Keyword research is one of the most crucial parts of an SEO strategy. Right keywords not only help you boost a site’s organic traffic but also make its content relevant and engaging.
Finding the right keywords is a time-taking and challenging task. However, many keyword research tools can make this challenging task easy for you.
In this article, we have reviewed the 10 best keyword research tools to make the whole research process easier for you. Keep reading to discover their prominent features, pros, and cons.
1. SEMRush
SEMRush is one of the trusted keyword research tools by experts. It was launched in 2008 by Dmitry Melnikov and Oleg Shchegolev. Today, around 7 million people use it for their website’s SEO.
It produces a long list of suggested keywords based on the phrase you enter in the search bar. It helps with the long-tail keyword research. You can also find the keywords that your competitors are using by typing their domain name in the search bar.
It will generate monthly volume, trend, worldwide CPC, and keyword difficulty of each keyword. You can select a particular country if you want to find data related to a specific market.
Quick facts about SEMRush
- SEMRush offer a ‘Keyword Magic Tool.’ This powerful tool generates a list of keywords that you need to create a converting SEO campaign. It gives you access to a database of over 17 billion keywords.
- SEMRush is a complete SEO tool. You can use it for link building, social media management, keyword research, local SEO, on-page SEO, competitor analysis and much more.
- SEMRush is a paid tool. However, it offers a seven days free trial. It provides four packages; Pro, Guru, Business, and Enterprise.
Pros
- Provides an authentic list of competitor’s keywords
- Gives a list of paid as well as organic keywords
- Tells you a keyword’s performance, trend, difficulty, search volume, etc.
- Offers many advanced features that you can use to create a converting SEO strategy
Cons
- Can be complicated for the beginners
- Costly tool
2. GrowthBar
It is a Google Chrome extension, which makes this tool fast and easy to use. Due to this reason, it is gaining popularity among bloggers, entrepreneurs, and freelancers. Keyword difficulty and suggestions appear along with the It can generate a list of thousands of suggested keywords.
Recently, GrowthBar added a unique Al-based feature. This feature allows you to create great content outlines containing your keywords. This way you will not have to put much effort to write an article or a blog post. It will also recommend the word count based on the SERP results.
You can also find your competitor’s top keywords through it. You can export all data into an Excel-friendly CSV.
Quick facts about GrowthBar
- You can create content outlines containing keywords through this tool.
- It provides keywords related data that you can export for more convenience and to share with your team.
- You can have a 5-day free trial of GrowthBar. There are two paid plans; Pro and Scale plan.
Pros
- Creates content outlines and recommends word count
- Economical keyword research tool compared to the other keyword research tools
- Simple and very user-friendly
Cons
- More suitable for the basic SEO
- Works only on Chrome
3. Ahrefs
Ahrefs is another very popular keyword research tool. It was launched in 2011 and since then it has gained fame due to its reliable data and useful features. Its features are very similar to the features offered by SEMRush.
Ahrefs’s ‘Keyword Explorer’ is used to search keywords related to a specific phrase or word. It gives deep information related to each keyword. It provides search volume, trend, CPC, click (paid and organic clicks) difficulty, and related keywords for each keyword.
Its keyword difficulty is very accurate and also gives you an estimate of backlinks you would need to rank that particular keyword. You can also type in the domain of your competitor in ‘Site Explorer’ to find the keywords they are ranking on. It can produce a list of 1,000 pus keywords of your competitor’s site.
Quick facts about Ahrefs
- Its ‘Keyword Explorer’ feature gives in-depth data of the keywords.
- The ‘Site Explorer’ feature allows you to filter out your competitor’s keywords based on their word count, difficulty, volume, position, CPC, and SERP features.
- It offers a $7 seven days trial for its lite package. There are four monthly plans; Lite, Standard, Advanced, and Agency.
Pros
- Has an easy to understand interface
- Provides data from 171 countries
- Gives an in-depth SERP overview
- Comes up with the number of backlinks you would need to rank a keyword on the first page
Cons
- Expensive keyword research tool
- The dashboard could feel crowded to the newbies
4. LongTail Pro
Long0tail keywords are a great tool to improve your blog post’s ranking and get more website traffic. Type a keyword in the search bar of LongTail Pro to get a long list of long-tail keywords. It generates in-depth data related to your keyword.
You can get an idea of top results related to your keyword and plan a content strategy according to the information provided there.
Quick facts about LongTail Pro
- LongTail Pro focuses more on how you can rank against different competitors.
- It offers very helpful recommendations for how to rank your content about a specific keyword.
Pros
- A quick keyword research tool that focuses on long-tail keywords
- Provides actionable recommendations to rank your content
Cons
- The interface could be improved
- No free trial plan
5. Moz
Moz is one of the best keyword analysis tools that are popular among SEO experts. It has all the features you would need to do thorough keyword research. You can simply type a seed keyword in the search bar and get several out of the box keyword ideas.
Its ‘Organic CTR Score’ shows the expected number of keywords you may get if your site ranks on the first page. It shows accurate keyword difficulty, monthly searches, and CTR.
Quick facts about Moz
- MOZ is a complete SEO tool. You can use it for keyword research, site audit, backlinks analysis, and more.
- It provides MozBar browser extension to its users for quick and easy analysis.
Pros
- Gives out-of-the-box keyword suggestions
- Features like Priority Score and Organic CTR Score make it different from other tools
- Offers a thirty days trial
Cons
- Has a complex interface that newbies may find difficult
- An expensive tool
6. SerpStat
SerpStat is an SEO tool that helps with keyword research, link building, and content creation. It provides keywords based on Google results. It also provides a list of top competitors and keeps the sites that appear in the featured snippet on top.
You can also find how many backlinks your competitor has used to rank on the first page of Google. Other than that a detailed data of competitor’s keywords is also provided.
Quick facts about SerpStat
- It generates competitor graphs to give a visual representation of how your competitors are ranking on a particular keyword.
- It offers a free trial. You can subscribe to its monthly or annual plans to avail of more features. It offers five paid plans; Lite, Standard, Advanced, Enterprise, and Custom.
Pros
- An easy tool used for solid keyword research
- Provides a competitor graph for a better analysis
Cons
- An expensive keyword research tool
7. SpyFu
SpyFu is specialized in analyzing and exploring your competitor’s website. All you have to do is add the URL of your competitor’s site, it will generate a list of organic keywords they are ranked on, tell how much they are spending on PPC and give detail about their Google ads.
It suggests keywords according to the keywords that sites of your industry are using. Its keyword spy feature also tells you the number of clicks your competitors get.
Quick facts about SpyFu
- You can use SpyFu for free but its free version offers limited features. There are three subscription plans for those who want to have an in-depth analysis of their competitors.
- You can compare your site with your competitors through this tool.
Pros
- Gives accurate information about a competitor’s website
- Helps with the paid as well as organic keywords research
- Affordable compared to the other expensive keyword research tools
Cons
- Does not provide Bing data
- The interface is not as customizable as the interface of other popular tools
8. UberSuggest
UberSuggest is a very useful free tool for bloggers, entrepreneurs, and SEO service providers. You can type in a phrase or keyword in the search bar to get a list of suggested keywords. The list also shows difficulty, trend, volume, CPC, and competition of all keywords.
Under the ‘Content Ideas,’ it shows the top sites ranked on your keyword and the number of backlinks they have used.
Quick facts about UberSuggest
- As this tool is free and has a clean interface, beginners find it very useful.
- You can search tens of keywords for free through UberSuggest. However, for deeper research, you would need to buy any of its three plans based on your needs.
- UberSuggest has three paid plans; Individual, Business and Enterprise. They are cheaper compared to other keyword research tools.
Pros
- Offers several features for free
- Has a clear and simple interface
- Offers all features requires for basic SEO research
Cons
- Keywords are represented in batches of ten instead of a long complete list
- The mobile layout of UberSuggest could be improved
9. Google Keyword Planner
Google Keyword Planner is basically designed for advertisers. You can still use this free tool for your keyword research. You need a Google Ads account to get access to Google Keyword Planner. People who don’t have a Google Ads account will have to create a Google Ads account to use it.
You can type in a keyword or a URL to search related keywords. It will generate a downloadable list of keywords.
Quick facts about Google Keyword Planner
- It tells you the monthly search volume per keyword and also states the cost to target that keyword.
- It is helpful for creating marketing strategies.
- It provides keyword data like monthly searches, competition (use terms like low, medium and high), and trend.
Pros
- Free to use
- Add three keywords in the search bar to find suggestions
Cons
- Offers fewer keyword suggestions compared to other tools
- Focuses more on Google Ads
10. AnswerThePublic
AnswerThePublic focuses on the visual representation of keywords, which makes it different from other keyword research tools. It has a user-friendly interface. Just type the word then this tool will generate several related keywords in a circular form. You can convert that circular form into a vertical list and export that list into a .csv file.
It is a useful tool for beginners. You do not have to create an account or enter your debit card information to start using it. You can make three free searches every day. However, for extensive research, you will have to purchase its paid version.
Quick facts about AnsweThePublic
- Its keyword results are based on the autosuggestions created by Google and Bing. Click on any keyword to search it on Google.
- You can make three searches every day without creating an account on AnswerThePublic. There is a paid plan to find more keywords on the daily basis.
Pros
- Very easy to use and simple interface
- Downloadable data
- No need to create an account to get access to AnswerThePublic
Cons
- Does not show keyword statistics like other keyword research tools
- Offers only a few features
Frequently Asked Questions
Why should I use keyword tools?
Doing keyword research manually will take a lot of time and you will still not have extensive data (monthly searches, difficulty, backlinks, trend, etc.) you need to rank on Google. Therefore, keyword research tools are used to create a convertible SEO strategy. They provide great keyword suggestions and also tell you which keywords your competitors are using to rank on Google.
How do I find the best keywords?
You can find the best keywords through the keyword research tools described above. Use free keyword research tools if you are a beginner and you do not want to spend money yet.
Can I use a free keyword tool to start?
Yes, you can. Use it if you are learning how to do keyword research or if you are starting a blog etc. for the first time. Popular free keyword research tools are AnswerThePublic, UberSuggest, Google Keyword Planner, Bulk keyword Generator, etc.
Conclusion
The best keyword research tools can be very useful for finding the right keywords for your website and boosting its organic traffic. All of the above-mentioned tools offer different features. Therefore, compare them properly then buy the tool that offers the features that you need.