Introduction to Free Keyword Research Tools by Grace Leung
Are you looking for a free keyword research tool? When I say free, I mean one hundred percent completely free.
Keyword research is a crucial part of content creation, helping to drive traffic and improve search engine rankings. However, finding tools that offer comprehensive features without a price tag can be challenging. In this section, we’ll explore a selection of completely free keyword research tools that you can utilize for your blog, content projects, and more.
The focus here is on tools that provide unlimited usage, meaning there are no restrictions on the number of requests you can make to obtain search data. If this aligns with your needs, you’re in the right place. Let’s dive into the world of free keyword research tools and discover how they can enhance your digital strategy.
Ahrefs’ Keyword Generator
Ahrefs’ cure tool. This is a highly underrated free keyword tool.
Ahrefs’ Keyword Generator is a powerful yet often overlooked free tool that provides valuable keyword insights. While Ahrefs is known for its comprehensive paid subscription services, this tool offers a glimpse into its capabilities without any cost.
Features and Benefits
The Keyword Generator allows users to explore keyword data from various platforms, including Google, Bing, YouTube, and Amazon. This flexibility makes it a versatile choice for different types of keyword research.
- Search Volume and Keyword Ideas: By entering a seed keyword, such as “AI writing,” and selecting a country like the United States, users can access search volume data for the top 100 keyword ideas.
- Keyword Difficulty Score: The tool provides a Google search keyword difficulty score for some keywords, helping users assess the competitiveness of targeting specific terms.
- Top Questions: If the keyword is broad enough, the tool also reveals top questions asked, complete with search volume and difficulty scores, aiding in content creation and strategy.
How to Use the Tool for Keyword Research
- Visit ahrefs.com/keyword-generator or find the link on the Ahrefs homepage.
- Choose the platform (Google, Bing, YouTube, Amazon) you wish to gather data from.
- Enter your seed keyword and select the desired country.
- Click “Find Keywords” to generate a list of keyword ideas and metrics.
Limitations and Tips for Effective Use
While the tool is robust, it lacks an export function. However, users can manually select and paste the data into a spreadsheet for further analysis. This simplicity makes it accessible, but users should be prepared to handle data manually.
Google Keyword Planner
Google keyword planner. It’s literally a keyword research tool to find keywords for your Google Ads campaign.
Google Keyword Planner is a powerful tool designed to help you find keywords for your Google Ads campaigns. However, it also provides valuable insights into organic search demand for keywords and related searches on Google. Developed by Google, the tool offers accurate and reliable search data, making it a trusted resource for marketers.
Using Google Keyword Planner
To get started with Google Keyword Planner, you need a Google Ads account. You can create one by visiting the Google Ads homepage. Once you have access, navigate to the Keyword Planner and select “Discover new keywords.” This feature allows you to view search volumes for your chosen keywords and related terms, helping you expand your keyword ideas.
For example, if you enter “AI writing” and select the United States as your target country, you can click “Get results” to see a list of seed keywords and related terms, along with their average search volumes. You can sort these keywords by search volume to identify the most popular terms.
Advantages of Google-Developed Data
One of the key benefits of using Google Keyword Planner is the accuracy of the data, as it is sourced directly from Google. Additionally, the tool is free to use without any limitations, making it accessible to all users.
Workarounds for Search Volume Limitations
A limitation of the tool is that if your Google Ads account lacks active or historical PPC campaigns, it only displays a range of average monthly search volumes instead of exact figures. This is because Google encourages ad placements. However, there are workarounds to access more precise search volume data, which will be discussed later.
Understanding the Competition Column
The competition column in Google Keyword Planner indicates the number of advertisers bidding for a keyword on Google Ads. It does not directly reflect the difficulty of ranking for that keyword organically. For assessing organic search difficulty, additional tools are recommended, which will be covered in subsequent sections.
WordStream Keyword Tool
The WordStream Keyword Tool is a valuable resource for obtaining accurate search data, as it sources its information from the Google Keyword Research API. This means the data you receive is comparable to what you would find on the Google Keyword Planner, offering a reliable alternative for keyword research.
“It’s a great tool if you want to get accurate search data because this data is sourced from the Google keyword research API.”
Features and Data Accuracy
The tool provides keyword suggestions by allowing users to enter a seed keyword or a website URL. Although it previously offered Bing search data, it now exclusively pulls data from Google. Users can access the tool by visiting wordstream.com/keywords or through the homepage under free tools.
How to Use the Tool for Keyword Suggestions
To use the WordStream Keyword Tool, simply input a keyword or URL. Note that the tool currently only supports the United States. It will generate the top 25 keywords along with search volume data sourced from the Google Keyword Planner. While page bid and competition data are available, they pertain to Google Ads and can be ignored if not relevant.
For a complete list of keywords, users can download the data by entering their email address. However, email delivery may be slow, so creating an account for direct CSV download from the dashboard is recommended.
Comparison with Google Keyword Planner
The WordStream Keyword Tool offers a streamlined process for keyword research, providing the same keyword data available on Google Keyword Planner. It is an excellent tool to bookmark for those looking to unlock comprehensive data from Google Keyword Planner.
SEMrush Keyword Magic Tool
SEMrush Keyword Magic Tool. It’s a great tool offered by Semrush where you can find keyword ideas and useful long tail keywords.
The SEMrush Keyword Magic Tool is a powerful resource for discovering keyword ideas and long-tail keywords. Known for its popularity among industry experts, SEMrush offers both paid and free versions, making it accessible for those on a budget. To get started, visit semrush.com, create an account, and navigate to the Keyword Magic Tool.
Exploring Keyword Ideas and Long-Tail Keywords
Once logged in, you can input a keyword, such as “AI writing,” and select a location like the United States. The tool will display the top ten related keywords, along with search volume and keyword difficulty. While some features are restricted in the free version, it still provides valuable insights.
Benefits of Search Intent Insights
One of the standout features of the SEMrush Keyword Magic Tool is its ability to provide search intent insights. Search intent refers to what users aim to achieve with their search. For instance, “AI writing generator” is identified as having a commercial intent, indicating a search for products or services. This feature allows you to filter keywords based on intent, aiding in content targeting.
Limitations of the Free Version
Although the free version limits you to ten requests per day, it remains a highly rated tool in the industry. It offers different keyword match types and question suggestions, enhancing your keyword strategy.
Keyword Surfer Extension
The Keyword Surfer Extension is a Chrome extension developed by Surfer, an emerging platform known for its comprehensive tools in keyword research, content creation, SEO, and optimization. This extension provides users with valuable insights directly on the Google search results page.
“Keyword Server. It’s a Chrome extension developed by Server.”
Features and Integration with Chrome
Once installed, the Keyword Surfer Extension automatically integrates with your Chrome browser. It enhances your search experience by displaying search volume, related keyword ideas with overlap scores, and allows for search result analysis. To install, visit serverseo.com/keyword-server-extension or search “Keyword Server” on Google and follow the installation instructions.
How to Use the Extension for Keyword Analysis
After installation, simply type a keyword into Google, such as “AI writing,” and the extension will display enhanced data directly in the search bar. This includes search volume, CPC bidding costs, and a list of related keyword ideas with search volumes. Users can adjust the country settings to view data specific to different regions, such as the United States.
The overlap percentage indicates how many search results rank for the same keyword. Users can export keywords by selecting them and using the clipboard icon to download the data.
Limitations and Data Accuracy Concerns
While the Keyword Surfer Extension is a powerful free tool, it has some limitations. It is only available on Chrome, and there may be discrepancies in search volume data. For instance, the search volume for “AI writing” may appear higher than figures from other tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, and SEMrush. Users are encouraged to test multiple keywords to assess data accuracy.
SpyFu Keyword Tool
SpyFu is a versatile SEO and PPC tool that provides valuable data on keywords, backlinks, competitor analysis, and more. It offers a free version that, despite its limitations, can be quite beneficial if you lack other data sources for keyword research.
To use SpyFu, visit spyfu.com, enter your keyword (e.g., “AI writing”), select your location (such as the United States), and click search. The results will appear in the keyword overview tab, displaying monthly search volume, the top five related keywords, and questions with search volume. You will also find the organic keyword difficulty here.
Scrolling down reveals additional related topics or keywords that rank, along with the top ten organic search result analysis. For a deeper dive, you can explore other tabs like backlinks and search analysis, which provide a detailed analysis of the top 100 organic results with domain strength.
“SpyFu is another SEO and PPC tool, giving you data around keywords, backlinks, competitor analysis, and a lot more.”
While the free version is comprehensive, there are concerns about the accuracy of search volume data. For instance, the search volume for “AI writing” appears lower than expected, especially given its popularity as a search term. Despite this, SpyFu remains a valuable tool for exploration and bookmarking, with no apparent usage limits.
Google Trends for Keyword Research
Google Trends. It’s a powerful tool by Google to identify trending topics.
Google Trends is an essential tool for anyone involved in keyword research. While it doesn’t provide search volume data or difficulty scores, its ability to identify trending topics makes it invaluable. This tool is completely free and offers accurate insights into current trends, helping users expand their keyword ideas.
Introduction to Google Trends
Google Trends allows users to explore how frequently a particular search term is entered relative to the total search volume across various regions and languages. By visiting trends.google.com, users can select their region, such as the United States, and input their keyword or topic of interest.
Identifying Trending Topics and Keywords
For example, if you have identified a potential keyword like “AI writing tools” from another tool, you can use Google Trends to assess its popularity over time. By setting the data period to the past five years, you can observe the trend’s trajectory and determine if it has a growing search demand.
How to Use Google Trends for Keyword Expansion
Google Trends also allows for keyword comparison. By comparing two keywords, such as “AI writing tools” and “AI writing detector,” you can evaluate which has a better trend and search demand. Additionally, the related queries section provides further keyword suggestions that are currently trending.
Benefits and Limitations of the Tool
While Google Trends is excellent for identifying trending keywords, it is important to consider keyword difficulty from other tools to assess the potential for ranking. Despite its limitations, Google Trends remains a must-have tool for discovering popular keywords and topics.
Keyword Tool.io
Keyword Tool.io is a versatile and free keyword research tool that utilizes autocomplete features to generate long-tail keyword ideas. It supports a wide range of platforms, including Amazon, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, and Etsy, making it a valuable resource for expanding keyword ideas across different channels.
“Keyword tool dot io is a free keyword research tool that leverages the auto complete features to generate a list of long tail keyword ideas.”
To use Keyword Tool.io, you simply select the platform you wish to gather keyword data from. For example, if you choose Google Search, you can type in a term like “AI writing,” select your country, and click search. The tool will then provide a list of keyword ideas generated through autocomplete features. Although the search volume data is masked in the free version, you can still copy these keywords to a clipboard or export them into Excel or CSV files for further use.
One of the standout features of Keyword Tool.io is its ability to provide keyword inspiration from various platforms, offering a comprehensive view of your keyword or topic list. This is particularly useful if you are repurposing content across multiple publishing platforms.
However, a notable concern is the accuracy of the search volume data. There can be discrepancies when compared to Google search volume data, so it’s advisable to cross-check with other tools to ensure accuracy. Despite this, Keyword Tool.io remains a great free tool for generating keyword ideas when you’re in need of inspiration.
Conclusion and Recommendations
In this video, we explored a variety of free keyword research tools, each offering unique features to aid in your SEO strategy. From the comprehensive data provided by Ahrefs’ Keyword Generator to the trend insights from Google Trends, these tools can significantly enhance your keyword research efforts.
Summary of Discussed Tools
- Ahrefs’ Keyword Generator: Offers a robust set of keyword suggestions and metrics.
- Google Keyword Planner: Ideal for those already using Google Ads, providing detailed insights.
- WordStream Keyword Tool: User-friendly and great for quick keyword ideas.
- SEMrush Keyword Magic Tool: Comprehensive tool with a wide range of features.
- Keyword Surfer Extension: Convenient for on-the-go keyword research directly in your browser.
- SpyFu Keyword Tool: Excellent for competitive analysis.
- Google Trends: Perfect for identifying trending topics and keywords.
- Keyword Tool.io: Offers a simple interface with essential keyword data.
Recommendations for Choosing the Right Tool
When selecting a keyword research tool, consider your specific needs and budget. For those looking for in-depth analysis, tools like SEMrush and Ahrefs are excellent choices. If you prefer a free option with basic features, Google Trends and Keyword Tool.io are great starting points.
“So make sure you bookmark the Google Trends too when you want to find some trending or popular keywords or topic that you want to rank for.”
Final Thoughts on Free Keyword Research Tools
Free keyword research tools provide a valuable resource for marketers and content creators. While they may not offer the full range of features found in paid versions, they are sufficient for basic keyword research and can help you identify opportunities to improve your content strategy.