Top 7 SEO keyword research tools for agencies

All successful SEO campaigns are based on accurate and comprehensive data. And that process starts with the right keyword research tools.

Of course, you can manually collect keyword data yourself. But while you’re saving the cost of a premium tool, manual keyword research is costing you money

A good SEO keyword research tool eliminates a lot of the guesswork. Here are seven popular and time-tested SEO tools that will get you well on your way to dominating your market.

1. Google Keyword Planner

Screenshot from Google Keyword Planner, January 2023

Google Keyword Planner is a favorite.

It is free, but since the information comes directly from the search engine, it is reliable and trustworthy. It’s also flexible, allowing you to:

The tool is easy to access and available as a web application and via API, and it costs nothing; All it needs is a Google Ads account.

There are also some things you need to know when using this tool.

First, they are estimates based on historical data. This means that if trends change, it won’t necessarily be reflected here.

Google Keyword Planner also can’t tell you much about the SERP itself, such as what features you can capitalize on and how the feature converts.

As part of Google Ads, the PPC experience can help you gain more insights. You’ll find trends at a demographic or specific level, such as a city, region or large city.

Google Keyword Planner also tends to combine data for similar keywords. So if you want to know if [keyword after me] is better than [keywords after me], you’ll need a different tool.

Finally, the tool uses broad definitions of words like “competition,” which doesn’t tell you who’s ranking for the term, how much they’re investing in maintaining that ranking, or how likely it is to take away their coveted top spot. 10 classifications.

That said, it’s a great tool if you want to get a quick look or get fresh ideas, use an API and build your own tools, or just do other tasks yourself.

2. Keyword.io

Cost: Free, $29/month and $49/month.

If Google’s Keyword Planner isn’t enough, but you’re on a tight budget, Keyword.io might be the alternative you need. It also has different features.

Keyword.io uses autocomplete APIs to pull basic data from various sites and search engines, including Google, Amazon, eBay, Bing, Wikipedia, Alibaba, YouTube, Yandex, Fiverr, and Fotolia. This is perfect for niche customers and to meet specific needs.

It also includes a Question/Aim Builder, an interactive topic explorer, and a general topicality tool.

In its user interface (UI), you’ll find an easy-to-use filter system and a chart that includes competition, search volume, CPC and other details about your chosen keywords.

It has some limitations, however.

You can run up to 20,000 keywords with a limit of 100 requests per seed (five per minute) or 1000 requests per day (10 per minute) on its paid plans.

Its API access, related keyword tool, Google Ad data and other features are also limited to paid accounts.

3. Semrush

Cost: $119.95 to $449.95 per month.

In its digital marketing suite, Semrush offers a collection of six keyword tools and four competitive analysis tools with a database of over 21 billion keywords.

You can get a complete view of the keywords you’re targeting, including paid and organic search volume, intent, competition, CPC, historical data, SERP analysis, and more.

You’ll get related keywords and questions, as well as tons of tips, ideas, and suggestions for Semrush Magic, Position Tracking, and Organic Traffic Insights tools.

Keyword Planner, however, is where much of the magic happens.

The organic competitor tab makes it easy to spot content and keyword gaps. Expand them and develop clusters that will help you get traffic and conversions.

You can also look at long-tail keyword data and other data to see what Page 1 is saying about competition, difficulty, and opportunities at a broad or hyperlocal level.

The full set of tools is a huge benefit. Teams can collaborate, share information and plan.

Seamless integration lets you integrate your data, meaning teams can easily collaborate, share information and strategize.

And once you’re done, it can track everything you need for a successful digital marketing strategy.

Some of the tools they offer are:

Semrush’s best features when it comes to keyword research are its historical information and PPC metrics.

You can drill down into campaigns and keywords to unlock the secrets of the SERPs and provide agencies or internal teams with invaluable information they don’t normally have access to.

4. Moz Keyword Explorer

Screenshot from Moz, January 2023

Cost: free for 10 consultations per month. $99-$599 per month.

With a database of over 500 million keywords, Moz Keyword Explorer can be a great option if you want to build a strategy rather than just get a quick data view of a few keywords.

Moz has long been a leader in the SEO space.

Constantly updating and improving the Keyword Explorer tool and its other core services, Moz keeps up with trends and is known for providing SEO professionals with the latest tools. And it has done so for more than a decade.

Similar to the Google Keyword Tool, Moz’s Keyword Planner provides information on term difficulty and monthly search volume. It also allows you to drill down geographically.

When you get started, you’ll find a keyword overview that provides monthly search volumes, ranking difficulty, organic click opportunities, and an estimated priority level.

Unlike the Google Keyword Tool, however, Moz gives you data beyond the basics. Think of it like keyword research and SERP analysis.

Moz tends to have fewer keyword suggestions. And like Google’s Keyword Planner, it provides estimates of the range of search data rather than a specific number.

However, the database is updated frequently, so you can be sure to keep up with the ever-changing consumer search habits and rankings.

It’s also easy to use, so teams can quickly tackle marketing tasks like prospecting, tracking performance, identifying problem areas, and gathering page-level insights.

Moz also offers a number of other tools to help you target your website and get ahead of the competition, but we love its keyword research and flexibility.

5. Ahrefs Keyword Explorer

If I had to describe Ahrefs in one word, it would be power.

Enter a word in the search box and you’ll be presented with several panels that can tell you everything you want to know about that keyword.

Total search volume, clicks, difficulty, SERP features and even volume-difficulty distribution. And although it may seem like a lot, all the information is well organized and clearly presented.

Ahrefs provides terms in a parent-child topic format, giving terms context so you can easily learn about the terms (eg intent), while identifying overlap and making everything easy to find and understand.

These topics appear when you search for a related term, including the term’s SERP ranking, SERP result type, first page ranking difficulty scores, and user-provided SERP snapshot. You can expand or narrow everything by country or language.

Ahrefs can be a bit expensive. It may be difficult for agencies to scale if they prefer a few user or client accounts, but it’s still one of the best and most reliable keyword research tools on the market.

What I really like about Ahrefs is that it’s deep. It has one of the largest databases of all tools available (19.2 billion keywords, 10 search engines and 242 countries at the time of writing), and is updated regularly.

It makes international SEO strategies easy and covers everything from Google and Bing to YouTube and Amazon.

They also clearly explain their metrics and database. And that level of transparency means trust.

Other tools in the suite include:

6. SERanking

Screenshot from SERanking, November 2022.

Cost: $23.52-$239 per month, depending on rank verification and payment frequency.

SERanking shines as a keyword research tool within an overall SEO tool. SERanking helps you reduce costs while providing features that allow agencies to meet the unique needs of clients.

One of the first things you’ll notice when you log in is its intuitive user interface. But this tool is not just another cute online tool.

SERanking’s US database has indexed 887 million keywords, 327 million US domains and 3 billion backlinks. And this does not include its extensive European and Asian databases.

The Overview page provides a robust view of data, including search volume, CPC, and difficulty score.

SERanking also provides lists of related and low-volume keywords if you need inspiration or suggestions, as well as long-tail keyword suggestions with information on SERP characteristics, competition levels, search volume, and other details you need to know to identify new opportunities. .

Of course, identifying keywords is only the beginning of the mystery. How do you convert keywords? SERanking provides key tools to help you answer this question.

In organic results you can find out who the competition is and see who is buying search ads, as well as details like estimated traffic levels and ad copies being used.

This allows you to see what works, gain insights about users searching for those terms, and generate new ideas to test.

SERanking offers agency features such as white labeling, report generators, lead generator and other features that you may find helpful.

However, one of the features that agencies can find most helpful in their keyword research is SERanking’s massive keyword analysis, which allows you to run thousands of keywords and download full reports of all relevant terms.

Other tools in the SERanking Suite include:

SERanking is cheaper than other tools, but it comes at a cost.

It’s not as robust as some of its competitors and it’s not accomplished in the same way, but it still provides the features and data you need to create a successful SEO strategy.

And with flexible pricing, this tool is worth considering.

7. BrightEdge Data Cube

If you’re looking for an AI-powered digital marketing toolkit that includes a quality research tool, BrightEdge might be the right choice for you.

Unlike other tools that focus on providing data and ways to analyze that data, BrightEdge looks to do the time-consuming analysis for you.

Among our search, content, social, local and mobile solutions, you’ll find Data Cube: an AI-powered content and keyword tool that uses natural language processing to find related topics and keywords.

You’ll also find DataMind, an AI that helps you discover search trends, changes in consumer behavior, and important competitor moves you need to know about.

Together, they make keyword research, topic creation, content strategy creation, and solidifying your SEO plans quick and easy.

After entering a topic or broad keyword, the tool will provide you with keywords, search volume, competition levels, keyword value, universal list and word count per phrase.

Filter the results based on a custom set of criteria to narrow down the list and get the information you need.

Once you have a list, select the ones you want to keep and download or use with other BrightEdge tools to create complete strategies and learn more.

This can include competitor analysis, SERP features, intent, or other tasks.

For agencies offering local SEO, BrightEdge also offers HyperLocal, which helps you find and track keywords and keyword performance at the local level.

Once you’re done, give your Leads and Tracking tools a chance to track your progress and deliver the information they care about to your customers.

Perhaps the coolest feature for agencies is its Storybuilder: a reporting tool that lets you create rich client reports that provide clients with insights and the data they care about.

If it sounds like the right tool for you, the company provides demos, but there are a few things to keep in mind.

First of all, it is only updated once a month. And while the company keeps prices close to the box office, this set of digital marketing tools is a significant investment. It might not be the best choice if keyword research is the only thing you need.

Second, although the tools are very sophisticated and refined, there is a learning curve to get started.

You’ll also find that features like keyword tracking are limited, and setup can be time-consuming as some tweaks require technical support.

Finally, BrightEdge’s keyword research tool doesn’t let you dig too far into the weeds and doesn’t include PPC traffic.

That aside, it’s easy to scale for agencies and larger brands, has a beautifully designed UI, and looks great to clients.

The Best Agency SEO Keyword Research Tools

This list contains just seven of the many tools available today to help you do your keyword research like an expert.

But no matter what tools we share with you or what they are, it’s important to understand that they are not flawless.

Each tool has its own unique strengths and weaknesses, so choosing a platform usually depends on the types of clients you work with and your personal preferences.

The truth is, chances are you’ll prefer to work between a few tools to get everything you want.

Google Keyword Planner and Keyword.io are the main options when you want to take a quick look at the data or export the data to work elsewhere. You may also want to use this data with the other tools mentioned in this chapter.

Ahrefs, Moz, Semrush and BrightEdge are much more robust and better suited for agency SEO tasks.

While not free (although all but BrightEdge offer free plans or a trial), they allow you to dig deeper into the search space, ultimately resulting in more traffic, more conversions, and stronger SEO strategies. These benefits take more time and often come with a learning curve.

Right now, the most important keyword research tool you have access to is you.

Keyword research is more than choosing the keywords with the highest search volume or the phrase with the lowest cost per click (CPC).

It is your expertise, experience, knowledge and insights that turn data into digital marketing that you can be proud of.

Featured image: Paulo Bobita/Search Engine Journal

What is the easiest way to find keywords?

Free Keyword Research Tools

• Google Keyword Planner.
• Google Trends.
• Keyword Tool.io.
• Term Explorer.
• Moz’s Keyword Difficulty Tool.
• SEMrush.
• Ahrefs
• Growth Bar

How can I get a list of keywords? Using Google Search Console you can get a complete list of all the keywords your website is ranking for. Open Google Search Console, click on the performance tab and scroll down to see your list of queries.

What is Simple Keyword Search? Keyword search returns results based on the words and phrases used in the search. The results list will display all items in the ANU Library collection that match your search query. As shown in this video, you can search for single keywords or combine words into key terms or phrases.

Does Google still use keywords for SEO?

When did Google stop using keywords? Google’s Matt Cutts said he stopped using the meta keywords tag in 2009! Google and other major search engines quickly realized that this was no way to determine the most relevant content.

Does Google use keywords for SEO? Does Google ever use the keywords meta tag in its web search ranking? In a word, no. Google sells a Google Search Appliance, which has the ability to match meta tags, which keywords may contain meta tags. But that’s a completely separate business search tool from our main web search.

Are keywords still relevant to SEO in 2022?

Conclusion. It’s safe to say that keywords and phrases are critical to your SEO content marketing strategy in 2022. They can be very effective when applied correctly to website and blog content.

Are keywords still important in SEO 2022? Keywords remain relevant in 2022. Make sure your web pages are keyword optimized so that they are properly indexed in search engines and increase visibility. Keyword research is essential to help you understand who your potential customers are and what they are searching for.

Do keywords matter more for SEO? In 2021, keywords are still important and useful in SEO, but they are not the most important factor. This is because SEO is much more complex than putting keywords on a page. Also, since SEO is always changing with search engines constantly updating their algorithms, marketers need to change how they use keywords.

Do meta keywords matter 2022?

Suffice it to say; In 2022 you shouldn’t spend time adding meta keywords to your website. Google doesn’t use them to determine ranking signals, and it doesn’t provide any additional value to users – making them obsolete in SEO.

Are meta tags obsolete? Google confirms that Keyword Meta Tags are deprecated. Smaller organizations with fresh web pages that want to start with maximum impact.

Can Meta Keywords Hurt SEO? Meta keyword tags are dead in terms of SEO value. Meta keywords are ignored by search engines. This means that they will offer no value in terms of SEO ranking.

Does Google still look at keywords?

Google and other search engines no longer consider keywords in the meta tag, but they are smart enough to know which keywords and phrases have been used in the page content, title and meta description. Ignore keywords as all meta tags together and focus on your titles, descriptions and page content.

Does Google already use your keywords? The first question asked is, “Does Google ever use the keywords meta tag in its web search rankings?†The answer? no “Our web search (the popular Google.com search used by hundreds of millions of people every day) completely ignores keyword meta tags.

Are keywords still relevant to SEO?

Keywords are necessary for SEO because they help search engines know what your page is about. Between your on-page and off-page SEO, these keywords come in different ways to help your optimization efforts.

Does Google still analyze keywords? Google and other search engines no longer consider keywords in the meta tag, but they are smart enough to know which keywords and phrases have been used in the page content, title and meta description. Ignore keywords as all meta tags together and focus on your titles, descriptions and page content.

Why do keywords still matter in SEO?

Keywords are important to Google and SEO professionals for a number of reasons, but here are two big ones. Keywords give us clues about who people are and what they want, allowing us to better meet their needs. Keywords can provide a ‘bullseye’ to which marketers can focus their content.

Why are keywords still so important for SEO? Keywords provide information about your pages Keywords are necessary for SEO because they help search engines know what your page is about. Between your on-page and off-page SEO, these keywords come in different ways to help your optimization efforts.

Who is king of SEO?

Creating, editing, and promoting unique, high-quality content is difficult and time-consuming. But at the end of the day, the golden rule of SEO is that content is king. It’s not for a search engine, but for your site visitors. A page read by people is better than a page read by robots.

Why is content the king of SEO? Because it makes money. Much of Google’s value comes from its ability to decide what users should consume. Google can only do this by successfully connecting searchers with content they find engaging and relevant.

Is content still king in SEO? In 1996, Bill Gates coined the phrase ‘Content is King’. It’s been 25 years since then, but many digital marketing experts still believe that content is king. Does content rule the world of digital marketing? Content will definitely be king in 2022.

What is most important for SEO?

Page speed has been cited as one of the top SEO ranking factors for years. Google wants to improve users’ web experience, and fast loading web pages will do just that.

What is the king of the page in SEO?

Well-written content attracts the reader, increases search engine rankings and traffic, and increases the chance of quality links from other sites. Here’s a look at each of the three main benefits of quality content.

What is king in SEO? Several factors influence the ranking. Search engines constantly analyze the weighting for different factors. However, experts agree that the content of a website is one of the most important criteria for ranking in search engines. Therefore, ‘content is king’ in the SEO industry.

What is the most important on page SEO?

On-page SEO is important because many of the signals Google uses to rank web pages come from on-page elements. The most important thing is the content of the page itself. Since on-page elements are what your users engage with the most, it’s worth a lot of effort to make sure your on-page SEO is working well.

What is more important on-page SEO or off-page SEO? SEO is most effective when working with both, as Google uses ranking factors that occur both on and off your pages. Depending on your needs, you can sometimes focus more on one of these types of SEO. But you probably shouldn’t focus on just one of them all the time.

Can you learn SEO in 3 months?

Experts say it usually takes one to three months to learn the basics of SEO and a year or more to fully master the practice. The amount of time it takes to learn the basics of SEO depends on several factors.

How many days will it take to learn SEO? If you can learn SEO for a couple of hours every day, then you can master SEO basics in 4-8 weeks and get your first SEO job in 3-6 months. If you can learn SEO full time, then you can master the basics even in 1-2 weeks.

Can I learn SEO in a month? Although it’s a career-long journey, you can actually learn SEO in about a month – enough to make a big impact on your website and therefore your business as a whole.

How many months does SEO take to work? SEO should show results within 6 to 12 months. By results, we mean a measurable increase in traffic and related leads or conversions.

Is SEO difficult to learn?

SEO isn’t that hard to learn, but it can be confusing and overwhelming to get started. Learning SEO means learning about a long list of individual digital marketing strategies, which can be like adding new weapons to your arsenal as you learn to use them.

Can you teach yourself SEO? It is possible to learn how to do SEO on your own, you don’t need to be an SEO specialist or expert. The first thing to note is that SEO is not difficult. If others can do it, so can you. It takes time and desire to learn.

Is SEO job stressful?

Any job can be stressful depending on the type of performance your company requires. The same goes for SEO-related jobs. However, it is not as stressful as other IT or programming related jobs.

Is SEO a long-term career? So yes, SEO can be an amazing career option today, especially if you are passionate about all things internet. Keep in mind that you will need to keep learning and mastering your skills all the time, as search engines are constantly tweaking their algorithms.

Should I work on SEO? ‘Yes. SEO is a good career option as there are the most in-demand careers in the field of digital marketing. There are many organizations all over the world that hire SEO professionals to create better content and thus generate more lines of business.

Do I need coding skills for SEO?

The short answer is: no, SEO usually doesn’t require much (or any) hands-on coding. You can do great SEO work without touching the code. But the long answer is yes, knowing how programming works, or even the ability to do a bit of coding yourself, is always a useful skill.

Is SEO easier than programming? There is no easy answer to this question as it depends on one’s preferences and preferences. Programming is a more technical field, while SEO involves more marketing and advertising. Both jobs have pros and cons, so ultimately it depends on what interests you and what you want to achieve.

Does Coding Help SEO? An SEO with coding skills can break that deadlock. Coding skills allow an SEO to implement solutions that enhance templates, CSS, and JavaScript. For example, many templates ship with liberal use of headers for things that don’t need a header element, such as sidebar navigation.

Why is SEO so difficult?

It’s a very complex set of tasks and, to top it off, SEO changes dramatically all the time, so the basic best practices are often very similar from year to year, but there are always nuances, new additions, new options, new ways. search engines are changing the way results look like…

Why is SEO so complicated? SEO itself is a complicated discipline. It combines a wide range of tools, best practices that evolve from time to time and constantly adapt to Google’s updates. The main reason for the complexity we are experiencing now is the many changes made to Google’s algorithms, such as: Broad Core Algorithm Updates.