10 free keyword research tools
Keyword research is fundamental to any search campaign, be it organic or paid. Therefore, it’s really important to ensure you’re doing a thorough job finding the best keywords for you and your business.
Fortunately, hundreds of SEO tools can help you with this. However, with all the tools having different features which are the ones you should be using? There’s also the element of the cost of these tools, with monthly payments and long-term contracts, costs can quickly add up.
This is why we’ve decided to compose this list of 10 FREE tools that will help you identify the best keywords for your campaigns.
Keyword research you need to know about
Are you struggling to get your website to rank highly in the SERPs for your core services or products? Or are your PPC campaigns not generating the ROI you’re looking for?
Don’t worry, these are problems many businesses face and a common cause can be not using the best buyer intent keywords. This is why keyword research is a step that shouldn’t be missed and one that can be made easier by using the tools below.
1. Google Ads Keyword Planner
Google Ads Keyword Planner can help you identify the best keywords for your PPC campaigns, whilst also providing bid estimates so you can carefully stick to your budget. By searching for words or phrases that relate to your business, products or services the tool then makes suggestions for your keyword plan. From here you can then forecast your campaign performance based on those keywords and your budget. Finally, you can turn your plan into a campaign.
Jamie Beatty
Organic Lead
"Keyword Planner is the favourite for me. First of all, it uses data directly from the source (Google) around search volumes and historical trends, and you can also see what the search demand has been per keyword. You can also have a look at the demand for the last 6, 12, 24 months etc., which allows you to plan your content seasonally based on demand. For one client, a search for a keyword could double over the Summer months, and our strategy plan can take advantage of this demand."
2.
Find out what others are searching for, how popular keywords are, and which categories are trending by using Google Trends. The tool will then show you the monthly search volume over time and other related keywords that users are searching for. You can even see how searches for those keywords have increased or declined, over the last year, quarter, or month.
3. Keyword Hero
Keyword hero offers a range of packages including their ‘Little Hero’ offering which is free and allows you to analyse up to 2,000 sessions. The great thing about this tool is that it works within your Google Analytics account, enabling you to understand exactly what keywords are generating your website traffic.
4. Uber Suggest
Uber suggest is a tool from the well-known SEO expert Neil Patel, Ubersuggest, can be used for a wide range of SEO purposes you can use it for keyword ideation. Simply search one of your keywords and the location you are looking to target and the tool will suggest lots of other options. For each keyword, you’ll also be able to see data on trends, volume, and difficulty.
5.
KWFinder is part of Mangools and offers you the ability to identify long-tail keywords that are known for having low SEO difficulty. It helps you find the longer keywords which should be easier for you to rank for.
6. Answer the Public
Another tool from Neil Patel, AnswerThePublic enables you to identify what topics, brands or products internet users are asking about. The great thing is you can also find out which keywords are the most searched across multiple networks, including Google, Bing, YouTube and Amazon.
7. Keyword Surfer
A Chrome extension, Keyword Surfer helps you find new keyword opportunities and save them to collections. As it is an extension you can see important data such as search volume, CPC, keyword suggestions, and on-page data right in Google’s search results. You can then bookmark the keywords that are most valuable to you, so you can easily access them without having to search Google every time.
8.
Whilst it’s limited to three free searches per day, Moz’s Keyword Planner allows you to conduct in-depth keyword research and analyse the SERP for those keywords. Their suggestions feature can help you discover keywords you might not have even considered and by being able to sort them by relevancy you can ensure you’re choosing the right words for you.
9. Google Search Bar
It might seem an obvious choice, but simply searching Google itself can be a great way to identify keywords. Though remember, your search results will only be as good as the search itself so perhaps it’s best to use this if you already know what keywords are performing for you.
10.
Finally, we’re giving you two in one, and that’s mainly due to the platforms not entirely being free, but both being fantastic tools that offer free trials. As well as both Ahrefs and SEMRush offering keyword research functionality, they both also offer a wide range of other features that can help you improve your online visibility. Such functions include tracking your daily SERP positions, running technical audits, and analysing the backlink profile of any domain. Sound good? That’s why they’re only free for some time. However, both do offer a range of packages, so there should be something for everyone.
Shoutout: I know we promised you 10 keyword research tools but why not have one more? ChatGPT is a noteworthy keyword research tool. It can help you brainstorm ideas and generate keywords. It can be a great first step when generating general keywords to work from.
Hopefully, at least one of those has sparked your interest!
Now you know all the tools you need to know, I hope you’re off to carry out extensive keyword research to improve your paid and organic activities. Want to know more about other tools of the trade that could improve your online visibility? Then take a look at the resources below.
FAQs
Answered by Amy Leach
Are free SEO tools as good as tools which require payment?
The free version of the tool will give the same quality results as the paid version, however, it is limited. For a smaller-based website this could work as the scale is smaller. If you want all of the insights to keep your SEO in check for a medium-page website, then paid tools will be better.
Which SEO tool is the most useful in terms of most features?
Ahrefs is the tool which has the most features. With each new update, it is more and more becoming a hub for all things SEO.
Are SEO tools just used for keyword research?
Many SEO tools out there can provide an array of features and insights. However certain elements sometimes work best as their own tool. For example, Screaming Frog is an SEO tool staple and handles all things technical.
How many keywords should I be targeting?
Each page on your website should have 1 trophy keyword and around 3 related secondary keywords. There needs to be a balance of keeping your keywords niche to the topic, but broad enough so it’s found in the SERPs.
How long does keyword research take?
Keyword research should take as long as it takes to get to a point where you are confident in your collected data. Here at Embryo, we can spend at least a whole day carrying out keyword research. Getting this right is key, and sets the foundations for the rest of the strategy.
