What comes to mind when you hear the phrase “keyword research?”
There’s no denying that keyword research is critical to any SEO strategy. However, some digital marketers find the process challenging.
In this situation, having the right SEO keyword research tool on your side can make the process not just easier, but a lot more effective.
In this post, I’ll share not just the top ten keyword research tools, but the twenty top tools for you to choose from.
Let’s get started!
1. Ubersuggest
I developed the Ubersuggest SEO keyword research tool with one aim in mind – to help digital marketers find the perfect keywords no matter their marketing budget.
Ubersuggest is ideal not just for keyword ideas but also for checking out your competitors, discovering backlinks, and gathering content ideas. If you want to improve your SEO, it’s a fantastic, affordable, all-in-one tool.
Getting started is as simple as entering your keyword and clicking the search button.
For example, a search for the phrase “content marketing” generates the following:
As well as average monthly searches over the past 12 months, there is a breakdown of:
SEO difficulty – the estimated competition in organic search.
Paid difficulty – the estimated competition in paid search.
Cost per click – the average cost per click for a Google Ad.
While this gives you lots of valuable data, the real research begins as you dig deeper. Click Keyword Ideas in the left sidebar for a list of long-tail keywords alongside their SEO difficulty, paid difficulty, and cost per click.
If 324 keywords aren’t enough, click the related tab for another 9.379!
Once you see a keyword you like the look of, click on it to gather more valuable insight, including related keywords and content ideas.
Another great thing about Ubersuggest that many tools for keyword research don’t offer?
It comes with a free Chrome extension, so you can find keywords and search-related data while you’re on Google!
Ubersuggest is one of the easiest keyword research tools to learn and has access to all the data you need to make informed decisions.
However, there are many other fantastic tools for keyword research on the market too! Let’s take a look at some of them.
2. SEMrush
SEMrush is the Swiss Army Knife of SEO tools. You can use it to do comprehensive keyword research, optimize your on-page SEO, identify backlinking opportunities, and keep an eye on your competitors.
I love the little extra details it provides when you’re doing keyword research. For example, it tells you the search intent of the keywords it suggests, making it easier to create targeted content that drives conversions.
As SEMrush offers so many different tools, it can feel overwhelming to the novice digital marketer. However, if you invest the time, you’ll see why it’s one of the best keyword research tools on the market.
3. Ahrefs
Like SEMrush, Ahrefs provides a thorough, all-in-one solution for keyword research. Both offer detailed keyword research alongside other tools like competitor and backlink analysis.
Another cool feature of Ahrefs that makes it stand out from the crowd is Webmaster Tools.
Free of charge, you can use Webmaster Tools to see which keywords your website is ranking for in the search engines. This can help you identify which pages need a little extra push to rank on the first page of Google.
4. Topic Ranker
Topic Ranker uses artificial intelligence (AI) to its advantage to help marketers identify the keywords most likely to help them rank in the search engines.
This can help save time and means you can focus on the keywords that matter. Pop your URL and seed keyword in, and Topic Ranker does the rest.
As well as finding the right keywords, Topic Ranker also uses AI to improve your on-page optimization, which in turn can help boost your page rankings.
If you’re new to SEO or don’t have time to dedicate to keyword research, Topic Ranker could be a great SEO keyword research tool for your business.
5. Google Keyword Planner
Google Keyword Planner is primarily designed for customers who want to enhance their search ads. However, it’s fantastic for boosting your SEO too!
You do need a Google Ads account to access Google Keyword Planner. This is worth doing though, as you get a lot of valuable data for free, all directly from Google.
Access the Keyword planner from your Google Ads account and choose Discover new keywords. You can either enter a seed keyword or a website URL to get started.
Google Keyword Planner will then provide you with keyword results, including monthly searches and competition.
One of the benefits of Google Keyword Planner, which many SEO keyword research tools don’t offer, is the ability to see how keywords are trending. This helps you predict how keywords will do in the future and whether there are any seasonal variations you need to watch out for.
6. Moz Keyword Explorer
The Moz keyword research tool has been around for a long time — for some digital marketers, this was the first tool they ever used!
While Moz offers a wide range of SEO optimization tools, it’s still well-known for keyword research, and draws data from a wide range of search engines.
In fact, Moz has just launched its new content marketing tool in beta, which offers a range of keyword information in an easy-to-understand and digest format.
I like how you can group keywords by lexical similarity, which is helpful if you want to identify keyword clusters.
You get ten free searches a month with Moz Keyword Explorer, meaning you can try it before committing to a monthly plan.
7. DataForSEO
DataForSEO is not a keyword research tool as such. Instead, it provides you with APIs that you can use to find, analyze, and select efficient keyword ideas.
Solutions provided by DataForSEO are used by some of the biggest companies in the world, including Amazon, HubSpot, Airbnb, and Adobe.
The Keyword Data API pulls data from multiple sources including Google Keyword Planner, Bing Ads, Google Trends, as well as the search engines. This means you get a well-rounded and comprehensive list of keyword ideas.
One of the things I like most about DataForSEO is that you can filter keywords and sort them by the metrics of your choosing. This way, you can compare ideas against each other and select the most powerful keywords relevant to your project.
Although DataForSEO is not a typical SEO keyword research tool, it remains one of my favorites, because it generates high-quality results. Plus, the pay-as-you-go option means you only pay when you need it, making it very cost-effective.
8. Long Tail Pro
Long tail keywords are a fundamental component of content marketing in today’s competitive search environment. If you want higher-quality traffic and more conversions, it’s essential to work them into your SEO strategy.
Long Tail Pro is a keyword research tool that specifically focuses on long tail keywords. This means you have peace of mind that the keywords it suggests will deliver targeted results for your business.
One of the things I like most about Long Tail Pro as a keyword research tool is how fast it is. A single seed keyword can generate up to 400 long tail keywords in seconds!
Even better, Long Tail Pro is fantastic for competitor analysis. Rather than manually searching the top ten results for your target keywords, this tool does all the work for you. With Long Tail Pro, you get high-level information, including keyword usage in the meta data, Moz Rank, domain age, and the number of backlinks.
While Long Tail Pro is a paid-for keyword research tool with no free trial, its creators are highly confident in its abilities. In fact, if you don’t rank higher in 60 days, they offer a full refund.
9. Bulk Keyword Generator
If you want to use local SEO to boost the search engine presence of your regional business, Bulk Keyword Generator is a brilliant keyword research tool. Plus, it’s super easy to use!
First, you need to choose your business type:
Next, provide additional information about the products and services you provide, and your location.
Bulk Keyword Generator will then generate a list of local keywords you can use in your marketing.
With this free and fast tool, you can generate as many keyword lists as you want. It only takes a few seconds to run a search, and you can export the results to CSV too.
If you want to use local SEO to make more people aware of your business, Bulk Keyword Generator is a must.
10. SECockpit
When it comes to tools for keyword research, many people think the more advanced the results, the harder the tool is to use.
This isn’t the case with SECockpit. It provides killer results, all while having a relatively simple learning curve.
One of the things I like most about this tool is its ability to generate low-competition keywords. This allows you to drill down past your competition to uncover long tail keywords you have a better chance of ranking for.
For each keyword, you receive a complete analysis of the top 10 websites. This includes the number of backlinks, on-page SEO factors, and PageRank for comprehensive search result metrics.
Fast and efficient, it’s easy to see why so many digital marketers consider SECockpit their SEO keyword research tool of choice.
11. Seed Keywords
Often you might wonder if people really are using the keywords that your keyword research tool of choice suggests. In this situation, Seed Keywords offers a novel, effective, and free solution.
With Seed Keywords, you can ask your friends, colleagues, and customers how they’d search for a specific query. Here’s how it works:
Create a scenario for a search query.
Give the unique URL to your list of contacts.
Watch your keyword list populate.
Here’s what the results look like for the following query:
“You have a faulty PC. You need to have it fixed. What would you search for?”
As you need to think of a scenario and ask people to respond, Seed Keywords may not be ideal if you need keywords in a hurry.
However, if you need highly targeted and accurate keywords, it’s an excellent SEO keyword research tool.
12. Soovle
Soovle has been around for a long time, but it’s still one of the best keyword research tools available. Here are a few reasons why:
It’s free to use.
It only takes a couple of seconds to complete a search.
It provides autocomplete suggestions from a variety of sources, including, but not limited to, Google, Amazon, Yahoo, and Wikipedia.
Here’s what you’ll see if you run a Soovle search for “internet marketing.
With Soovle, you get autocomplete suggestions from the sources that matter most. Plus, as you get keyword suggestions from sources you might not usually pay attention to, you can get valuable ideas that your competitors might not think of.
13. Term Explorer
If you’re a digital marketer who loves nothing more than digging into a large data set, you’ll love Term Explorer as a keyword research tool.
There are many features and options with Term Explorer, and the results page is full of high-level data that will keep you busy for quite some time. While there is a little bit of a learning curve, it won’t take long to identify the data that is most important to you.
Along with the keyword analyzer feature, the URL analyzer is also a valuable tool. This provides detailed insight on any URL, meaning you can keep up to date with what your competitors are up to.
Term Explorer is advanced and powerful, the perfect choice for marketers who want to take their keyword research to the next level.
14. Keyword Tool Dominator
Another keyword research tool that scrapes autocomplete suggestions, Keyword Tool Dominator provides data from a range of sources. As well as Google, Amazon, and Bing, it also grabs data from alternative sources like Etsy, Home Depot, and Walmart.
This means more chances to uncover high-value keywords your competitors aren’t aware of.
To get started, choose the website you want to source keywords from, enter your seed keyword, and click the green button.
All the keyword tools work separately, so you will need to run them all individually to get a comprehensive set of keywords.
However, Keyword Tool Dominator is immensely powerful and highly affordable — with prices starting from $98 for a lifetime plan.
15. Google Trends
At first glance, Google Trends might not look like a keyword research tool. However, it’s a brilliant (and free!) way to leverage seasonal trends and see if a keyword has staying power.
Let’s look at “Stanley cups,” which were all the rage at the end of 2023. You can see that interest peaked at the end of December, took a drop after the holidays, and is starting to pick back up.
Google Trends also provides lots of valuable data including which regions are most interested in a particular word or phrase, related topics, and queries people ask.
For example, people are asking about “Stanley cups for Valentine’s Day,” which indicates the product is due to get a second wind.
It only takes ten seconds to get up and running with Google Trends, making it an easy and effective way to get additional data about your keywords of choice.
16. Serpstat
Serpstat promotes itself as an affordable keyword research tool that drives results.
Enter your keyword, and Serpstat will provide all the information you need to make informed SEO decisions.
One of the things I like is that it provides two separate lists, one for organic keywords and one for paid keywords.
For example, for the seed keyword “content marketing,” Serpstat shows that “content marketing for lawyers” could be an excellent phrase to target.
This makes Serpstat stand out as it offers prospective keywords that other SEO keyword research tools don’t consider.
17. Keywordtool.io
Like many of the SEO keyword research tools on this list, Keywordtool.io specializes in scraping autocomplete data. As a result, the keyword suggestions you get are all ones your prospective customers are actively searching for.
Keywordtool.io’s unique selling point is that it doesn’t just look at the search engines and marketplaces, but social media and app marketplaces too.
This means you can see what people are looking for on Pinterest, Instagram, and TikTok, as well as the App Store and the Google Play Store.
Keywordtool.io isn’t the most affordable keyword research platform on this list, with prices starting from $69 a month. However, if you want to find keywords that set you apart from your competitors, it could be a brilliant return on investment for your business.
18. AnswerThePublic
AnswerThePublic uses autocomplete data from Google, Bing, and YouTube to show you what people are looking for online.
We’ve looked at several SEO keyword research tools that use autocomplete data, so what makes AnswerThePublic stand out?
Firstly, AnswerThePublic uses visualizations to showcase data. This makes it easier to see the connections between keywords and see which ones are the best ones to use at a glance.
Secondly, AnswerThePublic allows you to set up search listening and email alerts. This means you’re automatically informed of new keywords and trends, meaning you can stay one step ahead of the competition.
Finally, like Ubersuggest, AnswerThePublic is available as a lifetime plan. For as little as $99, you can get lifetime access — making AnswerThePublic a great option for small marketing teams.
19. Jaaxy
Jaaxy’s unique selling point is that it is designed for affiliate marketers to help them identify the right keywords to target. However, this SEO keyword research tool is open to everyone.
One of the things I like about Jaaxy is that you can see how many other websites rank for the same keywords. This can give you a good indication of how easy it will be to target a specific word or phrase. The “related” feature also lets you identify potential keyword ideas at a glance.
You get 30 free searches by creating an account, so it’s well worth trying Jaaxy to see if it’s the right keyword research platform for you.
20. Keyword Surfer
Keyword Surfer is different to the rest of the keyword research tools in this post as it’s a Chrome Extension rather than a platform.
Developed by the team behind Surfer SEO, this free extension adds additional information to Google, making it easier to identify potential keyword opportunities.
To use it, just install it and carry out a search on Google. A box will pop up with related keywords, search volume, and content overlap — this shows how often the keyword appears in the search results.
Want to maximize your keyword research capabilities? Why not use both Keyword Surfer and the Ubersuggest extension to get the most out of your Google searches?
FAQs
What Criteria Should Businesses Consider When Selecting SEO Keyword Research Tools?
When looking at tools for keyword research, I recommend bearing the following in mind:
Budget. How much do you have to spend?
Ease-of-use. Can you jump in and start using the keyword research tool, or do you need training?
Features. What functionality do you need to carry out keyword research?
Number of seats. How many people need to access the tool?
Scalability. Will the tool grow as your business does?
Integrations. Does the tool integrate with any other SEO and marketing tools you use?
Do You Have to Pay for Good Keyword Research Tools?
Not necessarily! Some of the best tools for keyword research have free or low-cost plans.
For example, you can buy a lifetime plan for Ubersuggest from $290. This means you pay once, with no additional monthly fees.
Conclusion
There are so many benefits to conducting high-level keyword research. It increases the chances of your web pages appearing at the top of Google, and drives the right customers to your website.
To do keyword research well, it pays to have several high-quality keyword research tools at your disposal.
Which SEO keyword research tool on this list is best? It depends on your budget, the specific tools you need, your skillset, and your personal preference.
You probably won’t use all of these keyword research tools at the same time, but it’s worth trying each one out. Once you find a few that suit your personal marketing style, you can rely on them to assist with all aspects of your keyword research — from landing page copy and blog posts to paid ads.
What other keyword research tools would you add to this list? Share your ideas in the comment section below.