Keywords are an essential part of any Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategy and keyword research is at the core of Pay-Per-Click (PPC) marketing and SEO practices. No matter how cool or awesome your website looks and functions, without using the right keywords, your website is just an idle showpiece. Using the right keywords is the key to success in the online space. Keyword research isn’t just about finding a long-tail keyword with high search volume and low competition, it is all about the phrases and questions that your potential customers are using online to find answers, products, services- basically solutions for their problems. Simply put, if you’re not using the right keywords on your website, people won’t be able to find what they are searching for and you’re potentially endangering your business in this digital-first world. This is why you need to do keyword research properly using the best free keyword research tools.

However, with all the best free keyword research tools available online, it can be challenging to figure out which tool is ideal for your business. If you’re looking for the right keyword research tool to power up your keyword research game, it is time for you to know about these best free keyword research tools in 2022. These tools will help you get the right keyword that you need for success in the online space.

What are keywords?

If you’re an SEO fresher, you need to understand what keyword and keyword research are. Basically, keywords are the phrases and words that people type into a search engine like Google, Bing, YouTube, Firefox when they are looking for something (product, service, or answers) online. For example, if I’m looking to improve your business’s online presence, I might type in 

Or, if I want to take my pet cat to a hospital, I would search:

  • Pet hospitals near me
  • Best pet hospitals in Bangalore
  • Veterinary hospitals in Bangalore

These are called keywords. Based on the keywords, the search engine algorithm helps the user match with the content that will best answer their needs. 

What is keyword research and why is it important?

Now, imagine what happens if people search for something like this on google, and your website comes up on the search results, your business would be booming right? This is why you need to do proper keyword research in 2022. Keyword research is what you do to identify the phrases and popular search terms that are used by your target audience. Good keyword research done using the best keyword research tool gives you the best set of keywords that you can use on your website to target your customers or clients. By using the right keywords in your digital marketing strategy and SEO, you will eventually reach a wide variety of audiences and get a high volume of traffic on your website. 

But all these depend on the tool that you use for keyword research and how well you do it. There are a lot of keyword research tools on the market that have their own unique features and pros. We have listed some of the best free keyword research tools that you can use for your keyword research. 

Best free keyword research tools in 2022

SEMRUSH

Key Features:

  • Auditing
  • Performance metrics
  • Campaign management
  • Analytics
  • Social Media management
  • Content management
  • Competitor analysis
  • Rank tracking
  • Link building

Languages supported:

  • SEMrush supports 8 languages including English, Spanish and Chinese.

Pros:

  • SEMrush offers a suite of tools to help you with your content strategy and develop your SEO and marketing efforts. 
  • All the data and features in SEMrush are highly reliable.

Cons:

  • You need to subscribe to a paid plan to access all the features.
  • The interface can be a little overwhelming to new users. 

Customer support:

  • Phone
  • Email
  • Training

Pricing:

  • Free plan with all the basic features.
  • Pro plan- $99.95/month (billed annually)
  • Guru plan- $191.62/month (billed annually)
  • Business plan- $374.95/month (billed annually)

SEMRUSH Website

MOZ

Key Features:

  • Rank tracking
  • Keyword research
  • Link building
  • Data visualization
  • Custom reports
  • Competitor analysis
  • Localization
  • Content Management system

Languages supported:

  • English

Pros:

  • Easy to use interface and dashboard.
  • Fast onboarding for a new user.
  • Best for small businesses.

Cons:

  • Campaigns have limits tied to your membership cost.
  • Most good features are tied to the Moz Pro plan. 

Customer support:

  • Email
  • Training

Pricing:

  • Standard- $99/month
  • Medium-$149/month
  • Large-$249/month
  • Premium-$599/month

Moz Website

GOOGLE KEYWORD PLANNER

Features:

  • Keyword research
  • Keyword trends
  • Budget planning
  • Performance forecast
  • Localization

Languages supported:

  • Supports multiple languages.

Pros:

  • Solid user experience.
  • Simple interface that is easy to use.
  • It even suggests how much you should be spending to have an effective Google Ad.

Cons:

  • Broad or Phrase matches were removed in 2019 to the dismay of many.
  • The average monthly search volume that you get is a rounded average and it is not as accurate as many expect it to be.

Pricing:

UBERSUGGEST

Features:

  • Campaign management
  • SEO management
  • Revenue management
  • Link management
  • Google Analytics Integration
  • Link Analytics
  • Keyword research

Languages supported:

  • Ubersuggest supports 9 languages including English, Japanese and French.

Pros:

  • You can get basic SEO features for free without signing up.
  • Signing up gives you access to more than enough relevant data to run a successful SEO campaign.
  • The interface is user-friendly and beginner-friendly.
  • Pricing plans are less costly when compared to other keyword research tools.

Cons:

  • The free account limits your number of daily searches.

Customer support:

  • Email support

Pricing:

  • Individual- $12/month or $120 for lifetime 
  • Business- $20/month or $200 for lifetime
  • Enterprise-$40/month or $400 for lifetime

Ubersuggest website

With the right tool, you can easily discover the right keywords that are worth pursuing. All these tools mentioned above are the best of the best and are used by most of the top companies that you can think of. Each of these tools has something to offer you to establish an effective SEO campaign that beats your competitors, drives traffic to your website, and improves search engine rankings. We hope this best free keyword research tools guide has helped you get a clear view of different keyword research and know which tool is ideal for you.