If you’re not using the right keywords, there’s a big chance that search engines won’t know what to do with your site, and your targeted audience will never find you!
Keyword research isn’t just about guessing what people might be searching for. It’s a science and an art when you think about it.
Over the years, my team and I have spent countless hours diving deep into the world of SEO. We’ve seen firsthand how the right keywords can skyrocket a website’s traffic, while the wrong ones… well, let’s just say they can leave you talking to an empty room.
Many of you have reached out, asking about which tools to use for SEO and keyword research.
That’s why I’ve put together this guide to the best keyword research tools that can supercharge your SEO strategy.
I’m not just listing features here – I’m sharing our whole team’s collective real-world experiences, the good, the bad, and the “how did we ever live without this?”
If you’re looking to get more organic traffic to your website, move up in the search engine rankings, or just figure out what your target audience wants, this guide is for you.
Let’s dive in and discover the keyword research tools that could be game-changers for your SEO strategy.
Top 3 Keyword Research Tools
| Tool | Standout Feature | Best For? | Free Version? | Beginner-Friendly? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keyword Generator Tool | Free keyowrd suggestions and ideas | WordPress bloggers and site owners | Free | ✅ |
| LowFruits | Finds low-competition keywords | SEO beginners and niche site owners | Limited free version | ✅ |
| Semrush Keyword Magic Tool | Comprehensive keyword database | Digital marketers and SEO professionals | Free trial available | ❌ |
What’s In This Guide?
Here are the tools I’ll cover in this guide:
- Keyword Generator Tool
- LowFruits
- Semrush Keyword Magic Tool
- AnswerThePublic
- SERPStat
- Ahrefs
- Keyword Density Checker
- Headline Analyzer
- Blog Post Idea Generator
- All in One SEO
I’ve even included my own keyword strategy that I use as a bonus in this guide.
First, let’s quickly look at what you should ideally look for in a keyword research tool.
How to Choose the Right Keyword Research Tools
When it comes to choosing the right keyword research tools, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. The best tool for you will depend on your specific needs and budget.
Here are a few things to consider when choosing a keyword research tool:
- Your level of SEO expertise. If you’re a beginner, you’ll want a tool that’s easy to use and understand. If you’re more experienced, you may want a tool that offers more advanced and technical SEO optimization features.
- Your budget. Keyword research tools can range in price from free to hundreds of dollars per month. It’s important to set a budget before you start shopping for tools.
- The features you need. Consider the features that are most important to you in a keyword research tool. Some common features include keyword suggestions, search volume data, and competition analysis.
- The reviews. Read reviews of different keyword research tools before you make a decision. This will help you get an idea of the pros and cons of each tool.
Before we get to the list, I’ll give you a brief of how I reviewed plugins for this list.
How I Test and Review WordPress Plugins
At WP101, we have a team of WordPress developers, designers, writers, and SEO experts all working together to bring helpful content and courses to you.
Collectively, we’ve used tons of SEO tools and plugins over the years and can confidently give you an honest review of them. We’ve seen what works and what doesn’t. We’ve also had great experiences with tools that deliver on their promises, and ones that don’t.
For this list, I’ve picked the best plugins by looking at their features, ease of use, and user reviews. I’ve also made sure that all the plugins in this list integrate well with WordPress.
With even the best WordPress plugins, there’s no one-size-fits-all. So I’ve made sure to look for unique features to help you decide if it’s the right plugin for your website’s needs.
I’ve also added a tried and tested keyword research strategy at the end to help you get started.
Why Trust WP101
At WP101, we bring more than just knowledge to the table – we bring 16+ years of hands-on experience teaching WordPress to thousands of users. Our journey has taken us from the early days of WordPress to its current status as a powerhouse platform.
Our team of WordPress experts doesn’t just recommend plugins and tools – we put them through their paces on real websites. This practical approach ensures that when we say something works, it’s because we’ve seen it in action ourselves.
We understand that WordPress and the digital marketing landscape are constantly evolving. That’s why we’re committed to keeping our content fresh and relevant. We regularly update our guides, tutorials, and reviews to reflect the latest changes in WordPress and emerging trends in online marketing.
Why do we go to these lengths? Simple – we want to provide you with the most accurate, up-to-date, and actionable information possible. We’re here to help you navigate the world of WordPress with confidence, armed with knowledge that’s been tried, tested, and proven in the real world.
Just getting started with WordPress? Want to learn how to use this platform to maximize your online reach? Sign up for our video tutorials and unlock your website’s full potential:
Get started with WORDPRESS 101 »
There’s a 7-day free trial along with a 14-day no risk money back guarantee so you can join with peace of mind and started learning today.
That said, you’re ready to find the best tool to up your keyword research game.
Best Keyword Research Tools
1. Keyword Generator Tool
Keyword Generator Tool is a free tool that helps you find the best keywords to target for your website or blog.
For instance, I used the tool to find relevant keywords for a new blog post about the best WordPress plugins for SEO. The tool helped me identify new keywords that were relevant to my topic and had a good search volume.
One of the things I love about the Keyword Generator Tool is that it’s so easy to use. You simply enter a seed keyword and the tool will generate a keyword list. It’s organized by alphabet, prepositions, and questions. This information is invaluable for choosing the right keywords to target.
Another great feature of the Keyword Generator Tool is that you can view the keywords as a graph to get a better view especially for cluster content strategies.
What I found helpful is that you can quickly export the data to a spreadsheet in CSV format.
Overall, WPBeginner’s Keyword Generator Tool is great for anyone who is serious about SEO or content marketing. It’s a free tool that can help you get the most out of your efforts.
Get started with Keyword Generator Tool »
2. LowFruits
LowFruits is a keyword research tool that focuses on helping you find low-competition keywords that are relevant to your website or blog.
There’s a KWFinder tool that lets you add in your keyword and hit the ‘search’ button. The tool will search for long-tail keywords. So for instance, when I ran a search for ‘WordPress SEO’, it gave me 1243 results.
In the top menu, you can filter by suggestions, questions, clusters, and competition.
You can easily identify keywords that are relevant to your topic, have a low competition level, and have a good search volume.
You can also quickly view the keyword on Google to see who’s ranking.
You can shortlist and analyze the keywords that you need. All you have to do is select keywords, using the checkboxes, and then click on SERP Extraction.
Every time you analyze a keyword, the tool will fetch the SERP and detect if there are any weak spots. It will also check for query/title matches, extract PAAs (if enabled), and Related Searches as well.
It will even analyze the type of website ranking for that keyword. The more keywords you analyze, the more insights you get. Added to this, there’s also a Tracker that you can use to track specific keywords along with their change in position, monthly search volume, and more. This can help you build a solid SEO strategy too.
3. Semrush Keyword Magic Tool
Semrush Keyword Magic Tool is a neat tool to find data on specific keywords you want to target. You get access to a mind-blowing database of over 25 billion keywords. That alone makes it a goldmine for uncovering hidden gems, long-tail keywords with decent search volume but lower competition.
You can search for a specific keyword and view a list of related keywords along with their keyword volume and difficulty.
The left-hand side of the interface will display suggested keyword groups based on shared themes. You can browse these groups by the number of keywords they contain or their total search volume. This helps you explore subtopics within your main theme and identify potential content clusters.
Understanding the user’s intent behind a search query is crucial. Semrush can help you identify whether a keyword is informational (seeking information), transactional (looking to buy something), or navigational (trying to find a specific website). This allows you to tailor your content to better meet user needs.
If you click on any keyword, you’ll get a detailed view like this:
Here’s the thing, though. Semrush Keyword Magic Tool isn’t without its quirks. It’s like a high-performance machine – feature-rich and powerful, but with a bit of a learning curve. All those filters and data points can be intimidating.
Don’t get me wrong, Semrush offers tutorials, but mastering the tool and understanding the intricacies of the metrics takes time and practice.
If you’re just starting out with SEO and keyword research, Semrush Keyword Magic Tool might be a bit overwhelming. There are simpler options available. But if you’re ready to take a deep dive and become a keyword mastermind, this tool is a game-changer.
Additionally, the free version is like a demo – it gives you a taste of the power, but limitations can be frustrating. If you’re serious about SEO, you’ll likely need a paid plan to unlock the full potential. Their plans are expensive likely putting it out of reach of small businesses and bloggers.
Get started with Semrush Keyword Magic Tool »
4. AnswerThePublic
Stuck on content ideas? AnswerThePublic can help spark inspiration by revealing the questions your target audience is asking. There’s a free version you can get started with. No account creation required, just enter a keyword and see the results.
It’s a good starting point for those new to SEO and keyword research.
The tool presents keywords in a user-friendly format, including long-tail keywords, questions people ask, and prepositions used in searches. You can also view it as a graph:
I use this data to brainstorm blog posts, articles, videos, and other content formats.
By targeting long-tail keywords and answering user questions, you can improve your website’s ranking in search results.
This tool is particularly useful for content creators and marketers.
Get started with AnswerThePublic »
5. SERPStat
SERPStat is an all-in-one SEO suite with a pretty impressive keyword research tool.
I consider this to be my giant word suggestion box for SEO. I start with a topic (like “hiking boots”), and SERPStat gives me tons of related keywords people are searching for, including long-tail variations (like “best hiking boots for women”).
Like other tools on this, it also shows you how many people search for those keywords each month and how hard it might be to rank for them. This way, you can target keywords with good traffic but not too much competition, making it easier for your website to show up in search results.
What stands out is that it shows you what kind of things might appear at the top of search results for those keywords, like answer boxes or videos. This helps you tailor your content to be the best possible answer for those searches.
There’s a free version, but it limits how many keywords you can search for. Paid plans let you explore more keywords and get even deeper insights.
I found that it might take some practice to get the hang of all the filters and data, but overall, it’s a powerful tool to help you pick the right keywords to attract more visitors to your site.
6. Ahrefs
Ahrefs offers a tool called Keyword Explorer, a powerhouse tool for anyone who wants to dominate the keyword game in SEO.
Head over to Ahrefs and navigate to the Keyword Explorer tool. Start by entering a broad seed keyword related to your niche or content topic. This could be a single word or a short phrase.
Ahrefs will generate a massive list of keyword ideas based on your seed keyword. These will include short-tail keywords with high search volume, long-tail keywords with lower competition, and even questions users are actively searching for.
Ahrefs provides a wealth of data for each keyword. Here are some key metrics to consider:
- Search Volume: This indicates the average monthly searches for a particular keyword. Aim for keywords with decent search volume to attract a good audience.
- Keyword Difficulty (KD): This difficult score score estimates the competitiveness of ranking for a specific keyword. Lower KD scores suggest a higher chance of ranking well.
- Click-Through Rate (CTR): This metric estimates the likelihood of users clicking on your website in search results for that keyword.
- Traffic Potential: This shows the estimated amount of traffic a page ranking for that keyword might be receiving.
- Parent Topic: This helps you understand the broader category a keyword belongs to, useful for content cluster development.
For each keyword, you can see the current top-ranking pages in search results. Ahrefs provides insights into their estimated traffic, backlinks, and even the content type (article, product page, etc.). This helps you understand what kind of content performs well for your target keywords.
What I love is that I can save my keyword research project within Ahrefs. This makes it easy to revisit my findings, track keyword performance over time, and use the data to further my content creation strategy.
Bonus Tools for SEO Keywords
These are free keyword research tools and SEO tools to help you up your SEO game.
7. Blog Post Idea Generator
If you’re a blogger and content creator who feels stuck brainstorming ideas, especially when planning a content calendar in advance, this Blog Post Idea Generator is the right tool for you.
Simply enter a relevant noun or topic related to your blog’s niche. The tool analyzes this keyword and generates 29 content ideas – covering different angles and approaches related to your chosen topic.
If you need more inspiration, you can opt-in with your email address to download a list with over 250 additional content ideas based on your keyword. This can be a great way to plan out a content calendar for months ahead.
I find that it helps me avoid the time-consuming brainstorming process. I’m able to churn out a whole month’s content calendar in a few hours tops!
Get started with Blog Post Idea Generator »
8. Keyword Density Checker
Keyword Density Checker is a free tool that can help you prevent keyword stuffing, a practice that can harm search rankings.
You enter our website URL or paste the text you want to analyze. In the results, you’ll get a list of keywords, including one-word phrases, two-word phrases, and three-word phrases.
It shows how frequently each keyword appears in the content, along with its density as a percentage. It also gives you warnings about keywords that are appearing too many times.
I find it to be a useful tool, especially for beginners, to get a basic understanding of keyword usage within their content. It can help with initial SEO optimization
Get started with Keyword Density Checker »
9. Headline Analyzer
Before you publish your content, it’s important to analyze how your title will perform in SERPs.
That’s where the free Headline Analyzer comes it. Enter your headline and you’ll receive a score on a 1-100 scale to assess your headline’s overall effectiveness.
Basically, it analyzes your headline for SEO potential, including factors like keyword relevance and length.
It also evaluates how clickable your headline is, aiming to capture user attention and encourage clicks.
You can keep making tweaks and reanalyzing your headline till you get a good score. You can see the history of your searches and choose the best one.
I use it to craft headlines that are optimized for search engines, so that the user is more drawn to click on my post.
Get started with Headline Analyzer »
10. All in One SEO
All in One SEO is the most powerful SEO suite for WordPress. It makes the most technical parts of SEO a piece of cake for anyone – even if you’re brand new to this.
I use All in One SEO to set up sitemaps, set up redirects, and run site audits. It shows you how your site is performing and gives you suggestions on how to improve SEO.
Coming to the keyword side, right inside your WordPress post edit screen, there’s an AIOSEO section to optimize every post before you publish it.
You can set the post title, meta description, and schemas. It will show you a preview of what your post will look like in search results.
You can also analyze your focus keyphrase and additional keywords. It will give you post a score along with suggestions so you’ll know where to add the focus keyphrase more often.
Added to this, you’ll also see a Page Analysis section. This shows you whether your content length, internal links, external links, and keyphrases are good or need improvement.
With AIOSEO, I know all the important SEO aspects are taken care of before I hit ‘publish’.
Get started with All in One SEO »
That’s my list of the best keyword tools for your website. Here’s a quick recap of the top 3:
| Tool | Standout Feature | Best For? | Free Version? | Beginner-Friendly? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keyword Generator Tool | Free keyowrd suggestions and ideas | WordPress bloggers and site owners | Free | ✅ |
| LowFruits | Finds low-competition keywords | SEO beginners and niche site owners | Limited free version | ✅ |
| Semrush Keyword Magic Tool | Comprehensive keyword database | Digital marketers and SEO professionals | Free trial available | ❌ |
Up next, I also want to give you a proven strategy that uses a combination of these tools.
How to Do Keyword Research the Right Way
I’ve tried multiple strategies over the years and I’ve found what works well. This method has streamlined my workflow and makes my keyword research and content calendar planning much faster.
My approach outlines an efficient SEO workflow using just 3 tools from the provided list:
1. Spark Ideas & Refine Keywords (Free):
- Keyword Generator Tool: I use this to brainstorm broad seed keywords related to my niche or content area. I like that I can generate related keywords organized by alphabet, prepositions, and questions.
- Blog Post Idea Generator: Once I have a few keywords in mind, I enter it here and get suggestions on various blog post titles encompassing different angles and approaches.
I suggest refining your results from both tools. Choose the most promising keywords and blog post ideas that resonate with your target audience and content strategy.
2. Deep Dive & Prioritize Keywords (Free/Paid):
- LowFruits: I enter the refined keywords from step 1 into LowFruits’ KWFinder tool.
This lets me explore the long-tail keyword suggestions, search volume data, and competition level. Look for keywords with good search volume but lower competition for better ranking potential.
The SERP Extraction is really powerful. I use this feature to analyze the top-ranking pages for the chosen keywords. This reveals the type of content currently dominating search results and helps tailor my approach.
Semrush is also a powerful tool for this. However, its pricing plans may put it out of reach if you have a smaller budget to work with.
My recommendation here is the prioritze! Based on search volume, competition level, and relevance to your content goals, choose the keywords with the highest potential for success.
3. Optimize & Publish (Free/Paid):
- All in One SEO: The keyword research needs to come full circle and All in One SEO does this.
Within the WordPress editor, after I’ve written my post, I quickly integrate the chosen keywords using the focus keyphrase and additional keyword analysis tool.
It’s so easy to make sure the title, meta description, and content naturally incorporate keywords without keyword stuffing.
I also like that I can see the readability and user experience score and make necessary adjustments.
With the Page Analysis feature, you can also analyze your content length, internal linking structure, and additional keyword suggestions. Make adjustments as needed for optimal on-page SEO.
Once satisfied with your SEO optimization, hit publish and watch your content climb the search engine rankings!
I hope this helps you streamline your SEO process, identify valuable keywords, and optimize your content for search engines. Ultimately, you’ll be attracting more organic traffic to your website.
Remember, the free versions of some tools offer limited features, but they can still be a valuable starting point.
The paid tools, of course, offer more detailed keyword data and metrics.
If you’re interested in upping your SEO and digital marketing game, get started with our free video tutorials and then unlock the rest by enrolling.
In this comprehensive course, spanning just over an hour, you’ll master the art of employing AIOSEO to optimize your pages and posts, connect your site to major search engines, manage sitemaps, enhance your content for social media platforms, and so much more to dominate the search results.
FAQs on Keyword Research Tools
What is a keyword research tool?
A keyword research tool helps you discover keywords that people use to search online, particularly on search engines like Google. These tools provide valuable data like search volume, cost-per-click (CPC) for paid advertising, and competition level to help you identify keywords that are relevant to your target audience and have the potential to drive traffic to your website.
What are some typical search terms for keywords?
- Short-tail keywords: Broad single words or phrases (e.g., “running shoes”)
- Mid-tail keywords: More specific phrases with 2-3 words (e.g., “best running shoes for women”)
- Long-tail keywords: Highly specific phrases with 4+ words (e.g., “best waterproof running shoes for women with wide feet”)
- Question keywords: Phrased as questions users might ask (e.g., “what are the most comfortable running shoes?”)
Why should I use keyword research tools?
Keyword research tools can help you:
- Discover new keywords related to your niche or product.
- Understand search intent and what users are looking for.
- Analyze competitor keywords and identify opportunities.
- Estimate the potential traffic and cost for paid advertising (PPC).
- Track search trends and adjust your content strategy accordingly.
What are the best free keyword research tools?
Several free keyword research tools can be helpful, including:
- Keyword Generator Tool (free keyword research)
- Blog Post Idea Generator (free topic ideas)
- Headline Analyzer (check how headlines will perform)
- Keyword Density Checker (ensure the right keyword usage)
- Google Keyword Planner (for basic search volume and PPC data)
- Google Search Console (to see what terms people are already using to find your site)
- Google Trends (to understand search trends over time)
- Moz Beginner’s Keyword Explorer (limited free searches)
- Ubersuggest (limited free features)
What are some paid keyword research tools?
Paid keyword research tools offer more advanced features, functionality as well as data, such as:
- Higher keyword search volume limits
- Competition analysis (difficulty score)
- SERP analysis (who ranks for specific keywords)
- Related keyword and related queries suggestions
- Exporting data to CSV format
Some popular paid options include:
- Ahrefs Keywords Explorer
- SEMrush
- Moz Keyword Explorer
What is search intent?
Search intent refers to the underlying reason behind a user’s search query. Are they looking for information, trying to buy something, or something else entirely? Understanding search intent is crucial for choosing the right keywords and creating content that resonates with your audience.
What is CPC (cost-per-click)?
CPC is a metric used in pay-per-click (PPC) advertising. It represents the cost you incur each time someone clicks on your ad. Keyword research tools can help you estimate the CPC for different keywords so you can plan your PPC budget effectively.
What is organic search?
Organic search refers to unpaid search results displayed on search engines like Google and Bing. Ranking well for relevant keywords can help you attract organic traffic to your website.
Next, I strongly recommend using Google Analytics to track the performance of your website and efforts. This is a integral part of SEO as it will give you clear direction on what you need to improve, what your audience responds to, and how to go forward.
Also, always keep a backup copy of your site so that you don’t lose your content and SEO efforts. There are plenty of Best WordPress Backup Plugins to help you do this.
Next, I’ve handpicked a few guides that you’ll find helpful”
- 6 Best WordPress Caching Plugins for Speed and Performance
- 13 Best AI Plugins to Automate Your WordPress Site
- 17 Best WordPress Comments Plugins (Tested & Compared)
These guides will help you speed up your site and reduce admin time by automating tasks. The last one will help you use your blog’s comment section to boost engagement, leads, and user experience.