Search engine optimization (SEO) is an important part of getting people’s attention, whether you’re building a website, launching a blog, or selling products online. Search engine optimization relies heavily on keyword research.
You can find dozens, even hundreds, of tools dedicated to keyword research (most geared towards beginners, but some for highly advanced users as well). The information also varies from totally unhelpful to exceedingly valuable.
Your SEO workflow can be simplified and streamlined when you use the right SEO keyword research tools. These tools make it easier to select the right keywords and provide the data you need to actually rank for them. Unless done well, they can complicate your search and make it take longer.
What is Keyword Research in SEO?
The goal of keyword research is to identify and analyze various search terms entered into search engines by Internet users with a view to using them in search engine optimization (SEO) or general marketing campaigns. We can learn about queries to target, their popularity and ranking difficulty, and more in doing keyword research.
The purpose of the keyword research process is to determine the topic of your content, which correlates with the number of targeted keywords you want to rank for.
What makes a great keyword research tool for SEOs?
Great keyword research tools have a few basic features: you search for a given keyword, and the tool tells you everything about it. However, there are so many different ways to use keyword data that we wanted to find tools designed to handle some of the most popular uses for keyword research, as well as a few that were ready for a variety of use cases.
Please consider the following factors:
- Data included. A good keyword research tool provides you all the data you need to rank for any keyword you choose. In our selection, every app included traffic, keyword difficulty, and SERP competition analysis.
- Data sources. It is essential that you can trust the keywords data you are getting, so we took great care in evaluating where the data comes from for each keyword research tool. We included tools that pull at least part of their data from Google.
- Keyword optimization guidance. The best keyword research tools do not require you to be an SEO industry veteran. They give simple, straight-forward suggestions to optimize for your keywords. In general, tools (like Ahrefs, Semrush, and Moz) will do a complete SEO analysis of your site, looking at everything from the site speed to the domain authority. We are looking for tools that allow anyone to quickly understand and optimize their website for their target keyword.
- Affordability. The cost of SEO software can be challenging to afford, so we narrowed our list down to include only those keyword research tools that are available at a reasonable price to SMBs. Most of the tools below offer a free version or a plan that is under $120 per month.
The best SEO keyword research tools in 2021
An important aspect of modern SEO is keyword research. It doesn’t matter whether you’re starting a new blog or planning your new content strategy; good-quality keywords are one of the best methods to attract targeted traffic. Here are some of the best tools for keyword research that will help you create great content.
1. Google Keyword Planner
Do you want to hone the power of Google’s huge keyword database? The Keyword Planner has tons of opportunities for you. The number one reason to choose this tool is that it comes straight from Google.
NB There are several Google tools that provide keyword research features, but they are grouped into two categories:
- PPC-Keyword tools (such as Google Keyword Planner) that analyze search ads, including metrics like cost-per-click and competitor analysis.
- Keyword tracking tools (Gadgets like Google Analytics and Google Search Console) that monitor your site’s rankings for particular keywords.
Google Keyword Planner’s data is trustworthy, but no SEO tool in the world is 100% accurate. Make sure your blog or website contains the right keywords to attract the right visitors. You can check out extremely valuable information using the tool, such as:
- Relevant keywords
- The average number of searches per month
- Competition on a global scale
- Low to high top of page bid
Keyword Planner offers simple to expert-level data, which I find appealing. There is no restriction on the number of keywords you can use.
The number of long phrases you can use is also unlimited.
The Keyword Planner also makes the process of generating keyword suggestions from websites simple. The service is free for the rest of your life.
2. Ahrefs Keyword Research Tool
Ahrefs is my go-to tool for keyword research and website analysis. Compared to other tools, it has more keywords. It also offers reliable data such as search volume, links, and social sharing.
There is a keyword tool built by Ahrefs called the Keyword Explorer. This is without a doubt an important tool for improving your search engine optimization. Your search options do not stop at Google. It covers YouTube, Amazon, Bing, Yahoo, Yandex, and other websites.
Ahrefs provides highly detailed keyword research. By looking at keyword difficulty, search volume, CTR, CPS, and paid clicks, you can identify what factors need to be improved. Additionally, you can see the number of searches and the percentage of searches from other nations.
According to your usage, the price ranges from $99 to $999 per month. But Ahrefs’ keyword suggestions are better than anything else in the world, so the money is well spent. Take advantage of Ahrefs’ free keyword generator before spending money on the premium version.
3. SEMrush Keyword Research Tool
In terms of content research, SEMRush can be an incredibly valuable tool if you want everything under one roof. You can analyze a domain, hunt down keywords, and steal them from your competitors by using the tool.
Additionally, you can use the tool to identify link-building opportunities and adjust technical SEO. SEMRush helps you identify the following specifications when it comes to keyword research:
- Search volume for a keyword
- Rankings for that keyword
- Lastly, what are your options for related keywords
This SEMRush feature displays information such as search volume, trends, CPCs, and keyword difficulty. As well as providing your keyword variations and their overall trend, this tool displays your overall keyword trends.
For SEMRush, the monthly subscription price starts at $119.95. There are a lot more features to it than simply keyword research. For instance, you can identify overused keywords and duplicate content. By learning how to use the tool properly, you’ll surely step up your SEO game.
4. Ubersuggest Keyword Research Tool
Ubersuggest provides you with an overview of a keyword so you can see all the important metrics that matter. These metrics include search volume, paid and organic difficulty, and cost-per-click. In addition, the tool also provides historical data on keywords.
Ubersuggest’s ‘Keyword Ideas’ section is one of my favorite parts since it helps you find all related keywords. Analyzing SERPs is also straightforward. The monthly cost ranges between $12 and $40.
You can still make 3 free searches each day.
In addition, Ubersuggest offers lifetime subscriptions that range from $120 to $400. Every blogger dreams of getting organic traffic quickly. Take advantage of this lifetime deal!
Your Google account will allow you to receive daily rank tracking as well as personalized SEO suggestions when you sign into Ubersuggest with your Google account. There is also a Chrome extension for UberSuggest that can help you boost your productivity.
5. AnswerThePublic Keyword Research Tool
As compared with most other keyword researchers, AnswerThePublic works in a somewhat unique way. The keywords are presented in an attractive visual format, but you can also see them in a list or download them as a .csv file.
To use it, you don’t even need to create an account, so it’s great if you’re new to SEO and keyword research. Enter your keyword and see the results.
The following are the main keywords and content categories:
- Frequently Asked Questions (what, why, when, and where)
- The prepositions (is, with, to, and more)
- A comparison (with, against, and more)
- Listed alphabetically (keywords from a to z)
- Associated (keywords)
How awesome is that? The keywords suggestions, as well as content ideas, can also be downloaded as a CSV file. In my opinion, AnswerThePublic is a very useful tool for understanding what people are thinking about a particular topic.
The tool does not show search volume, keyword difficulty, or cost-per-click, and does not provide advanced keyword research data. If you decide to pay upfront for an entire year, AnswerThePublic is free for three attempts before it charges $99 per month.
6. KWFinder Keyword Research Tool
Interested in finding long-tail keywords that have low ranking difficulty? This can be accomplished by using KWFinder by Mangools. With no doubt, it’s one of the best tools for researching long-tail keywords.
KWFinder offers a host of useful features, including finding low SEO difficulty keywords.
Features that make it stand out
- User interface that is easy to use and unique
- Any language, any target, anywhere
- Use one of the powerful keyword options
- Get detailed information about keyword competition
- A detailed SERP overview with suggestions
- You can refine the keyword suggestions by using filters
Pricing
There are four other SEO tools in Mangool’s package in addition to KWFinder. There is only a limited number of free keyword searches in this tool. By subscribing to one of their three annual plans, you can save up to 40%.
- The Basic plan costs $30 (for freelancers and small businesses).
- The Premium plan is $40 (for new startups and blogs)
- Services of an agency – $80 (eCommerce stores and heavy sites)
Easy-to-rank keywords can be found at KWFinder – just a few clicks away. You can access all the information above, as well as historical data. It has a straightforward user interface as well. This provides you with the opportunity to perfect its full power even if you are just a beginner.
7. Moz Keyword Explorer Keyword Reseach Tool
Among the best keyword research tools on the Internet is Moz Keyword Explorer. The reason is that it enables you to handle your SEO campaigns with ease. By analyzing the tool’s search volume, lists, and questions, you can learn more about keywords.
Moz Keyword Explorer provides you with keyword recommendations that are easy to understand and use. This keyword research tool from Moz includes all the details you’d expect from the top keyword research tools, as well as two very unique features.
CTR organic – This metric measures how many clicks you should expect to attract from page one of Google.
Ranking priority – This is the result of combining the multiple factors to suggest keyword options. Integrated with search volume, CTR, and keyword difficulty, this tool helps you find the best keywords for your project.
Standout features
- Keyword suggestions related to your search
- Optimizing your CTRs and Priority Scores
- The Moz trial period lasts a month
Pricing
Get 10 free queries per month when you sign up for a free Moz account. Keyword Explorer is not a standalone tool, you must purchase SEO suite in order to access this useful little asset. It is available in the platform’s “Medium” plan for $179 per month. Trials are offered for a 30-day period.
8. Serpstat
Serpstat is an excellent option if you’re searching for a comprehensive SEO tool that combines website analytics, keyword research, SERP analysis, backlink analysis, rank tracking, and website audit tools. The solution combines the entire area of SEO in one place.
Standout features
- utilize the competitor graph to learn more about your competitors
- Check the difficulty and trend of keywords
- Among our top picks, this is the most affordable
Pricing
The trial membership of Serpstat will allow you to use the service for free a few times, as with some of the other options we listed here. Getting set up with one of their subscriptions is required for regular use of the service. For $55 a month, you can get a personal plan.
9. KeywordChef
Despite being a relatively new entrant to the market, KeywordChef has proven to be more promising than its competitors. There are few keyword discovery tools out there that are as easy-to-use and valuable as this one.
Standout features
- Google Autocomplete can help you find good keywords
- Add Instagram and Twitter keyword analysis to your social media marketing strategy
- Results can be exported to CSV
- A simple user interface for beginners
Pricing
Like Google Keyword Planner, KeywordChef Tool is a keyword research tool. With the free version of this tool, you can use your first 750+ keywords for free. The basic plan for Keyword Tool costs $69 per month.
In my opinion, KeywordChef has fewer keyword suggestions than Ahrefs. However, it uncovers hidden keywords by examining over 700 factors. By removing all the irrelevant keywords, KeywordChef produces ‘valuable keywords with clear search intent.
10. H-Supertools
H-Supertools Free Keyword Research Tool provides you with information regarding monthly traffic volume, competitor pay-per-clicks, keyword difficulty, along with CPC.
H-Supertool’s other useful tools:
- An image editing program
- Search Engine Analyzer
- Email Validator
- Questions Explorer
- Hashtag Generator
- Bulk Email Validation
- YouTube Keyword Tool
Furthermore, all of these invaluable tools are totally free. Although some integrated SEO tools, such as SEMRush and Ahrefs, may not be free, H-Supertools. H-Supertools provide you with accurate data straight from Google or try some other tool available.
Conclusion
You cannot ignore the importance of keyword research when trying to achieve SEO success. It is also important to use the right tool when researching keywords for your blog or website. Sometimes, you need a combination of tools.
Google’s database can be beneficial to you, don’t you think? Consider using the Keyword Planner. Are you interested in becoming a professional? Consider Ahrefs or SEMRush. Are you trying to save time? KeywordChef is the best option
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