7 Best Keyword Research Tools For SEO In 2023

The right keyword research tool is a secret weapon for any SEO professional. It guides your content strategy, helps you rank higher on search engines, and leads you to digital success. The competition on search engines is becoming more and more fierce. Which tools are up for the challenge? Read on as we discover the 7 best keyword research tools that will supercharge your SEO game.

What are the 7 best keyword research tools?

1. Semrush

Semrush is a Google keyword research tool that offers a competitive edge for your search engine optimization game. Known for its extensive keyword data and analysis capabilities, it allows users to dig deep into keyword trends, competitor strategies, and SEO opportunities. 

With 25.2 billion keywords across 121 countries, Semrush has one of the largest databases available. You will have plenty of ideas for your SEO and PPC campaigns. 

Its features include keyword difficulty analysis, organic search results, and paid ad research, giving you a well-rounded view of your SEO landscape. 

Key features

Keyword overview: The Keyword overview tool gives you a detailed overview of any keyword so that you can find the best ones for your SEO strategy. You will see monthly searches, intent, keyword difficulty, competition level, SERP features, etc. 

Organic research: Semrush helps you uncover your competitors’ SEO strategies. You will see all the keywords they are ranking for and create a plan to outrank them. 

Keyword magic tool: Semrush generates many related keywords based on a seed keyword so that you can create a topical map for your content. 

Keyword gap: You can use this tool to figure out what missing keyword your competitors are ranking for and you are not. You can use these ideas to cover weaknesses in your content. 

Keyword manager: This tool saves you a lot of time managing keywords. You can cluster a list of 2,000 keywords into groups with a few simple clicks. 

Organic traffic insights: You can review your website’s performance and landing pages. You can also boost your SEO rankings with “not provided” keywords. 

Price

Semrush offers 3 pricing packages: 

• Pro: $129.95/month for the monthly subscription or $108.33/month for the annual subscription. 

• Guru: $249.95/month for the monthly subscription or $208.33/month for the annual subscription. 

• Business: $499.95/month for the monthly subscription or $416.66/month for the annual subscription. 

Semrush also offers a free version of its keyword research tools, but the features are limited. You can try and update to a paid version if you like it. 

Pros

• Semrush has an extensive database with many keyword ideas and high accuracy. 

• The Keyword Gap tool helps users identify weaknesses in their content strategy. 

• The Organic research helps users create a plan to win on SERP. 

Cons

• Semrush only covers data on Google. 

• Semrush offers a lot of features, so it takes some time to understand the tool. 

2. AnswerThePublic

AnswerThePublic is another powerful keyword research tool for anyone who is trying to dominate search engines. 

The tool operates quite differently than other software. It visualizes search questions and suggested keywords in the form of a search cloud. You can type a seed keyword and it generates a web of questions, prepositions, comparisons, alphabetical, and related searches. 

Key features

Keyword Map: AnswerThePublic can generate a keyword map from a seed keyword. You can use these keyword suggestions to create a topical map for your content. 

Search Listening Alerts: You can sign up for the tool and get a weekly email containing a list of new questions that are asked around the topic. 

Data Comparison: You can compare data changes over time with this feature. 20% of daily keywords in Google have never been searched before. This feature helps you identify new opportunities for your SEO campaign. 

Collections: You can organize related terms in one collection. It helps you understand the topic better and have a clear view of what keywords to target.

Priority Customer Support: AnswerThePublic offers priority customer support for its paid users. If anything doesn’t work out as expected, their team will help you fix it. 

Price

AnswerThePublic has 3 pricing tiers. 

• Individual: $9/month for the monthly plan or $99 one-time payment.  

• Pro: $99/month for the monthly subscription or $79/month for the lifetime plan. 

• Expert: $199/month for the monthly subscription or $149/month for the lifetime plan. 

AnswerThePublic also has a free version that allows up to 3 searches per day. You can play around and see if it fits you. 

Pros

• Excellent for building content topical map. 

• The visual representation of data is easy to understand and analyze.

• Provides a comprehensive view of what your audience is searching for.

Cons

• The free version has limited daily searches.

• It doesn’t offer a keyword overview feature. You have to use other tools for this task. 

3. LongTailPro

LongTailPro is an outstanding keyword research tool designed specifically to generate long-tail keywords. It’s a fantastic utility for businesses seeking to improve organic search results.

This tool is extremely beneficial for new bloggers or websites that want to compete in SERPs. It calculates the possibility of ranking on Google and helps you identify low-hanging fruit opportunities. 

Key features

Long-tail Keyword Generator: LongTailPro can create a list of 400 long-tail keywords related to a seed keyword within seconds. 

Keyword Organization: LongTailPro can organize your keywords based on CPC bid, search volume, rank value, and more. 

Competitor Analysis: The tool can help you analyze your competitors. You can see what works for them and can adjust your strategy. 

Average Keyword Competitiveness: LongTailPro gives you a score from 0 to 100 indicating how competitive a keyword is. You can use this feature and target easy keywords. 

Price

LongTailPro offers 3 distinct plans. 

• Starter: $59.99/month for the monthly subscription or $539.99/year for the annual subscription.  

• Pro: $89.99/month for the monthly subscription or $809.99/year for the annual subscription.  

• Agency: $299.99/month for the monthly subscription or $2699.99/year for the annual subscription.   

Each plan offers an 8-day trial at only $8 as well as a 60-day money-back guarantee, giving you the freedom to test the tool risk-free.

Pros

• Great for generating high-traffic, low-competition keywords.

• Easy-to-use interface, perfect for beginners.

• Features like rank tracking and competition analysis add additional value.

Cons

• It may be slightly expensive for SEOs to manage multiple projects. 

• The tool only focuses on long-tail keywords, which may limit some users.

4. KWFinder (Mangools keyword research tool)

KWFinder is a powerful and user-friendly keyword research tool that is perfect for SEO newbies. The SEO platform is well-known for its simplicity and easy-to-interpret data. 

Many case studies also show that KWFinder has the most accurate keyword difficulty. You can use your SEO strategy based on trusted data. 

Key features

Long-tail keyword research: KWFinder helps you identify long-tail keywords in your niche so you can dominate search results faster. 

Competitive research: KWFinder helps you find keywords that your competitors are ranking for so that you can target them in your SEO campaign. 

Local keyword research: With a database across over 50,000 locations, KWFinder helps you easily dominate local searches. 

Google Suggest: You can find the best matching keywords related to a seed keyword based on the autocomplete and suggestions algorithms. This feature can help you target additional keywords in your content.  

Keyword list: KWFinder helps you find and save the most profitable keywords in keyword lists. You can create, delete, or export these lists anytime you want. The feature helps you stay on top of your research. 

Price

To use KWFinder, you can subscribe to one of Mangools’ paid plans. 

• Entry: $29/month for the monthly subscription or $19.9/month for the annual subscription. 

• Basic: $49/month for the monthly subscription or $29.9/month for the annual subscription.  

• Premium: $69/month for the monthly subscription or $44.9/month for the annual subscription.  

• Agency: $129/month for the monthly subscription or $89.9/month for the annual subscription.

Moreover, Mangools offers a 48-hour money-back guarantee so that you can try the tool risk-free. 

Pros

• Provides accurate and detailed keyword metrics.

• Affordable keyword research tool with many comprehensive features. 

Cons

• The basic plan has restrictions on the number of searches per 24-hour period.

• Lacks some advanced features compared to other tools.

5. Jaaxy

Jaaxy is one of the most effective keyword research tools for digital marketing experts. Developed by affiliate marketers, Jaaxy is designed to simplify the keyword discovery process, making it easy for marketers to find high-quality, low-competition keywords. 

Jaaxy offers many unique features including “Alphabet Soup,” which utilizes Google’s autocomplete feature to generate numerous keyword ideas, and “Search Analysis,” which helps you understand the competition for each keyword. 

If you are an affiliate marketer trying to leverage your SEO game, give Jaaxy a try. I guarantee you will be happy with your return on investments. 

Key features

Extensive Database: Jaaxy’s database contains billions of keywords that affiliate marketers can use to target their websites. Also, the crawler continuously discovers 8.7 million new keywords monthly. 

Alphabet Soup Platform: Jaaxy automates the process of finding long-tail keywords. With a simple click, you can generate hundreds of keywords from a seed keyword that you can use for your SEO and PPC campaigns. 

Competitor Analysis: The tool can analyze your competition. You can see what your competitors are ranking for and create a plan to outcompete them. 

SiteRank: You can track your keyword rankings on search engines with ease. So that you will know what keywords you need to target to continue to dominate in search engines. 

Price

Jaaxy provides 3 pricing tiers. 

• Starter: A free plan with limited access to some features, perfect for trying the service. 

• Pro: $49/month, offering a comprehensive set of features suitable for most online businesses.

• Enterprise: $99/month, designed for advanced business needs with more efficient and faster operations.

Pros

• A comprehensive tool that provides important data for your keyword research.

• Affordable pricing models. 

• Excellent customer support.

Cons 

• The free plan has restricted access to features, limiting its utility for advanced keyword research.

• No integration with other third-party platforms. 

6. Serpstat

Serpstat is a powerhouse in the world of keyword research tools. It’s the secret weapon you never knew you needed, but once you try it, you’ll wonder how you ever managed without it. The tool is designed to become your go-to platform for all things SEO, PPC, and content marketing.

Key features

In-depth Keyword Research: Serpstat provides many metrics for keywords, including volume, popularity, competition, and keyword difficulty. You can collect keywords for your site by analyzing those metrics. 

Competitor Analysis: You can analyze your competitors by keyword search results so that you can have a plan to outrank them. 

Batch Analysis: You can analyze up to 100,000 keywords and compare the most important metrics. From here, you can grow your traffic by optimizing a site with relevant keywords or exporting popular keywords and running ads based on them. 

Price

Serpstat offers 4 pricing models to choose from along with a 7-day free trial. 

• Individual: $59/month for the monthly subscription or $50/month for the annual subscription. 

• Team: $119/month for the monthly subscription or $100/month for the annual subscription.

• Agency: $479/month for the monthly subscription or $410/month for the annual subscription.

• Custom: If you need more data for your keyword research, you can contact them for a customized plan. 

Pros

• Provides detailed keyword data and analysis.

• Excellent for tracking keyword rankings.

• Robust competitor research capabilities.

Cons

• It takes some time to master all the tools on Serpstat. 

7. Google Keyword Planner

Google Keyword Planner is the best free keyword research tool. It’s an indispensable tool that generates keyword ideas straight from Google itself, the search engine that you will want to rank for. 

It provides valuable insights into search volumes and keyword competition, making it an excellent choice for both SEO beginners and experts. 

It also includes data related to Google Ads, which makes it valuable for PPC campaigns as well. 

Google Keyword Planner is indeed a reliable tool in any SEO toolkit. 

Key features

Keyword Discovery: Google Keyword Planner offers an array of keywords related to your niche, giving you plenty of options to choose from. 

Competitor Analysis: The tool provides keyword data on your competitors so that you can target those keywords in your content as well. 

Keyword grouping: You can group related keywords so that it’s more convenient to target them in the future. Also, the tool offers a forecast of how much traffic you get if you rank for these keywords. 

Price

Google Keyword Planner is completely free! 

Pros

• Straightforward and free to use.

• Easy to integrate with your Google Search Console and Google Ads account.

Cons

• Lacks the depth of data offered by some other tools.

• Search volume data is more advertiser-oriented because of Google AdWords integration. 

What is a keyword research tool?

A keyword research tool is a digital solution that helps you identify the most effective keywords for your SEO strategy. 

These tools analyze and provide data on keyword usage across the internet, helping you understand the search volume, competition, and even seasonal trends of specific keywords. They are instrumental in finding out which keywords are widely used in your industry or niche and how you can rank higher for those keywords. 

A keyword research tool is a compass guiding your SEO and content marketing strategies, pointing you toward the keywords that have the potential to increase your visibility on search engines and attract more traffic to your website.

How to choose the right keyword research tools

Choosing the best keyword research tools requires careful consideration of your specific needs and resources. Here are a few aspects that you should consider. 

• Your goals: What are you trying to accomplish? Are you looking to boost organic traffic, target specific geographic regions, or are you after long-tail keywords that have low competition? Different tools have different strengths, so you’ll want a tool that aligns with your objectives.

• Precision: The accuracy of the data the tool provides is vital. You don’t want to base your strategy on incorrect information. Look for tools that offer up-to-date and comprehensive data.

• Usability: The tool should be user-friendly and intuitive. If it’s too complicated, you might end up wasting time figuring out how to use it instead of doing your keyword research.

• Price: Consider your budget. Some keyword research tools can be quite pricey, but there are also affordable options that offer good value for money. Remember, the most expensive tool isn’t necessarily the best one for your needs.

• Features: Look at the additional keyword research features the tool offers. Some tools provide keyword suggestions, SERP analysis, rank tracking, and more. These extra features can significantly enhance your SEO strategy.

• Customer Support: Good customer service can be crucial, especially if you’re new to SEO. Look for tools that offer robust support, whether it’s through tutorials, webinars, or direct assistance.

Remember, choosing a keyword research tool depends on your unique circumstances. So, don’t rush your decision. Take the time to try out different tools—most offer free trials—until you find the one that fits your needs perfectly.

Can you use AI for keyword research?

AI is a powerful tool for keyword research. The advancement in artificial intelligence, especially ChatGPT, has brought an evolution in SEO. 

AI algorithms can efficiently analyze massive amounts of data, uncovering patterns and insights that may be difficult for humans to discern. This data can include search trends, user behavior, and semantic analysis—all critical factors in identifying high-performing keywords. 

However, keep in mind that while AI can provide valuable insights, the strategic application of this information still requires human judgment and expertise.

One of the most powerful AI tools for keyword research is ChatGPT. It’s a great way to build a topical authority around your niche. Here’s a simple way to use this tool. 

Let’s say you want to rank for the keyword “Best Gym Exercises”. You can type in a prompt like this: 

Then ChatGPT will spit out a ton of keywords that you can put in your content calendar. 

However, you still need to verify these keywords with the keyword research tools that I mentioned above to ensure their difficulty and potential traffic. 

Conclusion

In conclusion, SEO is constantly evolving, and staying ahead requires the right tools. This article gives you the 7 most popular keyword research tools available that can help you succeed in the SEO game. Each tool brings unique features and benefits. 

What are you waiting for? Take advantage of the free trials, explore their capabilities, and find the tool for your SEO strategy.

FAQs

Does Google have a keyword research tool?

Yes, Google has a keyword research tool called Keyword Planner. This tool helps you identify keywords relating to your business along with the traffic and the cost to target them. 

How can I research keywords fast?

To research keywords fast, you can leverage AI-powered SEO tools that provide instant data analysis and keyword suggestions. Start with a primary keyword or topic related to your content. Use the keyword research tools that I provided above to get a list of related keywords, their search volume, and competitiveness. 

Additionally, consider long-tail keywords as they often have less competition and more specific search intent. Look at the ‘People also ask’ and ‘Related searches’ sections on Google SERP for additional ideas. 

While speed is important, you shouldn’t compromise the quality of your keyword research. Always examine the relevance, search volume, and difficulty when choosing your keywords.

I will cover this topic in another blog. 

Which keyword tool is most accurate?

Semrush is the most accurate keyword tool out there. It has a massive database, updates its data frequently, and provides reliable keyword metrics such as search volume, keyword difficulty, and cost-per-click (CPC). 

Also, Semrush offers other SEO features to make your keyword research more comprehensive. 

What makes the best keyword research tool?

The effectiveness of a keyword research tool often depends on the comprehensiveness of its features. The best tools offer not only keyword suggestions, but also detailed information about search volume, competitiveness, and cost-per-click (CPC). They provide insights into trending keywords and topics, allowing you to adjust your strategy accordingly. 

Furthermore, top-notch keyword research tools are characterized by their ease of use, accuracy of data, and frequent updates to reflect current trends. They also incorporate long-tail keyword suggestions and offer insights into the keyword strategies of your competitors.

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