The finest keyword research tools simplify and expedite your workflow when used properly—they facilitate the discovery of the right keywords to target and offer You the information required for actual ranking for them. However, they shouldn’t demand you to sell your first-born kid and empty out your bank account in order to get that information.
Having worked with numerous clients who use all sorts of SEO content optimization tools for many years, I’ve found the best (and the worst among them—and I understand how crucial it is to pick the correct keyword planner tool. To help, I evaluated almost 90 keyword research tools with a free alternative. Following thorough analysis, the four best free keyword research tools include those made for more specific applications as well as general excellence.
What makes the best keyword research tool?
The features that produce an excellent keyword research tool are rather basic: you look for a certain keyword and the program informs you about it. However, keyword data can be used in so many different ways, therefore I wanted to locate solutions able to manage a range of applications. Together with a few developed for some of the most often used purposes of keyword research.
I mostly examined the following elements during testing to guide my selection of which apps made the first cut.
- Included data. The best keyword research tools provide you all the information you need to rank for your desired keyword. At minimum traffic, keyword difficulty, and competitive SERP analysis are included in all of the apps I chose.
- Keyword optimization guidance. Simple, clear suggestions to maximize for your keywords are offered by the best tools; you don’t have to be a ten-year SEO sector veteran to use keyword research tools. Tools like Ahrefs, Semrush, and Moz provide total SEO evaluation on your website, looking for all from site speed and technical aspects. to subject clusters and domain authority.
- Free plan allowances and upgrades. Some instruments call a free plan with super restricted outcomes. Or they essentially convert the free plan into more of a trial by establishing time limits. I just included tools with evergreen free plans adequate to be really helpful—and when it’s time to upgrade, they won’t break the bank either.
- Standalone functionality. Because you’re looking for something free, your keyword tool ought to be a one-stop shop—without need of extra tools or extensions to be useful for you, above all not ones one would need to pay for. Though I didn’t include them for this compilation, if you have a WordPress site, there are several excellent WordPress SEO plugins you can start using immediately.
I tested every tool that checked those boxes by running through a thorough procedure to find the greatest of the best. Here’s My testing procedure resembled like:
- I opened an account if required and followed any onboarding or directed lessons provided (many of these free programs do not need account creation or provide any onboarding).
- To see the results for several search purposes, I looked for a few several kinds of keywords—e.g., free keyword research tools, chocolate cake, and white sneakers for women.
- I looked for offered associated keywords, metrics, and other information. The source—whether information was gathered from Google, included non-search engine sites (like social media or forums), or was drawn from the tool’s own natural data.
- I double-checked costs and allowances for the free plan—whether limited by time, results, metrics included, monthly or daily searches, or anything else— If necessary, to raise to a paid option.
- I tested additional keyword research tools, including content optimization functions, competitive gap analysis, and others, where feasible.
Having spent over a dozen hours with these applications this year, I narrowed down the four best keyword research solutions—each with a practical free edition—below.
The best free keyword research tool for paid keywords
Google Keyword Planner (Web)
Google Keyword Planner pros:
- Forever completely free even if you don’t use Google Ads
- Helpful forecasting features for budgeting if you do use Google Ads
- Can extract keyword ideas just from your site
Google Keyword Planner cons:
- Not especially useful for natural keyword research
Regarding PPC keyword research, Google Keyword Planner is among of the most effective tools available. It’s absolutely free—even if you don’t buy Google Ads—so you never have to be concerned about meeting constraints or pricey improvements.
Google Keyword Planner has two primary tools: one for more in-depth study on search volume and forecasting and another for exploratory keyword research and discovery.
Like many of the tools on this list, the Keyword suggestions function searches for a seed term and creates other keywords. Ideas change over time in concert with information on monthly search volume, competition, ad impression share, and bid ranges. Brand or non-brand keywords, source website, more will help you to improve your keyword list. The Forecast tool helps you to more clearly prepare ahead for your paid ads and budget beforehand if Google Ads also is utilized.
Keyword Planner can also assist you in creating your organic plan by highlighting areas where ranking organically might help you reduce PPC expenses.
Pricing for Google Keyword Planner: Free
The best free keyword research tool for advanced SEO
Semrush (Web)
Semrush pros:
- Many granular keyword data points
- Broad variety of tools for specific keyword research
- Nice, liberal free scheme
Semrush cons:
- For people less familiar with keyword research, it can be overpowering
- Most pricey update
Semrush provides a lot of keyword data and enables simple delving into the specifics, such as SERP, if you’re looking for something more advanced. Granular review of current results as well as features including featured snippets, reviews, site links, picture pack, and so on. From the typical traffic and search volume statistics to content-driven keyword research and competitive keyword gap analysis, Semrush also provides a vast spectrum of keyword research tools.
That span is what really sets Apart from Semrush, the standard Keyword Overview, the Keyword Magic Tool for exploratory keyword research, a Keyword Manager and location tracking, competitive Keyword Gap analysis, etc. Organic Traffic Insights, which—when linked with your Google Analytics or Search Console account—can expose those famously challenging not given keywords, and keyword cannibalization report.
The SEO Content Template tool also lets you quickly generate a content brief and improve material as you write by scoring your Real-time content for readability, inventiveness, tone of voice, SEO: it uses a simple bullseye image to help you strike the ideal balance. Furthermore, as you go, the tool visually marks off SEO recommendations—like employing your target and related keywords and including suitable links and photos.
The Copilot AI of the app will also provide proactive advice, such as flagging your rankings for tracked keywords decline and offering technical SEO recommendations. It will also motivate you to enrich your data by providing more details.
All of this implies that updating will set you a fairly penny; yet, to start, you may utilize it for free at small amounts.
Semrush pricing: Free plan includes up to 10 Analytics reports per day and 10 tracked keywords paid plans begin at $139.95/month for up to 10,000. Per report results and 500 tracked keywords.
The best free keyword research tool for ad hoc needs
KWFinder (Web)
KWFinder pros:
- Great deal of free datapoints.
- one-of-a-kind data like possibilities in terms keywords
- Part of a larger SEO suite
KWFinder cons:
- Capped at five inquiries daily
KWFinder is a great choice if you don’t need to do a lot of keyword research daily. Though each keyword search yields a wealth of information, the free plan restricts you to five daily searches. That comprises conventional indicators such monthly search volume, keyword challenge, associated keywords, and a breakdown of the pages already rating for your keyword.
Still, KWFinder offers some very useful and distinctive information, such as the searcher intent for every keyword and the type of already ranking content. (for instance, listicle, homepage, blog, or product page).
The keyword opportunities column, which points up faults in the top five results and proposes how you might leverage those weaknesses and surpass them, is my favorite of these. It can determine, for instance, whether the first results are six months old or older or lack the entire keyword in their meta title.
Many of which are free in in some constrained manner—like the SEO content optimizer, AI search grader, and SERP simulator.
KWFinder pricing: Paid plans beginning at $29.90/month for up to 100 lookups daily and more results; free plan offers up to 5 keyword searches per day.
The best free keyword research tool for content marketing
Ubersuggest (Web)
Ubersuggest pros:
- Free abundant data available
- Suggested comparison keywords
Ubersuggest cons:
- Three keyword searches a day only
Usually, I wouldn’t give Ubersuggest, whose free plan only allows three searches each day, much thought as a keyword research tool with such low daily restriction. up so much data in every search that it’s worth a check in either case.
Monthly search volume broken out by country, SEO and paid difficulty scores, and Content Ideas pulled from currently ranking results—with Facebook, Pinterest, and Reddit visit, keyword, backlinks, and performance data. A major topic for content marketers, Ubersuggest is also the only tool I tested that separates out comparison keyword ideas.
Apart from keyword research, Ubersuggest provides capabilities for rank tracking, SEO opportunity identification based on your site, backlink analysis, and an AI writer resource.
Though the free plan is rather basic, it works if you don’t perform a lot of keyword research all at once and the upgrade to an Ubersuggest’s paid plan is rather fair.
Ubersuggest pricing: The free plan offers three searches daily; paid plans begin at $29/month for 150 searches per day and 125 tracked keywords each domain.
Can you use AI chatbots for keyword research?
Simplicity is the primary advantage of following the artificial intelligence path. You can request for clear, basic outcomes and get a straightforward, streamlined response.
ChatGPT was more open regarding the sources it drew upon; at the bottom of the answer, you could click on Sources to view the exact websites cited by the chatbot. It did provide, nevertheless, search volume and keyword difficulty ratings taken from the keyword research tool of AdTargeting.
On the other hand, Gemini informed me it couldn’t generate accurate monthly search volume statistics (it isn’t even linked to Google Keyword Planner) and indeed I ought to use a specialized SEO tool. Though it took a while and brought Gemini’s reaction in line with what ChatGPT provided in terms of real numbers for the metrics, it did not generate any additional pertinent data from either bot.
Although both ChatGPT and Gemini keep improving, a chatbot cannot presently provide the kind of data a specialized keyword research tool does. Case in point: Five minutes apart, I ran the exact same prompt through both ChatGPT and Gemini and got totally different sets of keywords.
Should you need condensed, bottom-line-style knowledge on a keyword rapidly, an artificial intelligence chatbot could be somewhat helpful. Given the many absolutely useful, committed, and free keyword research tools available instead, I would not advise using an AI chatbot as your main research tool as of today.
When should you upgrade from a free keyword research tool?
The short answer is only when you must. There is no reason to if you can obtain all the data you require without exceeding the restrictions of one of the free plans listed above. go to a paid plan (or change to a completely paid tool).
That said, here are a few signals it might be time to look into improving:
- Your present solution is routinely reaching the monthly or daily search constraints.
- You are losing out on features like content optimization advice or the ability to monitor your site’s.
- keywords and ratings over time that you cannot obtain for free.
- You need other SEO elements like technical SEO, site auditing, etc. that an upgraded all-in-one tool could provide.
