Best Keyword Research Tools

Keyword research forms a key part in any SEO or PPC strategy, so using the best tools to come up with your priority keyword list is really important. We’ve put together some of the keyword tools we love and regularly use at Frogspark, with our top tips for combining tools to undertake the most in-depth keyword research, and to really make the most of all the opportunities in your industry.

Google Keyword Planner

Taking the top spot in our best keyword research tools list is, of course, Google Keyword Planner, and acts as a firm favourite in every SEO and PPC specialists toolkit. Keyword Planner is one of the most handy tools for giving you keyword suggestions, giving you the opportunity to find additional keywords to target in your content. From a PPC point of view, on a basic level it can help provide you with additional keyword for your ad groups, as well as stating the level of competition for this keyword and suggested bid. This makes it a great tool for gathering metrics and creating forecasts. Once you’ve curated your list of keywords, you can look at forecasts, which will show you how many clicks you’ll get for your budget, as well as the average amount of impressions you’ll receive, the predicted CTR and average CPC. If you’re looking for historical data, Keyword Planner provides that too, showing the keyword’s average monthly searches, competition, and top of page bid range. To make your life even easier, you can filter these results by location, language and search network – so you can get the specific data you need. If you’re looking for accurate data, Google Keyword Planner is your weapon of choice!

Google Search Suggestions

A tool that is often overlooked is Google’s search suggestions, but why? It’s a tool that gathers data directly from the source, and is based directly off user’s search queries. It’s not a keyword tool to use in isolation however, but when paired with a tool such as Google Keyword Planner, you can access to some really great keywords. We’d recommending putting together your initial keyword list, then running each of these through Google search to see what it comes up with. Often, it can be useful for highlighting long tail keywords to target within your content. So why not give it a try to see what additional keywords you can target.

Competitors’ Ranking Keywords

Having a priority keyword list is really important when it comes to content, and a great way to build on your existing list is to see what keywords your competitors are ranking for, so that you can be sure you’re not missing out on any opportunities. There are some brilliant tools out there such as SEMrush and Moz, which allow you to input a specific URL from your competitor, and see what keywords that landing page is ranking for – so you can make sure you can put work into rank for the same thing. Sometimes it can be difficult to establish what keywords are the most relevant within your industry, so if you see what some of your larger competitors are ranking for, it can really help you out. A handy tip is to gather this list, then use Keyword Planner and search suggestions to build on this further – tap into areas your competitors aren’t!

Answer The Public

Answer The Public is a free keyword tool that gives you an insight into the types of questions users are asking online. You start by inputting your keyword, and are presented with a very refreshing visual display of questions, prepositions and comparisons. Much like Google search suggestions, this tool is brilliant for providing you with some of the more long tail keywords you could target within your content, so it a such a helpful tool to use alongside something like Google Keyword Planner. The great thing about Answer The Public is that it provides you with a full range of questions containing the searched keyword, so you can create content that looks to answer your users questions and queries at every stage. Other than just keyword research, it can assist you with a range of ideas and concepts to include within your content. Group semantically similar ideas together, and use these as a focus within your content piece.

Ubersuggest

Ubersuggest is another amazingly free keyword tool in the market, providing you with keywords that are not available through Google Keyword Planner. Ubersuggest works by pulling data directly from Google suggest, to return keywords and keyword phrases that have actually been searched for – so is a similar tool to Google Search Suggestions. This tool, much like the others in the market, takes your base search term, adding a letter or digit in front of it, and extracts suggestions for it. The interface is also very user friendly, displaying keywords in alphabetical order. Interestingly, this tool pulls data from search, image search, shopping, news and YouTube searchers – fully encompassing a range of user searches.

Keyword.Io

Keyword.Io is another popular keyword tool on offer in the market that comes as both a free, and paid version. In the free version, you enter your desired keyword and you’ll get a range of Google search suggestions and autocomplete phrases back; something Google’s own keyword planner fails to do. Again, this can make it highly beneficial when looking to target long tail keywords. Unlike some of the other tools on the market, Keyword.Io allows you to conduct keyword research from a range of sources including, Google, YouTube, Bing, Amazon, eBay and the App Store – so is great for some advanced keyword research. The paid tool also allows you access to keyword search volumes, CPC and competition which can be a good alternative if you’re not a fan of Google Keyword Planner.

Of course, there are many more keyword research tools on the market – so we’d love to know what other tools you love and use – make sure to tweet us at @FrogsparkStudio! The important thing to remember is to use a combination of the tools available to you, and you’ll find your keyword research is much more in-depth, comprehensive and makes the most of all the opportunities in the market.