15+ Best Keyword Research Tools to Use

Finding the right keywords will boost your online visibility – but you’re probably struggling to determine the right ones to include in your article.

You’re not alone. Many business owners and content creators have found it challenging to navigate through the vast sea of available keywords.

But there’s a solution – the best research tools for keyword optimization. 

Discover how these tools can streamline your keyword research process, providing valuable insights and data-driven strategies to optimize your content effectively. 

Learn everything about these SEO tools, skyrocket your website’s organic search traffic, and outshine your competition.

Introduction to Keyword Research

Keyword research is a fundamental part of Search Engine Optimization (SEO). 

It is the process of identifying what specific words and phrases people type into search engines. It tailors your content to exactly what people are looking for, leading to more website visitors.

Keyword research is started with brainstorming seed keywords. Seed keywords are the starting point of your keyword research. These keywords are the core concept of your niche or website.

You can then utilize keyword research tools to help expand your seed keyword pool. These tools can generate keyword suggestions based on your given keyword (seed word) and provide information like monthly search volume and keyword competition level.

The last steps include compiling your research findings into a list. Prioritize such keywords based on their relevance, search volume, competition, and intent. Apply the keyword clustering method to help you in your content creation — which is grouping similar keywords, based on search intent.

The Importance of Keyword Research in SEO

In an online business, keyword research is a must to succeed in the competitive digital landscape. You can’t just create content without before you find keywords that fit.

Here are three advantages of doing keyword research:

• They help you attract the right visitors. Keyword research shapes your content using new keywords that your target audience uses. You wouldn’t want visitors to stumble on your website looking for baked goods when you’re selling clothes, for example. The right keywords achieve that.
  
• They improve search engine ranking. Keyword research lets you optimize your content for multiple search engines, thus helping you improve your website’s ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs).
  
• They help with your content marketing strategy. Keyword research helps you develop a content strategy that addresses the needs of your target audience in the US. This provides value to them and your content will stay relevant, making them more likely to engage with your website.

An inaccurate or poorly planned keyword research can lead to high bounce rates and low conversion rates. Creating content around irrelevant keywords will only waste your time and resources. So make sure to invest in proper keyword research.

Keyword Research Tools Overview

Keyword research tools are designed to help you identify words and phrases people use when searching online.

In the USA, popular keywords may vary based on current events and seasonal factors. 

Therefore, you can stay updated with these popular keywords using tools. These tools analyze data from search engines like Google to provide information about which keywords are most relevant to a particular topic.

This significantly helps your business in keyword research. It lets you understand your target audience by revealing the language they use to express their needs. It also effortlessly identifies high-volume and low-competition keywords related to your business.

When looking for the right keyword research tool, you should consider several factors.

First, look for tools that offer comprehensive keyword data. Also, consider the usability and user interface of the tool. Then, assess the tool’s pricing structure and scalability. Choose a tool you can afford and that can scale with your business as it grows.

In the following sections, we’re going to go over some of the most popular free and paid keyword research tools.

Free Keyword Research Tools

Free keyword research tools are great if you have a small business or content creation blog that doesn’t require in-depth features. This is because while you don’t need to spend anything to use them, their features will likely lag behind their paid counterparts.

We introduce nine (9) free popular keyword research tools for you to use and explore.

Keyword Generator

The free Keyword Generator is a tool designed to help you find keyword ideas. What’s great about this keyword checker is that it generates up to 150 keyword ideas and provides a Keyword Difficulty score for the first 10 keywords.

It identifies all the keywords that are relevant. It is also easy to use, which makes for quick and simple keyword brainstorming. However, its downside is that it has limited depth compared to premium keyword tools.

It is particularly suited for content creators, bloggers, and marketers.

Answer The Public

Answer The Public is a free keyword research tool that finds questions people are searching for. 

It is a unique tool because it uses autocomplete to generate keyword ideas that you might otherwise not think of. It is a good tool for discovering long tail keywords, which can be less competitive and attract targeted traffic.

It is great to use especially if you’re looking for content inspiration. Additionally, it reveals related queries.

One drawback to consider is it is not keyword-rich. It is limited to question-based queries and doesn’t provide search volume data or competition metrics.

This tool is good for content creators, bloggers, and SEO professionals.

ChatGPT

ChatGPT is a famous tool that utilizes AI language models that generate responses across a wide variety of topics and contexts. It can generate relevant keyword suggestions based on the seed keywords provided. It has a conversational interface, and anyone can utilize it.

What makes it favorable is that it has contextual understanding capabilities, and can suggest creative and dynamic keyword suggestions based on the context provided.

However, it may not have access to extensive databases and real-time search data and may not always reflect the most up-to-date keyword trends and metrics. Nonetheless, it is still a useful tool to use.

ChatGPT is ideal for content creators, marketers, and small businesses.

Ahrefs Webmaster Tools

Ahrefs Webmaster Tools is your key to uncovering low-hanging keyword opportunities to boost your website’s visibility. This free version of Ahrefs provides valuable insights into your website’s performance, highlighting keywords with significant potential for improvement. 

With seamless integration with other Ahrefs features, users can harness the power of comprehensive SEO data to enhance their online presence. Plus, the best part is, that it’s a completely free keyword tool! 

While Ahrefs Webmaster Tools may offer limited features compared to the premium version, it still provides essential SEO data for optimizing your website. 

Tailored for website owners, bloggers, and SEO enthusiasts, Ahrefs Webmaster Tools empowers users to make informed decisions and drive organic traffic to their websites.

This is one of the top choices for website owners, bloggers, and SEO enthusiasts.

Google Keyword Planner

Google Keyword Planner is a free tool offered by Google Ads that helps you research related keywords. All you need to access it is a Google Ads account.

This tool offers keyword suggestions, its long tail variations, and even questions based on search volume and competition. Once you’ve identified your chosen keywords, you can add them to your plan for PPC campaigns.

Google Keyword Planner is directly connected to Google Ads, which helps you manage your advertising efforts. 

One downside is it is primarily designed for paid Google advertising. Some metrics might not directly translate to organic SEO difficulty.

It is well-suited for digital marketers, advertisers, and business owners.

Google Search Console

Google Search Console (not to be mistaken with Google Analytics) is another useful tool to use for keyword research. It provides insights into keywords present on your website and into user behavior.

GSC’s “Performance” section lets you see which keywords people use to find your website in organic search results.

You can see metrics like clicks, impressions, and average ranking position for each keyword. You can also compare data for different periods, so you can optimize existing content that has experienced a decrease in impressions. 

GSC doesn’t offer keyword suggestion tools and is only limited to your website data. You’ll need to use other tools for keyword research.

Google Search Console is most useful for website owners, SEO professionals, and marketers.

Google Trends

Google Trends has a feature that finds breakout keywords. You can enhance your keyword research using this tool because it looks into the popularity and search interest of specific keywords and topics over time.

What’s notable in Google Trends is its ability to visualize keyword interest over time.  It compares search trends and also identifies emerging topics.

It’s a great help with content timing. Google Trends excels in trend analysis but is not ideal as a competitive research tool. You won’t be able to know how difficult it might be to rank for a particular keyword organically.

This tool is especially advantageous for content creators, journalists, and marketers.

SERP Checker

SERP Checker analyzing search results and understanding competition. Once you have your seed keywords, you can use this tool to see which ones have realistic ranking potential. 

This tool understands the competitive landscape and helps prioritize keywords. But its main focus is on existing keywords and is mainly limited to SERP analysis. 

It’s best suited for SEO professionals and marketers.

Keyword Difficulty Checker

The Keyword Difficulty Checker is an essential tool designed to evaluate the ranking difficulty of keywords, primarily for Google searches. This analyzes monthly searches based on several factors, like website authority and content quality, relative to keyword competitiveness. 

By estimating the level of challenge associated with ranking for a particular keyword, they assign a score or percentage indicating the anticipated difficulty. This tool is critical for prioritizing keywords based on their difficulty level, providing invaluable guidance for content strategy development.

This keyword difficulty tool is only limited to assessing difficulty and provides estimations rather than guarantees. 

Typically utilized by SEO professionals and bloggers, the Keyword Difficulty Checker is an indispensable resource for optimizing content for improved search engine visibility.

Keyword Sheeter

Keyword Sheeter is another go-to tool for quickly generating fresh keyword ideas to fuel your content strategy. With a free subscription option, Keyword Sheeter offers accessible solutions for brainstorming your next big idea. 

What makes it stand out is its ability to effortlessly generate a plethora of keyword suggestions at the click of a button, allowing you to easily copy and paste the results for further analysis. 

Enjoy the advantage of efficient brainstorming and bulk keyword generation to power your content creation efforts. Keyword Sheeter may lack the depth and advanced features found in premium tools, though. 

Designed for content creators and marketers seeking inspiration and keyword insights, Keyword Sheeter streamlines the process of generating relevant keywords for your campaigns.

Paid Keyword Research Tools

Paid tools offer a wider range of functionalities and more in-depth data compared to free options. Here are some popular paid keyword research tools for SEO to consider:

SEMRush Keyword Magic Tool

The SEMRush Keyword Magic Tool and Keyword Overview Tool stand out as robust resources, offering access to a comprehensive database containing an extensive keyword list used on Google, making keyword harvesting very possible. 

SEMRush is one of the best tools for keyword research that offers pricing plans including Pro, Guru, and Business.

The Pro plan, priced at $99.95 per month, enables tracking of 500 keywords, while the Guru plan, starting at $249.95 per month, extends functionality with a 1,500 keyword limit tracking. For more extensive features and a 5,000 keyword limit, the Business plan starts at $499.95 per month, encompassing all Guru features. 

This keyword manager excels in filtering keywords based on various criteria, including keyword intent, and provides valuable insights through an extensive keyword database. This aids in easier keyword mapping. Additionally, it facilitates global keyword research across multiple countries and languages, with in-depth metrics such as keyword difficulty score and SERP features analysis. 

Search engine users in the States often use Spanish to search for information, so it’s crucial to conduct keyword research in this language

While its premium pricing may pose a limitation for small business owners, SEMRush Keyword Magic Tool remains particularly beneficial for SEO professionals, marketers, and agencies seeking comprehensive keyword solutions.

Unlike most keyword research tools, SEMrush provides a unique ‘’Content Planner’’ tool that analyzes the top 10 best ranking pages for a specific keyword, providing you with a template to work with. 

Ahrefs Keyword Explorer

Ahrefs Keyword Explorer is a robust toolset offering precise keyword data from major search engines like YouTube, Bing, and Yahoo. Priced at $99 per month for the Lite plan, it provides detailed keyword metrics including search volume, difficulty, and clicks, along with competitor keyword analysis. 

Its standout keyword research features include comprehensive competitor research and robust backlink analysis data. It also addresses keyword cannibalization, ensuring that each page targets unique keywords. This makes it invaluable for SEO experts, content creators, and e-commerce businesses. 

However, its higher subscription cost might be a deterrent for some users.

Nonetheless, for those seeking thorough keyword insights and competitor analysis, Ahrefs Keyword Explorer remains an indispensable resource.

Moz Keyword Explorer

Introducing Moz Keyword Explorer, a powerful tool designed to help you understand estimated search traffic through accurate organic traffic insights. Priced at $79 per month for the Standard plan, it offers essential keyword insights at an affordable rate. 

Moz Keyword Explorer stands out with its provision of keyword difficulty scores and suggestions for related keywords, aiding in effective content optimization strategies.

It also supports a keyword search gap analysis tool. Its user-friendly interface and seamless integration with other Moz tools enhance usability and efficiency.

However, it’s limited to Moz’s own database. 

This tool is ideal for SEO professionals, bloggers, and small businesses looking to enhance their keyword research efforts with reliable data and intuitive features.

SerpStat

SerpStat is an indispensable tool for pinpointing specific keywords with precision through its flexible filters. Priced at $69 per month for the Lite plan, it offers cost-effective solutions for keyword research needs. 

SerpStat’s standout features include its ability to fine-tune keyword research results based on specific criteria and its provision of competitor analysis, empowering users with valuable insights to inform their strategies. With comprehensive keyword data and competitor insights at your fingertips, SerpStat ensures you’re equipped to make informed decisions. 

However, it’s worth noting that SerpStat may lack some advanced features found in other tools. Designed for SEO professionals and marketers, SerpStat is an essential asset for optimizing your online presence and driving organic traffic to your website.

KWFinder

KWFinder is a go-to keyword research tool with its simple and user-friendly interface. With subscriptions starting at $49 per month for the Basic plan, KWFinder offers accessible options tailored to your needs. 

Its standout features include the ability to estimate keyword difficulty and provide accurate search volume data, essential for crafting effective SEO strategies. Enjoy the advantage of quick keyword research and a seamless user experience, making it ideal for bloggers, freelancers, and startups looking to enhance their online presence. 

Its cons is that it may be limited to basic features compared to more advanced tools. Nonetheless, for those seeking a straightforward and efficient keyword research solution, KWFinder delivers results with ease.

Sonar Amazon Keyword Tool

Sonar Amazon Keyword Tool is your ultimate companion for uncovering popular keywords within the Amazon marketplace. Available with subscription options starting at $9.99 per month, Sonar offers budget-friendly solutions tailored to your Amazon keyword research needs. 

Its standout feature lies in its ability to search existing Amazon products using ASINs, allowing for keyword discovery effortlessly. Enjoy the advantage of Amazon-specific keyword insights and optimize your product listings effectively with Sonar. However, it’s essential to recognize that Sonar is primarily designed for Amazon-related research and may not offer broader keyword analysis beyond the platform. 

Tailored for Amazon sellers and e-commerce businesses, Sonar equips you with the tools necessary to boost your visibility and sales within the Amazon ecosystem.

Keywords Everywhere

Keywords Everywhere is a dynamic browser extension for keyword research. Available at affordable rates, with credits starting at $10 for 100,000 credits, Keywords Everywhere offers cost-effective solutions for gathering crucial keyword data. 

Its standout features include the ability to fetch keyword data directly from search engines and provide key metrics like search volume and click-through rates. You can utilize its seamless integration with browser searches, saving precious time on manual research tasks.

This tool is only limited to browser-based usage and thus requires an internet connection for functionality. 

This tool is tailored for SEO professionals and digital marketers to empower them to make informed decisions and optimize their online presence effectively.

Final Thoughts

There are millions of keywords to choose from. However, focusing on creating content from keywords that will boost your website’s traffic is the best starting point for your success. 

This article explored the diverse landscape of keyword research tools, both free and paid, to equip you with the knowledge and resources needed to elevate your SEO efforts.

With this knowledge, it’s time to carefully choose the best keyword research tool for your needs and take a step forward toward greater online visibility and success.

And if you’d like to learn more about keyword research, check out our article on finding the right keywords for your marketing efforts.