Keyword research is a fundamental part of any successful blog or website. It helps you understand what your target audience is searching for and enables you to create content that attracts organic traffic. While there are many paid tools available for this purpose, several free keyword research tools can still provide valuable insights without breaking the bank. Below is a list of some of the best free keyword research tools to help you find the right keywords for your blog or website.
1. Google Keyword Planner
Google Keyword Planner is one of the most widely used free keyword research tools. Originally designed for advertisers using Google Ads, it offers valuable insights into keyword search volume, competition, and cost-per-click (CPC).
- Why it’s useful: You can discover new keyword ideas directly from Google, making it reliable and comprehensive. It’s especially useful for finding high-traffic keywords with low competition.
- How to use it: Simply sign up for a Google Ads account (you don’t need to run any ads), access the Keyword Planner tool, and start searching for keywords relevant to your content.
2. Ubersuggest
Created by digital marketing expert Neil Patel, Ubersuggest is an excellent free tool for keyword research. It provides keyword ideas, search volume data, competition metrics, and even backlink suggestions.
- Why it’s useful: Ubersuggest offers a user-friendly interface and provides a wide range of insights, including keyword difficulty and SEO analysis, all for free.
- How to use it: Simply enter your target keyword into the search bar, and Ubersuggest will generate a list of related keywords, along with data on search volume and SEO difficulty.
3. AnswerThePublic
AnswerThePublic is a unique keyword research tool that focuses on search queries phrased as questions. It shows you what people are asking about a particular topic, which can be a great way to generate content ideas based on long-tail keywords.
- Why it’s useful: This tool gives you insights into the questions your audience is asking, allowing you to create content that addresses specific user needs. It’s particularly helpful for content planning and FAQ sections.
- How to use it: Type in a keyword or phrase, and AnswerThePublic will generate a visual map of questions, prepositions, and comparisons related to your search term.
4. Google Trends
Google Trends allows you to see the popularity of search queries over time and across different regions. It’s a great way to track keyword trends and identify seasonal patterns.
- Why it’s useful: This tool helps you identify trending topics in real time, so you can capitalise on timely content opportunities.
- How to use it: Simply enter a keyword, and Google Trends will show you how interest in that term has changed over time. You can also compare different keywords to see which one is more popular.
5. KeywordTool.io
KeywordTool.io generates hundreds of keyword suggestions by pulling data from autocomplete suggestions in search engines like Google, YouTube, and Bing. While it offers a paid version, the free version still provides plenty of keyword ideas.
- Why it’s useful: This tool gives you access to keyword ideas from multiple search engines, which can help diversify your content strategy.
- How to use it: Enter your keyword in the search bar, and KeywordTool.io will generate a list of autocomplete suggestions from your chosen search engine.
6. Moz Keyword Explorer (Limited Free Version)
Moz Keyword Explorer is a robust tool that provides detailed keyword analysis, including keyword difficulty, search volume, and opportunity score. While the full version is paid, the limited free version allows a few searches per day.
- Why it’s useful: It offers detailed data on keyword difficulty, giving you insights into how easy or hard it will be to rank for a specific keyword.
- How to use it: Sign up for a free Moz account, enter your keyword, and explore the data provided. You’ll receive a list of related keywords along with metrics like priority and difficulty.
7. SERPSim
SERPSim is a free tool designed to help you optimise your content for search engine result pages (SERPs). It allows you to preview how your title tags and meta descriptions will appear in Google search results.
- Why it’s useful: You can ensure that your titles and descriptions are optimised to capture attention in search results, helping improve click-through rates (CTR).
- How to use it: Simply enter your page title, meta description, and URL to see a preview of how it will appear on Google. It’s a quick way to ensure your meta data is well-optimised.
8. Soovle
Soovle is a simple, free tool that aggregates autocomplete suggestions from several search engines, including Google, Bing, Yahoo, YouTube, and Amazon. It’s perfect for generating keyword ideas for multiple platforms in one place.
- Why it’s useful: Soovle helps you discover keyword ideas from various sources, which is useful if you’re targeting different search engines or platforms.
- How to use it: Type in your keyword, and Soovle will generate autocomplete suggestions from various search engines.
9. Google Search Console
While primarily a tool for monitoring your website’s performance in Google search results, Google Search Console also provides keyword data. You can see which keywords are bringing traffic to your site and their average position in search results.
- Why it’s useful: This tool gives you insights into how your existing content is performing in search results, helping you optimise for better rankings.
- How to use it: Simply set up Google Search Console for your site, and under the “Performance” tab, you’ll see the keywords that are driving traffic to your blog or website.
10. LSI Graph
LSI (Latent Semantic Indexing) keywords are terms that are semantically related to your primary keyword. LSI Graph generates a list of LSI keywords to help you enrich your content with related terms and improve SEO.
- Why it’s useful: Adding LSI keywords to your content helps search engines better understand the context of your page, which can improve rankings.
- How to use it: Enter your keyword, and LSI Graph will generate a list of related keywords that you can incorporate into your content.
FAQs
Q: Are free keyword research tools as good as paid ones?
A: Free tools offer valuable insights but usually come with limitations such as restricted search volumes, limited data, or fewer advanced features. Paid tools often provide more comprehensive data, but free tools are still highly effective for basic keyword research.
Q: How often should I do keyword research?
A: It’s a good practice to conduct keyword research regularly, especially when planning new content. Reviewing keywords every few months also helps you stay on top of trends and identify new opportunities.
Q: What’s the difference between short-tail and long-tail keywords?
A: Short-tail keywords are more general (e.g., “blogging”), while long-tail keywords are more specific (e.g., “how to start a blog for beginners”). Long-tail keywords usually have lower search volume but higher conversion potential due to their specificity.
Using free keyword research tools can significantly improve your content’s visibility and search engine rankings. While they may not offer the depth and detail of paid tools, they are a fantastic starting point for bloggers and website owners looking to optimise their content for SEO without spending money.