12+ Best Keyword Research Tools For SEO in 2024 | Free & Paid

Reliqus Marketing

31 March 2023

SEO Tools

1. Google Keyword Planner

Google Keyword Planner is a free keyword research tool that can help you find new keywords and estimate their search volume, competition, and potential cost-per-click (CPC) for running paid ads on Google. To use it, you must sign up for a Google Ads account and create a new campaign.

Once you have access to the tool, you can enter a keyword or phrase related to your business and see a list of suggested keywords along with their average monthly search volume, competition level, and suggested bid. You can also filter results by location, language, and date range.

Google Keyword Planner

Pros:

  • Free to use (Limited).
  • Provides accurate search volume data
  • Integration with Google Ads for running paid campaigns

Cons:

  • Limited to Google search engine data
  • May suggest only high-competition keywords
  • Requires a Google Ads account to access.

Top Feature of Google Keyword Planner:

  • Keyword ideas: You can enter a keyword or phrase related to your business or industry, and Google Keyword Planner will generate a list of related keywords and their search volumes.
  • Historical data: You can view historical search volume data for a specific keyword or keyword group, allowing you to identify trends over time.
  • Competitor analysis: You can enter a competitor’s website and view the keywords they are targeting in their ad campaigns.

Pricing for Google Keyword Planner:

Google Keyword Planner is a free tool.

2. Ubersuggest

Ubersuggest is a keyword research tool that provides users with keyword suggestions, search volume, and competition data. It also offers an overview of the top-ranking pages for a particular keyword and provides insights into the backlinks of those pages.

Ubersuggest

Pros:

  • Free to use (Limited).
  • Easy-to-use interface
  • Provides keyword suggestions based on user queries
  • Offers comprehensive data on search volume, competition, and top-ranking pages
  • Includes information on backlinks of top-ranking pages

Cons:

  • Limited to three searches per day for free users
  • Data can be less accurate compared to paid keyword research tools
  • Some features, such as content ideas and competitor analysis, are only available in the paid version

Top Features of Ubersuggest:

  • Keyword research: Ubersuggest allows you to search for new keyword ideas and see important metrics like search volume, competition, and cost-per-click (CPC).
  • Content ideas: With Ubersuggest, you can enter a keyword or topic and get a list of content ideas that are performing well in terms of social shares, backlinks, and organic traffic.
  • Site audit: Ubersuggest offers a site audit feature that analyzes your website’s SEO health and provides recommendations for improvement.
  • Backlink analysis: Ubersuggest allows you to analyze your competitor’s backlinks to see where they are getting their link juice from and identify potential opportunities for your own website.

Pricing for Ubersuggest:

Ubersuggest offers three pricing plans:

  1. Individual Plan: The Individual Plan starts at $12 per month and includes more features, such as historical data, competitor analysis, and priority support.
  2. Business Plan: The Business Plan starts at $20 per month and includes more features, such as Rank Tracking, Site Audit, and 5,000-page scans.
  3. Enterprise Plan: The Enterprise Plan starts at $40 per month and includes all the Pro plan features, plus white-label reporting and multi-user access.

3. Google Trends

Google Trends is a free tool that allows you to see how often a keyword is being searched for over a specific period. This tool can help you identify trends and patterns in search behavior and determine the popularity of a keyword in different regions and languages.

Google Trends

Pros:

  • It’s free to use.
  • It provides real-time data on keyword trends.
  • It allows you to compare the search volume of multiple keywords.
  • It provides location and language-specific data.

Cons:

  • It doesn’t provide data on keyword competition or difficulty.
  • It doesn’t provide data on long-tail keywords.
  • It only shows data from Google searches, which may not represent all search engines.

Top Features of Google Trends:

  • Trending searches: Displays a real-time list of the most popular searches in your region.
  • Keyword research: This allows you to enter a search term and see how its popularity has changed over time.
  • Related queries: Provides a list of related keywords that people are searching for.
  • Comparison of search terms: Let’s compare the popularity of multiple search terms over time.

One of the standout features of Google Trends is its ability to provide data on the popularity of search terms by geographic location. This can be particularly useful if you’re trying to optimize your content for a specific region or language.

Pricing for Google Trends:

Google Trends is a free tool and can be accessed by anyone with a Google account.

4. Keywords Everywhere

Keywords Everywhere is a popular keyword research tool that provides data on search volume, competition, and cost per click (CPC) for keywords. This tool can be used as a browser extension for Chrome or Firefox, allowing users to see keyword metrics directly on Google search results pages, Google Analytics, and other websites.

Keywords Everywhere

Pros:

  • Free to (Limited) use.
  • Provides useful keyword metrics directly on search results pages
  • Can export data in CSV, Excel, or PDF formats

Cons:

  • Limited to data from Google, Bing, and YouTube
  • The accuracy of search volume and CPC data can vary
  • Costly for individuals or little companies

Keywords Everywhere is a useful keyword research tool for those starting with keyword research. However, it should be used in conjunction with other tools to get a more complete picture of your target keywords.

Top Feature of Keywords Everywhere:

  • Keyword metrics such as search volume, cost per click (CPC), and competition data
  • Related keywords and long-tail keyword suggestions
  • Google search volume trends
  • On-page analysis for specific URLs
  • Competitor analysis

Pricing for Keywords Everywhere:

Keywords Everywhere offer a unique pricing model that allows users to buy credits for the features they need. 10,000 credits cost $1 and can be used for specific features such as monthly search volume, CPC data, or keyword export. 

1 Credit = 1 Keyword.  Credits expire after one year.

5. Keyword tool

Keywordtool.io is a popular keyword research tool that provides long-tail keyword suggestions for various search engines, including Google, Bing, YouTube, and Amazon. This tool can be used to discover profitable niche keywords that may not show up in other keyword research tools.

Keyword tool

Pros:

  • Free to (Limited) use.
  • Provides long-tail keyword suggestions for various search engines
  • Can be used for SEO, PPC, and content marketing
  • Offers keyword data in multiple languages

Cons:

  • Limited to 3 daily searches in the free version
  • The accuracy of search volume and competition data can vary
  • Some features, such as CPC data, are only available in the paid version

Top Feature of Keyword tool:

  • Search volume data: Users can view the monthly search volume for each keyword and evaluate its potential traffic.
  • Keyword suggestions: The tool generates a list of related keywords and long-tail variations based on the user’s input.
  • Question-based keywords: Keywordtool.io also provides a list of questions related to the keyword, which can help users create content that answers those questions.
  • Location-specific keywords: Users can select a location and language to get location-specific keyword suggestions.
  • Competitor analysis: Users can analyze their competitors’ top keywords and use them to optimize their own content.

Pricing for Keyword tool:

Keywordtool.io offers three pricing plans:

  1. Pro Basic: The Pro Basic Plan starts at $89 per month with a limited number of keyword suggestions and search volume data for each keyword.
  2. Pro Plus: The Pro Plus plan starts at $99 per month and includes more features, such as historical data, competitor analysis, and Google Ads Competition Data.
  3. Pro Business Plan: The Pro Business plan starts at $199 per month and includes all the Pro plan features, plus 10 user account access and API Requests.

Overall, Keywordtool.io is a versatile keyword research tool that provides valuable insights into the keywords relevant to your business or niche, and its pricing plans offer flexibility depending on your needs and budget.

6. Answer The Public

Answer The Public is a unique keyword research tool that provides insights into what questions people are asking related to your keyword. By visualizing the data in a wheel-shaped graph, users can easily see the different question phrases, prepositions, and comparisons related to their search query.

Answer The Public

Pros:

  • Provides insights into the questions people are asking related to your keyword
  • Free to (Limited) Use.
  • Visual representation of the data makes it easy to understand

Cons:

  • Limited to question-based searches
  • Limited to one search per day for free users
  • Some data may be outdated

Top Features of Answer The Public:

  • Provides a list of questions and phrases related to a keyword
  • Organizes the data into categories such as “what”, “why”, “how”, “when”, and “where”
  • Offers a visual representation of the data in the form of a wheel, which makes it easy to see the relationships between different keywords
  • Allows you to export the data in CSV format

Pricing for Answer The Public:

Answer The Public provides paid and unpaid plans. The free plan allows you to perform up to three searches per day, while the paid plan offers three pricing plans:

  1. Individual: The Individual Plan starts at $9 per month.
  2. Pro Plan: The Pro Plan’s monthly starting price is $99.
  3. Expert Plan: The Expert Plan starts at $199 per month with Unlimited users.

7. Ahrefs Keyword Explorer

Ahrefs is an all-in-one SEO tool that offers a powerful keyword research feature called Keyword Explorer. This tool provides in-depth data on search volume, keyword difficulty, click-through rate, and more. Ahrefs also offers additional features such as competitor analysis, site auditing, and backlink analysis.

Ahrefs Keyword Explorer

Pros:

  • All keyword information is provided, including search volume, difficulty, and click-through rate.
  • Offers additional features such as competitor analysis and site auditing
  • User-friendly interface with customizable filters and sorting options

Cons:

  • A bit expensive compared to other tools
  • Some keyword data can be inaccurate in certain niches or languages
  • Limited to data from Google, Bing, and YouTube

Features of Ahrefs Keyword Explorer:

  • Keyword Analysis: Ahrefs Keyword Explorer provides extensive keyword data, including search volume, keyword difficulty, and related keywords. You can also view keyword metrics by country, language, or search engine.
  • Competitor Research: You can use Ahrefs Keyword Explorer to analyze the keywords your competitors are ranking for, allowing you to identify new opportunities for your own website.
  • Keyword Ideas: Ahrefs Keyword Explorer generates keyword ideas based on a seed keyword or a competitor’s URL. This feature can help you discover new keywords that you may not have considered before.
  • SERP Analysis: Ahrefs Keyword Explorer provides detailed SERP analysis for any keyword, allowing you to see the top-ranking pages, backlink profiles, and more.

Pricing for Ahrefs Keyword Explorer:

Ahrefs Keyword Explorer is available as part of the Ahrefs suite of SEO tools. There are four pricing plans available:

  1. Lite Plan: $99 per month
  2. Standard Plan: $199 per month
  3. Advanced Plan: $399 per month
  4. Agency Plan: $999 per month

Each plan offers different levels of access to Ahrefs’ suite of tools, including keyword research, site audits, backlink analysis, and more. You have a choice of plans based on your requirements and financial situation.

8. SEMrush

SEMrush is an all-in-one SEO tool that includes a powerful keyword research feature. This tool allows users to find profitable keywords, track keyword rankings, and analyze the keyword strategy of competitors. SEMrush also provides a range of other features such as site audit, backlink analysis, and content marketing tools.

SEMrush

Pros:

  • Provides comprehensive keyword research data, including search volume, CPC, and keyword difficulty
  • Allows users to analyze competitor keywords and strategies
  • Provides a wide range of other SEO and marketing features
  • offers a 7-day free trial to new clients.

Cons:

  • Costly for individuals or little companies
  • For new users, the user experience can be overwhelming.
  • Some features may require additional fees

Features of SEMrush:

  • Keyword Magic Tool: This tool allows you to enter a seed keyword and generate a list of related keywords along with important metrics such as search volume, keyword difficulty, and CPC.
  • Keyword Difficulty Tool: This tool allows you to analyze the difficulty level of a keyword by taking into account factors such as the number of websites ranking for that keyword, the quality of those websites, and the authority of their backlinks.
  • Organic Research Tool: This tool allows you to see what keywords your competitors are ranking for and which pages on their websites are driving the most organic traffic.
  • Position Tracking Tool: This tool allows you to monitor your website’s ranking for specific keywords over time and compare it to your competitors’ rankings.
  • Site Audit Tool: This tool helps you identify technical SEO issues on your website that could be impacting your rankings and keyword performance.

Pricing for Semrush

SEMrush offers three pricing plans, including:

  1. Pro Plan: This plan starts at $119.95 per month and includes access to all basic features such as keyword research tools, site audit, position tracking, and more.
  2. Guru Plan: This plan starts at $229.95 per month and includes all pro plan features along with additional features such as historical data, content marketing platform, and more.
  3. Business Plan: This plan starts at $449.95 per month and includes all guru plan features along with additional features such as API access, extended limits, and more.

SEMrush also offers a 7-day free trial for users who want to test out their features before committing to a subscription plan.

9. Moz Pro

Moz Pro is a popular paid keyword research tool that provides comprehensive data on keyword rankings, search volume, difficulty, and more. Moz Pro also offers features like site audits, link tracking, and competitor analysis, making it an all-in-one SEO platform.

Moz Pro

Pros:

  • Provides detailed keyword data, including search volume, difficulty, and SERP features
  • Offers site audits, link tracking, and competitor analysis features
  • User-friendly interface with helpful support resources

Cons:

  • Higher-priced than some other keyword research tools
  • Limited keyword suggestions compared to other tools
  • Data can be limited in some regions and languages

Features of Moz:

  • Keyword suggestions: Moz Pro’s keyword research tool provides keyword suggestions based on your website’s content, helping you identify new opportunities to rank higher on search engine results pages.
  • Keyword difficulty: Moz Pro provides a keyword difficulty score to help you gauge the level of competition for each keyword, allowing you to prioritize your keyword targets.
  • SERP analysis: Moz Pro’s keyword research tool provides insights into the search engine results pages for your target keywords, helping you understand what types of content are ranking well and what you need to do to compete.
  • Customizable reports: Moz Pro allows you to create customizable reports to share with your team or clients, highlighting your keyword research findings and tracking your progress over time.

Pricing for Moz:

Moz Pro’s keyword research tool is available as part of the Moz Pro subscription, which starts at $99 per month for the Standard plan and goes up to $599 per month for the Premium plan. Moz Pro also offers a free 30-day trial for new users to test out the platform and see if it meets their needs.

Overall, Moz Pro is a powerful paid keyword research tool that offers comprehensive data and features for SEO professionals. However, its higher price point may not be feasible for small businesses or those on a budget.

10. SpyFu

SpyFu is a paid keyword research tool that provides data on organic search rankings, paid search advertising, and keyword metrics. This tool allows users to track their competitors’ rankings, find profitable keywords, and analyze the effectiveness of their paid search campaigns.

SpyFu

Pros:

  • Provides comprehensive data on keywords, including organic and paid search rankings, keyword difficulty, and related keywords
  • Offers a wide range of competitive analysis tools to track your competitors’ SEO and PPC strategies
  • Easy-to-use interface and helpful customer support

Cons:

  • Pricing can be expensive for small businesses or individuals
  • Some of the advanced features may require additional payment
  • Limited data on international markets

Features of SpyFu:

  • Keyword research: SpyFu provides extensive keyword research tools, including competitor keyword analysis, keyword groups, and keyword suggestions.
  • Competitor analysis: SpyFu allows you to analyze your competitors’ SEO and PPC strategies, including their organic search rankings, ad spend, and ad copies.
  • Backlink analysis: SpyFu provides detailed backlink analysis, including the number of backlinks, referring domains, and anchor text.
  • Rank tracking: SpyFu allows you to track your keyword rankings over time, so you can see how your SEO efforts are paying off.

Pricing for SpyFu:

SpyFu offers three pricing plans:

  1. Basic: $39/month (billed annually), which includes 250 sales leads and domain contacts, 5,000 weekly tracked keyword rankings, and 100 domain overview PDFs
  2. Professional: $79/month (billed annually), which includes 500 sales leads and domain contacts, 15,000 weekly tracked keyword rankings, and Unlimited domain overview PDFs.
  3. Team: $299 per month (paid annually), which includes 5 user logins, 40,000 weekly tracked keyword ranks, and 2,000 sales leads and domain contacts.

SpyFu also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee for all plans.

11. KWFinder

KWFinder is a paid keyword research tool that provides comprehensive data on keyword difficulty, search volume, CPC, and other important metrics. With its user-friendly interface and intuitive features, KWFinder is an excellent option for businesses of all sizes looking to conduct keyword research and SEO analysis.

KWFinder

Pros:

  • Provides accurate and up-to-date keyword data
  • Offers a user-friendly interface
  • Includes a comprehensive suite of keyword research tools, including SERP analysis and competitor research
  • Provides metrics on local search results
  • Offers a 10-day free trial

Cons:

  • Limited to 100 keyword lookups per 24 hours on the basic plan
  • more costly than some other tools for keyword research
  • Some of the advanced features are only available on higher-tier plans

Overall, KWFinder is a reliable and user-friendly paid keyword research tool that provides a wealth of data and features for businesses looking to optimize their content for search engines.

Features of KW Finder:

  • Keyword suggestions based on search volume, CPC, and SEO difficulty
  • Competitor analysis
  • Rank tracking
  • Backlink analysis
  • Google SERP analysis

Pricing for KW Finder:

KWFinder offers three pricing plans: 

  1. Basic Plan: The Basic plan costs $49/month (or $29/month when billed annually) and allows 100 keyword lookups per 24 hours, 200 Keyword suggestions per search, and 25 competitor keywords per search. 
  2. Premium  Plan: The Premium plan costs $69/month (or $44/month when billed annually) and offers 500 keyword lookups per 24 hours, Unlimited Keyword suggestions per search, and Unlimited  competitor keywords per search.
  3. Agency Plan: The Agency plan costs $129/month (or $89/month when billed annually) and provides 1,200 keyword lookups per 24 hours, Tracking 1,500 keywords daily.

All plans include access to all features and a 10-day free trial.

12. Long Tail Pro

Long Tail Pro is a paid keyword research tool that provides detailed keyword data, including search volume, competition, and potential profitability. The tool uses a proprietary algorithm to generate keyword suggestions and calculates a keyword competitiveness score to help users identify less competitive keywords to target.

Pros:

  • Provides comprehensive keyword data, including search volume, competition, and profitability metrics
  • Offers a competitive analysis feature to assess your competition’s keyword strategies
  • Easy to use and has a user-friendly User experience.
  • Provides detailed keyword research reports that can be exported in CSV, Excel, or PDF formats

Cons:

  • Can be expensive, with pricing starting at $37/month
  • The accuracy of keyword competitiveness scores can vary
  • Some features, such as rank tracking, are only available in higher-priced plans

Features of Long Tail Pro:

  • Keyword research: you can find profitable keywords with the help of Long Tail Pro’s keyword research feature, which uses metrics like search volume, competition, and keyword competitiveness to suggest keywords.
  • Competitor analysis: you can analyze your competitor’s websites and find out which keywords they’re targeting.
  • Rank tracker: you can track your website’s search engine rankings for specific keywords.
  • Backlink analysis: you can check your backlinks and analyze your link building strategy.

Pricing for Long Tail Pro:

Long Tail Pro offers three pricing plans:

  1. Starter Plan: $59.99 per month or $539.99 per year, which includes 800 keyword lookups per 24 hours, 30 tracked keywords, and access to all the features.
  2. Pro Plan: $89.99 per month or $809.99 per year, which includes 2,500 keyword lookups per 24 hours, 200 tracked keywords, and access to all the features.
  3. Agency Plan: $299.99 per month or $2,699.99 annually, which offers access to all services as well as 6,000 keyword lookups every 24 hours and 1,000 tracked keywords.

Long Tail Pro also offers a 7-day free trial for new users.

Conclusion

Any successful digital marketing strategy must include keyword research as a crucial component. Finding the right tools to conduct comprehensive keyword research can be challenging, but there are many excellent options available. The top keyword research tools discussed in this article offer a range of features and capabilities to fulfill all your needs, from basic keyword research to advanced analysis of competitor strategies. 

Whether you are an experienced marketer or just starting, These tools can help you uncover the best keywords to improve your SEO, PPC campaigns, and content marketing efforts. With the right tool, you can gain insights into your target audience’s behavior, interests, and search habits, and create content that resonates with them. So, take the time to explore these tools and find the one that best fits your needs and budget.

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