A central factor in any SEO campaign is keyword research. SEO doesn’t typically provide immediate results, so you need to know your work will eventually produce the desired outcomes. Targeting search terms with low volume will be unproductive, focusing your attention on keywords that audiences are not interested in. Conversely, you could choose popular keywords, but face an uphill battle trying to leapfrog some authoritative sites.
A vital part of keyword research is finding a tool that produces useful and accurate data. There are numerous keyword research tools available, designed as isolated products or integrated into broader SEO suites. The following tools are among the best options for gaining data you can use in your SEO campaigns.
KWFinder is a popular tool that shows factors like search volume, search volume trend, and cost per click, with the option of filtering by country, city, and language. You are also given a keyword difficulty rating, making it easy to asses whether a keyword is worth pursuing. While you can get limited data for free, the premium plans offer more searches and comprehensive information.
Moz Keyword Explorer is a typical keyword tool in many ways, but it has a few excellent features that help it stand out. Organic CTR estimates the number of clicks you can expect from a keyword, factoring in elements like paid ads and rich snippets that will reduce the click-through rate. Difficulty assesses the level of competition you face for a search term. Priority looks at metrics like Organic CTR, search volume, and difficulty in discovering the terms with the most potential.
KeywordTool.io covers several different search engines. You can gather information from the autocomplete feature on search engines including Google, Bing, Amazon, YouTube, and more. The tool provides a huge number of keywords, even finding popular hashtags across social media sites. You will, however, need to upgrade to a paid plan to get data like search volume and cost per click.
SECockpit is a premium product that has great potential for anyone serious about SEO. A beginner might struggle to get the best from the tool, with numerous filtering options and a higher price than many competitors. If you want to be able to gather a huge list of keywords from a variety of sources, filter them in great detail, and set up campaigns to track your work, SECockpit is an excellent option.
SEMrush is an established product that covers more than just keyword research. The tool has tracked a huge number of keywords and websites over a long period. It is then able to do more than simply provide a list of keywords and some basic data. You can see which terms your competitors are ranking for, with access to their landing pages. This data can be used to focus only on the keywords that are likely to bring quality results.
The Google Keyword Planner is aimed at advertisers, but you can still get help with your SEO campaigns. Search volume data can be found in all tools, but it is useful to get it directly from Google. Additionally, you can analyze the expected advertising costs, with expensive keywords likely to be profitable if you can gain a good ranking.
Jaaxy is designed primarily for affiliate marketers looking to get a wide variety of keyword options. Along with searching for keyword recommendations, you can also uncover new niche ideas with little competition. Jaaxy provides the common traffic stats, but also shows how many other sites are trying to rank for each specific keyword.
For anyone performing SEO with any regularity, a keyword research tool will become a go-to product. Dedicating time to building engaging content and promoting a page will be frustrating if you find you focused on the wrong keyword. Many keywords have limited search volume or are too competitive, so it is important to perform thorough research first. However, each of the listed keyword tools can set you up for success with your SEO campaigns going into the future.
