Ultimate Guide to SEO Keyword Research Tools

Keywords are often the first thing that comes to mind when business leaders consider SEO. And with good reason — when people have a question or need information, they typically head to a search engine, enter keywords, and get a list of relevant content in return. The SEO of a site for specific keywords determines where they rank or if they rank for the keyword being searched for.

While other SEO techniques are important and must be addressed, keywords are the foundation of a solid SEO strategy. Because determining which keywords are best to target is time consuming and challenging, SEO agencies and organizations turn to keyword research tools to improve both the efficiency and accuracy of the process.

Understanding SEO keyword research

Keyword research is the process of determining which keywords potential customers for your products and services are likely to search for when looking for information. Organizations use keyword research to determine which keywords to include in already existing content or pages to help improve where the page ranks. Companies also use keyword research to determine what type of new content to create to land high rankings on SERP and increase traffic.

Finding the right keywords that your target audience is apt to search for and then improving your SEO for each keyword makes it more likely that your site will rank high in those searches. Organizations that continuously perform keyword research and then act on those findings are prone to increasing their organic traffic. According to Backlinko, the top result on a Google SERP averages a 27.6% click through rate (CTR), with the #1 organic spot 10 times more likely to be viewed than the result in the #10 spot. However, moving up even a single position increases CTR by 32.3%.

How keyword research affects search rankings

Using effective keywords is much more complicated than simply picking a keyword or phrase and creating content around it. Three key elements should be considered when researching keywords:

• Relevance: The keyword that’s searched for must match the content on the webpage in order for a page to rank high. For example, if the keyword is about horses but the main focus of the article is dogs, the article will not rank high for a search about dogs.
• Search intent: Every time someone performs a search, they have a goal in mind. They’re looking for a specific piece of information, searching for a specific business or site, or researching a product to buy. Search engines analyze the searcher’s intent and display results that match the purpose of the search.
• Competition: Companies looking to rank for very popular keywords are going to find it challenging, if not impossible, to rank high. By looking for keywords that are commonly used by your specific target customer but have lower competition, you can improve your changes of ranking higher.

Types of keywords

While people often use the term keyword to describe all searches, there are multiple types of keywords. The type of keyword you target on your website has a big impact on your rankings and SEO success.

Sometimes people search for a single word or short phrase (short-tail keyword), while other times they search for a phrase with a string of words. According to Backlinko, keywords that are 10-15 words in length get 1.76x more clicks than single-word terms. Short-tail keywords tend to have high volume and competition, making them hard to rank for. Longer-tail keywords tend to have lower volume and are more specific to your audience’s needs, but without specialized SEO expertise to find the right long-tail keywords for your business, ranking for them can be challenging.

Another key choice is targeting branded or non-branded keywords. For example: Netflix is branded, and streaming service is non-branded. For most businesses, the right approach is to use a balance of both. Branded keywords help your site rank when people are specifically searching for your product or company. Non-branded keywords are more helpful when people are looking for information about problems your products and services solve.

The third category of keyword revolves around search intent. Informational keywords position the search to find information, while navigational keywords point toward looking for a specific website. Additionally, transactional keywords focus on an action, such as “renew my driver’s license” or “get pizza delivered.”

Criteria for choosing the right SEO keyword research tool

The first decision to make with keyword tools is whether to use a free or paid keyword research tool. While many people start with free because of the cost, it quickly becomes apparent that free tools come with significant limitations. The keyword research provided is on a very basic level and does not provide the details or analysis that are available with paid tools. Additionally, free tools don’t always update keyword data regularly, and users only get a limited number of results for each search. However, paid tools are typically updated in real time, which makes it easier to spot trending keywords, and they offer much larger keyword databases.

Once you’ve made the free versus paid decision, the next step is reviewing tools to find one with the features you need for effective keyword research.

Here are key features to look for:

• Search volume and keyword difficulty metrics: If you are considering a specific keyword, these metrics help you determine if it’s a good choice. If a keyword has a high search volume and is easy to rank for, it may be one target. On the other hand, high volume and hard to rank for keywords may not be worth the effort.
• SERP analysis and competitor insights: To pick the best keywords, you need to know the current situation for your industry. These features show you what articles are currently ranking for a specific keyword as well as what keywords competitors currently rank for.
• Keyword suggestions and variations: With a tool that makes suggestions for keywords that are a match for your industry as well as alternative variations that may be easier to rank for, you can save time and improve keyword SEO results.
• Trend analysis and forecasting: Because keywords metrics change over time and it takes time to rank for a keyword, you need a tool that helps you predict which keywords will be trending in both the short and long term.
• Integration with other SEO tools: Look for a keyword research tool that is compatible with Google Analytics and Search Console. Software with API access and automation options makes it for easier integration with other tools.

Top SEO keyword research tools: A detailed review

With so many tools on the market, organizations often find it challenging to choose the right tool. Let’s look at some of the tools on the market to help you find the best one for your needs.

Free keyword research tools

Many companies, especially smaller businesses or those starting out with SEO, find that free keyword research tools meet their current needs.

Here are the most popular tools:

Google Keyword Planner

Although the Google Keyword Planner is designed to help companies determine keywords for ads, many use it for SEO keyword research. Because Google provides the tool, the data is accurate and pulled directly from Google searches. Reviewers comment that the keyword volume searches from Keyword Planner are especially helpful. Google Keyword Planner is also very effective for geo-targeting and local SEO. However, the tool was designed for advertisers, so it focuses on advertiser behavior instead of search. Also, Google Keyword Planner does not provide a keyword difficulty score or extensive long-tail keyword options.

Google Trends

When looking to create content about trending topics, Google Trends can quickly help you determine where to focus your efforts. The easy-to-read graphics help you compare keyword volume and search trends over time, including by geographic and topic area. You can also look at specific date ranges, to determine if a trend is a short-lived or longer-lived trend, which helps guide your investment in the keywords. On the downside, Google Trends does not provide search volume data and it provides only limited keyword data, making it not viable for most companies to use as their only keyword research tool.

Soovle

While Soovle is similar to Google Keyword Planner, the biggest difference is that Soovle gives you keyword data based on multiple sites — not just Google. However, Soovle does not provide exact search volume like Keyword Planner does. With its simple interface and fast performance, Soovle is a great fit for companies that want an easy-to-use keyword tool that uses data from across the web.

Paid keyword research tools

Because of the need for more searches and detailed analysis, many organizations turn to paid keyword research tools. Check out these tools when selecting the best fit for your needs.

Ahrefs Keywords Explorer

Ahref’s biggest strength is its data and analytics, and its Keywords Explorer is part of the company’s SEO toolset. With its exceptionally large backlink index, companies can conduct extensive competitor analysis. Additionally, the tool provides more than just search volume — it also provides click data, making it easier to make the best keyword choices. Ahrefs offers a wide range of features, which also makes it challenging to get up to speed and requires a bit of a learning curve. The software does not integrate with Google Analytics, so companies that are tightly integrated with Google may need a different solution. Small businesses and others on a lower budget may find the offered plans outside of their reach.

SEMrush Keyword Magic Tool

With an easy-to-use interface, filtering, and grouping, the SEMrush Keyword Magic Tool makes it simple and quick to find the best keywords for your content. With one of the largest keyword databases, over 26 billion keywords, and focus on search intent, users comment that the tool’s analytics was key in improving their SEO. Additionally, SEMrush excels at finding the right long-tail keywords to target, which is often a big hurdle for companies to overcome. However, the tool does not include click data — just search volumes. The price is often an obstacle for many companies, especially with search limited on the lowest tier plans.

AnswerThePublic

Although AnswerThePublic does not have a free version, the monthly individual plan is very affordable for even the smallest business, at $11 per day for a single user and 100 searches a day. However, several features, including unlimited searches, listening alerts, and comparisons over time, require the Pro plan. Because you enter a keyword into the tool and receive a list of questions people are currently asking in search, AnswerThePublic excels at helping companies create a list of content topics based on current searches. However, you cannot view data for a specific geographic area, so AnswerThePublic is not an ideal tool for businesses that need local SEO.

Niche-specific and alternative keyword research tools

Another common type of tool is tools for a specific purpose or goal. Popular tools in this category include:

LongTailPro

Not surprising, based on its name, the strength of LongTailPro lies in find long-tail keywords to rank for. Niche and industry-specific websites often find long-tail keywords are the best focus, making this tool a great fit for those types of companies. Because the tool monitors your rankings daily, you get updated insights based on real-time data and searching trends. Other strengths include the ease of comparing the ability to rank for keywords and batch keyword generation. However, users comment on the clunky interface and frequent outages of the tool.

KeywordTool.io

KeywordTool.io offers an alternative to Google Keyword tool for businesses that want more robust features. Because the tool pulls from many different platforms, including Amazon, YouTube, and eBay, KeywordTool.io often suggests keywords that aren’t considered by tools that limit their sources. Companies looking to use keywords to generate new content find that the Question & Preposition filter makes it easy to find audience challenges. The tool also can be used for keywords for pay-per-click, social media, and e-commerce product descriptions. Because the tool does not offer backlinks, site audit, or SERP analysis, KeywordTool.io is not a comprehensive SEO tool, but simply a keyword tool, and organizations will need an additional SEO tool as well.

Serpstat

Many organizations turn to Serpstat for a full-service tool with a lower price tag than its competitors. While the tool offers similar features in terms of keywords, competitor analysis, rank tracking, and site audit, Serpstat lags behind other tools, such as SEMrush and Ahrefs, for backlink analysis. While users say the interface is easy to use, they also report lags and glitches during peak business hours. Serpstat is a good choice for SMBs, content agencies, and freelancers looking for an affordable tool.

Choosing the Right Keyword Research Tool

Your SEO success depends on choosing the right keywords, and the right tool makes it much easier and faster to enable your next best customers to find your site and content. By carefully selecting the right tool and allocating an appropriate budget, your company can have the foundation needed to begin its SEO journey to higher rankings.