How often do you type a word or phrase into a search engine? Pretty much every day, right? These “keywords” are what help people find the products and services they need. Search visibility is one of the main goals of an SEO strategy, and in order to rank higher, you must conduct keyword research with precision.
Using the right keyword research tools will not only simplify the process, but will also help you get better results from your efforts. Here are six of the best keyword research tools—both free and paid—that will aid you in your advertising and content creation.
What Makes a Great Keyword Research Tool?
Keyword research is important, because it helps you better understand what your customers want. Their searches are the basis for a strong SEO and paid advertising strategy, which makes choosing the right keyword tools just as important. Some of the things you should look for in a keyword research tool include:
- Accuracy and reliability: Does the tool use credible sources like search engines, different databases, and consumer behavior?
- Is it easy to use and navigate?
- Does it offer variety, depth, and advanced metrics with the results?
- Is it free to use, or is there a subscription fee?
The Three Best Free Keyword Research Tools
Google Keyword Planner
Google Keyword Planner works best for businesses that are running Google Ads pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns. It can help you produce keywords and estimate the bid cost for your ads. Whether you are searching for unique keywords or ad group ideas, this tool can help you see how different keywords might perform in the future, set the budget for your PPC campaigns, and select bids that will keep your business competitive in the market.
Google Keyword Planner is easy to use and navigate and uses the Google search engine for its data. Even though it is mainly designed for ad campaigns, it is also a valuable tool for SEO.
Ubersuggest
Ubersuggest is a free tool that provides both short-tail (one or two words) and long-tail keywords (three or more words). The keywords and phrases from Ubersuggest include information about the search volume of each word or phrase, show how much your competitors are paying for the keyword or phrase in ads, and predict seasonal trends for your chosen keywords.
Ubersuggest uses web analytics to create a list of keywords based on what people are searching for on Google and what is working for your competitors.
AnswerThePublic
AnswerThePublic is a free keyword research tool that allows you to uncover the hidden secrets of what people are searching for. When you type in a word or phrase, AnswerThePublic will scour Google and other search engines to produce a list of phrases and questions you can use to create content.
AnswerThePublic can provide you with the information you need to simplify your content production process. It also allows you to monitor keyword trends over time so you can create content that is relevant to your target audience.
The Three Best Paid Keyword Research Tools
Semrush
Semrush is an all-encompassing paid tool with functions that support both SEO and PPC keyword research. You can discover which search terms are working best for your competitors, so you can create a marketing strategy that will help you drive more traffic to your website.
Plans and pricing for Semrush include:
- Pro: $139.95/month or $117.33/month billed annually
- Guru: $249.95/month or $208.33/month billed annually
- Business: $499.95/month or $416.66/month billed annually
Ahrefs
Ahrefs Keywords Explorer is a paid tool that can help you generate topic ideas and get the keywords that will help you reach your marketing goals. It will show you the search volumes, ranking difficulty, how different keywords appear in the search results, and more.
The plans and pricing for Ahrefs include:
- Lite: $129/month or $1,290 annually with 2 months free
- Standard: $249/month or $2,490 annually with 2 months free
- Advanced: $449/month or $4,490 annually with 2 months free
Moz Keyword Explorer
Moz Keyword Explorer is a paid tool that lets you discover keywords and keyword clusters that will get your business noticed by your target audience. It will show you the monthly search volume and ranking difficulty for each keyword you choose, and it can help you expand your content marketing efforts by finding new topics.
When you start using Moz, you get a free 30-day trial. Once that ends, pricing and plans for Moz include:
- Starter: $49/month or $468/year
- Standard: $99/month or $950/year
- Medium: $179/month or $1,719/year
- Large: $299/month or $2,868/year
Expert Keyword Research and SEO is Right Around the Corner
At New Wine Digital, we know how hard it is for small business owners to keep up with the trends in digital marketing on top of everything else. We’ve helped everyone from dentists to lawyers to manufacturers attract new clients with our digital marketing services. We can build you a marketing strategy that includes professional keyword research, content creation, social media ads, website optimization, and more.
Let us handle the SEO so you can get back to running your business. Contact us today to discuss your marketing goals and learn what we can do to help your business thrive.
Images used under creative commons license – commercial use (01/28/2025) Photo by Tobias Dziuba on Pexels