Looking for the best keyword research tools? You’re in the right place. Targeting the right keywords will give you the best chance of ranking on Google and driving organic search traffic to your website, which is why all good SEO strategies start with careful keyword research.
Below, we’re comparing the top 12 keyword research tools you can use to discover juicy, high-volume, low-competition keywords that your competitors don’t know about. And to help you get started, we’ve also explained how to use each of them effectively.
The best keyword research tools – comparison
TL;DR:
- SE Ranking – Best overall all-in-one keyword research platform
- Mangools – Best for beginners
- Semrush – Best for SMBs, agencies, and in-house teams
- Soovle – Best free autocomplete keyword suggestion tool
- Keyword Tool – Best for getting search volume and competition data
- Serpstat – Great for tracking keyword rankings over time
- QuestionDB – Best for finding long-tail question keywords
- Google Keyword Planner – Best for PPC keywords (Google Ads)
- Google Search Console – Best for finding existing high-traffic keywords
- AnswerThePublic – Unique visual interface perfect for questions
- Moz Keyword Explorer – Included in premium SEO toolkit
- Google Trends – Find currently trending keywords
#1 – SE Ranking
SE Ranking is our top pick for all-in-one keyword research. It gives you several useful keyword tools in one platform and has one of the largest keyword databases on the market. It’s also better value for money than any other all-in-one tool we’ve tested.
As an all-in-one SEO platform, SE Ranking comes with many different tools to help with your optimization efforts. But the ones that are most useful for keyword research specifically are:
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Keyword Research Tool: Discover and brainstorm keyword ideas. Just enter seed keywords and hit Analyze to see metrics like search volume, CPC, and difficulty scores for thousands of suggestions.
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Competitive Research Tool: Enter a competitor‘s URL/domain to view all the keywords they rank for. Browse through to see which ones you want to compete for.
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Keyword Grouper: Take keyword ideas from above tools and group them into clusters based on search result similarity. Target multiple related keywords in a single piece of content.
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Rank Tracker: Track your rankings for target keywords and see how your optimization efforts impact positions over time.
Pros
- Several keyword research tools in one platform
- Comes with other essential SEO tools
- Large high-quality keyword database
- Provides all key keyword metrics
- Great value for money
Cons
- No Chrome extension
- Bit of a learning curve to use all features
Pricing
Plans start from $55/month. Save 20% with yearly billing. Get started with a 14-day free trial.
#2 – Mangools
Mangools is another very powerful all-in-one SEO platform with a great keyword research tool called KWFinder. It generates tons of long-tail, low competition keyword ideas for you to target.
Alongside each suggestion, you can view metrics like:
- Estimated monthly search volume
- Average CPC
- Keyword difficulty score
- Competition in paid search
Mangools‘ proprietary keyword difficulty score is very accurate, calculated based on the link strength of current top-ranking domains.
Other useful Mangools tools include:
- SERPChecker: Analyze the top-ranking domains for a keyword to assess difficulty.
- SERPWatcher: Track keyword rankings over time.
Pros
- Very easy to use interface
- 5 tools in 1 platform
- Low price
- Accurate data and rankings
Cons
- No search intent classification
- Keyword search limits on free plan
Pricing
Free plan available. Paid plans start from $29/month. Get 35% off with annual billing.
#3 – Semrush
Semrush is one of the most well-known paid keyword research tools out there for good reason – it provides an incredible amount of accurate data accessible through a suite of useful tools.
However, it is more expensive than competitor platforms. The value you get tends to be worth the higher price tag for serious SEO experts.
Key Semrush keyword tools:
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Keyword Magic Tool: Semrush‘s database has over 950 million keywords – larger than any other tool. Enter a seed keyword to generate thousands of suggestions.
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Keyword Gap: Compare your keyword strategy against competitors to find gaps. See the keywords they rank for that you don‘t target.
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Domain Overview: Enter a competitor URL to see all the keywords they rank for and reverse-engineer their strategy.
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Position Tracking: Track your own site‘s rankings alongside competitors over time.
Pros
- Largest, most accurate keyword database
- Multiple keyword research tools
- Discovers competitor keywords
- Full suite of 40+ SEO tools
Cons
- Very expensive
- Steep learning curve
Pricing
Limited free plan. Paid plans start from $99.95/month. Get 17% off with annual billing.
#4 – Soovle
Soovle is one of the best free autocomplete keyword tools out there. It compiles suggested searches from almost every major search engine, all in one place.
To use Soovle:
- Go to soovle.com
- Start typing a broad keyword
- View the autocomplete suggestions it shows from Google, YouTube, Amazon etc.
You can also analyze competition on Google for suggestions that interest you.
Unfortunately Soovle doesn‘t provide search volume or difficulty scores. Use it alongside paid tools that offer these metrics.
Pros
- 100% free to use
- Aggregates suggestions across engines
- Easy to navigate
Cons
- No keyword metrics
- Only provides autocomplete data
Pricing
Soovle is completely free.
#5 – Keyword Tool
KeywordTool.io is another excellent free keyword suggestion generator that utilizes autocomplete data from major search engines:
To use it:
- Select a target search engine
- Enter a seed keyword
- Choose target location
- Hit Search
You‘ll then see a list of hundreds of suggested keywords alongside handy metrics like search volume, competition score, trends, and average CPC for paid ads.
Sort and filter to discover the best opportunities.
Pros
- Instant keyword ideas
- Localized suggestions
- Good metrics
- Free plan available
Cons
- Paid tool
- Solely uses autocomplete data
Pricing
Free plan with limited searches. Paid plans start from $76/month. Save 20% for annual billing.
#6 – Serpstat
Serpstat is an all-in-one SEO platform with a powerful keyword research tool attached.
You can analyze keywords individually or in bulk to view search volume, trends, suggested ideas, and other helpful metrics. Competitor analysis is also built in so you can benchmark yourself against them.
Once you have a list of target keywords, you can seamlessly integrate them into Serpstat‘s rank tracking tool to monitor your progress optimizing for them.
Pros
- Analyze multiple keywords efficiently
- View historical trends
- Built-in rank tracking
- Access full suite of SEO tools
Cons
- Daily search limits unless on paid plan
- Busy interface takes getting used to
Pricing
Starts from $59/month. Offers free 7-day trial.
#7 – QuestionDB
As the name suggests, QuestionDB excels at finding long-tail question-style keywords that searchers are asking on Google and social platforms.
To use it:
- Enter a broad seed keyword
- View the hundreds of related question-based keywords it returns
Groupings and estimated search volume make it easy to identify worthwhile keywords to target.
The keyword suggestions tend to be very unique and you often won‘t find them on other tools. The focus on question research makes this platform ideal for FAQ and informational content.
Pros
- Specialized for long-tail question keywords
- Uses multiple data sources
- Good search volume accuracy
Cons
- Results can sometimes seem random
- Daily search limits
Pricing
Free version available. Paid plans start from $15/month.
#8 – Google Keyword Planner
Google Keyword Planner comes directly from Google itself, designed primarily for Google Ads PPC campaign management.
But SEOs can also glean some useful insights, especially for keywords relevant to paid search.
There are 2 main ways to use it:
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Discover New Keywords: Enter relevant seed keyword or site URL to view suggested keywords alongside metrics like search volume ranges, competition levels, and bidding guidance.
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Analyze Existing Keywords: Enter specific keywords you already have in mind to view historical metrics and forecasts.
Pros
- Data straight from Google
- Quick suggestions for PPC ads
Cons
- Requires Google Ads account
- Estimated search range too broad
- Clunky interface
As it‘s made by Google, you can rest assured the data is accurate. But the tool itself leaves much to be desired compared to 3rd-party options.
Pricing
Free to access for Google Ads account holders.
#9 – Google Search Console
Google Search Console provides search analytics for your site.
Rather than finding new keywords, it reveals which terms are already driving traffic to your site.
Here‘s how to leverage it:
- View Google Search Console queries report
- Identify keywords driving traffic
- Optimize those pages to try ranking even higher
This allows you to learn the ‘real‘ keywords your content ranks for. Re-optimize accordingly.
Pair it with other tools to discover new opportunities first, then use Search Console‘s data to double down on truly valuable terms.
Pros
- Free Google tool
- Reveals existing high-traffic keywords
Cons
- Only useful once site is established
- No search volumes shown
Pricing
Completely free to access your data.
#10 – Answer The Public
AnswerThePublic is one of the most unique keyword tools out there.
It visualizes related keywords and questions in interesting graphical formats based on autocomplete data.
The various charts categorize keywords by type:
- Who
- What
- When
- Where
And so on. This presentation style lends itself perfectly to identifying question keywords to cover as part of an overall content strategy.
Pros
- Eye-catching graphical interface
- Perfect for finding FAQs
- Shows search volumes
Cons
- Daily search limits
- Only provides autocomplete data
Pricing
Free plan has limited searches. Paid plans provide more access.
#11 – Moz Keyword Explorer
Moz Keyword Explorer enjoys the power of Moz‘s respected keyword database, encompassing over 1.2 billion keywords.
The tool presents suggestions alongside the expected metrics like search volume and difficulty scores.
It also incorporates some unique metrics you won‘t find elsewhere:
- Organic CTR: % of searchers clicking organic results
- Priority: Custom rating indicating overall value
Moz regularly refreshes its data as well. They even have solutions tailored specifically for local SEO keyword discovery.
Pros
- Huge, high-quality keyword database
- Some original rating factors
- Made by respected SEO provider
Cons
- Requires paid Moz subscription
- Have to sign up for account
Pricing
Free Keyword Explorer plan limited to 10 searches daily. Maximize searches with Moz Pro paid plans starting at $79/month.
#12 – Google Trends
Google Trends is a free tool that reveals keyword search trends over time.
Rather than absolute search volumes, Google Trends shows you the relative popularity of keywords. This allows you to:
- Discover rising trending keywords in your niche
- Validate interest is growing for existing keywords on your radar
It won‘t provide concrete monthly search volumes. But pairing it with other paid tools gives you the complete picture.
Pros
- Surface trending keywords
- Free to use
- From Google
Cons
- No absolute search volumes
- Limited to relative trends
Pricing
Google Trends is 100% free.
Final Thoughts
Which keyword research tool is best for you depends mainly on your budget, use case, and desired features.
Many SEO experts actually suggest using multiple keyword research tools together to benefit from each of their unique strengths.
The most crucial elements to compare are:
- Keyword database breadth and accuracy
- Available key metrics for keywords
- Additional built-in SEO tools
Comprehensive platforms like SE Ranking, Semrush, and Mangools shine as all-in-one solutions, while free tools like Soovle, Google Trends fill gaps.
Keyword research takes work, but choosing the right tools for your needs makes the process much smoother. Monitor new keyword opportunities, track existing target keywords, explore questions searchers are asking, and leverage competitors‘ strategies.
With the help of this powerful lineup of 12 research assistants, your odds for SEO success improve drastically.
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