Keyword research is one of the first jobs to be done with any new client. Before publishing a new page or planning a campaign, I need to know how people in your market search, how they phrase searches, and whether those specific results leave room for your website.
This guide is for small marketing teams, business owners doing their own SEO, or people starting out in SEO. It covers the tools worth knowing, what each is good at, where each falls short, and how to combine them without paying for more than you need.
Updated October 2026: rewritten and checked against current versions of each tool, with new screenshots. I’ve added Google Search Console and Google Trends, and merged in two older guides on keyword research and SEO tools.
Quick verdict: the best keyword research tools by use case
- Best all-round keyword research tool:Ahrefs. It has a large keyword database, useful metrics beyond search volume, and strong competitor analysis. It’s priced for people who use it regularly though.
- Best value all-in-one: SE Ranking. It covers keyword research, rank tracking and competitor analysis for much less than the premium suites. I use this daily.
- Best for content planning: AnswerThePublic and AlsoAsked. They show the questions people ask around a topic, which is useful for building outlines and FAQs. This is good if you have a clear niche and want to ensure all subtopics are being covered.
- Best for competitor and PPC research: SpyFu. It shows the keywords your competitors have bid on and ranked for.
- Best free starting point: Google Search Console and Google Keyword Planner. Search Console shows what your site already appears for. Keyword Planner gives demand estimates from Google’s own data.
How I Evaluate Keyword Research Tools
Decision making matters more than precision
No keyword tool gives exact search volumes. They all estimate, using different data and methods, so the same keyword can show quite different numbers in different tools. What matters is whether a tool points you in the right direction: which terms have more demand than others, which are growing or falling, and where a realistic opportunity sits. I judge tools on whether their data helps me make better decisions, not on whether the numbers match Google’s to the last search.
Geo-specific data
For UK businesses this is the most common trap. Many tools default to the US database, and US volumes are often many times higher than UK volumes for the same phrase. A keyword that looks worth targeting in a US export may barely register in the UK. Before you add any term to a plan, set the tool’s location to the United Kingdom and the language to English (UK) wherever it allows.
Usability
Most tools look impressive in a demo. The real test is daily use. How quickly can you go from a seed keyword to a usable list? Does the interface slow you down? Are the advanced features useful, or just there to justify the price? For SMEs, I favour tools that help with the jobs you’ll do every week: finding local opportunities, understanding competitors, and planning content.
What SMEs should prioritise
Prioritise good UK coverage, ease of use and clear outputs over the size of the database. You can safely ignore millions of irrelevant international keywords, enterprise features built for large agencies, and anything that needs weeks of training before it’s useful. The best tool for an SME is one you feel comfortable using – there is no correct choice.
The best keyword research tools in detail
1. Google Search Console
Search Console is the one tool on this list that shows real data about your own website. Its Performance report lists the search queries your pages appeared for, with impressions, clicks, click-through rate and average position.
That makes it the best place to start keyword research (for an existing site at least). Look for queries where a page gets plenty of impressions but few clicks, or ranks on page two. These usually mean Google already links the page to the topic, but the page doesn’t match the searcher’s wording or intent closely enough. A better title, a clearer section or a new supporting page can often move these faster than targeting a brand new keyword.
Key Features & Considerations
- Best for: Any business with a website that’s been live for a few months or more.
- Standout feature: First-party data on the queries your site already appears for. No other tool can show you this as accurately.
- Limitations: It only shows queries you already appear for, so it can’t help with topics you haven’t covered yet. Google also hides some low-volume queries for privacy, as well as some queries that generate clicks – annoying, I know.
- Pricing: Free with a Google account once you’ve verified your site.
Website: https://search.google.com/search-console
2. Google Ads Keyword Planner
Keyword Planner sits inside Google Ads and gives estimates from Google’s own data: search volume, trends, and cost-per-click ranges. It was built for advertisers, but it’s a useful starting point for SEO too.
You can narrow results to specific countries, or even regions and cities – so you can check demand for something like “accountants in smethwick” before committing to a page.
There are two things to be aware of. First, if you don’t run Google Ads campaigns, or spend very little, you’ll usually see broad volume ranges such as 100 to 1,000 rather than specific figures. Second, it often groups similar keywords together and reports one combined volume, so it can’t always tell you which phrasing people prefer. It also doesn’t show what the search results look like, so always follow it with a live search.
Key Features & Considerations
- Best for: New businesses and SMEs wanting a free, Google-sourced starting point, especially if they also run or plan to run Google Ads.
- Standout feature: Data straight from Google, with forecasts for ad spend and traffic.
- UK focus: You can target specific countries, regions and cities.
- Pricing: Free with a Google Ads account. Precise volumes generally need active ad spend.
Website: https://ads.google.com/home/tools/keyword-planner
3. Ahrefs
Ahrefs is a full SEO platform and one of the strongest keyword research tools available. Its Keywords Explorer goes beyond search volume. It shows estimated clicks (useful when results pages answer queries directly), keyword difficulty, and a Parent Topic that tells you whether a keyword is better targeted as part of a broader page.
Its competitor gap analysis lets you enter your site and several competitors to see the keywords they rank for and you don’t. For a local business, that quickly shows which topics nearby competitors have covered that you’ve missed.
Ahrefs also offers Ahrefs Webmaster Tools, a free account for site owners. It shows the keywords your own verified site ranks for, plus a site audit. It’s a good way to try Ahrefs’ data before paying.
Key Features & Considerations
- Best for: SMEs that need in-depth competitor analysis and are serious about SEO. Its Amazon and YouTube keyword data also helps ecommerce businesses.
- Standout feature: Competitor gap analysis, plus click estimates that show how much traffic a keyword is likely to send.
- UK focus: Strong UK database and results-page coverage.
- Pricing: Premium. Paid plans are at the top end of this list, with a free Webmaster Tools option for your own site.
Website: https://ahrefs.com
4. Semrush
Semrush is an all-in-one marketing platform that’s particularly strong for businesses running SEO and PPC together. Its Keyword Magic Tool is good at finding long-tail keywords and grouping them into topic clusters, with filters for intent, difficulty and search result features.
For a professional services firm, you can see the keywords you might target in organic search and what competitors are bidding on in Google Ads, all in one place.
Key Features & Considerations
- Best for: Teams and agencies wanting one platform for SEO, PPC and content, with strong reporting.
- Standout feature: The Keyword Magic Tool’s filtering and grouping, plus its keyword gap tool.
- UK focus: Strong UK data, with local rank tracking down to city level.
- Pricing: Premium, priced similarly to Ahrefs.
Website: https://www.semrush.com
5. Moz Pro (Keyword Explorer)
Moz has been around for a long time, and Moz Pro is one of the easier professional tools to learn. Keyword Explorer adds an Organic CTR estimate and a Priority score that combines volume, difficulty and click-through rate into one number. That helps you decide quickly which keywords to tackle first.
Moz Pro also includes rank tracking and site audits, so a small team can cover the basics with one subscription. If you’re new to the terminology, my SEO glossary explains the common terms.
Key Features & Considerations
- Best for: Small teams and marketing managers who want a capable all-in-one tool without a steep learning curve.
- Standout feature: The Priority score.
- UK focus: Reliable UK keyword data, which is enough for most local businesses.
- Pricing: Mid-range. Its database is smaller than Ahrefs or Semrush, but its learning resources are excellent.
Website: https://moz.com
6. SE Ranking
SE Ranking offers keyword research, rank tracking, competitor analysis and site audits at a noticeably lower price than the premium suites. For many UK SMEs it hits the right balance of features and cost.
Its local rank tracking is particularly useful. You can monitor positions for specific locations and compare your visibility with local competitors.
Key Features & Considerations
- Best for: SMEs, small agencies and growing teams that want an all-in-one toolkit without a premium price.
- Standout feature: Share of Voice in the rank tracker, which shows your visibility against competitors rather than just individual positions.
- UK focus: Reliable UK data for national and local research.
- Pricing: Budget to mid-range, with flexible plans.
Website: https://seranking.com
7. Ubersuggest (by NP Digital)
Ubersuggest is a simple, low-cost tool aimed at beginners. It shows the essentials (volume, difficulty and cost-per-click) in a clear format, and can show which keywords and pages bring competitors the most traffic.
Its database is smaller than the premium tools’, but it gives enough to get a basic SEO plan started.
Key Features & Considerations
- Best for: Sole traders and small businesses wanting an affordable, easy introduction to keyword research.
- Standout feature: It has offered a one-off lifetime payment option, which can suit light, occasional users. Check whether it’s currently available and the refund terms before buying.
- UK focus: You can set the UK as your target location.
- Pricing: Budget, with a limited free version.
Website: https://neilpatel.com/ubersuggest
8. Mangools (KWFinder)
KWFinder is Mangools’ keyword tool, and one of the easiest to use. It’s best at finding long-tail keywords with lower competition, and shows a preview of the current search results next to each keyword so you can judge the competition without opening another tab.
Key Features & Considerations
- Best for: Small businesses and freelancers looking for achievable, lower-competition keywords.
- Standout feature: A clear difficulty score based on the strength of the pages currently ranking.
- UK focus: Location targeting down to region and city level.
- Pricing: Budget to mid-range. It’s sold as a bundle with Mangools’ other tools, and lower plans have daily lookup limits.
Website: https://mangools.com/kwfinder
9. SpyFu
SpyFu is built around competitor research. It shows the keywords a domain has ranked for and bid on, going back many years, along with the ads competitors have run.
That makes it useful before you spend your own money. You can see which keywords competitors have kept paying for over time, which usually means they convert.
Key Features & Considerations
- Best for: SMEs and marketing managers focused on PPC and competitor analysis.
- Standout feature: Ad history, showing the ads competitors have tested over the years.
- UK focus: Covers the UK and US.
- Pricing: Budget to mid-range, with generous search and export limits.
Website: https://www.spyfu.com
10. AnswerThePublic
AnswerThePublic shows the questions, comparisons and phrases people search for around a topic, based on search engine autosuggest data. It groups them by question type (who, what, why, how and so on), which makes it quick to build a content outline or FAQ section.
It doesn’t give you reliable volume or difficulty data, so check its ideas in a volume tool before acting on them.
Key Features & Considerations
- Best for: Content writers and marketing managers planning blog posts, guides and FAQs.
- Standout feature: Visual grouping of questions by type.
- UK focus: You can set the UK as your location.
- Pricing: A limited free plan, with paid plans for more searches.
Website: https://answerthepublic.com
11. AlsoAsked
AlsoAsked maps Google’s “People Also Ask” questions and shows how they connect. One question branches into related follow-up questions, which gives you a ready-made structure for a page that answers what searchers want to know next.
It’s a UK-founded tool and supports city-level locations, so you can pull questions for Leicester, Nottingham or Derby specifically.
Key Features & Considerations
- Best for: Content planning and building pages that cover a topic thoroughly.
- Standout feature: Multi-level question maps.
- UK focus: Strong, with city-level targeting.
- Pricing: A free tier, low-cost paid plans, and pay-as-you-go credits for occasional use.
Website: https://alsoasked.com
12. KeywordTool.io
KeywordTool.io generates long-tail keyword ideas from the autosuggest features of several platforms, including Google, YouTube, Bing and Amazon. It’s useful if your customers search on platforms other than Google.
The free version is fine for brainstorming. Search volume and competition data need a paid plan.
Key Features & Considerations
- Best for: Ecommerce businesses that also sell on marketplaces, and anyone working on YouTube.
- Standout feature: Multiple platforms in one interface.
- UK focus: Supports Google UK and many other countries.
- Pricing: Free for ideas. Paid plans are mid-range to high for what they offer.
Website: https://keywordtool.io
13. SISTRIX
SISTRIX is a German SEO platform widely used in the UK and Europe. It’s best known for its Visibility Index, a single score that tracks a site’s search visibility over time. Its historical data is particularly useful for seeing how a market or competitor has changed.
Key Features & Considerations
- Best for: Businesses operating across the UK and Europe, and anyone who wants long-term historical data.
- Standout feature: The Visibility Index.
- UK focus: Strong UK data and long historical records.
- Pricing: Mid-range to enterprise, with a limited free version for quick checks.
Website: https://www.sistrix.com
14. Google Trends
Google Trends doesn’t give search volumes. It shows how interest in a search term changes over time, compared with its own peak. That makes it the best free tool for spotting seasonality, rising or falling demand, and regional differences.
For example, a gardening business can see when interest in its services starts building each spring, and a retailer can see when shoppers start researching gifts. Use it alongside a volume tool: the volume tool tells you how much demand there is, and Trends tells you which way it’s moving.
Key Features & Considerations
- Best for: Checking seasonality and trend direction before planning content or campaigns.
- Standout feature: Comparing several terms over time and by UK region.
- UK focus: Set the location to United Kingdom, or a specific nation.
- Pricing: Free.
Website: https://trends.google.co.uk
15. Google Autocomplete
Google Autocomplete is built into the search box. As you type, Google suggests completions based on what people commonly search for. It’s a prediction system rather than a raw feed of searches, but it reflects real search behaviour and adjusts by location.
Type “accountants in Leicester” and look at the suggestions that follow. Modifiers like “for small business” or “near me” show how customers phrase their searches. It gives no volumes, but it’s a good way to check the natural language your customers use.
Key Features & Considerations
- Best for: Quick checks of how people phrase searches, and finding long-tail and question variations.
- Standout feature: Instant, location-aware suggestions.
- UK focus: Tailored to UK searches when you search from the UK.
- Pricing: Free.
Website: https://www.google.co.uk (just start typing in the search box)
16. Surfer
Surfer is a content optimisation tool rather than a traditional keyword tool. It analyses the pages that rank for your target keyword and suggests related terms, topics and structure to include.
It answers a different question: “I know which keyword I’m targeting, but what should the page cover?” That makes it useful alongside a volume tool such as Ahrefs or Semrush, and a sensible input when planning a group of related pages (a content hub).
Key Features & Considerations
- Best for: Teams producing regular blog content or resource pages.
- Standout feature: The Content Editor, which scores your draft against the pages already ranking.
- UK focus: Supports UK search results, though it’s more content-focused than location-focused.
- Pricing: Mid-range, based on how many pages you need to optimise.
Website: https://surferseo.com
17. Bing Webmaster Tools
Bing Webmaster Tools is Microsoft’s equivalent of Google Search Console. It shows which queries bring visitors to your site from Bing, and includes a keyword research tool with Bing search volumes.
Bing’s UK share is much smaller than Google’s, but it’s free, and some B2B audiences use Bing more because it’s the default on many work computers. You can verify your site quickly by importing it from Google Search Console.
Key Features & Considerations
- Best for: Businesses wanting to cover Bing as well as Google, particularly B2B companies.
- Standout feature: Free Bing-specific keyword and performance data.
- UK focus: UK data for Bing searches.
- Pricing: Free with a Microsoft account.
Website: https://www.bing.com/webmasters
18. WordStream Free Keyword Tool
WordStream’s free tool generates keyword ideas and groups them into themes. It was designed for PPC, but the grouping is also handy for early SEO planning. It doesn’t have the depth of paid tools, but it’s quick and simple.
Key Features & Considerations
- Best for: Beginners and anyone wanting quick, free keyword ideas.
- Standout feature: Automatic keyword grouping.
- UK focus: You can select the UK as your location, though local detail is limited.
- Pricing: Free, with limited daily searches.
Website: https://www.wordstream.com/keywords
19. ChatGPT (as a research aid)
ChatGPT and similar AI assistants are useful for thinking around a topic: suggesting angles, listing the questions a type of customer might have, and grouping keywords into clusters. They can now search the web, but they still don’t have reliable search volume or difficulty data.
Use them to expand and organise ideas, then check the results in a proper keyword tool. For example, once you know “wedding venues Leicestershire” has demand, an AI assistant can help list the questions couples ask when choosing a venue. A keyword tool then tells you which of those questions people actually search for.
Key Features & Considerations
- Best for: Brainstorming, mapping questions to stages of the buying process, and drafting content briefs.
- Important caveat: Never use it as your only source. Treat any volume figures it gives as unreliable.
- Pricing: Free version available, with paid plans for heavier use.
Website: https://chat.openai.com
Comparison of the 19 keyword research tools
| Tool | Core features | Price | Best for | What sets it apart |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Search Console | Queries, impressions, clicks, positions for your own site | Free | Any business with a live site | Real data on what your site already appears for |
| Google Keyword Planner | Volume ranges, trends, CPC, location targeting | Free | Advertisers and first checks | Google’s own demand data |
| Ahrefs | Keywords Explorer, Site Explorer, gap analysis, audits | Premium (free Webmaster Tools) | SEO professionals and serious SMEs | Click estimates and competitor gap analysis |
| Semrush | Keyword Magic Tool, keyword gap, PPC research, tracking | Premium | Teams running SEO and PPC | SEO and PPC data in one place |
| Moz Pro | Keyword Explorer, rank tracking, audits | Mid-range | Small teams and learners | Priority score and learning resources |
| SE Ranking | Keyword research, rank tracking, audits | Budget to mid-range | SMEs and small agencies | Value for money and local tracking |
| Ubersuggest | Keyword ideas, difficulty, competitor top pages | Budget | Beginners and sole traders | Simple interface, low cost |
| Mangools (KWFinder) | Long-tail research, results preview, difficulty | Budget to mid-range | Long-tail and local research | Ease of use |
| SpyFu | Competitor organic and PPC history, ad history | Budget to mid-range | Competitor and PPC research | Years of competitor ad history |
| AnswerThePublic | Question and phrase visualiser | Freemium | Content planning | Questions grouped by type |
| AlsoAsked | People Also Ask mapping | Freemium, credits | Content planning | Multi-level question maps, city targeting |
| KeywordTool.io | Autosuggest across Google, YouTube, Amazon, Bing | Free ideas, paid data | Marketplace and YouTube research | Multiple platforms in one tool |
| SISTRIX | Keyword research, Visibility Index, historical data | Mid-range to enterprise | UK and EU analysis | Visibility Index and history |
| Google Trends | Relative interest over time and by region | Free | Seasonality and trend checks | Shows the direction of demand |
| Google Autocomplete | Live search suggestions | Free | Checking customer wording | Built into Google |
| Surfer | Content Editor, results analysis | Mid-range | Content teams | Scores drafts against ranking pages |
| Bing Webmaster Tools | Bing queries and keyword research | Free | B2B and Bing coverage | Bing-specific data |
| Wordstream | Keyword ideas with grouping | Free | Quick brainstorming | Automatic grouping |
| ChatGPT | Ideas, clustering, content briefs | Free / paid | Brainstorming and planning | Strategic thinking, not data |
Prices change often, so check each provider’s site for current plans.
Which Keyword Research Tool Is Right for You?
If you’re an SME or consultant managing SEO yourself
Start with Google Search Console and Google Keyword Planner. Between them they show what your site already appears for and where there’s wider demand. Add Google Autocomplete and Google Trends to check wording and seasonality. If you outgrow the free tools, SE Ranking or Moz Pro are sensible first paid tools. Ahrefs or Semrush make sense once you need deeper competitor analysis.
If you produce a lot of content
Use a volume tool such as Semrush or Ahrefs to choose your topics. Then use AnswerThePublic or AlsoAsked to find the questions to answer, and Surfer to check your page covers what the ranking pages cover. An AI assistant can help turn the findings into content briefs.
If competitor insight is your priority
SpyFu is the strongest choice for competitor PPC history. Ahrefs’ and Semrush’s gap tools show the organic keywords competitors rank for and you don’t. If you operate across the UK and Europe, SISTRIX’s Visibility Index is a reliable way to compare competitors over time.
If you’re on a tight budget
The free tools cover a lot: Search Console, Keyword Planner, Google Trends, Google Autocomplete, Bing Webmaster Tools and Ahrefs Webmaster Tools. Add the free tiers of AnswerThePublic, AlsoAsked and Ubersuggest for question research and keyword ideas, and you can run serious keyword research without paying anything.
Common mistakes when choosing keyword research tools
Overvaluing search volume
A keyword with 10,000 monthly searches dominated by national brands is usually worth far less to a local SME than one with 200 searches and clear local intent. Volume is one input. Competition, intent and relevance to what you sell matter more.
Not checking the search results
Search volume doesn’t tell you how many people will click. Before targeting a keyword, search for it on Google and look at the results page. If an AI Overview, a featured snippet or a “People Also Ask” box answers the question directly, fewer people will reach any website, however well it ranks. If the results are all product pages, a blog post probably won’t compete. If they’re all local businesses, a national guide will miss what searchers want. Build the type of page the results show Google expects.
Treating keyword tools as strategy
Keyword research tools are instruments, not strategies. They show you what people are searching for, but they don’t tell you what content to create, how to position your business, or which opportunities align with your goals. The most expensive tool won’t compensate for lack of strategic thinking.
Paying for features you won’t use
Enterprise tools bundle features built for large agencies, such as tracking across dozens of countries, white-label reports and API access. Most SMEs need solid keyword research, basic rank tracking and some competitor analysis. Work out which features you’d use every week before you pay for a plan.
Do you need more than one keyword research tool?
When one tool is enough
For many SMEs starting out, one well-chosen tool plus the free Google tools is enough. A local business focused on nearby customers can often manage with Search Console, Keyword Planner and Autocomplete. If you can afford one premium platform, Ahrefs, Semrush or Moz Pro covers keyword research, rank tracking, audits and competitor analysis in one place.
When combining tools makes sense
Different tools are good at different things, and their volume estimates often disagree. For important keywords, check two sources. Keyword Planner gives you Google’s own figure, and a paid tool adds competitor and difficulty data. Treat the gap between them as a range rather than picking one number. A common combination is one main platform for volumes and competitors, a question tool like AlsoAsked or AnswerThePublic for content, and Surfer for page optimisation. Each tool should do a distinct job rather than duplicate one you already pay for.
Final thoughts
The right keyword research tool isn’t the one with the most features or the highest price. It’s the one that fits your goals, budget and time. Whatever you choose, the aim is the same: connect what potential customers search for with what your business offers.
Key takeaways
- Start with your own data. Search Console shows what your site already appears for, and is often where the quickest improvements are.
- Use UK data. Set every tool to the United Kingdom before trusting its numbers.
- Check the results page. Volume shows demand, not clicks. Look at what Google actually shows before committing to a keyword.
- Don’t skip the free tools. Keyword Planner, Trends, Autocomplete and the free tiers of the question tools can take you a long way.
- Combine tools on purpose. Use each for what it does best.
From research to action
Choosing a tool is the first step. The value comes from acting on what it shows. Start with a short list of keywords that are relevant to your core services, have reasonable demand, and face competition you can realistically beat. Create a page that properly answers what those searchers want, track how it performs, and adjust. SEO takes time, but steady work builds traffic that turns into enquiries.
If you’d rather not work through the tools yourself, keyword research is where every SEO campaign I run begins. I look at your business, your competitors and your market to find the searches worth targeting, then turn them into pages and campaigns. Get in touch for a no-obligation chat about how I can help.
