How To Dominate Your Niche With The Best Keyword Research Tools

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Looking for the best keyword research tools to improve your SEO strategy?

Keyword research is important for increasing traffic to your website. It plays a key role in crafting targeted content to increase your ranks in organic search results.

However, finding the right keyword research tool can be a daunting task, especially if you are a newbie in SEO (Search Engine Optimization).

In this article, I will reveal the best keyword research tool that you can use to increase your website traffic.

<< Read: Why Keyword Research Is Still A Crucial Part Of Your SEO Success >>

Quick Review

Here is a glance at the keyword research tools that will be discussed in this article:

The 6 Best Keyword Research Tools

1. Soovle

Soovle is often referred to as the search engine for search engines. It is a great keyword research tool that gives feedback from over 15 search engines. You can customize it and it offers a fast and efficient solution to finding keywords from reliable search engines.

Soovle analyzes keywords from top search engines like Google, Yahoo, Bing, YouTube, Wikipedia, Answers.com, and others. You can choose the search engine that you want Soovle to pull keyword research data from. You can also add your logo to the left-hand corner of the tool to make it appear more appealing.

Apart from being a great keyword that allows you to explore the most searched keywords on different search engines, it is also a great brainstormer because you can slowly type in your ideas and it will auto-generate its ideas.

Soovle is best for businesses that need a quick and effective research tool that will help them find long-tail keywords (that are not obvious) to make their content unique.

Soovle Pros

  • It helps you to view autocomplete suggestions from Amazon, Yahoo, Google, and Wikipedia.
  • You can use it to carry out unlimited searches for free.
  • The keyword searches load efficiently and quickly.
  • Soovle helps you save and download your searches for future use.
  • It is easy to use for carrying out keyword research.

Soovle Cons

  • There are no metrics for determining the keyword difficulty or search volume.
  • You will need some SEO knowledge for you to effectively use the results the tool provides because it has no resources.
  • The appearance of the tool is too basic and dated; this can discourage some users.
  • There’s no guidance on how you can effectively use the keywords in your content.

Pricing

You don’t need to pay to use Soovle.

2. AnswerThePublic

AnswerThePublic works in a way that is slightly different from most of the other keyword research tools. The tool presents keywords in a visual format. You can also see them in a list or download a CSV file of the keywords.

If you’re just starting with SEO and keyword research, it is a great keyword research tool to try. You don’t even need to open an account before using it. Simply type in your keyword and look at the results that come up.

The keywords that AnswerThePublic generates are based on Google and Bing’s auto-suggest or autocomplete features. You can click on any of the keywords to search for it on Google to see the content that is ranking for the keyword and if it has a featured snippet.

Bloggers will find the free version of AnswerThePublic great. However, you will need to get their pro plan if you intend to carry out keyword research regularly.

AnswerThePublic Pros

  • It is free and easy to use
  • AnswerThePublic helps you overcome writer’s block.
  • The keyword results can be downloaded in a CSV file.
  • You can also download the infographic format of the results as a JPEG.
  • You can start using it without opening an account.
  • There are different categories in the search results.
  • The keywords are relevant to the habits of present-day internet users.
  • It has a free email course that teaches users how to use the tool.

AnswerThePublic Cons

  • The free version limits you to just three searches per day.
  • You can only set a different location after upgrading to the Pro plan.

Pricing

AnswerThePublic can be used for free. However, for better features, you can upgrade to any of the following Pro versions:

  • Monthly: $99 per month
  • Annual: $79 per month (billed annually)
  • Enterprise: $399 per month (billed annually)

3. Ahrefs Keyword Explorer

Ahrefs Keyword Explorer helps you to make smarter keyword decisions. The tool gives in-depth information on each keyword researched. Apart from giving you the search volume of the keyword, the tool will also give you a breakdown of the first-page competition as well as the number of searchers that click on a result.

Another great feature that Ahrefs Keyword Explorer has is keyword difficulty. Unlike most keyword research tools that give vague difficulty details like ‘easy’, ‘difficult,’ or a score like ‘79/100,’ Ahrefs helps you know the exact number of backlinks that you will need so that you can rank on the first page of Google.

Ahrefs Pros

  • It is useful and powerful for keyword research. It provides all the important details in a keyword. If you’re looking for a niche, product, or service, Ahrefs is a great tool for this purpose.
  • It provides a free keyword research tool; which means you don’t need to make any upfront payment before using this tool. You can try it out for free and then upgrade if you like it.
  • It has a user-friendly interface thereby making it easy to use. You don’t need to be an expert to use and understand this keyword research tool.

Ahrefs Cons

  • It is very expensive and this can discourage many people from using its pro version.
  • The free version shows only a few details; thereby forcing you to upgrade to the pro version.
  • More tools should be added and the cost should be reduced so that more people can embrace its premium version.

Pricing

You can start using Ahrefs Keyword Explorer for free. However, you need to upgrade to any of its premium versions to have full access to the tool’s features. The premium versions are divided into:

  • Lite: $99 per month
  • Standard: $82 per month
  • Advanced: 832 per month
  • Agency: $999 per month.

Each of these pro versions has a 7-day trial that is available for $7.

4. SEMrush

SEMrush is one of the best keyword research tools on the internet. Instead of giving you a list of keywords, the tool suggests 5 to 10 highly specific keywords that your competitors are using.

Some of the excellent features of SEMrush include the following:

  • You can use it to discover long-tail keywords and ad group ideas.
  • It provides worldwide Cost-Per-Click distribution statistics.
  • The tool provides the yearly trends of keywords.
  • It gives information about keyword difficulty as well as insights into organic traffic.

SEMrush Pros

  • It is easy to use.
  • You can easily carry out domain analysis with SEMrush; it provides all you need to know in one place.
  • SEMRush has excellent link-building functionality (which features a CRM-style feature to assist with outreach).
  • It is easy to understand the metrics it provides.
  • The tool provides easy-to-follow instructions (via its side auditing feature) that guide you on how you can make solid improvements to your website’s technical SEO and on-page SEO.
  • SEMrush provides a lot of data on PPC.
  • You can pull in lots of results in a day.
  • You can get support via phone, chat, and email. This makes it more comprehensive than Ahrefs.
  • It offers a 14-day free trial.

SEMrush Cons

  • It provides keyword data for just one search engine (i.e. Google) while its competitors, such as Ahrefs and Soovle, provide data from different search engines.
  • SEMrush plans come with just one user account. This makes buying additional accounts expensive.
  • Some essential features are available as part of ‘projects,’ and the tool limits the number of concurrent projects that you can run.
  • It is not easy to carry out broken link building on SEMrush.
  • You will need to enter your credit card details before you can have access to the free trial.
  • It is difficult to use the tool on a mobile device because its interface is not responsive.
  • You will need to pay an additional $200 per month to have access to some competitive analysis features.

Pricing

SEMrush provides a free trial period but you will need to enter your credit card details before you can have access to the free trial. You can cancel the free subscription without any charges.

To enjoy the full features of SEMrush, you need to upgrade to any of the following pricing plans:

  • Pro: Perfect for those with limited-budget sites and freelancers. Starts at $99.95 per month (billed annually)
  • Guru: Perfect for SEO agencies and small to mid-sized businesses. Starts at $191.62 per month.
  • Business: Perfect for e-commerce stores and agencies. Starts at $374.95 per month.
  • Enterprise: SEMrush can customize a plan for you if your content strategy extends beyond the capacity of the previous plans.

5. KWFinder

KWFinder is a keyword research tool that was designed by Mangools (a developer that is known for providing the best keyword research tools across different categories). Their beginner guide can help you understand how to use the tool.

You can use KWFinder to find keywords with low difficulty. The tool also has lots of useful features such as the following:

  • It has a unique and easy-to-navigate user interface.
  • You can choose options from the keyword lists.
  • The tool helps you to find keywords in any language and anywhere.
  • It provides precise data for keyword competition.
  • KWFinder gives an in-depth SERP overview together with different suggestions.
  • You can refine the list of keyword suggestions.

KWFinder Pros

  • It has a gorgeous interface.
  • KWFinder provides 3 different ways of carrying out keyword research.
  • It is easy to find important information such as keyword search volume and trends.
  • The tool is affordable.
  • It provides an easy-to-understand keyword difficulty score.

KWFinder Cons

  • It does not allow you to perform competitor research.
  • KWFinder does not support multi-tabbed research.

Pricing

The free version of KWFinder allows a handful of searches. You need to upgrade to an annual plan to enjoy more features. Upgrading to any of the 3 subscriptions below will allow you to save up to 40%:

  • Basic: $30 (suitable for freelancers and small businesses).
  • Premium: $40 (suitable for new startups and blogs).
  • Agency: $80 (suitable for e-commerce stores and heavy websites).

6. Google Keyword Planner

Google Keyword Planner is a simple keyword research tool with a few basic features. It provides one of the most accurate keyword data on the internet. The data are pulled directly from Google and you can integrate the results with AdSense monetization.

Some of its unique features include the following:

  • It makes it possible to find commercial keywords by using the ‘top of page’ bid range.
  • The tool provides accurate search volume directly from Google.
  • It is the best choice for business websites.

Google Keyword Planner pros

  • It provides hyper-local search volume.
  • You can use it for free.
  • It is easy to use.

Google Keyword Planner Con

  • It does not provide information on the trends of keywords.

Pricing

The tool can be used for free.

FAQs

1. What are keywords?

Keywords are words and phrases that are typed into search engines when people are looking for something online. For instance, if you want to buy hosting for your website, you can type something like ‘best web hosting’ into Google. Although that phrase contains more than one word, it is still referred to as a keyword.

2. What is a keyword strategy?

A keyword strategy comprises all the decisions to make based on your findings after carrying out keyword research. It may be about the content you intend to write or how you want to track the results in Analytics.

3. What is the most accurate keyword research tool?

The most accurate keyword research tools (or tools with the most realistic results) are KWFinder and Ahrefs.

Conclusion

The keywords discussed in this article are some of the best keyword research tools that you will come across in the SEO marketplace. You need to analyze your budget and also consider the main focus of your business’s SEO strategy so that you can find the one that is suitable for your business.

If budget is your major concern, you can stick to Google Keyword Planner. If you need tools with more useful and robust data, you can consider KWFinder or SEMrush.

Once again, here are the best keyword research tools that we discussed in this article:

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