Private Money Keyword Explorer

Keyword research is an essential aspect of search engine optimization (SEO) that helps you identify the best keywords to target in order to improve your website’s visibility and ranking in search engine results. By understanding what keywords people are searching for and how difficult it is to rank for those keywords, you can optimize your content and increase your chances of attracting organic traffic.

In this article, we will explore nine free keyword research tools that can help you in your keyword research process. These tools will assist you in generating keyword ideas, determining their ranking difficulty, and finding the best way to rank for them.

The Best Free Keyword Research Tools

1. Keyword Generator

The Keyword Generator tool helps you generate keyword ideas by providing up to 150 keyword suggestions. Simply enter a broad topic, select your target country, and click “Find keywords.”

For example, if you search for “bitcoin,” the tool will display the 100 most popular keywords related to bitcoin from its extensive database of over 19 billion keywords. Additionally, it provides a list of the 50 most popular questions people are searching for.

Each keyword suggestion in the list is accompanied by a Keyword Difficulty (KD) score, which indicates how difficult it would be to rank for that keyword. A higher KD score means a higher level of difficulty in ranking for that keyword.

If the keyword ideas generated by the tool are too broad for your needs, you can feed them back into the generator to refine your search and explore narrower topics.

1. Answer The Public

Answer The Public is a keyword research tool that uses autocomplete to find questions people are searching for. Enter a broad topic, select your target country, and click “search,” and the tool will provide you with 392 keyword ideas categorized into five different groups.

Each category visualizes the keyword ideas, allowing you to easily understand and analyze the search queries. While Answer The Public does not display keyword search volumes, it provides red circles next to each keyword that supposedly indicate whether the keyword has a high, average, or low number of monthly searches.

If you’re looking for actual search volumes, you can copy the keyword ideas from Answer The Public and paste them into Ahrefs’ free keyword generator. The first keyword on the list will usually be the one you initially entered, and you’ll be able to see its search volume.

1. ChatGPT

ChatGPT is a chatbot developed by OpenAI. While it may not be specifically designed for keyword research, it can still be a useful tool for finding seed keyword ideas. By asking for a list of terms related to a specific topic, you can discover keyword ideas that you may not have thought of otherwise.

For example, if you ask ChatGPT for a list of terms related to bitcoin, it will generate a list of keywords related to bitcoin, including some that may be less obvious but still relevant. This can help you uncover new keyword ideas that you can further explore using other keyword research tools.

If you’re not getting the desired results from your ChatGPT prompts, try asking for terms related to a specific topic by starting your prompt with “give me a list of terms related to…”

1. Ahrefs Webmaster Tools

Ahrefs Webmaster Tools provides valuable insights into your website’s performance in search engine results. One of the useful features of this tool is the Organic keywords report, which shows all the keywords your website currently ranks for in the top 100 search results.

You can use this report for keyword research by identifying keywords for which your website is ranking on the second page of search results (positions 11-20). As these keywords are already ranking relatively well, improving their rankings to the first page can significantly increase your website’s visibility and traffic.

By applying SEO optimization techniques to these keywords or refreshing and republishing the content associated with them, you can improve your rankings and attract more organic traffic.

If you have a large number of keywords ranking on the second page, prioritize the keywords with the highest “business potential” to focus your efforts on the most valuable opportunities.

1. Google Keyword Planner

Google Keyword Planner is primarily a keyword research tool for advertisers, but it can also be useful for SEO keyword research. The tool provides keyword suggestions and related keywords based on the seed keyword you enter.

For example, if you search for “crypto,” the tool will generate keyword ideas such as “altcoin” and “safemoon coin.” While Keyword Planner provides search volume ranges instead of exact search volumes, you can still gain valuable insights by copying and pasting the keyword ideas into Ahrefs’ free keyword generator for a more accurate estimate.

If you’re looking for even more related keywords, you can use a seed website instead of a seed keyword. For example, entering “bitcoin.org” as the seed site will provide you with hyper-specific keyword ideas that may not be easily discoverable using traditional keyword research tools.

1. Google Search Console

Google Search Console (GSC) is a powerful tool that provides a wealth of information about your website’s performance in Google search. By accessing the Search results report in GSC, you can see how your website is performing for its top 1,000 keywords in organic search.

One way to use GSC for keyword research is to identify declining keywords that require your attention. By comparing your website’s performance for specific keywords over different time periods, you can pinpoint keywords that have lost significant traffic.

For example, if you notice a decline in clicks for the query “google keyword planner,” you can take action to address this issue. By updating and republishing your guide to Google Keyword Planner, you can regain lost traffic and improve your website’s visibility for that keyword.

When comparing keyword performance over time, it’s important to choose a year-over-year comparison period to account for seasonality. Seasonal variations can significantly impact keyword performance, so it’s crucial to consider the appropriate time frame when analyzing the data.

1. Google Trends

Google Trends is a valuable tool for identifying trending keywords and topics. It visualizes the relative search popularity of a keyword over time and provides insights into related rising and breakout searches.

For example, if you search for “ai content,” you will see a significant spike in interest in recent times. By scrolling down to the “Related queries” section, you can discover specific keywords and topics that are currently trending, such as “ai content creator,” “open ai,” and “chatgpt.”

Google Trends can help you find newly popular topics before your competitors, as there is often a delay before these trends appear in traditional keyword research tools. By exploring the specific ideas related to trending topics, you can uncover unique keyword opportunities that can drive traffic to your website.

1. SERP Checker

SERP Checker is a tool that allows you to analyze the top-ranking pages for a specific keyword and provides essential SEO metrics for the top three pages. It helps you understand a keyword’s traffic potential by showing the estimated monthly search visits for the top-ranking pages.

For example, if you use the Keyword Generator tool and find that the keyword “best bitcoin mining rig” has an average monthly search volume of 500 in the U.S., you can plug this keyword into SERP Checker to gain a deeper understanding of its traffic potential. The tool will show you that the top three search results for this keyword receive between 1,000 and 1,800 estimated monthly search visits, which is significantly higher than the keyword’s search volume.

This happens because pages often rank for and receive traffic from multiple keywords, not just one. By analyzing the estimated search traffic to the top-ranking pages, you can get a better idea of the true traffic potential of a keyword.

It’s important to note that the estimated search traffic to the top-ranking pages may sometimes be lower than the keyword’s search volume. This can occur when Google provides direct answers to the search query on the search engine results page (SERP), reducing the need for users to click on search results.

1. Keyword Difficulty Checker

Keyword Difficulty (KD) Checker is a tool that estimates the difficulty of ranking in the top 10 search results for a specific keyword. The KD score ranges from 0 to 100, with a higher score indicating a higher level of difficulty.

For example, the KD score for the keyword “bitcoin” is 99/100, indicating that it is extremely challenging to rank for this keyword. However, the KD score for “litecoin vs bitcoin” is only 9/100, suggesting that it is relatively easy to rank for this keyword.

It’s important to note that the KD score is primarily based on backlinks and does not take into account other factors that may affect ranking difficulty, such as content quality. Therefore, it’s essential to investigate the ranking difficulty further before deciding to target a keyword.

If you’re looking for a rough estimate of the number of backlinks you need to rank for a specific keyword, you can check the estimate provided below the Keyword Difficulty (KD) score.

Free vs. Paid Keyword Research Tools: How Do They Compare?

Free keyword research tools are valuable resources, particularly for beginners. However, it’s important to note that the number of keyword ideas and data provided by free tools is usually limited compared to paid tools.

For example, if you search for “bitcoin” in the free Keyword Generator tool, you will generate 150 keyword ideas. In contrast, using the paid keyword research tool, Keywords Explorer, from Ahrefs, you can access a much larger database and generate 763,256 keyword ideas for the same seed keyword.

Paid keyword research tools offer a wide range of filters and additional features that can help you find the best keyword ideas for your website more efficiently. For example, if you have a new website, you can use filters to identify low-difficulty keywords with good search volume and traffic potential. This allows you to focus your efforts on keywords that offer the most value.

Paid tools also provide more comprehensive data and insights, allowing you to make more informed decisions about your keyword strategy. With access to detailed SEO metrics, such as search volume, keyword difficulty, and traffic potential, you can prioritize your keyword targeting and optimize your content effectively.

While free keyword research tools are a great starting point, as your website grows and the value of your time increases, investing in a paid keyword research tool can provide significant benefits and save you time in the long run.

Final Thoughts

Keyword research is a critical component of SEO that can help you optimize your website and attract organic traffic. While free keyword research tools are useful for generating keyword ideas and understanding basic metrics, paid keyword research tools offer more comprehensive data and advanced features that can enhance your keyword research process.

Whether you’re just starting out or have an established website, it’s important to choose the right tools that meet your needs and budget. By leveraging the power of keyword research, you can improve your website’s visibility, attract more organic traffic, and achieve your SEO goals.

Have you come across any other useful free keyword research tools? Let us know on Twitter.