Keyword investigation devices thief you find, analyze, and prioritize the hunt position group really use. So you tin build contented and campaigns that thrust visibility, traffic, and conversions.
This article compares 8 free and paid keyword investigation devices to thief you find the champion action for your needs.
Before we screen the keyword investigation devices themselves, we’re starting pinch the criteria that matter astir erstwhile choosing a tool.
What Makes a Good Keyword Research Tool?
A bully keyword research instrumentality typically includes:
- Regularly updated information that reflects the existent authorities of search
- Filters and buttons for homing successful connected position that really matter for your business
- Search intent information that shows what users are trying to execute and want to spot successful hunt results
- Domain-specific accusation that helps you spot really you and your competitors are presently performing for definite terms
- Integrations pinch different devices that streamline your processes
The database beneath covers a scope of keyword investigation devices for SEO teams—from free options for getting started to much robust devices for knowledgeable practitioners.
8& Paid Keyword Research Tools
1. Keyword Magic Tool
Pricing: A free proceedings is available. Pricing starts astatine $139.95/month for the Semrush SEO Toolkit.
Semrush’s Keyword Magic Tool generates extended keyword lists from a azygous word (a seed term) related to your business, truthful you tin find and prioritize topics to target successful your SEO contented to summation your hunt visibility.
Simply participate a seed keyword and your target location into the Keyword Magic Tool to get a database of related keywords.I besides urge adding your domain to get personalized insights.
The Keyword Magic Tool study will show a assortment of metrics for each keyword, including:
- Intent: What users are trying to execute pinch their hunt (can beryllium informational, transactional, commercial, navigational, aliases a combination)
- Volume: The mean number of monthly searches for a word complete the past 12 months
- Potential Traffic: The estimated monthly postulation you could get if you rank highly for that keyword
- Personal Keyword Difficulty (PKD %): How difficult it would beryllium for your circumstantial domain to rank successful the apical 10 positions for that keyword connected Google
- Cost per Click (CPC): Average value successful U.S. dollars that advertisers salary for a click connected an advertisement triggered by that keyword
- SERP Features (SF): Whether the keyword triggers typical hunt results for illustration AI Overviews,videos, or People Also Ask boxes
To select your Keyword Magic Tool study to show only position you tin realistically rank for while still driving traffic, prime the “Personal KD %” select and group it to “Easy.” And group the “Volume” select to “101-1,000.”
You tin besides usage the “Questions” tab successful the Keyword Magic Tool to find long-tail, question-based keywords (e.g., “what is task management”) that you tin usage to create content. Which is useful for expanding visibility successful AI systems for illustration Google’s AI Overviews and ChatGPT.
Key Features
- Access to a database of 27+ cardinal keywords crossed 140+ countries
- Keywords tin beryllium organized into topic-based groups and subgroups
- Advanced filters for intent, volume, difficulty, etc.
- Integration pinch Keyword Strategy Builder for contented planning
What I Like
One of the adjuvant features successful Keyword Magic Tool is the expertise to region competitor-focused position that I don’t want to target.
For example, I’ll usage the word “travel bags,” which could beryllium a useful seed word for uncovering circumstantial position to usage connected merchandise pages.
If Louis Vuitton is simply a competitor, I wouldn’t want to see position including their marque name.
So, I usage the “Exclude keywords” select to region competitor names from the list.
Then, I tin usage the “Intent” select to show only position pinch the “Commercial” and “Transactional” intent to attraction connected keywords users hunt erstwhile they’re actively comparing options and fresh to buy.
This gives maine a database of high-intent keywords I tin confidently usage connected merchandise pages.
2. Prompt Research
Pricing: A free proceedings of Semrush One (which combines SEO Toolkit and AI Visibility Toolkit) is available. Pricing for conscionable the AI Visibility Toolkit starts astatine $99/month.
Semrush’s Prompt Research instrumentality helps you observe and analyse the prompts group usage successful AI hunt systems, truthful you tin understand really brands and contented look successful AI-generated answers.
Enter a seed term, and Prompt Research shows estimated AI volume, lists of related topics and prompts, intent classifications, brands that are mentioned, and the domains that are cited.
Click “Prompts” successful Prompt Research to spot which position are utilized successful AI searches and really AI devices respond.
Click “Brands” to spot which brands are mentioned astir often successful AI responses for your entered topic.
Key Features
- Topic breakdown that groups related prompts
- Intent classification for the entered topic
- Brand- and domain-level study wrong AI-generated responses
- Integration pinch Semrush’s Prompt Tracking instrumentality for AI visibility monitoring
What I Like
One of the astir useful parts of Prompt Research is that it seamlessly connects to the Visibility Overview tool, truthful you tin easy analyse the astir often mentioned brands.
After entering the seed taxable “book blogging,” I tin spot which brands are mentioned astir often successful AI-generated responses.
When I click “Analyze” for 1 of the apical brands shown successful Prompt Research, I’m taken straight to a much elaborate study connected really that marque appears crossed AI tools.
More thoroughly studying the brands you uncover successful Prompt Research tin springiness you moreover much ideas that you mightiness not deliberation to research.
3. ChatGPT
Pricing: A free type is available. Paid plans commencement astatine $8/month.
ChatGPT is OpenAI’s AI chatbot that you tin usage to brainstorm keyword ideas and research caller taxable angles early successful the investigation process, but it isn’t a dedicated keyword investigation tool.
Think of ChatGPT arsenic a keyword find instrumentality to usage earlier you validate ideas pinch existent hunt data, particularly erstwhile you want to exemplary really users building afloat questions successful AI systems.
Here’s an illustration punctual asking for keyword ideas:
“I’m creating a landing page for a task guidance SaaS instrumentality built for distant trading teams. What are immoderate keywords a trading head astatine a mid-sized institution mightiness hunt erstwhile they’re trying to amended collaboration, meet deadlines, and streamline approvals crossed a distant team? Please see some short-tail and long-tail variations.”
Here’s the output ChatGPT provided:
You tin past plug the keyword ideas you get from ChatGPT into a instrumentality for illustration Semrush’s Keyword Overview to understand whether they’re worthy targeting.
You tin besides inquire ChatGPT to:
- Group keywords into taxable clusters (collections of related pages connected a main topic, pinch each page targeting aggregate related terms)
- Suggest long-tail variations (more circumstantial versions of a wide keyword)
- Turn keyword lists into blog titles aliases contented ideas
Just retrieve that ChatGPT isn’t a dedicated keyword investigation instrumentality backed by SEO data. It won’t show you meticulous hunt volumes, trouble scores, aliases SERP insights.
Key Features
- Generates keyword ideas, taxable angles, and keyword variations
- Refines responses based connected your follow-up prompts
- Surfaces conversational phrasing
- Can group ideas into taxable clusters aliases contented themes
What I Like
I usage ChatGPT to aboveground circumstantial questions my assemblage mightiness beryllium typing into hunt systems.
To exemplary really getting circumstantial ideas tin activity for a institution that creates task guidance package for finance teams, I prompted ChatGPT pinch this:
“Give maine 30 bottom-of-the-funnel questions that a financial operations head astatine a mid-sized institution mightiness hunt erstwhile looking for task guidance software. Focus connected symptom points for illustration search fund approvals, managing timelines, and collaborating crossed departments.”
ChatGPT returned questions like:
- Which devices support multi-level fund support workflows?
- How tin I negociate task budgets and approvals successful 1 system?
- Which PM devices merge budgeting and approvals?
Prompts that attraction connected your business and circumstantial requirements are awesome for brainstorming contented ideas, particularly for income collateral aliases support content.
4. Google Keyword Planner
Pricing:with a Google Ads account.
Google Keyword Planner is simply a free keyword investigation instrumentality that’s chiefly built for advertisers moving Google Ads, but it besides useful good for basal SEO keyword research.
You tin participate a keyword aliases URL, and Keyword Planner returns related keyword suggestions on with:
- Monthly hunt measurement ranges (like 1K-10K)
- Competition (how difficult it mightiness beryllium to bid on, which whitethorn besides bespeak really difficult it is to rank for)
- Estimated costs per click (CPC) for ads
You tin besides select Keyword Planner’s results by location, language, etc.
Key Features
- Generates keyword ideas from seed position aliases URLs
- Includes filters for location, language, marque terms, merchandise type, etc.
- Search measurement ranges and title information from Google Ads
- Ability to forecast clicks, impressions, and costs estimates for campaigns
What I Like
Google Keyword Planner is awesome if you’re looking for a free instrumentality that lets you observe high-value, low-competition keywords successful a circumstantial location.
Let’s opportunity I’m targeting mini business owners successful India pinch contented astir financial tools. I’d commencement by entering a seed word for illustration “invoice software” and group the location arsenic “India.”
Then, I’d benignant Keyword Planner’s results by “Monthly searches,” and prime “Add filter” > “Competition” > “Low.” This uncovers high-value keywords I could realistically rank for.
5. Google Search Console
Pricing: Free.
Google Search Console (GSC) is simply a free instrumentality that shows really you’re performing successful Google’s accepted and AI hunt results, and you tin usage it to place keywords your tract already appears for.
In GSC’s “Queries” tab, you’ll spot up to 1,000 keywords your pages rank for successful hunt results. For each keyword, you’ll find the pursuing metrics:
- Clicks: How galore times your results for the query were clicked
- Impressions: How galore times your pages were displayed to users successful Google hunt results for a circumstantial query
- Click-through complaint (CTR): The number of clicks comparative to the number of impressions
- Position: The mean ranking for a fixed query
GSC insights are based connected existent Google data—they’re not estimates.
And support successful mind that the “Query” tab successful Google Search Console is query-based—not page-specific. So, the metrics present tin bespeak the mixed capacity of aggregate pages ranking for the aforesaid keyword.
If you want to measure circumstantial pages successful Google Search Console, usage the “Pages” tab.
Key Features
- Shows queries your tract appears for successful Google Search results and the corresponding metrics
- Page-level and query-level capacity views
- Daily, weekly, and monthly views to let for easier inclination spotting
- Sortable array that allows you to find position aliases pages pinch circumstantial criteria
What I Like
Google Search Console makes it easy to find a group of position that your tract is showing up for but not getting overmuch postulation from.
Just caput to “Search results,” click “+ Add filter,” and prime “Query.” Choose “Queries containing” from the drop-down and participate a word that represents the group you’re willing in.
After you’ve applied a select to find keywords containing a peculiar word successful GSC, benignant by impressions (high to low) and scan for keywords pinch fewer clicks.It’s a elemental measurement to spot underperforming queries wherever you already person immoderate visibility.
6. Surfer’s Keyword Research Tool
Pricing: Starts astatine $99/month. The Chrome extension is disposable for free.
Surfer's keyword investigation instrumentality groups related keywords into clusters that tin beryllium targeted together connected a azygous page.
After you participate a seed word into Surfer, you’ll spot results displayed successful keyword clusters (groups of intimately related position that tin beryllium targeted together successful a azygous page).For each cluster, you’ll see:
- The main keyword and its variations
- Intent
- Monthly hunt measurement (MSV)
- Keyword trouble (KD)
When you click connected a cluster, Surfer gives you the action to motorboat the Content Editor tool. So you tin move consecutive from investigation to writing.
Surfer besides offers a free Chrome hold called Keyword Surfer that shows information for illustration monthly hunt measurement and CPC straight wrong Google Search. This is particularly useful if you want to quickly validate ideas.
Key Features
- Organizes related keywords into suggested clusters
- Built-in Content Editor integration for moving from investigation to writing
- Free Chrome hold (Keyword Surfer) shows hunt measurement and CPC information straight successful Google results
What I Like
Surfer’s free Chrome hold is awesome for validating keyword ideas while browsing Google.
I tin usage Surfer’s Chrome hold to comparison hunt volumes for aggregate position simply by conducting a hunt for each keyword alternatively of having to move to a abstracted keyword investigation tool.
7. AnswerThePublic
Pricing:for constricted regular searches. Paid plans commencement astatine $20/month.
AnswerThePublic is simply a keyword find instrumentality that pulls autocomplete information from Google, Bing, YouTube, TikTok, Amazon, and Instagram, past organizes the results into clear categories.
You commencement by entering a keyword (like “influencer marketing”) and choosing a state and language. AnswerThePublic past returns keyword suggestions grouped into:
- Questions: Question-based terms
- Prepositions: Terms that see prepositions
- Comparisons: Terms that comparison 2 items
- Alphabeticals: Terms that commencement pinch a circumstantial letter
- Numbers: Terms including a number (like a year)
- Related Terms: Terms related to the keyword you entered into the tool
Search measurement and CPC information is shown for the seed word you entered into AnswerThePublic. You’ll request a paid scheme to spot information for each the keyword suggestions.
While AnswerThePublic doesn’t connection precocious filters aliases much elaborate SERP data, it’s a accelerated and ocular measurement to aboveground long-tail keywords you mightiness not deliberation of connected your own. Especially successful the early stages of contented planning.
Key Features
- Pulls autocomplete information from platforms for illustration Google, Bing, YouTube, Amazon, Instagram, and TikTok
- Organizes keyword suggestions into categories
- Visual interface for exploring related long-tail queries
What I Like
AnswerThePublic makes it easy to quickly find question-based keywords that are pulled from autocomplete information crossed applicable platforms, which makes it bully for uncovering position to target for different contented types and distribution channels.
It’s a bully free instrumentality for uncovering long-tail contented ideas based connected what group are really asking.
8. Reddit Keyword Research Tool
Pricing: Free.
HigherVisibility’s Reddit Keyword Research Tool is 1 of the champion free keyword investigation devices focused connected uncovering ideas based connected Reddit discussions, and each you request to do is participate a subreddit.
The Reddit Keyword Research Tool shows celebrated position from the subreddit and displays them successful a array on with:
- The estimated monthly U.S. hunt volume
- A “Context” link, which opens a Google hunt based connected your selected subreddit and keyword
The Reddit Keyword Research Tool is adjuvant for identifying topics that existent group are really discussing.
And if you’re building contented for a niche audience, the Reddit Keyword Research Tool tin aboveground queries that different devices mightiness miss.If you want further metrics for these terms, export the study arsenic a CSV that you tin analyse utilizing different tool.
Key Features
- Surfaces keyword ideas from subreddit discussions
- Displays estimated monthly U.S. hunt measurement for surfaced terms
- Provides a “Context” nexus to position related Google hunt results
- Allows exporting for deeper analysis
What I Like
The Reddit Keyword Research Tool is awesome for building a keyword database based connected various subreddits without having to manually sift done discussions yourself.
For example, conscionable return a look astatine each the subreddit options you tin comb related to “career”:
Going done each applicable subreddit database is apt to output galore valuable terms.
Which Keyword Tool Should You Use?
The correct keyword instrumentality for you depends connected your needs.
Most teams use from utilizing aggregate devices together. Start pinch free options to research ideas, past move to paid options erstwhile you request much insights.
Here's really to lucifer your circumstantial needs to the correct tool:
- For AI hunt and SEO strategy: The Keyword Magic Tool helps uncover high-potential hunt position based connected accepted hunt data, while Prompt Research reveals applicable topics successful AI hunt and really brands look successful AI responses
- For early-stage ideation and brainstorming: Use ChatGPT to research taxable angles and exemplary really users building afloat questions. It’s adjuvant for brainstorming earlier validating ideas pinch SEO data.
- For PPC campaigns: Stick pinch Google Keyword Planner. It's built specifically for advertisers and gives you CPC estimates alongside hunt volume.
- For forum research: The Reddit Keyword Research Tool surfaces queries that accepted devices tin miss. Use it erstwhile you're targeting highly circumstantial audiences aliases request to understand really existent group talk astir your topic.
If you want a azygous solution that enables you to do investigation for some accepted and AI search, effort Semrush One. It provides entree to the Keyword Magic Tool, Prompt Research, and overmuch more.
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