the passwords. But with the help of LastPass, you can keep a track of all your passwords by just remembering one master password.
LastPass is an award-winning password manager that you can use to save all your passwords for your accounts and devices. This plugin automatically sync your passwords anywhere you need them – all you have to do is enable it by using your master password.
Add to Chrome Here#3. Toggl Button: Productivity & Time Tracker (Free)
The best way to gauge your productivity is to check how much time it took you to finish a task. With this free time tracker tool, you can enhance your productivity to a great extent. You can put a timer to any task or web tool that you are using to manage your project. You can track your productivity in real time with Toggl button. You can also set automated reminders to help you remind tasks that need your attention.
Check this video:
Add to Chrome Here
#4. The Top Inbox for Gmail (Free)
Sending emails and replying to them is such a tedious job. How much time do you spend sending and replying to emails on a daily basis?
You can improve your productivity with this Top inbox for Gmail plugin as it allows you to schedule your emails and set reminders for priority emails that you are expecting. You can also track which emails are being opened, so you don’t have to wonder whether your email has been read or not. You can also set auto-follow ups!
Check the video:
Add to Chrome Here
#5. StayFocusd (Free)
Distraction is the adversary of productivity! The more distracted you get while doing a task, the lower your productivity is going to be. StayFocusd is a free plugin that increases your productivity by removing or limiting the distractions.
You can block time-wasting websites that you usually browse through in your free time. You can set a time for particular websites in a day. Once you use that time up, it will be blocked for the rest of the day.
Add to Chrome HereTop 5 Chrome plugins for content writing
#1. Grammarly for Chrome (Free and Paid version available)
If you ask a writer about using Grammarly, they will shrug and say “No, I don’t use it!” They are lying!
It is one of the most used plugins in chrome with over 1.8k installs.
It comes in both free and paid versions. With free version you get around 150 critical grammar and spelling checks. In the paid version, you get advanced grammar checks, vocabulary suggestions, writing style suggestions and plagiarism check.
The plugin works on almost all text spaces where you have to type something. It can vet your grammar on social media channels, mails – basically anywhere on the web. Check this video:
Add to Chrome Here
#2. OneTab
If you are writer – you know how important research is, right? Research results in multiple tabs opening on the browser and it can be hard to manage all the tabs. Moreover, opening of multiple tabs slows down the browser tremendously. Now, with OneTab you can save up to 95% memory and reduce tab clutter!
Just install OneTab and click the icon to convert all your tabs into a list. It is easier to manage and restore whenever you need and in the order you need.
Add to Chrome Here#3. Office Online (Free)
Don’t have the MS Office installed on your drive? Office online can help you!
This plugin helps you view, edit, or create MS-office files right from your web browser. You can use Ms Word, Excel and PowerPoint from anywhere or device if you have the plugin installed on your chrome.
Having this plugin can he extremely helpful when you are on the go and don’t have access to MS Office software on a device. You don’t have to wait or be limited, just open your chrome browser and view or edit files right from the browser.
Check this video:
Add to Chrome Here
#4. Google Dictionary (Free)
Tell me if you’ve ever done this…
You have been reading something online and see a tough word that you don’t understand or
You are writing and you simply forgot how to spell and don’t want to bother your brain to try and remember.
What do you do?
You copy and paste that word on Google and check its meaning, right?
This plugin from Google makes it easy and saves a lot of time. You don’t have to copy and paste anymore. Just double click on that word and the meaning/definition of the word will pop-up right there. This tool makes the job of a writer pretty easy and even beneficial for anyone who loves to read a lot online.
Add to Chrome Here
#5. TickTick – Todo & Task List (Free and paid versions available)
A writer has to be organized in order to be productive. This plugin helps you create a well-defined to-do list that helps you prioritize your tasks.
You can add your priority article topics and create a mini content calendar with the help of this plugin. You can share list with others and set reminders for your writing projects. The paid version offers a few advanced features such as calendar, task revision history etc.
Add to Chrome Here
Top 6 Chrome plugins for Design
#1. ColorZilla (Free)
This is one of the most popular plugins that was only available in Firefox. And now it has come to Chrome – Finally!
This plugin is a blessing for a designer. It helps in get a color reading from any point in your browser. Just take you mouse to a color and it will give the code that you can copy and use in a design software.
Clients’ usually give references to designers for colors via sharing website URLs that they like. This tool help designers get the exact color that clients’ want – making the job easier. It can also work as a powerful online Photoshop tool along with being a color picker, eye dropper, color analyzer and many more.
Add to Chrome Here
#2. WhatFont (Free)
Asking designers to get the font right can be frustrating! The easiest way is to use this plugin to find out the font name used in a webpage. All you have to do is hover your mouse on the text and you can learn the font name of that text.
Moreover, this tool can detect the services used for serving the web fonts.
Add to Chrome Here#4. Pixlr Editor (Free)
Don’t have a designing software installed in the system? Pixlr Editor is all you need!
It is a browser photo editor that can help you edit images and put filters, layers and effects. It is one of the most advanced photo editor available online and is completely free.
Add to Chrome Here
#5. MeasureIt! (Free)
Every now and then, you get a request from a client, who wants an element on his webpage sized similar to another element on a different webpage. Yes, it happens… and it is more common than you think.
This plugin helps in measuring pixel width and height of any element of a webpage. Just click and select and it will tell you its exact height and width.
Add to Chrome Here
#6. Corporate Ipsum (Free)
Creating a mockup for a website? Looking for professional dummy content?
This tool is perfect for you. Corporate Ipsum is a random dummy content generator with a corporate bend. You can use this tool to fill the text space in your mockups or wireframes.
Add to Chrome Here
Chrome Plugins Recap
There are a ton of Chrome plugins and extensions. We tried our best to find you the most useful Chrome plugins that are essential to every digital marketers tool kit. Please share and link to this post if you found some of the Chrome plugins useful.
