When it comes to planning content that actually ranks, having access to the right keyword data makes all the difference. That’s where free keyword research tools come in, giving marketers, bloggers, and small businesses powerful insights without breaking the bank.
In this blog, I’ll walk you through 5 of the best free keyword research tools I’ve personally used, along with 3 powerful paid options (like SEOBoost’s Topic Reports) that take things to the next level when you’re ready to scale.
Let’s start with a definition.
What Are Keyword Research Tools?
Keyword research tools help you discover the words and phrases people are typing into search engines.
These tools reveal data like:
- Search volume (how often a term is searched)
- Keyword difficulty (how competitive it is to rank)
- Related keyword suggestions
- Cost-per-click (for paid ads)
- Trending search behavior
Whether you’re creating blog posts, product pages, or SEO landing pages, these tools help you align your content with real user intent.
Why Keyword Research Is Essential for SEO
When I started optimizing content for SEO, I made the classic mistake of writing what I thought people wanted, not what they were actually searching for.
That changed when I began using keyword research tools.
These tools align your content with demand. Instead of guessing, you can write based on proven search volume.
I’ve also found that using them regularly helps you uncover new content opportunities. This includes targeting long-tail keywords, niche questions, and trending terms that your competition might be missing out on.
If you’re serious about growing organic traffic, even on a budget, starting with the right keyword research tool is non-negotiable.
5 Best Free Keyword Research Tools
So, without further ado, let’s look at the 5 best free keyword research tools you can use.
1. Google Keyword Planner
For beginners, Google Keyword Planner is one of the most accessible and trustworthy free keyword research tools, especially if you’re just getting started with SEO or want to validate basic keyword ideas.
If you’re looking for a reliable and completely free keyword research tool, Google Keyword Planner is a great starting point. Built directly into Google Ads, it gives you keyword ideas straight from the source, Google’s own search data.
I’ve used it in the early stages of nearly every content campaign I’ve worked on. It’s not flashy, but it’s incredibly dependable when you want to validate search volume and assess competition.
Key Features
It has great features that put it at the top of this free keyword research tools list.
With the Search Volume Data feature, you get accurate monthly search volume ranges to assess how popular a keyword is before you build content around it.
You can also get keyword suggestions and discover hundreds of keyword ideas based on your seed term, website URL, or category.
To understand how competitive a keyword is for paid ads, use the CPC + Competition Insights feature, as it often reflects the organic competition as well.
Pro Tip: Even if you’re not running ads, you can use Google Keyword Planner for organic SEO. Simply create a free Google Ads account and head to the “Discover new keywords” tool.
2. Ubersuggest (Free Version)
Ubersuggest is one of the best free keyword research tools for intermediate users who want deeper insights without jumping into expensive plans. It strikes a balance between usability and rich data, making it ideal for freelancers, bloggers, and small agencies.
Created by Neil Patel, Ubersuggest has become one of the most popular free keyword research tools out there. It provides a generous set of SEO insights without requiring a paid subscription upfront.
When I was running SEO campaigns on a tight budget, Ubersuggest’s free plan provided me with access to keyword and content ideas, competition scores, and SERP analysis, all without incurring any costs.
Key Features
One of its most commonly used features is the Keyword Overview feature. All you have to do is enter a keyword and get search volume, SEO difficulty, paid difficulty, and average CPC at a glance.
Based on your main keyword, Ubersuggest also provides a list of related and long-tail terms, including questions and comparisons, to help you expand your search. You can use these questions to get featured in the People Also Ask section on Google.
One of my favorite features: Ubersuggest tells you how difficult it might be to rank for a term, which helps prioritize efforts. Using the SEO Difficulty Score feature, you can easily decide which keywords to select.
You can also use the Top Page Rankings feature to see which pages are currently ranking for your target keyword and analyze their backlinks, estimated visits, and domain authority score.
Pro Tip: Use the content ideas tab to find top-performing pages related to your keyword. This is a goldmine for headline inspiration and SERP analysis.
3. Answer the Public (Free Version)
Answer the Public is one of the most creative free keyword research tools. It’s perfect when you’re trying to uncover what people actually want to know.
I often pair it with SEOBoost Topic Reports to validate trends and develop comprehensive content briefs. I’ll talk more about this tool in the next section.
Answer the Public is not your typical keyword tool. Instead of focusing solely on volume and CPC, it visualizes what people are actually searching for related to your topic. It pulls search query data directly from Google’s autocomplete feature, giving you a peek into real-world questions, comparisons, and long-tail phrases.
This tool has helped me craft content that ranks in featured snippets and answers actual user queries, which is a massive win for both SEO and user engagement.
Key Features
Its most commonly used feature, which makes it one of the easiest to use free keyword research tools, is Visual Keyword Maps. Using this, you can generate beautiful keyword wheels and charts that show all the questions people ask about your keyword (who, what, when, where, why, and how).
You can also use the Content Ideation Goldmine feature to identify new content opportunities. Whether you’re stuck on blog ideas or looking to enrich your FAQs, this tool gives you dozens of organic topic prompts.
What I like the most about this tool is that all keyword suggestions are based on real search behaviors pulled from Google and Bing autocomplete.
The free version allows you to perform a few searches per day, which is often sufficient for single-topic research. However, if you require more than that, you always have the option to upgrade to the paid version.
Pro Tip: Use Answer the Public at the start of your content production process. Take those real questions and incorporate them into your subheadings or FAQ sections to increase engagement and time spent on the page.
4. Google Trends
Google Trends is a must-have if you care about timing and relevance.
It doesn’t just tell you what people search. It tells you when they search and where, making it one of the smartest free keyword research tools for strategic planning.
Google Trends is the go-to tool for understanding how search intent and interest evolve. Unlike static keyword tools, it reveals when a keyword is gaining traction, which is crucial if you’re writing about timely topics, seasonal trends, or industry shifts.
When I plan editorial calendars, I always run a quick Google Trends check to avoid writing about topics that are declining in interest.
Key Features
Using the Real-Time Trends feature, you can discover what’s trending right now in your country or globally. This is ideal for creating timely content or capitalizing on trend-jacking opportunities. See where your keywords are most popular using Geographic Insights. This is perfect for region-specific campaigns or local SEO strategies.
You can also do Keyword Comparison by stacking multiple search terms against each other to visualize which one has greater long-term potential.
If you want to identify annual patterns (e.g., “gift ideas” spikes in December), so you can publish content before the peak happens, use Seasonality Insights.
Pro Tip: Use Trends to identify growing interest, then plug the topic into SEOBoost to generate keywords, content briefs, and competitive insights.
5. Keyword Tool
Keyword Tool is one of the most generous free keyword research tools in terms of raw volume. It’s perfect for marketers who want to cast a wide net and then use a tool like SEOBoost to refine and optimize the content strategy.
It is a powerful free keyword research tool that uses Google Autocomplete to generate keyword ideas. If you’re looking for hundreds of long-tail keyword variations without signing up or paying a dime, this is a reliable option.
I’ve used it when I needed a quick batch of keyword suggestions during brainstorming sessions, especially for YouTube, blog titles, and niche product content.
Key Features
Keyword Tool uses the Autocomplete-Based Suggestions feature, which pulls keyword suggestions directly from Google’s autocomplete, ensuring real, user-driven data.
It also generates keywords not only for Google but also for YouTube, Amazon, Bing, eBay, Instagram, and more.
The free version can provide you with up to 750+ keyword ideas per term, which is more than most tools offer without a paywall.
The best part? No need to create an account to access the free version — just search and go.
Pro Tip: Use Keyword Tool when planning e-commerce or video content. Their platform-specific keyword suggestions are a great way to understand how search behavior changes depending on the channel.
3 Best Free Keyword Research Tools Alternatives (Paid)
Now that you’ve explored the free keyword research tools, here are the 3 paid alternatives I’d recommend if you want to scale your content production.
You can also pair these tools with the free ones to build a more impactful process.
1. SEOBoost’s Topic Reports
At the top of the list is my personal favorite.
SEOBoost Topic Reports go beyond keyword lists. They help you understand how to use the keywords, who you’re competing with, and what format will rank best.
For scaling SEO efficiently, there’s really no better way to start your keyword research process.
While free keyword research tools are helpful, they often require manual effort to extract insights. That’s where SEOBoost’s Topic Reports step in, giving you everything you need to build out SEO-driven content on autopilot.
I personally rely on Topic Reports at the start of every blog strategy. It gives me ready-to-use clusters of keywords, content statistics, and competitor-backed insights, all in one click.
The essential plan starts at $30 per month, which includes 10 topic reports per month.
Key Features
Unlike static keyword tools, SEOBoost uses live search data to uncover trending content, long-tail variations, and user queries tied to your seed keyword.
It analyzes the top-ranking content and identifies the most effective keywords and topics for outranking them.
You can also generate a complete content brief from your Topic Report, saving hours of manual planning.
After identifying high-performing keywords using free tools like Google Trends or Ubersuggest, plug them into SEOBoost Topic Reports to get context-rich, intent-based content recommendations.
2. LowFruits
If you’re tired of chasing keywords that only top-tier websites can rank for, LowFruits gives you practical, rankable opportunities.
It’s one of the best tools for identifying long-tail keywords with real-world potential, especially for solopreneurs, bloggers, and early-stage content teams.
LowFruits is a hidden gem for finding keywords that are actually winnable, even if you’re running a new site or working in a competitive niche. It’s built to help you uncover long-tail, low-difficulty search terms that most SEO tools overlook.
When I plan blog content for new sites, I often run keywords through LowFruits to see where I can realistically rank quickly, without needing hundreds of backlinks.
Key Features
Using the SERP Analysis with Weak Spot Detection feature, you can identify weak spots in search results, such as forums, user-generated content (UGC), or low-authority domains, which provide a signal that you can rank well in these areas.
You can also use the Low-Competition Keyword Finder feature. It filters and flags keywords where low-DR (Domain Rating) websites are ranking, ideal for finding quick-win opportunities.
If you want to build topic clusters, you should try out the Keyword Clustering feature, which automatically groups keywords by topic or intent to help you create content hubs or plan multiple articles around one core theme.
The best part is that it offers Pay-As-You-Go Pricing. This means you don’t require a monthly subscription and can simply purchase credits as needed, using them accordingly. (Although, if you want to unlock a higher credit allowance and additional SEO features, they offer subscription plans, too.)
Use LowFruits to build your initial keyword list, then import your winning terms into SEOBoost to generate content briefs, optimize in real time, and track performance over time.
3. Semrush
Semrush is the gold standard for professional SEO workflows. If your business needs high-volume keyword data, competitor intelligence, and content ideation tools all under one roof, this platform will more than pay for itself.
Semrush is one of the most widely used and trusted SEO platforms, and for good reason. When you need detailed keyword metrics, competitive insights, and high-level SEO strategy, Semrush delivers it all in one dashboard.
I use Semrush regularly to audit client content, uncover competitive keyword gaps, and validate keyword difficulty with data-backed confidence. It’s especially helpful for teams managing multiple domains or markets.
Key Features
Use the Advanced Keyword Research Tools to access keyword metrics like volume, keyword difficulty (KD%), CPC, trends, and SERP analysis, all in one place.
But my favorite is the Keyword Gap Analysis feature, which allows you to compare your site’s keywords with your competitors to uncover what they rank for and what you don’t.
If you want to get content ideas based on trending subtopics, questions, and headlines in your niche, you can also use the Topic Research Tool.
Use Semrush for deep-dive competitor research and validation, then export your keyword list into SEOBoost for real-time content optimization, clustering, and content brief generation.
FAQs About Free Keyword Research Tools
What is the best free keyword research tool?
If you’re starting, Google Keyword Planner is an excellent choice. It offers reliable search volume and keyword suggestions directly from Google’s database. For more creative content angles, Answer the Public is great for uncovering user-generated questions.
Are free keyword research tools enough?
Free keyword research tools are a great starting point, especially for small websites or beginner bloggers. They provide basic keyword data and ideas, but often lack depth, competitive analysis, and clustering features. As your SEO needs grow, switching to a paid tool like SEOBoost or LowFruits can significantly save time and improve content results.
What is the difference between SEOBoost and traditional keyword tools?
While traditional tools give you keyword lists, SEOBoost’s Topic Reports go a step further by organizing keyword data, recommending content structures, and providing competitor-backed data. It’s built for execution, not just research.
Can I use both free and paid tools together?
Absolutely. That’s the best strategy. Use free tools to generate initial ideas, then refine and scale your efforts using paid platforms like SEOBoost. Combining both provides the creativity of free insights with the precision of paid features.
Final Word
Free keyword research tools are a great place to start, as they offer accessible insights and are perfect for building your SEO foundation.
But when you’re ready to scale, drive more targeted traffic, and outrank competitors, paid tools like SEOBoost and LowFruits give you the edge.
Personally, I prefer starting with a combination of keyword research tools and then using SEOBoost to create high-quality content that ranks. For me, it’s this combination of creativity and precision that gets results.
Remember, start free, scale smart.
