Best Keyword Research Tools for SEO

There are no shortcuts to online visibility.

The only way to get found online by the people who will have a positive impact on the success of your business is to make sure you have the right keywords in your web-based content.  It’s as simple as that.

And I’m not talking about stuffing keywords everywhere and anywhere.  I’m talking carefully researched keywords and phrases that are both niche and relevant to your target customers (this is super important when it comes to your keyword research).

Keywords really are the foundation of SEO and diligent keyword research is the only way to set up your SEO for sustainable results.   You may find this article on keyword research tips and tricks useful as you plan your way forward.

In terms of keyword research tools, there are some really great options out there to use alongside Google Search itself. However, it’s important to understand that they all offer something slightly different so you need to find your fit.  Not all of them are free either.  Your choice will also depend on the level of your SEO understanding and expertise, but will ultimately be motivated by your budget and what you wish to accomplish.

Four Of the Best Keyword Research Tools for SEO

1. Keywords Everywhere

Keywords Everywhere is a browser extension and is one of my favourite keyword research tools, it provides great data and is only USD $10 a year (or 100,000 credits) and works with both Google Chrome and Firefox.

Once you have signed up for Keywords Everywhere, this tool sits in your browser and generates keyword search volumes and information on other associated keywords whenever you perform a search on Google (you can switch it on and off when you’re not in keyword research mode).

Keywords Everywhere will also provide you with “Related keyword ideas” as well as “People also search for” and “Long-tail keywords” so there is plenty of data to help build out your keyword list along with the relevant search volumes to help you see how people are searching.

This is what Keywords Everywhere looks like when you are using it for Keyword Research.

2. Google Keyword Planner

This is a free tool but don’t be misled by its simplicity.  If your search engine of choice is Google (and let’s face it, who doesn’t want to be at the top of their rankings), this handy tool gives you data directly from Google.  The only limitations with this tool is that you need to be spending money on Google Ads to get any level of decent data (otherwise Google will round up the number of searches per month to somewhere between 100-1000 people) which isn’t very helpful data. I don’t find this the easiest tool to use if I am doing keyword research and not using it to build a Google Ads campaign as Google keep asking me to add my keywords to an adgroup.

For $10 the data is pretty similar to Keywords Everywhere and the data is a lot more user friendly.

3. SEMrush

I love using SEMRush for keyword research, it’s my next most favourite tool to use after Keywords Everywhere. It also has a slew of other features for things like link building, content marketing, technical SEO, competitor analysis and more but their Keyword Magic Tool is my favourite functionality in this suite of tools.  There is a free 14-day trial option, as well as several different levels of paid plans for a deeper dive into keyword research and your SEO performance.

When you are using the keyword magic tool, start to add relevant keywords, but also check the “Related” tab for similar keywords that you may not have thought of as well as the “Questions” tab for blog content ideas.

4. Ahrefs Free Keyword Generator

Ahrefs is a free keyword generator, which is a great place to get started especially if you are on a budget.

You’ll get plenty of keyword suggestions as well as other useful SEO metrics including a highly accurate keyword difficulty rating and estimated search volumes. I find the data pretty similar to SEMRush and Keywords Everywhere and as this is a free tool, you have to keep selecting that you are not a robot which can get a little frustrating at times.

Some Final Thoughts on Keyword Research Tools

Simply put, keyword research helps you uncover those keywords that are best to target.

It gives you valuable insights into search queries that your target audience is using to find you and your competitors online and it will help your business expand brand awareness, attract qualified leads, increase conversions, improve advertising ROI and maximise reach.

Keyword research isn’t just important when starting out with SEO (if you are just starting out check out my Free SEO Starter Kit) and establishing an initial digital marketing strategy.  It’s vital to do ongoing research so you can keep abreast of trends, stay in touch with changes in the search engine algorithms, discover new competitors and meet the needs of your target audience.

Keen to discover more about how to get found online?  The SEO School is a self-managed, modular course which gives participants hands-on instruction on how to implement a range of tools and techniques to get their websites into the top spots on the Google rankings.  Talk to me – I’ll help your business get found online!

Karen Dauncey

Karen Dauncey has been working in SEO since 2003. She specialises in helping businesses get found online through Google using Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) She is the founder and creator of The SEO School an online SEO Course to help teach business owners how to do their own SEO. She regularly delivers educational programs for both Local, State and Federal Government and is an advisor for the ASBAS Digital Solutions Program. Karen’s passion and commitment to help small business owners get found online is the driving force behind her online school, making SEO advice accessible to all with free resources and online courses.

Karen's wealth of SEO knowledge and practical digital marketing experience comes from running her own SEO and Google Ads agency, Blue Cherry Online Marketing since 2008. Karen has optimised over 1000 websites, managed millions of dollars' worth of spend on Google Ads and has a solid understanding of the constantly shifting industry of digital marketing and SEO. This gives her a unique advantage when it comes to being able to recommend the right online marketing strategies for your business. This gives her a unique advantage when it comes to being able to recommend the right online marketing strategies for your business. She was recently recognised as an SEO Expert for the popular course creation platform, Kajabi as well as appearing on ABC Radio
for her expert opinion on the ACCC's investigation into search engines.

Karen has attended search engine conferences in London, Stockholm, Adelaide and Sydney, and was also invited to attend a pilot Business Coaching Course at Google’s Head Office. She has a Diploma in Marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing in the UK.

She is also the co-owner of the Digital Experts Directory, an online directory for female serviced-based businesses to promote their business (with a great backlink for SEO).

To keep up to date with the latest in SEO, join her Facebook group The SEO School Community or follow her on Facebook or LinkedIn.