Finding the right keywords can make or break your SEO strategy. The good news? You don’t need to break the bank to get your hands on the most effective keyword research tools available online today. Here’s a roundup of the top 15 best free tools for keyword research to boost your SEO game in 2024.

1. Semrush Keyword Magic Tool

Semrush is a powerhouse in the SEO world, renowned for its comprehensive suite of tools. The Keyword Magic Tool is no exception, offering detailed insights into search volume, keyword difficulty, and search intent. While the free version has some limitations, it provides enough data to get you started. This tool is perfect for those serious about SEO and willing to invest a little to unlock more features.

Semrush’s interface is user-friendly, making it easy to navigate through the vast amount of data it offers. The Keyword Magic Tool stands out for its ability to segment keywords into various categories such as questions, broad match, phrase match, and exact match, allowing you to tailor your keyword strategy precisely.

Comparison Metric Comment
Free Usage Available? Yes
Sign Up required for Free Usage? Yes
Free Use Limitation – Search limited to 10 requests per day.
– Keywords ideas limited to just 10 results.
Keyword Data offered (for Free usage) – Search Volume
– Keyword Difficulty
– Search Intent
– CPC (Cost per click)
– Keyword Filter Options (Topics, Questions, Broad Match, Phrase Match, Exact Match & Related)
Keyword Data offered (for Paid usage) – Search Volume
– Keyword Difficulty
– Search Intent
– Search Trends
– CPC (Cost per click)
– Keyword Filter Options (Topics, Questions, Broad Match, Phrase Match, Exact Match & Related)
Pricing Model Starts from $129.95 per month
Link https://www.semrush.com/analytics/keywordmagic/start

2. Ahrefs Free Keyword Generator

Ahrefs is known for its comprehensive backlink analysis, but its Free Keyword Generator Tool is equally impressive. This tool allows you to explore up to 100 keyword ideas with insights into search volume and keyword difficulty. Even without a paid plan, you get a robust set of data that can help guide your SEO strategy.

Ahrefs’ interface is also very intuitive and easy to use, providing a wealth of information at your fingertips. One of the standout features of Ahrefs is its ability to show the parent topic for each keyword, which helps in understanding the broader context of the keyword you are targeting.

Similarly another one that is super useful is showing approximately how many backlinks (referring domains) are required to rank a particular keyword in the top 10 of search results.

Comparison Metric Comment
Free Usage Available? Yes
Sign Up required for Free Usage? No
Free Use Limitation – Only shows the First 100 keyword results
– Only shows Phrase Match and Questions based keywords
Keyword Data offered (for Free usage) – Search Volume (in range)
– Keyword Difficulty
Keyword Data offered (for Paid usage) – Search Volume
– Global Search Volume (categorized by Country)
– Keyword Difficulty
– Traffic Potential
– CPC (Cost per click)
– CPS (Clicks per search) – Ratio of Clicks to Keyword Search volume. It shows how many different search results get clicked, on average, when people search for the target keyword in a given country.
– Parent Topic
– Keywords Filter Options (Topics, Terms, Questions, Terms Match and Phrase Match)
Pricing Model Starts from $129 per month
Link https://ahrefs.com/keyword-generator/

3. Google Keyword Planner

Google Keyword Planner is a staple in the world of SEO tools, offering data directly from Google. While primarily designed as a keyword research tool for Google Ads customers, it’s invaluable for SEO keyword research as well. The tool provides keyword ideas, search volume, and competition levels. You might find that the interface is a bit overwhelming at first, but once you become familiar, it becomes a powerful ally in your SEO toolkit.

Google Keyword Planner also offers insights into historical statistics and forecasts, helping you make informed decisions about which keywords to target.

Comparison Metric Comment
Free Usage Available? Yes (always Free)
Sign Up required for Free Usage? Yes (you need to create a new Google Ads account, although you can skip the campaign setup part)
Free Use Limitation – Search Volume is shown in ranges (this will convert into actual figures after you start spending some money on your Google Ads campaign)
Keyword Data offered (for Free usage) – Search Volume
– Competition
– Top of page bid (low range)
– Top of page bid (high range)
Keyword Data offered (for Paid usage) N/A
Pricing Model Free
Link https://ads.google.com/aw/keywordplanner/

4. Moz Keyword Explorer

Moz offers a user-friendly keyword research tool that’s perfect for SEO professionals. The free version provides basic insights, such as search volume and keyword difficulty. Moz’s Keyword Explorer stands out with its unique metrics like Organic CTR and Priority, helping you prioritize keywords based on potential impact.

The interface is clean and straightforward, making it easy to navigate and find the data you need. The Keyword Explorer also allows you to group keywords based on lexical similarity, which can be incredibly useful for organizing your keyword strategy.

Comparison Metric Comment
Free Usage Available? Yes
Sign Up required for Free Usage? No
Free Use Limitation – Only shows Top 5 keyword suggestions
Keyword Data offered (for Free usage) – Search Volume
– Keyword Difficulty
– Organic CTR (Click Through Rate)
Keyword Data offered (for Paid usage) – Search Volume
– Keyword Difficulty
– Organic CTR
– Priority (their own unique metric that is the average of all the other metrics)
– Keyword Relevancy
– Keywords Filter Options (Search Terms, Questions, Closely Related Topics, Broadly Related Topics and Similar SERPs)
– Allows you to group keywords based on Lexical Similarity
Pricing Model Starts from $99 per month
Link https://www.semrush.com/analytics/keywordmagic/start

5. Ubersuggest

A product under the banner of NP Digital, Ubersuggest provides robust keyword data and SEO metrics. This tool is excellent for beginners, offering easy-to-understand data on search volume, SEO difficulty, and cost per click.

Ubersuggest also includes helpful keyword suggestions and content ideas, making it a versatile tool for comprehensive keyword research. Its interface is designed to be user-friendly, and it offers a wealth of data that can help you understand the competitive landscape and identify opportunities for content creation.

Comparison Metric Comment
Free Usage Available? Yes
Sign Up required for Free Usage? No
Free Use Limitation – Only 1 search request per day with limited KW data
Keyword Data offered (for Free usage) – Search Volume
– SEO Difficulty (similar to KW Difficulty for SEO)
– Paid Difficulty (similar to KW Difficulty for Paid Ads)
– CPC (Cost per click)
Keyword Data offered (for Paid usage) – Search Volume
– SEO Difficulty (similar to KW Difficulty for SEO)
– Paid Difficulty (similar to KW Difficulty for Paid Ads)
– CPC (Cost per click)
Pricing Model Starts from $29 per month
Link https://neilpatel.com/ubersuggest/

6. Keywordtool.io

This tool leverages autocomplete data from multiple platforms like Google, YouTube, and Amazon to generate long-tail keyword ideas. Keywordtool.io is straightforward and easy to use, making it ideal for finding specific, niche keywords that might not be visible through other tools.

The tool excels at providing a wide range of keyword suggestions, which can be particularly useful for developing long-tail keyword strategies and uncovering hidden opportunities.

Comparison Metric Comment
Free Usage Available? Yes
Sign Up required for Free Usage? No
Free Use Limitation – Just offers keyword ideas with very limited keyword data (shows data only for first 4-5 keywords)
Keyword Data offered (for Free usage) – Search Volume
– Keyword Difficult (Competition)
– CPC
– Search Trend
Keyword Data offered (for Paid usage) – Search Volume
– Keyword Difficulty (Competition)
– CPC
– Search Trend
Pricing Model Starts from $89 per month
Link https://keywordtool.io/

7. KWFinder by Mangools

KWFinder is part of a suite of tools by Mangools, offering a user-friendly interface and valuable keyword insights. Known for its clean and intuitive design, the tool is great for beginners. It provides detailed keyword analysis, including search volume, keyword difficulty, and cost per click.

KWFinder also offers a SERP overview, giving you a snapshot of the top-ranking pages for your target keywords, which can be incredibly useful for competitive analysis.

Comparison Metric Comment
Free Usage Available? Yes (with increased limits for the first 10 days after which it will go back to Normal Free plan)
Sign Up required for Free Usage? Yes
Free Use Limitation (based on Normal Free plan) – 5 keyword lookups per day
– 15 keyword suggestions per search
– 5 competitor keywords per search
– 15 keywords per one import
Keyword Data offered (for Free usage) – Search Volume
– Keyword Difficulty
– CPC (Cost per click)
– PPC (Paid per click competition)
– Search Trend
– Keywords Filter Options (Related Keywords, Autocomplete and Questions)
– SERP Overview
Keyword Data offered (for Paid usage) – Search Volume
– Keyword Difficulty
– CPC (Cost per click)
– PPC (Paid per click competition)
– Search Trend
– Keywords Filter Options (Related Keywords, Autocomplete and Questions)
– SERP Overview
Pricing Model Starts from $29 per month
Link https://mangools.com/

8. Keyword Surfer

This free Chrome extension by SurferSEO provides keyword ideas and search volume directly on the Google search results page. It’s incredibly convenient, integrating seamlessly with your browsing experience to offer on-the-fly keyword insights without needing to switch to a separate tool.

Keyword Surfer also provides data on keyword overlap, which can help you understand how related keywords compare in terms of search volume and competition.

Comparison Metric Comment
Free Usage Available? N/A (it’s always free)
Sign Up required for Free Usage? N/A
Free Use Limitation N/A
Keyword Data offered (for Free usage) – Search Volume
– Keyword Overlap
Keyword Data offered (for Paid usage) N/A
Pricing Model N/A
Link https://surferseo.com/keyword-surfer-extension/

9. Google Search

Using Google’s own Autosuggest, People Also Ask, and Related Searches features can give you valuable insights into popular search queries. This method doesn’t provide detailed metrics but offers real-time keyword ideas based on what users are currently searching for.

Google’s Autosuggest feature is particularly useful for discovering long-tail keywords and understanding the context in which users are searching for information.

The People Also Ask feature offers additional insights into what people are looking for as questions.

The Related Searches feature on the bottom of each Search Engine Results Page (SERP) provides additional keywords related to the search term.

Comparison Metric Comment
Free Usage Available? N/A (it’s always free)
Sign Up required for Free Usage? N/A
Free Use Limitation N/A
Keyword Data offered (for Free usage) – Doesn’t offer any keyword data, just Keyword Ideas
Keyword Data offered (for Paid usage) N/A
Pricing Model N/A
Link https://www.google.com/

10. WordStream

WordStream’s free keyword tool pulls data from Google Ads, offering up to 25 keyword suggestions without sign-up. This tool is particularly useful for getting a quick snapshot of keyword competitiveness and potential search volume, making it a handy addition to your keyword research arsenal.

WordStream also allows you to filter keywords by industry and location, which can help you tailor your SEO strategy to specific markets.

Comparison Metric Comment
Free Usage Available? Yes
Sign Up required for Free Usage? No
Free Use Limitation – Only shows top 25 keyword suggestions
Keyword Data offered (for Free usage) – Search Volume
– Competition (similar to KW Difficulty)
– Top of page bid (low range)
– Top of page bid (high range)
Keyword Data offered (for Paid usage) – Search Volume
– Competition (similar to KW Difficulty)
– Top of page bid (low range)
– Top of page bid (high range)
Pricing Model None, but requires you enter your email to get all the keywords
Link https://www.wordstream.com/keywords

11. Keyword-tools.org

Powered by Seobility, this tool offers basic keyword research features like search volume and CPC. It’s a straightforward tool that allows you to download keyword results as a CSV file, making it easy to analyze the data offline.

Keyword-tools.org is particularly useful for those who need a quick and simple way to gather keyword data without getting bogged down by complex features.

Comparison Metric Comment
Free Usage Available? Yes
Sign Up required for Free Usage? No
Free Use Limitation – Only 5 search requests per day
Keyword Data offered (for Free usage) – Search Volume
– Competition (similar to KW Difficulty)
– CPC (Cost per click) with prices in Euros
Keyword Data offered (for Paid usage) – Search Volume
– Competition (similar to KW Difficulty)
– CPC (Cost per click) with prices in Euros
Pricing Model None. You are redirected to https://www.seobility.net/
Link https://www.keyword-tools.org/

12. Wordtracker

Wordtracker is marketed as a market research tool, providing keyword data alongside PPC and SEO metrics. It’s designed to offer deeper insights into keyword effectiveness, making it suitable for detailed market analysis and competitive research.

Wordtracker also provides metrics like the Keyword Effectiveness Index (KEI), which helps you identify keywords with high potential for driving traffic.

Comparison Metric Comment
Free Usage Available? Yes
Sign Up required for Free Usage? No
Free Use Limitation – Only 3 searches per day
– Shows limited keywords
– Need to signup to unlock all keywords
Keyword Data offered (for Free usage) – Search Volume
– Competition (similar to KW Difficulty)
– KEI (Keyword Effectiveness Index)
– No Click Searches (percentage of searches for a keyword where no result was clicked on)
Keyword Data offered (for Paid usage) – Search Volume
– Competition (similar to KW Difficulty)
– KEI (Keyword Effectiveness Index)
– No Click Searches (percentage of searches for a keyword where no result was clicked on)
Pricing Model – Starts from $10 per month ($17 afterwards) or,
– Try for $1 for 4 days
Link https://www.wordtracker.com/search

13. SerpStat

SerpStat is an all-in-one SEO platform offering a range of tools, including keyword research. It’s ideal for teams and individuals looking to speed up their search marketing efforts.

With a dashboard-like UI, SerpStat makes it easy to navigate and utilize its powerful features. It also provides separate data for organic and paid keywords, giving you a comprehensive view of the competitive landscape.

Comparison Metric Comment
Free Usage Available? Yes
Sign Up required for Free Usage? Yes
Free Use Limitation – 10 searches for keywords, sites and link analysis per day
– 10 suggested keyword ideas for each search
Keyword Data offered (for Free usage) – Search Volume
– Keyword Difficulty
– CPC
– PPC Competition
– Results (No. of search results for a given keyword)
– Organic Search Competitors
– Ads Competitors
– Ads Examples
Keyword Data offered (for Paid usage) – Search Volume
– Keyword Difficulty
– CPC
– PPC Competition
– Results (No. of search results for a given keyword)
– Organic Search Competitors
– Ads Competitors
– Ads Examples
Pricing Model Starts from $59 per month
Link https://serpstat.com/

14. Jaaxy

Developed by affiliate marketers FOR affiliate marketers, Jaaxy provides unique metrics like Keyword Quality Indicator (KQI) and SEO score, perfect for those focusing on affiliate marketing. It’s a robust tool for discovering high-impact keywords and understanding their potential traffic and competition.

Jaaxy’s interface is designed to be straightforward and easy to use, making it accessible even for beginners. It also provides unique metrics like Expected Traffic, Quoted Search Results, and Domain Availability, which can be particularly useful for those looking to build niche websites or affiliate marketing campaigns.

Comparison Metric Comment
Free Usage Available? Yes
Sign Up required for Free Usage? Yes
Free Use Limitation – 30 total searches after which you would have to upgrade to a paid plan.
Keyword Data offered (for Free usage) – Search Volume
– Expected Traffic (if you achieve first page rankings)
– QSC (Quoted Search Results) – No. of competing websites ranked in Google for this exact keyword.
– KQI (Keyword Quality Indicator)
– SEO (Their own metric based on traffic and competition, the higher the score, the more likely you will be able to rank for this keyword on Page 1)
Keyword Data offered (for Paid usage) – Search Volume
– Expected Traffic (if you achieve first page rankings)
– QSC (Quoted Search Results)
– KQI (Keyword Quality Indicator)
– SEO
– Domains (Availability of domains related to the particular keyword)
Pricing Model Starts from $49 per month
Link https://www.jaaxy.com/

15. Backlinko Free Keyword Tool

Backlinko (after being acquired by Semrush in 2022) now offers a free keyword research tool with up to 15 results per search, leveraging Semrush’s robust data. This keyword tool combines simplicity with powerful insights, making it a go-to for quick and effective keyword research. It’s especially useful for those who need reliable keyword data without the complexity of more advanced tools.

The interface is also very user-friendly, allowing you to quickly access keyword metrics such as search volume, keyword difficulty, and CPC.

Comparison Metric Comment
Free Usage Available? Yes
Sign Up required for Free Usage? No
Free Use Limitation – Unlimited search requests per day with just 15 results for each keyword search
Keyword Data offered (for Free usage) – Search Volume
– Keyword Difficulty
– CPC (Cost per click) for US
– Number of Results
– Search Trends
Keyword Data offered (for Paid usage) N/A
Pricing Model None (redirects you to Semrush)
Link https://backlinko.com/tools/keyword

There you have it—15 best free keyword tools to supercharge your SEO keyword research in 2024.

Some notable mentions include:

  1. Answer The Public – Question-based keyword research tool/platform to discover what people are actively asking for over the Internet.
  2. Google Trends – Free Google tool to analyse search trends for individual/group of keywords over a certain timeframe.
  3. TubeBuddy – YouTube keyword explorer/research tool to identify the perfect keywords and tags to use in your videos to improve your video search rankings.

Keyword research is the cornerstone of any successful SEO strategy. With the right tools, you can uncover valuable insights that drive traffic, improve rankings, and enhance your content strategy. The tools we’ve discussed in this blog post offer a range of features, from basic keyword ideas to comprehensive data on search volume, competition, and trends.

Whether you’re just starting or looking to refine your SEO tactics, these free tools provide a solid foundation for effective keyword research. By leveraging them, you can gain a deeper understanding of your audience’s search behavior, identify high-potential keywords, and stay ahead of your competition.

Each keyword research tool has its unique strengths and limitations, so it’s worth experimenting with a few to see which ones best meet your needs. Remember, successful SEO isn’t just about finding keywords—it’s about understanding how those keywords fit into the broader context of your content and marketing strategy.

I hope these tools come in handy when you’re doing your next keyword research.

Happy keyword hunting until next time 👋

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