Best Free Keyword Tools & When to Upgrade

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Finding the right keywords is key for your website's traffic. You can start with powerful free tools. We'll show you the best free options and how they work. You'll also learn the clear signs it's time for a paid upgrade.

Introduction

Have you ever typed a blog post and hoped people would find it? That's where keywords come in. They are the words people type into Google. Using the right ones is very important.

This guide will show you the best free keyword tools. We will also tell you when you might need to pay for more. You can start building your traffic without spending any money.

We picked these tools for their quality and ease of use. Each one offers real help for free. For example, some tools show you over 100 keyword ideas at once. Others let you check a website's traffic for free.

You'll learn about tools from Google, AnswerThePublic, and others. They all have different features. However, they share one big goal: to help you find what your customer is searching for.

This list is for bloggers, new business owners, and students. You can try these tools today. They give you a strong start in your keyword research journey.

Later, we'll talk about paid tools like Ahrefs or Semrush. They offer an advantage with deeper data. But you can do a lot with the free options first. Let's get started.

Top Picks (Items 1-3)

Let's look at three top free tools. Each one is great for a different job. You can try them all to see which you like best.

They give you a strong start. You'll learn what people are searching for online. This is the first step to getting more visitors.

1. Google Keyword Planner

This tool is the industry standard. It's made by Google, so the data is very good. It shows you how many people search for a word each month.

It is built for Google Ads, but you can use it for free. You need a Google account to start. Just set up a free Google Ads account to get in.

The key features are search volume and bid estimates. You'll see how popular a keyword is. It also suggests new keyword ideas for you.

It is best for finding high-volume search terms. Use it to see what's popular right now. It's perfect for your main content ideas.

The price is totally free. You won't pay anything to use the basic features. It's a powerful tool that costs you nothing.

For example, you might find “easy pancake recipe” gets 100,000 searches a month. This tells you it's a hot topic. You can then write a post to match.

2. AnswerThePublic

This tool is different and very visual. It listens to autocomplete data from search engines. It shows you what real people are asking.

Think of it as a question finder. You type in a main word like “gardening.” It gives you a wheel full of questions people ask.

The key features are question-based keyword ideas. You'll get lists starting with “how,” “what,” “when,” and “why.” This helps you cover a full topic.

It is best for content creators and bloggers. Use it when you need to answer customer questions. It helps you write very helpful posts.

The price has a free plan with limits. You get a few searches per day for free. That's enough to check ideas when you start out.

For example, “gardening” might lead to “how to start a garden with no money.” This is a specific question. You can write a direct answer for it.

3. Ubersuggest

This tool is a great all-in-one starter kit. It gives you more data than a basic tool. You see volume, difficulty, and cost data together.

It was made by marketing expert Neil Patel. The free version is strong for new users. You get a good look at keyword quality.

The key features include keyword difficulty and SEO ideas. It scores how hard it is to rank for a word. This helps you pick smart targets.

It is best for beginners learning SEO. Use it to check your first 10-20 keyword ideas. You'll learn what's possible for your new site.

The price is free for basic searches. You can do about three searches per day without paying. This is a fair limit when you're testing.

For example, you may find “home workout” has high volume but also high difficulty. A better choice could be “home workout for teens.” This might have lower competition.

Mid-Range Options (Items 4-6)

The free tools are great for a start. But you might need more data to grow. These mid-range options offer a nice step up. They give you more features without a huge cost.

They are perfect for serious bloggers and small companies. You will get better keyword lists and see what your rivals do. Let's look at three strong choices.

4. Ubersuggest

Ubersuggest is a powerful tool from marketer Neil Patel. It started as a free tool but now has a paid plan. This plan unlocks its full set of features.

You can find long-tail keywords and check your site's health. It also shows the backlinks of any website you choose. This helps you understand your competition.

A key feature is the “Keyword Ideas” list. It groups words by how hard they are to rank for. You can see search volume and cost-per-click data too. This helps you plan your content.

Best for: Bloggers and small business owners who are ready to grow. It's good if you want clear, easy-to-understand data.

Price: The paid plan starts at $29 per month. You can often get a discount for your first year. This is a fair price for the extra power you get.

5. Keysearch

Keysearch is a budget-friendly favorite for many experts. It is a full keyword research tool. It focuses on giving you useful data without a fancy interface.

It has a strong keyword database for finding new ideas. You can also track how your keywords perform over time. This is called rank tracking.

Another great part is the competition analysis. It gives a website a score from easy to hard to beat. This score helps you pick the right keywords to target. You won't waste time on impossible ones.

Best for: People who want strong features without a high cost. It's a professional tool that is simple to use. Many SEO consultants love it.

Price: Plans start at just $17 per month. You get a big discount if you pay for a whole year. This is one of the best values you will find.

6. Serpstat

Serpstat is a complete SEO platform with many tools. It does more than just keyword research. This makes it a good choice if you want an all-in-one solution.

Its keyword research tool is very deep. You can find keyword gaps between you and a rival site. This shows you words they rank for but you don't. It's a goldmine for new topics.

You also get site audit and backlink analysis features. These help you fix technical problems and build a strong link profile. It's a lot of power in one place.

Best for: Small marketing teams or serious solo marketers. It's ideal if you need to manage many SEO jobs at once. The learning curve is a bit steeper, but it's worth it.

Price: Their basic plan is $55 per month. You get access to all the main tools at this price. They offer a 7-day trial for just $1 so you can test it first.

Budget & Specialty Picks (Items 7-10)

Our last picks are for tight budgets or special jobs. They are not full keyword tools. But they solve specific problems very well.

You can use them alone or with other tools. They help fill in the gaps for free.

7. Keyword Sheeter

Think of this as a keyword idea machine. You give it one simple word. It then gives you hundreds of ideas in seconds.

It pulls ideas from Google's search bar. This is called autocomplete. It’s very fast but not very deep.

Key Features:
It works with just one click. You can export all the ideas to a sheet. It also shows basic search numbers from Google and Amazon.

Best For:
Brainstorming lots of ideas quickly. It’s perfect when your mind is totally blank. Use it before a deeper search.

Price:
Free for 1,000 ideas per day. The paid plan is $10 per month. That plan removes the daily limit.

8. AlsoAsked.com

This tool finds questions people ask online. It shows how questions connect to your main topic. This is called the “People Also Ask” box.

You see a map of questions and sub-questions. It helps you understand what users really want.

Key Features:
It creates a visual map of questions. You can click to explore different paths. It exports data for your research.

Best For:
Writing blog posts that answer real questions. It’s great for “how-to” or beginner guides. You learn the language your customers use.

Price:
Free for four searches per day. Paid plans start at $9 per month. They give you unlimited searches.

9. Google Trends

This tool does not give search volume. Instead, it shows if a topic is getting more or less popular over time. You can compare up to five terms.

It also shows related topics and queries. This tells you what else people search for.

Key Features:
See interest over time and by region. Find related rising searches. Compare different terms easily.

Best For:
Spotting new trends or seasonal topics. Check if a keyword is worth your time. It’s key for news or pop culture content.

Price:
Completely free to use. There are no paid plans at all.

10. AnswerThePublic

Listen to the public through search data. This tool turns search terms into questions, prepositions, and comparisons. It gives you a wheel of ideas.

For example, “pizza” becomes “where to buy pizza,” “pizza near me,” and “is pizza healthy.”

Key Features:
Visual maps make data easy to grasp. It collects data from Bing and Google. You get raw search suggestions.

Best For:
Content creators and bloggers. It finds every angle on a topic. Use it for planning a full series of posts.

Price:
Free for three searches per day. Paid plans start at $9 per month. They offer more searches and data downloads.

When to Use These Tools

Use these picks for a specific need. Need volume data? Use a top pick. Need questions? Try AlsoAsked.

Combine them for the best results. Start with Keyword Sheeter for ideas. Then check trends on Google Trends.

Finally, dig into questions with AnswerThePublic. This method is powerful and free.

Your research can be deep without cost. Try these tools to see which ones fit your workflow.

Comparison Table

Here is a quick look at all ten tools. Use this table to pick your best starting point.

Free Tools at a Glance

Tool Name	Best For	Key Free Feature	Upgrade When…
1. Google Keyword Planner	Starters	Tied to Google search data	You need more than Ad campaign data.
2. AnswerThePublic	Questions	Visual “question cloud” maps	You want deeper search volume numbers.
3. Ubersuggest	All-in-One Try	Shows trend graphs & difficulty	You hit the 3 daily search limit.
4. Keyword Tool	Variety	Gets ideas from many platforms	You need more than 3 keyword lists a day.
5. Keywords Everywhere	Browser Help	Adds data right on your browser	You use more than 10 credits a day.
6. SEMrush	Competitors	See rivals' top keywords	You need full reports for your own site.
7. Soovle	Speed	Pulls from 7 sites at once	You require deep data, not just ideas.
8. Keyword Surfer	Simplicity	Shows volume as you browse	Your needs grow beyond basic volume.
9. Twinword Ideas	Grouping	Auto-groups similar keywords	You want to analyze more than 5 queries.
10. Wordtracker Scout	Local Biz	Finds local search questions	You run a large or national company.

Check the “Upgrade When…” column. It tells you when a paid plan makes sense for your project. Try two or three tools to see which one fits your style.

Conclusion

You now have a full list of the best free keyword tools. Start with Google Keyword Planner and AnswerThePublic. They give you strong, basic data at no cost.

Key Insights and Top Pick

Use free tools to learn the process. They are perfect for starting a blog or school project. If you need more data, try Ubersuggest. It offers some paid features for free.

Upgrade when you run a business. Paid tools help you beat competitors. For example, Ahrefs can show you 10,000 keyword ideas at once. That is a big advantage.

Your Next Steps

Try two free tools this week. See what you can find. Check the comparison table to pick the right one.

Remember, good keywords are the first step. Your great content is what keeps people reading. Use these tools to get started, then focus on helping your customer.

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Content Notice: This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by our editorial team for accuracy, quality, and compliance. We use AI to help research and structure content, but all recommendations are based on thorough evaluation.