Every successful SEO campaign depends on accurate, comprehensive data. And that process starts with the right keyword research tools.
Sure, you can figure out how to manually collect keyword data on your own. But while you may be saving the cost of a premium tool, manual keyword research costs you big
A good SEO keyword research tool eliminates a lot of the guesswork. Here are seven well-known and time-tested SEO tools that will get you well on your way to controlling your market.
1. Google Keyword Planner
Screenshot from Google Keyword Planner, January 2023
Google Keyword Planner is a classic favorite.
It is free, but because the information comes directly from the search engine, it is reliable and trustworthy. It’s also flexible, allowing you to:
The tool is easy to access and available as a web application and via API, and it costs nothing; it just needs a Google Ads account.
There are a few things you need to be aware of when using this tool.
First, these are estimates based on historical data. That means if trends change, it doesn’t necessarily show up here.
Google Keyword Planner also can’t tell you much about the SERP itself, such as what features you can take advantage of and how the feature changes.
As part of Google Ads, PPC experience can help you gain more insights. You’ll generally find trends across a demographic or granular level, such as a city, region or major city.
Google Keyword Planner tends to combine data for similar keywords. So, if you want to know if [keyword near me] is better than [keywords near me], you’ll need another tool.
Finally, the tool uses broad definitions of words like “competition,” which doesn’t tell you who’s ranking for the term, how much they’re investing to hold that ranking, or how likely you are to beat them. dethroned from their popularity. 10 rankings.
That said, it’s a great tool if you just want a quick look or get some fresh ideas, if you want to use an API and create your own tools, or if you prefer to do the other tasks yourself.
2. Keyword.io
Cost: Free, $29 per month, and $49 per month.
If Google Keyword Planner isn’t enough, but you’re on a tight budget, Keyword.io might be your next option. It also has different features.
Keyword.io uses autocomplete APIs to pull basic data for several sites and search engines, including Google, Amazon, eBay, Bing, Wikipedia, Alibaba, YouTube, Yandex, Fiverr, and Fotolia. This is perfect for niche clients and to meet specific needs.
It also has a Question/Thinking Generator, an interactive content explorer, and a topical overview tool.
In its user interface (UI), you’ll find an easy-to-use filter system and a chart that includes the competition, search volume, CPC, and some other details about your chosen keywords.
It has some limitations, however.
You can run up to 20,000 keywords per seed with a limit of 100 requests per day (five per minute) or 1,000 requests per day (10 per minute) on its paid plans.
Its API access, the related keyword tool, Google Ad data, and other features are also limited to paid accounts.
3. Semrush
Cost: $119.95 to $449.95 per month.
In its digital marketing suite, Semrush offers a collection of six keyword tools and four competitive analysis tools with a database of more than 21 billion keywords.
You can get a complete overview of the keywords you are looking at, including paid and organic search volume, intent, competition, CPC, historical data, SERP analysis, and more.
You’ll find related keywords and questions, as well as tons of guidance, ideas, and recommendations from the Semrush Magic, Position Tracking, and Organic Traffic Insights tools.
The Keyword Planner, however, is where a lot of the magic happens.
The organic competitor tab makes it easy to spot content and keyword gaps. Expand them and develop clusters that will help you grab traffic and conversion.
You can also view long tail keyword data and other data to see what is holding Page 1 in terms of competition, difficulty, and opportunities at a broad or hyperlocal level.
The full suite of tools is a huge plus. Teams can collaborate, share insights and plan.
The seamless integration lets you integrate your data, meaning teams can easily collaborate, share insights and strategize.
And when you’re done, it can track everything you need for a successful digital marketing strategy.
Some of the tools they offer include:
Semrush’s best features for keyword research are its historical information and PPC metrics.
You can dive deep into campaigns and keywords to unlock the secrets of the SERPs and provide agency or in-house teams with valuable information they don’t normally have access to.
4. Moz Keyword Explorer
Screenshot from Moz, January 2023
Cost: Free for 10 inquiries per month. $99-$599 per month.
With a database of over 500 million keywords, Moz Keyword Explorer may be a great option if you’re looking to build a strategy rather than just a quick glance at the data for a few keywords.
Moz has long been a leader in the SEO space.
Constantly updating and improving its Keyword Explorer Tool and other key services, Moz keeps up with trends and is known for providing SEO professionals with the latest tools. And he has done that for over ten years.
Like the Google Keyword Tool, Moz’s keyword planning tool provides information on the difficulty and monthly search volume for terms. It also allows you to drill down geographically.
When you start, you’ll find the Keyword Overview, which provides monthly search volumes, ranking difficulty, organic click-through opportunities, and estimated priority level.
However, unlike the Google Keyword Tool, Moz provides you with data that is no more than the basics. Think of it as keyword research and SERP analysis.
Moz tends to have fewer keyword suggestions. And like Google Keyword Planner, it provides range estimates for search data rather than a specific number.
However, the database is updated frequently, so you can be confident that you are keeping up with the constant change in consumer search habits and rankings.
Plus, it’s easy to use, so teams can quickly take care of marketing tasks like finding opportunities, tracking performance, identifying problem areas, and collecting page-level data.
Moz also offers several other tools to help you get your site on track and ahead of the competition, but we really like it for its keyword research and flexibility.
5. Ahrefs Keyword Explorer
If I had to describe Ahrefs in one word, it would be power.
Enter a word in the search box, and you’re presented with multiple panels that tell you everything you need to know about that keyword.
Total search volume, clicks, difficulty, SERP features, and even volume difficulty distribution. And while it may seem like a lot, all the information is well organized and clearly presented.
Ahrefs provides terms in a parent-child topic format, providing the terms with context, so you can easily learn more about the terms, such as intent, and identify overlap while keeping it easy to find and understand.
These materials appear when you search for a related term, including the term’s ranking on the SERP, SERP result type, first page ranking difficulty scores, and a user-delivered image of the SERP. You can stay broad or narrow it all down by city or language.
Ahrefs can get a bit expensive. It may be difficult for agencies to scale if they prefer several user accounts or clients, but it is still one of the best and most reliable keyword research tools on the market.
What I really like about Ahrefs is that it is thorough. It has one of the largest databases of all the tools available (19.2 billion keywords, 10 search engines, and 242 countries at the time of writing), and is updated regularly.
It makes international SEO strategies a breeze and includes data for everything from Google and Bing to YouTube and Amazon.
In addition, they clearly explain their metrics and database. And that level of transparency means trust.
Other tools in the suite include:
6. SERanking
Screenshot from SERanking, November 2022.
Cost: $23.52-$239 per month, depending on check ranking and payment frequency.
SERanking shines as a keyword research tool within the all-around SEO toolkit. SERanking helps you keep costs down while offering features that allow agencies to meet the unique needs of clients.
One of the first things you’ll notice when logging in is its intuitive user interface. But this tool is not just another nice online tool.
The US SERanking database includes 887 million keywords, 327 million US domains, and 3 trillion indexed backlinks. And this doesn’t include their extensive European and Asian databases.
The overview page provides a solid overview of the data, including search volume, CPC, and difficulty score.
SERanking also provides lists of related and low-volume keywords if you need inspiration or suggestions, as well as long-tail keyword suggestions with information about SERP features, competition levels, search volume, and other data you need to identify new opportunities .
Of course, identifying keywords is only the beginning of the mystery. How do you convert keywords? SERanking provides keyword tools that help you answer this question.
You can find out who the competition is in the organic results and see who is buying search ads, as well as data such as estimated traffic levels and ad copies they are using.
This allows you to see what’s working, gain insights into the users searching for those terms, and generate new ideas to try out.
SERanking offers agency features, such as white labeling, report builders, lead generator, and other features that will be helpful to you.
However, one of the most helpful features for keyword research agencies is SERanking’s major keyword analysis, which allows you to run thousands of keywords and download full reports for all the terms that matter. .
Other tools in the SERanking Suite include:
SERanking is more affordable than some of the other tools out there, but it does come with a cost.
It’s not as robust as some of its competitors and it doesn’t get as granular in the same way, but it still provides the features and data you need to create a successful SEO strategy.
And with its flexible pricing, this tool is well worth considering.
7. BrightEdge Data Cube
If you’re looking for an AI-powered digital marketing toolset that includes a quality research tool, BrightEdge might be the right choice for you.
Unlike other tools that focus on providing you with data and ways to analyze that data, BrightEdge takes care of much of the time-consuming analysis for you.
Among its search, content, social, local and mobile solutions, you’ll find Data Cube – an AI-powered content and keyword tool that uses natural language processing to find related topics and keywords.
You’ll also encounter DataMind, an AI that helps you find search trends, changes in consumer behaviors, and key competitor moves you need to be aware of.
The two together make it quick and easy to do keyword research, pick out topics, create content strategies, and strengthen your SEO plans.
Once you have entered a topic or broad keyword, the tool will provide you with relevant keywords, search volume, competition levels, keyword value, its universal listing, and the number of words in the phrase.
Filter the results by a custom set of criteria to narrow the list and get the information you need.
Once you have a list, select the ones you want to keep and download them or use them with other BrightEdge tools to create complete strategies and gain more insights.
This could include competitor analysis, analyzing SERP features, intent, or other tasks.
For agencies that provide local SEO, BrightEdge also offers HyperLocal, which helps you find and track keywords and keyword performance at the local level.
When you’re done, give the Opportunity Forecasting and tracking tools a try to monitor your progress and provide clients with the information they care about.
Perhaps the coolest feature for agencies is its Storybuilder – a reporting tool that lets you create rich client reports that give clients a targeted overview and the data they’re most interested in.
If this sounds like the right tool for you, the company offers demos, but there are a few things you should consider.
At first, it only updates once a month. And while the company keeps its pricing close to the cupboard, this set of digital marketing tools is a significant investment. It may not be the best option if keyword research is the only thing you need.
Second, while the tools are very sophisticated and refined, there is a learning curve to getting started.
You’ll also find that features like keyword tracking have limitations, and can be time-consuming to set up, and some adjustments will require tech support.
Finally, BrightEdge’s keyword research tool doesn’t let you get too far into the weeds and doesn’t include PPC traffic.
That aside, larger agencies and brands will find that it scales easily, has a beautifully designed UI, and looks great on clients.
The Best Agency SEO Keyword Research Tools
This list is just seven of the many tools available today to help you do your keyword research to an expert degree.
But no matter how many or which tools we share with you, it’s important to understand that none of them are flawless.
Each tool has its own unique strengths and weaknesses, so choosing a platform really depends on the types of clients you typically work with and personal preference.
In fact, you’ll probably find that you prefer to work between several tools to achieve everything you want.
Google Keyword Planner and Keyword.io are better options when you want to quickly look at the data, or if you want to export the data to work on it elsewhere. You may even want to use this data with the other tools mentioned in this chapter.
Ahrefs, Moz, Semrush, and BrightEdge are much stronger and better suited for agency SEO tasks.
Although they are not free (although they offer free plans or a trial period except BrightEdge), they allow you to really dig into the search space, which leads to higher traffic, more conversions and SEO strategies finally stronger. These benefits take more time and often come with a learning curve.
By far, it is the most important keyword research tool you have access to.
Keyword research involves choosing the keywords with the highest search volume or the phrase with the lowest Cost Per Click (CPC).
It’s your expertise, experience, knowledge and insights that transform data into digital marketing you can be proud of.
Featured Image: Paulo Bobita/Search Engine Journal
Keyword Planner helps you research keywords for your Search campaigns. You can use this free tool to discover new keywords related to your business and see estimates of the searches they get and the cost to target them.
What are the top 3 searches on Google?
What is the most searched thing on Google in 2022? A Year in Search, 2022
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- News. Copied to clipboard. Election results. …
- People. Copied to clipboard. Johnny Depp. …
- Actors. Copied to clipboard. Johnny Depp. …
- Athletes. Copied to clipboard. Antonio Brown. …
- Definitions. Copied to clipboard. …
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- How to help … Copied to clipboard.
What are the top 10 searched topics on Google?
Facebook is the most popular keyword in 2022, with an average of 213,000,000 searches per month in 2022. YouTube, Amazon, weather and Walmart are closely behind. Facebook is the most popular keyword in 2022, with an average of 213,000,000 searches per month in 2022.
What is the difference between Google Trends and keyword planner?
As you can see, they look quite similar, but they are not identical. While Google Keyword Planner shows absolute search volume data, Google Trends shows the relative popularity of a search query.
Is Google Keyword Planner any good? Is Google Keyword Planner accurate? Google Keyword Planner is considered fairly accurate for high volume keywords but not so good for low search volume keywords.
Can you use Google Trends for keyword research?
Most people use Google Trends to find keywords that people use in the Google search engine. But Google Trends is also GREAT for YouTube keyword research. To use Google Trends for video keyword research, type in a keyword around which you optimize a video.
Is Google Trends an SEO tool?
Google Trends is a powerful SEO tool You can expand your keyword list, target by location, using selected queries to improve local search. An easy way to identify breakout trends, seasonal events, and unprofitable fads before they become mainstream?
Is there something better than Google Trends?
3 Google Trends Alternatives for Trend Research & Discovery. Meet Glimpse, and Insider Intelligence are popular platforms for teams looking to discover new trending topics and monitor how trends change.
How can I compare more than 5 Google Trends?
How can I look at more than five trends at a time? As long as two questions share the same most common topic, they will be scaled in the same way, so the trends will be comparable. It follows that if you want to compare more than five topics with Google Trends, you only need to include a control topic in each search.
What are the disadvantages of Google Trends?
Google Trends only gives relative numbers and there is no way to get absolute numbers. Therefore, a comparison search must be done to find results that can be compared. The people most affected by some of the phenomena may not have internet access. The context of the search is not clear.
Is there anything better than Semrush?
Ahrefs is definitely better. In fact, I think it’s the best all-in-one SEO tool out there. That’s not to say Semrush isn’t good. Ahrefs is just better.
Is Semrush the best SEO tool? SEMrush and Moz are the two top SEO tools in the digital industry that help with competitive analysis, keyword research, and search engine optimization. These popular tools help promote your business on digital platforms.
Is Semrush the best?
And Semrush is one of the best SEO tools on the market for this approach. That’s because Semrush has a huge database of 21.1 billion keywords. And they update this list almost every day. Although not 100% accurate, Semrush’s organic traffic estimates are as accurate as you’ll find on the market.
Why Semrush is the best?
It’s the ultimate spy tool when you type in keywords, SEMrush then compares several competitor websites to your site. It shows the top keywords from all those sites, with information on whether you can compete by targeting those keywords. There is also a feature called Market Explorer.
Is Semrush worth the money?
Based on my experience with Semrush, I say it’s worth the hype. If you are looking for robust SEO tools with all the features – competitor analysis, keyword research, backlinks analysis, and site audits – Semrush has it all. Even it comes with a good set of Paid Ads and PPC modules.
Who is the competitor of Semrush?
Tools like Ahrefs, Semrush’s main competitor, compete with Semrush across all feature categories. Others, like AccuRanker and Screaming Frog, compete with Semrush’s individual tools. Would you prefer an all-in-one SEO tool to do everything? Consider Ahrefs, Moz, Serpstat, and SE Ranking.
How do competitors compare to Semrush?
For this information, turn to the Semrush Traffic Analytics Overview reports. Enter up to 5 competitors to compare in the input fields at the top of the report. With this report, you’ll get instant insight into their traffic patterns.
Which is better Ahrefs vs Semrush?
In terms of rank tracking, Semrush beats out Ahrefs. They both do what rank trackers are supposed to do: track your rankings. But Semrush updates more frequently and has more robust features.
Is Google keyword Planner accurate?
The truth is that Google Keyword Planner was never that accurate anyway. The numbers have always been rounded to the nearest thousand and are only estimates anyway – not exact figures, which makes the Keyword Planner good for making rough estimates and guiding you on your keyword strategy.
Is SEMRush better than Google Keyword Planner? SEMRush’s keyword tools are unmatched by many Google Keyword Planner. They are deeper. More comparative metrics are available, they provide much more in-depth competitive data, and data is easier to store and analyze.
Is Google keyword Planner good for SEO?
Is Google Keyword Planner Good for SEO? Google Keyword Planner is a good free option if you’re just starting out with a low marketing budget, and it integrates seamlessly with Google Ads if you plan to run pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns.
Can I use Google keyword Planner for SEO?
Google Keyword Planner is a keyword research tool for advertisers. But you can also use it to find keywords for SEO. It can even show you the keywords your competitors are targeting. In this guide, you’ll learn how to get some serious SEO value from Keyword Planner.
Is Google keyword Planner accurate?
The truth is that Google Keyword Planner was never that accurate anyway. The numbers have always been rounded to the nearest thousand and are only estimates anyway – not exact figures, making the Keyword Planner good for making rough estimates and guiding you on your keyword strategy.
How accurate are Google Ads estimates?
Estimates are just “those estimates”. They won’t be 100% accurate, especially since your bid also depends on your ad’s Quality Score. The higher it is, the less you will pay for each click. Each campaign is unique.
How accurate is Google keyword forecast?
The truth is that Google Keyword Planner was never that accurate anyway. The numbers have always been rounded to the nearest thousand and are only estimates anyway – not exact figures, making the Keyword Planner good for making rough estimates and guiding you on your keyword strategy.
What is a good ROI percentage on Google Ads?
What do strong results look like in Google Ads campaigns? On average, Google Ad ROAS drops around 2:1. This means you will earn $2 for every $1 spent. If you target your Google Search Network, this return can increase to $8 for every $1 spent.
Can Google Analytics help with keyword research?
The Google Analytics keyword report gives you insight into your users that can help you decide whether or not certain keywords are worth focusing more on. It also shows which keywords are driving the most traffic to your site helping you make better decisions when planning future on-page SEO strategies.
Do you use Google Analytics for SEO? One of the most commonly used free SEO analysis tools is Google Analytics. And, you can always use Google Analytics Reporting to communicate that data to your team or client.