Literally hundreds of tools designed for keyword research abound, and they span the spectrum from beginner-oriented to highly complex. They also span quite basic and useless to quite valuable.
When done well, the greatest keyword research tools streamline and simplify your workflow—they help you uncover the appropriate phrases to target and provide you the data you need to really rank for them. To access such data, though, they shouldn’t call for you to sell your first-born child and empty out your bank account.
Having worked with several clients using various tools for keyword research and SEO content optimisation over years, I have seen both the best and the worst of them—and I understand how crucial it is to select the correct keyword planner tool. I looked at more than eighty tools with a free keyword search option to assist. Following extensive testing, these are the four top free keyword research tools—including the all-around greats and programs designed for more particular use cases.
The finest free tools for keyword research
Moz Keyword Explorer: The finest all-around free SEO keyword research tool available- Google Keyword Planner to investigate sponsored keywords
- Semrush for those in advanced SEO
- Free Keyword Research Tool: a basic instrument
Which is the best keyword research tool available?
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Pretty simple features define a good keyword research tool: you search for a specific keyword and the program reports back on it. But since keyword data can be used in so many different ways, I sought tools that could manage a range of use cases in addition to some meant for some of the most common applications for keyword research.
I focused mostly on the elements below during testing to identify which applications made the initial list.
Included were data. Excellent keyword research tools provide all the information required to rank for your selected term. At least among the apps I choose are traffic, keyword difficulty, competitive SERP analysis.
Advice on keyword optimisation.
Using keyword research tools—the top tools provide basic, easy recommendations to maximise for your keywords—you shouldn’t have to be a 10-year SEO industry expert. Complete SEO analysis for your site is available using tools as Ahrefs, Semrush, and Moz, which check for everything from site speed and technical details to domain authority and topic clusters. We are not here seeking for that. Any business owner or marketer should be able to rapidly identify their goal keyword and improve their site to rank for it using the tools we provide.
Free allowances and enhancements for plans. One tool calls it a “free plan” and has incredibly limited outcomes for free. Alternatively they impose time restrictions on the free plan, therefore transforming it into a trial more like to this. I only included tools with evergreen free plans generous enough to really be useful—and they won’t break the budget when it comes time to upgrade either. Ahrefs, one of my favourite tools from last year, fell short this year since its keyword research tools are no longer free.
Independence of functionality. Your keyword tool should be a one-stop shop since you’re looking for something free; it should not require any other tools or plugins to operate for you, particularly not ones you would have to pay for. Though I didn’t think of them for this round-up, if you have a WordPress site you could start using several excellent plugins right away.
I tested every product that fit those criteria using a thorough process to determine the best of the best.
My testing process consisted in this:
If necessary, I made an account and followed any given onboarding or guided instructions (many of which free apps either don’t call for account setup or offer).
To get the results for varying search intent, I looked for a few several types of keywords—e.g., “free keyword research tools,” “chocolate cake,” and “best white trainers.”
I examined the offered linked keywords, analytics, and other data. I also noted the source, whether material came from the tool’s own native data, Google, contained non-search engine domains (such as social media or forums), or was extracted from another tool.
Whether limited by time, amount of results, metrics included, searches daily or monthly, or something else, I confirmed allowances for the free plan. I also checked the cost to upgrade to a paid plan should necessary.
Where possible, I tested other keyword research tools including competitive gap analysis, content optimisation tools, and more.
Having used these programs for more than a dozen hours this year, I came into the four top keyword research tools—each with a reasonable free version—below.
Moz pros: the greatest free keyword research tool available generally
More friendly data display than many other tools
- Simple prioritising scales
- Large range of free tools at hand
- Moz’s shortcomings include:
- Less facts than more strong instruments
- Free plans call for just 10 searches each tool every month.
Moz’s SEO system presents various tools meant for keyword research. I would consider it a plus even if Moz lacks as many data points as some of the other full-featured SEO tools (such as SERP position history or the overall amount of keywords a competing result ranks for). For those not expert search marketers, it provides a less taxing user experience without sacrificing the numbers you truly desire.
Search any term you like using the term Explorer tool to view its monthly volume, difficulty, and organic clickthrough rate (CTR). From there, scroll down to view an analysis of current results ranking for it together with ideas for related keywords.
Simple keyword difficulty and minimal domain authority help you to prioritise the keywords you have the best opportunity to rank for—and help you to avoid wasting time on irrelevant searches.
Furthermore, the Keyword Gap function of the Competitive Research tool allows you to discover all the terms your rivals rank for which you do not.
Keyword research features are free for up to 10 searches per tool each month with up to 1,000 keyword ideas and 10 SERP analyses each query; Moz Pro starts at $99 a month for 150 monthly keyword searches.