Introduction
As bloggers, one of the biggest frustrations we face is discovering a great free SEO tool, getting excited about it, and then boom it becomes paid.
Or worse, they limit how much we can use it unless we pay.
That’s why we went on a mission to find truly free keyword research tools with no hidden limits, and guess what? We found 7 solid tools that are not only free but surprisingly accurate.
We also compared their keyword data with actual numbers from Google Search Console, and the results were interesting some tools turned out to be more reliable than expected.
In this post, you’ll find:
- Why keyword research is essential
- 7 free keyword research tools worth trying
- Which tool gave the most accurate data
- A bonus tool and tip for finding keyword opportunities
Let’s get started.
Why Keyword Research Matters
If nobody is searching for a topic, there’s no point writing about it.
Keyword research helps you:
- Find topics with 100+ monthly searches
- Avoid high-competition keywords
- Focus on topics within your niche
If your website is new, it’s smart to target keywords that don’t have big, authoritative websites dominating the search results.
1. Ryan Robinson Free Keyword Tool
This tool was created by blogger Ryan Robinson, and he promises it will stay free forever — no signups, no usage caps.
📍 Link: Ryan Robinson Free Keyword Tool
Here’s what you get:
- Estimated search volume
- Keyword difficulty
- Extra keyword suggestions
Example: Searching for “Best WooCommerce Plugins” shows medium difficulty with decent search volume.
🧠 Pro Tip: Use the Ubersuggest Chrome extension to check the domain authority of top search results. If most are above 40, the competition might be too high for a new website.
2. The HOTH Google Keyword Planner
This free tool is powered by Semrush data, but made available via HOTH’s site — and it’s free.
📍 Link: HOTH Keyword Planner
What you get:
- Search volume
- CPC data
- Keyword difficulty
- Search intent (informational, transactional, etc.)
Example:
“Rank Math Tutorial” shows 30 monthly searches.
It also highlights the search intent (informational), which is great to know before writing content.
3. Ahrefs Keyword Generator
Most know Ahrefs as a premium tool — but their Keyword Generator is a useful free option.
📍 Link: Ahrefs Free Keyword Generator
You can do keyword research for:
- Bing
- YouTube
- Amazon
It uses the Alphabet Soup method — showing keyword suggestions based on A-Z combinations with your main keyword.
Difficulty Scale:
- 0–10: Easy
- 11–30: Medium
- 30–70: Hard
Example:
“Rank Math Tutorial” shows difficulty: 14 (medium) and volume: 30.
4. Keyword Surfer (Chrome Extension)
Unlike the others, this is a browser extension that shows keyword data directly in Google search results.
📍 How to Use: Install “Keyword Surfer” from the Chrome Web Store
Features:
- Search volume
- Related keywords
- Article length
- Keyword usage count
- Estimated site traffic
Example:
“Rank Math Tutorial” shows 20 searches/month.
Missing one thing: domain authority. Otherwise, it’s a great real-time tool.
5. WordStream Free Keyword Tool
WordStream is a known name in SEO and PPC. Their free tool lets you explore keywords either by keyword input or URL.
📍 Link: wordstream.com/keywords
Highlights:
- No account needed
- Choose country & industry
- Enter a site URL to see what it’s ranking for
Example:
“Rank Math Tutorial” shows 140 monthly searches, which is the highest on our list.
They pull data from Google and Bing’s APIs, which may explain the higher numbers.
6. SearchVolume.io
This is a no-frills tool made by SEO.ai — perfect if you just want monthly search volume and nothing else.
📍 Link: searchvolume.io
You can enter multiple keywords (one per line), select a country, and hit submit.
Example:
“Rank Math Tutorial” shows 30 searches/month.
7. Google Keyword Planner
This is one of the most trusted keyword tools out there — and for good reason.
📍 Access: Google Ads account > Tools > Keyword Planner
Why it’s great:
- It’s the original source — many other tools pull data from Google’s API
- You get hundreds of keyword ideas
- You can filter by location, language, or keyword type
- No usage limits
Example:
“Rank Math Tutorial” search shows a range: 100–1,000 monthly searches
🔍 Want exact numbers? Run a small Google Ads campaign (as little as $1) and you’ll unlock precise data instead of ranges.
Which Tool Was the Most Accurate?
We compared the tools using one keyword: “Rank Math Tutorial”. Then we checked the actual average monthly search volume in our Google Search Console, which was 124.
Here’s the comparison:
| Tool | Search Volume |
|---|---|
| WordStream | 140 |
| Google Planner | 100–1,000 |
| Ahrefs | 30 |
| HOTH | 30 |
| Ryan Robinson | <20 |
| SearchVolume.io | 30 |
| Keyword Surfer | 20 |
🏆 Most Accurate:
- WordStream
- Google Keyword Planner
🎯 Best Overall: Google Keyword Planner — because of its accuracy, features, and unlimited usage.
Bonus Tools & Keyword Opportunity Tip
✅ Answer Socrates – (AnswerThePublic Alternative)
This free tool helps you discover:
- Real user questions
- Keyword comparisons
- Alphabet-based keyword suggestions
📍 Link: answersocrates.com
It pulls from:
- Google Suggestions
- People Also Ask
- Google Trends
One search gives you dozens of content ideas, without any usage limits.
✅ How to Find Keyword Gaps Using Google Search Console
- Go to Performance > Pages
- Choose a page
- Switch to Queries
- Sort by impressions
If a keyword has high impressions but low clicks:
- Improve your page to better match the query
- OR write a new post targeting that keyword more specifically
Your own data often reveals the best keyword opportunities — especially for established blogs.
Final Thoughts
There are lots of free keyword tools out there — but you don’t need to use them all.
Just pick one that gives you reliable search volume, then:
- Check competition manually by Googling the keyword
- Understand the intent before writing
- Keep your content focused and helpful
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