Are you in search of the best keyword research tools for SEO? If so, this article is for you.
Keyword research is the process of finding appropriate search terms to market your products or write content about them.
It helps you learn about the words or phrases people use to find specific information or products and use them in your own content.
This is an important process to improve your site’s rankings and grow your search traffic.
Therefore, you need the best keyword tools for SEO to conduct keyword research. However, identifying the best keyword research tools can be a challenge.
Don’t worry! We’ve got you covered.
In this article, we’ll talk about the 19 best keyword research tools for SEO that experts use.
However, if you are in a hurry, here are our top suggestions.
Top Picks
1st
Google Search Console
Features:
Provides Keyword Data
Alerts on Issues
Provides CTR Metrics
Performance Tracking
FREE
2nd
SEMrush
Features:
Keyword Tracking
Search Volume Data
Ad Research Option
SERP Analysis
$129.95/month
3rd
Ahrefs
Features:
SERP Overview Report
Backlink Profiling
URL Rating Check
Site Traffic Estimates
$99/month
Why Use the Best Tools for Keyword Research?
A keyword is a word that people use as a search term in search engines to find something.
It’s the term on which you focus your content so that when people search for the keyword in search engines, your content begins to rank.
Likewise, a keyword research tool is a research instrument for finding keyword phrases.
Using a keyword tool, you can learn about the topics and keyword phrases people are searching for in search engines.
By familiarizing yourself with trending keywords, you can plan your content more effectively and incorporate them.
This approach will improve your website’s SEO and help your content rank better in search engine results pages (SERPS).
Additionally, using a keyword research tool helps you discover the keyword phrases your competitors are using.
This information enables you to plan a more effective content strategy than your competitors, helping you stand out.
In a nutshell, the right keyword research tools help you build a proper content strategy for your site. This will ultimately enhance your website’s search ranking and generate increased revenue.
Best Free Keyword Research Tools for SEO
We pointed out the use of keyword research tools for the growth of your website, so now you must choose the best tool for yourself.
To do so, let’s discuss some of the best free keyword research tools for SEO.
Here, we’ve picked the four best free keyword research tools for SEO that are recommended by experts.
1. Google Search Console
Google Search Console is a free keyword research tool using which you can measure your site’s performance and search traffic.
This Google keyword research tool helps to fix issues and make your site rank in Google search results.
Its search analytics tool helps you find out the queries that bring users to your site.
You can also analyze the click-through rate and position of your website on Google search
Furthermore, other features like email alerts on issues, URL inspection tools, search console training, etc. are available with this tool.
Key Features:
- AMP status report
- Mobile usability report
- Alerts on issues
- URL inspection tool
- Rich result status reports
Price: Free
2. Google Trends
Google Trends is one of the best free keyword research tools that provides keyword-related data.
This free keyword research tool helps you with the SEO and content marketing of your website. You can find out the most popular questions and compare trending keywords in different countries.
Furthermore, it provides information about the keyword search volume index and geographical information.
It also helps you identify the trending topics in your target market. After that, you can include the trending topics in your writing and drive more traffic to your website.
Key Features:
- Highlights the trending topic
- Analyze competitor’s performance
- Content marketing
- Keyword search volume index
- Keyword search: geographical information
Price: Free
3. Google Analytics
Google Analytics stands out as one of the best tools for keyword research for SEO.
It allows users to not only discover new keyword opportunities within their niche but also analyze traffic and search trends for existing keywords.
One of the significant features of Google Analytics is the tracking of traffic sources. It enables you to see how visitors are finding your website, be it through search engines or direct traffic.
Moreover, it seamlessly integrates with other Google products like Google Tag Manager, Google Ads, and more, allowing for easy comparison of keyword data with rankings and performance.
Key Features:
- Provides detailed audience insights
- Show traffic sources through search engines, direct links, etc.
- Offers real-time reporting
- Tracks goals like form submissions to assess website effectiveness
- Provide customized reporting options
Price: Free
4. Google Keyword Planner
Google Keyword Planner is a free keyword tool through which you can research new keyword ideas for your website content.
Based on your seed keyword, the tool will show you the most relevant keyword ideas.
This Google research tool has a website filtering feature to filter keyword ideas that are closely related to your website content.
Moreover, the brand exclusions feature excludes keywords that include brand terms to make the keyword search easier.
Key Features:
- Research keywords
- Website filtering tool
- Brand exclusion
- Bid estimates to estimate advertising budget
- Save advertising plan for the future
Price: Free
Best Paid Keyword Research Tools for SEO
Here, we’ve picked the fifteen best-paid keyword research tools for SEO that are recommended by experts.
1. SEMrush
SEMrush is one of the best keyword research tools for SEO. It has different toolkits like SEO toolkits, content marketing toolkits, competitive research toolkits, etc.
So, you can do SEO, content marketing, competitor research, and social media marketing all with this single tool.
Using SEMrush, you can conduct keyword research with six different tools keyword overview, organic research, keyword magic tool, etc.
Using these tools, you can find out any keyword value, analyze the list of your competitor’s keywords, etc.
Key Features:
- Provides keyword difficulty scores and traffic metrics
- Technical SEO tools to improve SEO
- SERP tracking tools for tracking rank
- Backlink analysis tools for building link
- Website monetization tools to monetize website traffic
Price: Premium Plan Starts from $129.95/month for Pro Plan
2. Ahrefs
Ahrefs, recognized as one of the best keyword research tools, allows you to explore different trending keywords in search engines.
Using this tool, you can also analyze the ranking of the keywords and calculate their traffic potential.
Moreover, you get thousands of keyword suggestions with accurate search volumes. The best part is that it processes keywords not just from Google but from 10 different search engines.
It also calculates the keyword difficulty score to help you identify the competition for the keyword.
Key Features:
- ‘Clicks’ metric to find the average monthly number of clicks
- SERP overview report
- Save keyword ideas for the future
- 171 countries supported
- ‘Parent Topic’ to determine the rank of target keyword
Price: Premium Plan Starts from $99/month for the Lite Plan
3. Rank Tracker
Rank Tracker is a comprehensive keyword research and rank-tracking tool designed for SEO professionals and marketers.
It comes with a variety of features and functionalities, making it one of the best tools to track and analyze keyword rankings effectively.
With Rank Tracker, you can discover profitable keywords using its powerful keyword research tools like Keyword Discovery, Auto-complete Tools, and Related Searches.
Additionally, it allows you to monitor your website’s ranking in major search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo, as well as local search engines and specific regions.
Key Features:
- Unlimited desktop and mobile position tracking
- In-depth competitor analysis for better SEO strategies
- Local and global rank tracking for over 597 search engines
- YouTube video checker tool
- Integration with Google Analytics and Google Search Console
Price: Freemium (Premium Plan Starts from $596/year for Professional Plan)
4. AnswerThePublic
AnswerThePublic is a tool that can be used for public relations, consumer research, content marketing, SEO, and paid media.
It tracks and alerts you to the important questions trending on Google. So, you can create relevant content to drive more traffic to your website.
Since it’s a freemium SEO keyword research tool, you get a limited number of free searches every day. When the search limit is full, you need to wait for the next day.
However, you can also upgrade to its pro version and get unlimited searches and access to other features.
Key Features:
- Helps create ultra-useful content
- Measure and monitor the impact of your content
- Competitor analysis
- Monitor the market
- Discover search queries quickly
Price: Freemium (Premium Plan Starts from $9/monthly for Individual Plan)
5. Keyword Tool
Keyword Tool is one of the best keyword research tools for SEO.
Using its Google Autocomplete feature, you can generate relevant long-tail keywords for your content topic.
The keyword suggestions will be processed on the basis of the search engine and the language that you choose.
You can generate 750+ relevant keywords for your content topic in the free version. However, its pro version generates about two times more keywords than the free version.
Other features include Google Suggest, advertising, competitor analysis, checking search volume, etc.
Key Features:
- Google suggests analyzing the trends of word searching
- Competitor analysis
- Check the search volume tool
- Accurate data of keywords
- Filters for location and language
Price: Freemium (Premium Plan Starts at $69/month for the Basic Plan)
6. Ubersuggest
Ubersuggest is a freemium online tool using which you can boost the ranking of your website.
It offers various features like domain overview, analysis of top-ranking pages, content ideas, backlink data, site audit, etc.
This SEO keyword research tool also helps you find hundreds of long-tail phrases.
With its keyword suggestions feature, you can even see volume, competition, and seasonal trends for each keyword.
The keyword list is generated on the basis of trending keywords on Google and those used by the top-ranking website.
Key Features:
- Domain Overview
- SEO pages report
- Long-tail phrases suggestions
- Check backlinks
- Rank tracking
Price: Freemium (Premium Plan Starts from $29/month for Individual Plan)
7. Serpstat
Serpstat stands out as the best keyword research tool, highly favored by digital marketers for its effectiveness and efficiency.
Using its primary feature keyword research tool, you can find high-volume keywords.
You can also identify high-value keywords for SEO campaigns and generate new ideas for content.
It’s an all-in-one tool with a variety of features, like backlink analysis, rank tracking, site auditing, etc.
You can generate long-tail keywords and boost traffic to your website. Moreover, you can also analyze the keyword trends and check the web page’s relevance.
Key Features:
- Keyword research
- Search Analytics
- Advertising analysis
- On-page audit
- Backlinks analysis
Price: Freemium (Premium Plan Starts from $45/month for Individual Plan)
8. Surfer SEO
Surfer SEO is a premium SEO research tool that helps you optimize pages, write new content, and rank your website in search engines.
It compares your blog/articles with top-ranking blogs/articles on the basis of 500+ ranking factors.
With this tool, you can search popular keywords, questions, phrases, common words, etc., and add them to your content.
Moreover, it also offers a variety of other features, like a SERP analyzer, a content editor, an SEO audit, a keyword surfer, a content editor extension, etc.
Key Features:
- Analyze articles for 500+ ranking factors
- Supports Google Docs and WordPress editor
- Content planner tool
- SEO audit
- SERP analyzer
Price: Freemium (Premium Plan Starts from $96.39/month for Essential AI Plan)
9. Can I Rank
Can I Rank is a freemium SEO software for small businesses and startups to improve Google ranking. It helps you to find keywords where your site is already competitive.
This keyword research tool calculates a Keyword ROI Score to find a balance between ranking difficulty and keyword value for your website.
You can also use its SERP analysis tool and collect data points for every keyword. It also has a rank-tracking tool to find out the keyword rankings.
In addition, it’s SEO competitive analysis software to analyze which keywords are working and which aren’t.
Key Features:
- SERP analysis tool
- Rank tracking tool
- SEO competitive analysis
- Keyword research
- SEO progress reports
Price: Freemium (Premium Plan Starts from $49/month for DIY Individual Plan)
10. Exploding Topics
Exploding Topics is a freemium keyword research tool for SEO. It analyzes various searches, conversations, and mentions across the web using its advanced features.
The algorithm of this tool identifies emerging topics and content ideas.
It also helps you identify high-competition keywords and low-competition keywords for your website.
Moreover, you can find various categories of topics, out of which you can search for trending topics in the specific category that you need.
Key Features:
- Category searches for keywords
- Great user interface
- Send the best-trending topics each week
- Algorithm to identify emerging topics
- Data points analyzed from various sources
Price: Freemium (Premium Plan Starts from $39/month Entrepreneur Plan)
11. Long Tail Pro
Long Tail Pro is a premium keyword tool that helps you to generate long tail keyword ideas.
You can enter a single seed keyword and get up to 400 long-tail keywords using this research tool.
Also, you can add filters like search volume, and rank value to make your keyword selection process easier.
By using the ‘New competitor keywords mode’, you can analyze your competitor’s keyword strategy and compare keyword suggestions. You only need to enter your competitor’s page or domain URL.
Moreover, you can also calculate the profitability of your selected keywords and analyze their usefulness in your article.
Key Features:
- Keyword grouping and filtering system
- Measure keyword competitiveness
- SERP analysis
- Backlink analysis
- Track ranking
Price: Freemium (Premium Plan Starts from $59.99/month for Starter Plan)
12. KWFinder
KWFinder is an SEO keyword research tool through which you can find long-tail keywords with low SEO difficulty.
Using this tool, you can find high-volume keywords that can help you rank.
You can also use the competitor keyword research tool by entering the domain or URL of your competitors and analyzing their rank.
Additionally, you get access to different features like SERP analysis and SEO metrics, search volume and keyword metrics, local keyword research, etc.
You can use these features to plan your content better and rank in the search engine.
Key Features:
- Find hidden long-tail keywords
- Find the competition’s keywords
- Local keyword search
- Search volume and keyword metrics
- SERP analysis and SEO metrics
Price: Freemium (Premium Plan Starts from $29/month Entry Plan)
13. GrowthBar
GrowthBar is a free Google Chrome extension that gives millions of keyword suggestions and backlinks.
Furthermore, the tool gives you competition scores for every suggested keyword. You can also use it for Google Ads and keyword tracking.
You can use the ranking difficulty score to measure the competitiveness of the keywords. Moreover, you can also track your keyword rankings and export the data easily in CSV format.
Besides that, you can see the site’s organic traffic, domain authority, Facebook Ads, and page word counts.
Key Features:
- Keyword Suggestions
- Keyword tracking
- Facebook Ad Monitoring
- Backlink building
- Page word count
Price: Freemium (Premium Plan Starts from $36.00/month Standard Plan)
14. Majestic
Majestic is an all-in-one premium SEO tool for keyword research.
It measures the trust flow, citation flow, visibility flow, topical trust flow, and flow metric scores to find the best keyword suggestion for your website.
With the help of the link context feature, you can browse, filter, and search a link to find audit backlinks.
It also offers the fresh index feature, through which you can view an up-to-date list of everything you have searched in the past 120 days.
Similarly, the historical index stores the database for the last five years.
Key Feature:
- Keyword generator
- Fresh index list
- Historical index available
- Site explorer tool for web-based link inspection
- URL language detection
Price: Freemium (Premium Plan Starts from $49.99/month for Lite Plan)
15. SpyFu
SpyFu is a tool for SEO and marketing that helps you with keyword research. It gives smart keyword recommendations so that you can increase your web traffic.
You can include the recommended keywords in your article to drive clicks to your SEO or Google Ads campaigns.
Moreover, you can also monitor your SEO rankings on search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo.
Not only this, but you can also search for a competitor and do research on the keywords they use.
Similarly, you can also check the competitor’s backlinks, keyword ranking history, and so on.
Key Features:
- PPC competitor research
- SEO competitor research
- Track keyword tracking
- Keyword groups and bulk uploads
- SERP analysis
Price: Freemium (Premium Plan Starts from $39/month for Basic Plan)
Wrapping Up the Best Keyword Research Tools
So, we’ve completed our list of the best keyword research tools for SEO. You can carefully view their features and prices and choose one for yourself.
Using these tools, you can improve the SEO and search traffic of your website. You can generate high-ranking keywords and even research the SEO strategy of your competitors.
In turn, you can plan better content for your website and rank higher in the search engines.
We hope this article was helpful to you. If you found this article insightful, please share it on social media.
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