12 Best SEO Tools for Keyword Research
In the ever-evolving world of digital marketing, finding the right SEO tool for keyword research can be a game-changer. We’ve gathered insights from Directors of SEO and Heads of SEO, who have shared their top picks from Google Keyword Planner to the strategic use of Reddit and Google Trends. Discover the twelve best SEO tools these experts use and why they stand out in the quest for top-tier keyword research.
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Google Keyword Planner
One of the best SEO tools for keyword research is Google Keyword Planner. I recommend it because it offers reliable data directly from Google, allowing users to discover relevant keywords, search volumes, and competition levels. This tool is particularly useful for planning PPC campaigns and optimizing content for organic search.
Another powerful tool is SEMrush. I recommend SEMrush for its comprehensive features that go beyond keyword research. It provides insights into competitor keywords, backlink analysis, and site audits, making it an all-in-one SEO solution. The Keyword Magic Tool within SEMrush helps users find long-tail keywords and related phrases, offering valuable suggestions based on search intent.
Together, Google Keyword Planner and SEMrush provide a well-rounded approach to keyword research, enabling users to optimize their SEO strategies effectively.
Mei Ping Mak, Director of SEO and Web, Weave Asia
Ahrefs
I recommend Ahrefs for keyword research because it offers much more than just search volume. Its Keyword Explorer helps you understand keyword intent, competition levels, and related terms. It also provides insights into content gaps and SERP overviews, so you can see what’s already ranking and craft strategies to outperform competitors.
Ahrefs is great for both beginners and advanced SEOs, offering data-driven insights in a user-friendly format, making it easy to align your content with search engines and user needs, not just focus on keywords.
Angeline Bautista, Head of SEO, FortifySEO
Honestly, the best SEO tool I use for keyword research is Google itself. When you start typing a keyword into the search bar, you get instant suggestions, related searches, and the “People Also Ask” section. It’s like Google is giving you a direct window into what real people are searching for and how they’re asking questions. This helps you understand not just the keywords, but the actual intent behind them—what problems people are trying to solve. No other tool can replicate that kind of real-time insight, straight from the source.
Plus, when you look at the search results, you get a clear idea of what content works best for that keyword. You can see if Google is favoring videos, blog posts, or even those little snippets at the top (featured snippets). It’s a great way to understand how you need to structure your own content to rank well. Using Google in this way keeps you in sync with real-world trends and what’s currently performing, and that’s something I love about it.
Chris Burdick, Senior SEO Consultant & Strategist, Chris Burdick
AlsoAsked
To be honest, the best keyword research SEO tool I have found so far is AlsoAsked. It’s really useful because it allows you to go straight to the “People Also Ask” questions that pop up around your headline keyword. It’s really important because you’ll be able to see exactly what people are interested in, and then you can create a post or a page about it, or even have a FAQ section where you expand on your content.
AlsoAsked is sort of a freemium service, which is cool. You receive a few free searches per day, which is good for small use and just starting out. But if you want to do more extensive research, you can always buy more credits. I definitely recommend trying it if you are interested in broadening your scope and getting straight to the heart of what your audience needs.
Lydia Valentine, Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer, Cohort XIII LLC
KeywordMagic Tool
At ShipTheDeal, we swear by the KeywordMagic Tool for our keyword research. It’s been instrumental in uncovering diverse keywords that reflect actual shopper trends, which is crucial for our deal comparison platform. The tool’s intuitive interface and comprehensive database have helped us optimize our SEO strategy, resulting in a 30% increase in organic traffic last quarter. Plus, it integrates seamlessly with our other SEO tools, making our workflow smoother and more efficient.
Cyrus Partow, CEO, ShipTheDeal
KWFinder
We swear by KWFinder at FATJOE for its user-friendly interface and accurate difficulty scores. It’s perfect for uncovering long-tail keywords that drive targeted traffic to our service marketplace. The tool’s local keyword research feature has been a game-changer, helping us expand our global reach and increase conversions by 35% in emerging markets.
Joe Davies, CEO, FATJOE
Backlinko
Keyword Tool by Backlinko is hands down the best SEO tool I have used for keyword research. This tool has helped me greatly in optimizing my website and content for better search engine rankings.
One of the main reasons why I recommend Keyword Tool is its ability to generate long-tail keywords. It is important for me to target specific and relevant keywords that will attract potential clients interested in buying or selling properties. With Keyword Tool, I am able to discover long-tail keywords that have lower competition but higher search volume, giving me a competitive advantage in the crowded real estate market.
Moreover, Keyword Tool also provides insightful data on related keywords and their search volume, allowing me to expand my keyword strategy and target a wider audience. For example, when I was creating content for luxury properties, Keyword Tool suggested related keywords such as “high-end homes” or “luxury real estate”, which helped me attract affluent buyers to my website.
Keith Sant, Founder & CEO, Sell Mobile Home Park
SEMrush
At Elementor, we rely heavily on SEMrush for our keyword research needs. Its vast database and accurate metrics have been crucial in helping us identify valuable keywords and track our rankings. The Keyword Magic Tool is particularly useful, providing in-depth analysis and suggestions that have significantly improved our content strategy. We’ve seen a 30% boost in organic traffic since incorporating SEMrush’s data into our SEO efforts.
Itamar Haim, SEO Strategist, Elementor
Ubersuggest
Ubersuggest is a great choice for a couple of reasons.
For starters, it offers one-time lifetime plans and costs significantly less than competitors.
It also suggests keywords your site is realistically likely to rank for and allows global searches (as opposed to searching within a specific country).
Lastly, it only pulls through organic traffic for keywords, which gives you a much more realistic idea of how many people are searching for something, and what you can expect in terms of purely organic traffic.
Ian du Toit, Co-Founder & Head SEO Guy, Poor Man’s SEO
Screaming Frog
I use Screaming Frog SEO Spider as a keyword research tool. While it’s mainly known for crawling, its keyword extraction and analysis features are incredibly useful. When I crawl a website, I get a detailed list of keywords used on the pages, showing their frequency and placement. This helps me understand the current keyword strategy and spot areas that need improvement.
I also like its integration with Google Analytics and Search Console. This lets me combine keyword data with real search performance metrics, giving me a clearer view of how users engage with the website.
It might not have the extensive keyword suggestions that some other tools do, but the depth of analysis it offers is unmatched. It consistently helps me make informed decisions about keyword targeting and optimization, leading to better results for my projects.
Sonu Bisht, SEO Expert, Digininja Private Limited
Moz Pro
One of my go-to SEO tools for keyword research is Moz Pro. It provides invaluable insights into search volume, difficulty, and related terms for keywords, allowing me to identify high-potential keywords for clients.
Through Moz Pro, I gained the data to determine that “affordable landscaping Heber City” had 2,800 local monthly searches but only a keyword difficulty of 28. We optimized a local landscaping client’s content and social media for this phrase. Their organic traffic grew over 30% in 6 months.
Moz’s keyword gap analysis tool reveals terms your competitors rank for that you don’t, representing an opportunity to capture their traffic. For an HVAC client, the gap analysis found they weren’t targeting “emergency furnace repair Park City.” We optimized their site for this phrase, and it now accounts for 15% of their overall traffic.
With the right keyword data, I’ve helped many small businesses in my area achieve and maintain high search rankings. For any local business, thorough keyword research is the foundation for an effective SEO strategy.
Josh Hook, Agency Owner, Hook’d IT Up
Reddit and Google Trends
I break down keyword strategy into two key components: high-volume, high-intent keywords and low-volume, low-intent keywords.
For high-volume, high-intent keywords, I utilize tools like Reddit and Google Trends to identify customer queries and trending topics. This allows me to find relevant questions and group them into a single, comprehensive blog post to capture broader interest.
For low-volume, low-intent keywords, I rely on Ahrefs to uncover niche opportunities that may drive more targeted traffic.
In addition, I perform a keyword gap analysis to identify keywords where competitors aren’t ranking well, providing opportunities to capture untapped market share. This approach ensures a well-rounded strategy that targets both high visibility and niche audiences.
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