February 27, 2025

Imagine if all Matthew Vaughn had to create the Kingsman series was a decade-old, glitchy camcorder. No amount of talent or skill would make those movies look half as good as the blockbuster films that collectively grossed nearly $1 billion worldwide. The point? Tools maketh a man. You can have the best ideas in the world, but without the right tools, your content won’t hit as hard as it should. After years of working as a B2B content writer, I’ve tested a ridiculous number of tools. Some were useful, others just added clutter. But a few have become part of my workflow because they help me write faster, cut down editing time, and stay organized without being overwhelmed. So, if you’re serious about improving your writing and handling your projects, you need the right tools. Here are the tools for content writers that made the biggest difference for me and how they can do the same for you. Google Docs Best for: Writers who need a simple, no-fuss writing tool that syncs across devices. As a B2B freelance content writer, I need a writing tool that allows me to draft, edit, and collaborate with clients effortlessly. Google Docs is my go-to writing platform because it combines the simplicity of a word processor (like Microsoft Word) with the flexibility of real-time collaboration.  Whether I’m fleshing out a content idea or writing a blog post, Google Docs helps me keep everything organized and easily accessible from anywhere.  Oh look, I’m writing this post in a Google Doc. But beyond being a “cloud-based Microsoft Word alternative,” Google Docs has many cool features that make my workflow smoother.  For starters, typing “doc.new” fires up a new doc on my browser.  I sometimes use the voice typing feature to get ideas down quickly without worrying about structure. I also dictate ideas straight to the doc when my hands are tired. It’s surprisingly accurate and a great way to beat writer’s block. I like the new “Document tabs” section that allows me to create multiple tabs. Now, I can dump all my research into a single doc without switching tabs. I can have my content brief on one tab while writing my draft on another.  Another feature I love is the commenting and suggesting mode. I work remotely, so it’s a lifesaver for collaborating with editors and clients. Instead of dealing with messy email chains, I simply tag stakeholders in the document, and they can leave feedback directly in the text. This eliminates confusion and speeds up the revision process. Call me vain, but I collect the nice comments editors leave when I deliver high-quality content, like the one below. Underrated Way To Use Google Docs With the “WordPress for Google Docs” add-on, you can draft blog posts in Docs and publish them directly to your site — no copy-pasting required. To install Add-ons on your Google Doc, click Extensions at the top menu → Add-ons → Get add-ons. Use the search bar to look for the add-on you want. In this case, I’m looking for the WordPress add-on. When you click “Install,” you’ll be prompted to log into your WordPress account and add your WordPress Site to Google Docs. Once you’ve logged in, you can choose the type of post you’re creating in your doc, which populates automatically on WordPress. Easy-peasy. Features Pricing I like to think of Google Docs as a free tool (and I think most people do). You can create unlimited documents with 15GB of storage shared across Google Drive. Google Docs is also part of Google Workspace, a paid subscription service. The lowest tier is the Business Starter plan, which costs $6.30/month. This comes with business-grade security, additional storage, and admin controls. MarketMuse Best for: B2B writers who want to create high-ranking SEO content and do content optimization without spending hours second-guessing strategy. You already know the struggle of balancing writing for search engines and humans. On the one hand, you must include keywords so crawlers understand your site. However, you also need to write clearly so that the readers can understand your blog post. MarketMuse can help. MarketMuse helps you write SEO-optimized content by analyzing competitors and suggesting keywords, topics, and content gaps. Think of it as an AI-powered research assistant that makes sure your articles rank. Here are some ways I use MarketMuse to optimize my writing. I use MarketMuse to ensure my drafts are optimized for search engines before submission. Once I finish a draft, I paste it into MarketMuse’s Optimize tool. It gives me a content score compared to competitors, then suggests missing terms, semantic keywords, and structural improvements to close the gap. This ensures my work isn’t just well-written but also well-positioned to rank. Sometimes, I use the SERP X-Ray feature to analyze the top-ranking pages for a specific keyword. It’s not exactly the greatest tool for keyword research, but it shows content gaps my competitors missed, which means I can fill those gaps and give my piece an edge. Underrated Way to Use MarketMuse MarketMuse doesn’t just help you write better content. It helps you charge more for it. Before working with a new client, you can: This strategy makes you stand out from other freelance writers and justifies your higher rates. Instead of just saying, “I can write an SEO-friendly blog post,” You say: “I analyzed your content gaps using MarketMuse and see a clear opportunity to rank for [keyword]. If we optimize your existing posts and add fresh content, you’ll rank higher on the search engine results page and attract more traffic. I can build that content strategy for you.” Boom. Clients see you as a strategist who understands content marketing, not just a freelance writer, and are happy to pay more. Features Pricing The free plan lets you make up to 10 queries each month. Queries count for any search you make in the Research and Optimize tab. The paid plans start with the Optimize Plan, which costs $99/month. Grammarly Best for: Catching