14 Best Free SEO Keyword Research Tools To Find Content Ideas at Scale

Keyword research has always been an integral part of any successful SEO strategy. 

By understanding the importance of keywords and utilizing free keyword research tools, you can unlock valuable insights that will help drive organic traffic to your website. 

This article will explore the top free SEO keyword research tools available and explain how selected options work. 

We will also discuss using these tools effectively to maintain detailed keyword research for your SEO growth strategy. 

So, let's dive in!

Understanding the Importance of Keyword Research

Keywords play a crucial role in SEO. 

They are the words or phrases that users enter into search engines when looking for information, products, or services. 

You can identify the most relevant and popular terms related to your business or industry by conducting keyword research. 

This knowledge allows you to optimize your website and content to align with user intent, improving the chances of ranking higher in search engine results pages (SERPs).

Keyword research is not just about finding popular terms but also understanding the intent behind those keywords. 

For example, if you have an online store selling running shoes, you might think that "running shoes" is a great keyword to target. 

However, by digging deeper into keyword research, you may discover that users searching for "best running shoes for marathon training" or "affordable trail running shoes" are more likely to convert into customers. 

This insight allows you to create targeted content that addresses your target audience's specific needs and desires.

Why Free Keyword Research Tools?

Investing in paid keyword research tools can yield valuable insights and features, but free options provide an excellent foundation for those on a budget or just starting out. 

These tools allow you to uncover keyword suggestions, search volumes, competitive insights, and much more without draining your resources.

Fortunately, there are several free SEO keyword research tools available that can help you in this process.

Let’s go through each of those to help you understand their benefits and how to use them effectively.

Top 14 Free SEO Keyword Research Tools To Find Content Ideas at Scale

1. Google Keyword Planner - A Comprehensive Tool

Google Keyword Planner is undoubtedly one of the most popular and comprehensive keyword research tools available. 

Google Keyword Planner offers many features to enhance your keyword research process. 

As part of Google Ads, this tool offers a vast database of keywords and provides valuable insights into search volumes, competition levels, and keyword suggestions. 

Whether you are a small business owner or a seasoned SEO professional, Google Keyword Planner can be a go-to tool for optimizing your web presence.

2. Also Asked

AlsoAsked is a powerful and user-friendly free keyword research tool that provides valuable insights into the questions people ask related to your target keywords. 

By entering a keyword, AlsoAsked generates an interactive visual representation of the "People Also Ask" section from Google search results. 

It displays a tree-like structure of related questions, expanding upon each query to reveal even more detailed sub-questions. 

This tool helps you understand the context, user intent, and popular topics surrounding your keywords, enabling you to create targeted content that addresses your audience's specific queries. 

Additionally, AlsoAsked allows you to export the data for further analysis and integration into your SEO strategy. 

With its intuitive interface and question-based insights, AlsoAsked is valuable for discovering long-tail keywords and optimizing your content to better serve your target audience.

3. Google Trends - Explore the searching trends

Google Trends is an invaluable free keyword research tool that provides insightful data on specific keywords' popularity and search volume over time. 

By entering a keyword or topic, Google Trends displays a visual representation of how interest in that keyword has evolved over different time periods and geographic locations. 

It allows you to compare multiple keywords and discover related queries and rising topics. 

This tool offers valuable insights into seasonal trends, regional variations, and the overall popularity of keywords, helping you make informed decisions about your SEO strategy. 

Whether you're looking to identify trending topics, explore keyword variations, or gauge interest in a particular keyword, Google Trends provides a comprehensive and intuitive platform for keyword research.

Overall, Google Trends is an invaluable tool for understanding how people search for content online, and it can be a great asset for any content marketing team.

4. Ubersuggest - A User-Friendly Keyword Research Option

Ubersuggest is a keyword research tool that provides valuable insights into search trends, keyword popularity, and more. It also offers suggestions for related keywords and content ideas.

If you are new to keyword research or prefer a user-friendly experience, Ubersuggest is an excellent choice. 

From keyword suggestions and search volume data to keyword difficulty analysis and competitor insights, Ubersuggest provides comprehensive tools to enhance your SEO efforts.

Even if you are a beginner, you can easily navigate through the tool and extract valuable insights. 

The visually appealing charts and graphs make understanding the data and making informed decisions easier. 

With Ubersuggest, you can uncover hidden opportunities, identify low-competition keywords, and optimize your website for better search engine rankings.

5. SEMrush

SEMrush is a comprehensive keyword research tool that provides insights into search trends, competitive analysis, and more. 

While SEMrush is primarily known for its comprehensive suite of SEO tools, it also offers a free version with a keyword research tool. 

SEMrush's free keyword research tool provides valuable insights into search volume, keyword difficulty, and competitive data for a given keyword.

With the free version, you can access a limited number of keyword suggestions and related keywords, helping you identify relevant and high-potential keywords for your SEO efforts. 

Although the free version has certain limitations compared to the paid plans, SEMrush's free keyword research tool still offers valuable data and features that can significantly enhance your keyword research process.

6. Moz Keyword Explorer

Moz Keyword Explorer is a powerful free keyword research tool that helps you discover and prioritize the best keywords to target. 

It helps you discover new keyword opportunities, analyze keyword metrics, and understand the competition for specific keywords. 

This tool allows you to access essential data such as search volume, keyword difficulty, organic click-through rate (CTR), and priority score. 

The free version of Moz Keyword Explorer allows you to perform a limited number of daily searches. 

Additionally, Moz provides valuable suggestions for related keywords and allows you to organize and prioritize your keyword lists. 

While the free version has its limitations, Moz Keyword Explorer is a reliable and user-friendly tool that can significantly contribute to your keyword research efforts.

 7. KeywordFinder.io

KeywordFinder.io is a free keyword research tool that offers valuable insights and suggestions for optimizing your SEO efforts. 

With this tool, you can enter a seed keyword and receive a comprehensive list of related keywords, along with metrics such as search volume, competition level, and cost-per-click (CPC) data. 

KeywordFinder.io enables you to discover long-tail keywords and identify valuable opportunities to target specific niches or topics. 

Although the free version may have limitations compared to the paid plans, KeywordFinder.io is a user-friendly and efficient tool for conducting keyword research, helping you find the right keywords to enhance your website's visibility and organic traffic.

8. Ahrefs Keyword Generator

Ahrefs Keyword Generator offers a robust free keyword research tool that provides valuable insights to enhance your SEO strategy. 

With this tool, you can enter a seed keyword and receive an extensive list of related keyword suggestions. Ahrefs Keyword Generator provides crucial data such as search volume, keyword difficulty, and clicks per search. 

It helps you discover long-tail keywords, uncover niche opportunities, and understand the competition for specific keywords. 

Additionally, the tool offers a range of filtering options to refine your keyword list based on search volume, keyword difficulty, and other parameters. 

While the free version may have limitations compared to the paid plans, Ahrefs Keyword Generator remains a powerful resource for conducting keyword research.

9. Soovle

Soovle is an innovative free keyword research tool that stands out by aggregating keyword suggestions from multiple search engines and platforms. 

It’s a great resource for discovering new keywords and uncovering long-tail keywords.

By entering a seed keyword, Soovle generates a comprehensive list of keyword ideas from sources such as Google, Bing, Yahoo, YouTube, and Amazon. 

This unique approach allows you to gather diverse keyword suggestions and uncover hidden opportunities across different platforms. 

Soovle's ability to draw from multiple sources is an excellent starting point for generating keyword ideas and expanding your keyword research beyond a single search engine.

Plus, Soovle is completely free to use, making it a great choice for anyone who wants to do keyword research on a budget.

10. Keyword Tool

Keywordtool.io is a free keyword research tool that can be used to identify popular search terms and topics related to your business. 

By entering a seed keyword, KeywordTool.io generates an extensive list of long-tail keyword suggestions based on Google Autocomplete.

It also offers keyword suggestions for multiple platforms such as Google, YouTube, Bing, Amazon, and more.

While the free version has limitations, KeywordTool.io still offers a generous amount of keyword suggestions to help you identify relevant and targeted keywords for your content.

Whether you are looking to optimize your website, create compelling blog posts, or improve your PPC campaigns, KeywordTool.io's free keyword research tool is a handy resource for expanding your keyword repertoire and boosting your online visibility.

With its comprehensive keyword data, Keywordtool.io is an invaluable tool for any content marketer or SEO specialist.

11. Keyword Surfer 

Keyword Surfer is a free keyword research tool that provides valuable insights directly on Google search result pages

As a Chrome extension, it seamlessly integrates into your browser and displays key metrics for any keyword you search on Google. 

With Keyword Surfer, you can easily access search volume, estimated organic traffic, and the number of backlinks for top-ranking pages, all within the search results page itself. 

This allows you to quickly evaluate keyword opportunities and competition without navigating away from your search. 

Additionally, Keyword Surfer provides related keyword suggestions and offers a content editor feature that helps optimize your content for SEO. 

The tool's user-friendly interface and real-time data make it a convenient and efficient option for conducting keyword research and optimizing your website.

With this powerful tool, users can gain a better understanding of their target audience and create a more successful SEO strategy.

12. Wordtracker

Wordtracker is an excellent free keyword research tool that can help you identify the best keywords for your website or blog. 

It helps you discover the most popular and relevant keywords that are being searched for by users. 

With this tool, you can enter a seed keyword and receive a list of related keyword suggestions. 

It is an easy-to-use tool that can help you get the most out of your online marketing efforts.

It also offers a filtering feature that allows you to refine your keyword list based on specific criteria. 

Although the free version of Wordtracker may have limitations compared to their paid plans, it still provides essential insights for identifying relevant keywords to target in your content.

13. Answer The Public - For Long-Tail Keyword Research

Answer the Public is a keyword research tool that provides suggestions for questions related to a specific keyword. 

It’s a great resource for uncovering long-tail keywords and content ideas.

By simply entering a seed keyword, Answer The Public visually represents related questions, prepositions, comparisons, and more.

By incorporating long-tail keywords into your content strategy, you can attract users who are actively searching for answers or solutions. 

This can lead to higher conversion rates and a more engaged audience.

Answer The Public can be an invaluable tool for content creators who want to address specific user queries and create highly relevant content. 

14. Keyworddit

Keyworddit is a unique and valuable free keyword research tool that harnesses the power of Reddit to generate keyword ideas. 

By entering a subreddit or topic of interest, Keyworddit extracts the most frequently used keywords from relevant Reddit threads. 

This tool provides a fresh perspective by uncovering real users' language and phrases in their discussions. 

It helps you identify trending topics, understand user intent, and discover long-tail keywords that align with your target audience's interests. 

Keyworddit's data can be especially useful for content creation, as it allows you to tailor your content to match the language and queries that Reddit users are actively engaging with. 

By leveraging the insights provided by Keyworddit, you can enhance your SEO efforts and create content that resonates with your audience on Reddit and beyond.

Additionally, Keyworddit also provides you with statistics on the search volume of the keywords you are researching, giving you valuable insights into what keywords to target.

How to Use Keyword Research Tools Effectively

1. Understand Keyword Metrics

When using keyword research tools, it's crucial to understand their metrics, such as: 

• Search volume - indicates the average monthly search frequency for a particular keyword, helping you prioritize your efforts. 
• Keyword difficulty - measures the competitiveness of a keyword, enabling you to target terms with a higher chance of ranking success. 

By balancing search volume and keyword difficulty, you can focus on keywords that offer the best opportunities for your website.

2. Incorporate Keywords into Your Content

Identifying relevant keywords is just the first step. 

To maximize the impact of your keyword research, it's essential to incorporate them strategically into your content. This includes optimizing:

• title tags, 
• meta descriptions, 
• headings, and 
• the body of your content. 

However, it's crucial to maintain a natural and user-friendly writing style. 

Use keywords naturally and provide valuable content that resonates with your target audience.

Which Free SEO Keyword Research Tool to Choose?

Keyword research is a critical component of any successful SEO strategy. 

Using keyword research tools, whether Google Keyword Planner, Keyword Surfer, or any of these tools, can help you unlock valuable insights and drive organic traffic to your website. 

Understanding the metrics these tools provide and effectively incorporating keywords into your content will help maximize your SEO efforts. 

You can further strengthen your keyword research approach and achieve tangible results by learning from successful case studies. 

So, start exploring the world of keyword research tools and take your SEO game to new heights!

Or you can let Omnius team do it for you.

Book a 30-minute call to learn how you can implement and improve your SEO and content strategy today.

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FAQ

What is the best free keyword research tool?

Finding the best free keyword research tool can be subjective, but some popular options include Google Keyword Planner, Ubersuggest, KeywordTool.io, and AnswerThePublic.

Each has its unique features and capabilities, making it essential to choose the one that aligns with your specific SEO needs.

How to do free SEO keyword research?

You can perform free SEO keyword research using tools like Google Keyword Planner and Google Trends:

1. Google Keyword Planner:

• Sign in to Google Ads.
• Go to Tools > Keyword Planner.
• Enter a keyword or website and click "Get Results."
• Explore keyword ideas, search volume, and competition.

2. Google Trends:

• Visit Google Trends.
• Enter a keyword to see its search trend over time.
• Compare multiple keywords to identify rising or seasonal trends.

Combine these insights with your industry knowledge to select relevant keywords for your content.

Which is the best tool for SEO keyword research?

The choice of the best tool for SEO keyword research depends on your specific needs and budget.

While paid tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, and Moz offer advanced features and comprehensive data, free tools like Google Keyword Planner and Ubersuggest can still provide valuable keyword insights for those with limited resources.

Is Google Keyword Planner tool free?

Yes, the Google Keyword Planner is a free tool provided by Google Ads.

It offers keyword research and planning capabilities, including information on search volume, competition, and bid estimates.

However, you need a Google Ads account to access and use the tool.

While it's free to use, you may encounter paid advertising suggestions within the platform, but you're not required to run ads to use the keyword research features.