top 5 free keyword research tools

 As of my last update in January 2022, here are five free keyword research tools that were popular among users:

Google Keyword Planner: This tool is provided by Google and is part of Google Ads. It allows you to find keywords related to your products or services, see search volume trends, and get estimates of how competitive keywords might be.

AnswerThePublic: This tool generates keyword suggestions by visualizing search questions and phrases people use. It can provide insights into what users are searching for in relation to your topic or industry.

Keyword Surfer: Keyword Surfer is a Chrome extension that shows search volume data directly in the Google search bar. It also provides related keywords and domain-level keyword data.

Ubersuggest: Ubersuggest provides keyword suggestions, search volume, CPC (Cost Per Click), and competition data. It also offers insights into top-ranking pages and backlink data.

Keyword Tool: Keyword Tool generates keyword suggestions based on Google Autocomplete. It provides keyword suggestions not just from Google but also from other search engines like Bing, YouTube, Amazon, and more.

Remember, the availability and features of these tools might have changed since my last update, so it's a good idea to check their websites or recent reviews for the most current information. Additionally, some tools may offer limited features for free and require a paid subscription for full access.

Google Keyword Planner

Google Keyword Planner is a powerful tool provided by Google as part of the Google Ads platform. It's primarily designed to help advertisers plan their Google Ads campaigns, but it's also widely used for keyword research purposes. Here's how it works:

Keyword Research: You can enter keywords, phrases, or URLs related to your business or niche, and the Keyword Planner will generate a list of keyword ideas along with their average monthly search volumes, competition levels, and suggested bid prices.

Search Volume Trends: The tool provides historical search volume trends for keywords, helping you understand how search interest for particular terms has changed over time.

Keyword Filtering and Sorting: You can filter and sort keyword ideas based on parameters like search volume, competition, and bid price to identify the most relevant and valuable keywords for your campaign or content strategy.

Keyword Performance Forecasting: Keyword Planner offers performance forecasts, including estimated clicks, impressions, and costs, based on your selected keywords, targeting options, and budget.

Competitive Insights: You can see how competitive certain keywords are by examining their competition level in the Keyword Planner. This can help you prioritize keywords that are more likely to yield results without excessive competition.

Ad Group Suggestions: Keyword Planner provides ad group suggestions based on the keywords you've entered, helping you organize your campaigns effectively.

Location and Language Targeting: You can specify your target location and language to get keyword suggestions tailored to your target audience.

Integration with Google Ads: If you're running Google Ads campaigns, Keyword Planner seamlessly integrates with the platform, allowing you to add keywords directly to your campaigns and access additional features.

It's important to note that while Google Keyword Planner is free to use, you'll need to sign up for a Google Ads account to access it. Additionally, some features may have restrictions or limitations depending on your account status and history with Google Ads campaigns.

AnswerThePublic

AnswerThePublic is a unique keyword research tool that helps you discover what questions and topics people are searching for online. Here's how it works:

Data Visualization: AnswerThePublic visualizes search query data in a visually appealing and easy-to-understand format. When you enter a keyword or topic, it generates a visual map of related search queries, including common questions, prepositions, comparisons, and more.

Question-Based Insights: One of the key features of AnswerThePublic is its focus on questions that people are asking related to your keyword or topic. It categorizes search queries into question formats like "what," "why," "how," "where," and "when," giving you valuable insights into the information users are seeking.

Content Ideas: By analyzing the questions and topics generated by AnswerThePublic, you can gather valuable insights for creating content that addresses the needs and interests of your target audience. It helps you identify popular topics, pain points, and areas where you can provide valuable information or solutions.

Keyword Expansion: AnswerThePublic provides an extensive list of related keywords and search queries, helping you expand your keyword list and uncover long-tail keywords that may be relevant to your content strategy or SEO efforts.

Trend Analysis: The tool allows you to track search query trends over time, giving you insights into how user interests and behavior evolve over different periods.

Competitor Analysis: AnswerThePublic can also be used for competitor analysis by entering your competitors' brand names or industry keywords. This can help you understand the topics and questions your competitors are addressing in their content and identify opportunities to differentiate yourself.

Localization: AnswerThePublic supports various languages and regions, allowing you to analyze search queries specific to your target audience's language and location.

Export Functionality: You can export the data generated by AnswerThePublic into various formats, making it easy to incorporate the insights into your content planning, SEO strategy, or marketing campaigns.

Keyword Surfer

Keyword Surfer is a popular Chrome extension that provides valuable keyword data directly within Google search results. Here's an overview of its features and functionality:

Keyword Volume Data: Keyword Surfer displays search volume data for the keyword you've entered directly in the Google search bar. This allows you to quickly assess the search popularity of a keyword without leaving the search results page.

Related Keywords: In addition to search volume data, Keyword Surfer suggests related keywords and their search volumes. This feature helps you discover variations and related terms that you may want to target in your content.

Competitor Analysis: The extension also shows the estimated monthly organic traffic for the top-ranking pages in the search results. This can give you insights into the competitiveness of a keyword and help you assess the potential traffic you could gain by targeting it.

Content Ideas: By analyzing related keywords and top-ranking pages, Keyword Surfer can inspire content ideas and help you understand the type of content that performs well for specific keywords.

Global Search Data: Keyword Surfer provides search volume data for multiple countries, allowing you to assess keyword popularity and search trends on a global scale.

SERP Overlay: When you click on a search result, Keyword Surfer overlays additional data directly onto the search results page, including domain authority, backlinks, and word count of the top-ranking pages. This can help you quickly evaluate the competition and decide whether to target a particular keyword.

Keyword Density: Keyword Surfer also displays the keyword density of the top-ranking pages, showing you how frequently the keyword appears in the content of those pages. This can provide insights into the optimal keyword usage for your own content.

Free to Use: Keyword Surfer is a free Chrome extension, making it accessible to anyone who uses the Google Chrome browser.

Ubersuggest

Ubersuggest is a comprehensive keyword research tool that offers a wide range of features to help you improve your SEO and content marketing efforts. Here's an overview of its key features:

Keyword Suggestions: Ubersuggest provides keyword suggestions based on the keyword or phrase you enter. It generates a list of related keywords along with metrics such as search volume, CPC (Cost Per Click), and keyword difficulty.

Search Volume and CPC Data: For each keyword suggestion, Ubersuggest displays the monthly search volume and average cost-per-click (CPC), allowing you to assess the popularity and potential value of the keyword.

Keyword Difficulty Score: Ubersuggest assigns a keyword difficulty score to each keyword, indicating how difficult it would be to rank for that keyword in organic search results. This helps you prioritize keywords that align with your SEO goals and capabilities.

Competitive Analysis: Ubersuggest provides insights into the top-ranking pages for a given keyword, including metrics such as domain score, backlinks, and estimated organic traffic. This allows you to analyze your competition and identify opportunities to improve your own content.

Content Ideas: Ubersuggest offers content ideas based on popular topics and trending keywords in your niche. It helps you identify relevant topics to cover in your content strategy and capitalize on current trends.

Site Audit: Ubersuggest includes a site audit tool that analyzes your website for SEO issues such as broken links, missing meta tags, and duplicate content. It provides recommendations for optimizing your site's SEO performance.

Backlink Analysis: You can use Ubersuggest to analyze backlinks to your website as well as your competitors' websites. It helps you identify valuable link-building opportunities and track the effectiveness of your link-building efforts.

SERP Analysis: Ubersuggest offers insights into the search engine results pages (SERPs) for specific keywords, including features such as organic listings, paid ads, and related searches. This helps you understand the search landscape for your target keywords.

Keyword Tracking: Ubersuggest allows you to track keyword rankings over time, enabling you to monitor your SEO progress and identify fluctuations in search engine rankings.

Free Version Available: While Ubersuggest offers a paid subscription with additional features, it also provides a free version with basic functionality, making it accessible to users with varying budgets.

Keyword Tool

Keyword Tool is an online keyword research tool that helps users discover relevant keywords and phrases based on their input. Here are some key features and functionalities of Keyword Tool:

Keyword Suggestions: Keyword Tool generates keyword suggestions based on a seed keyword provided by the user. It offers variations, long-tail keywords, and related terms that people are searching for on search engines like Google, Bing, YouTube, Amazon, and others.

Search Volume Data: The tool provides estimated search volume data for each keyword suggestion, helping users understand the popularity and potential traffic for their chosen keywords.

Cost-Per-Click (CPC) Data: Keyword Tool also displays the average cost-per-click (CPC) for each keyword, which is useful for users interested in running paid advertising campaigns.

Competitive Analysis: Users can analyze the competition for specific keywords by examining metrics such as keyword difficulty and competition level. This helps users assess the competitiveness of keywords and identify opportunities for targeting less competitive terms.

Localized Keyword Research: Keyword Tool allows users to specify their target location and language, providing keyword suggestions tailored to their geographic region and audience.

Content Ideas: By exploring keyword suggestions and related terms, users can gain insights into popular topics and trends within their niche. This can help inform content creation strategies and identify opportunities for generating valuable content.

Export Functionality: Keyword Tool offers the ability to export keyword lists in various formats, making it easy to integrate the data into other tools or platforms for further analysis or implementation.

User-Friendly Interface: The tool features a simple and intuitive interface, making it accessible to users of all skill levels. Users can quickly generate keyword ideas and access relevant data without extensive training or technical knowledge.

Integration with Other Platforms: Keyword Tool integrates with popular platforms such as Google Ads, YouTube, and Amazon, allowing users to leverage keyword data across multiple channels and marketing initiatives.

Free and Paid Versions: Keyword Tool offers both free and paid subscription options. While the free version provides basic keyword suggestions and data, the paid plans offer additional features such as advanced search metrics, historical data, and increased keyword suggestions.