One of the essential steps in SEO is conducting keyword research. This process helps you figure out which words or phrases to use on your website to attract more visitors. As a business owner, you might not want to invest in an expensive SEO tool, but don’t worry—there’s a great free option that can help you get started. In this blog post, I’ll introduce you to my favorite free keyword research tool and show you how it compares to its paid version.
Why Keyword Research Matters
Before diving into the tool, let’s quickly cover why keyword research is so important. Keywords are the words and phrases people type into search engines when looking for information, products, or services. By using the right keywords on your website, you increase the likelihood of your site ranking higher on search engine results pages (SERPs), driving more organic traffic to your site.
My Favorite Free Keyword Research Tool: Ahrefs Free Keyword Generator
Ahrefs is a well-known SEO tool in the industry, and they offer a free version of their keyword research tool that’s both accessible and easy to use. Here’s how it works and what you get with the free version:
- Easy-to-Use Interface: You don’t need an account to use Ahrefs’ free keyword generator, and there’s no daily limit on searches, unlike other tools that restrict you to a few searches per day.
- Keyword Difficulty (KD): The tool gives you a keyword difficulty score—classified as “hard,” “medium,” or “easy.” This tells you how competitive the keyword is, meaning how many other websites are trying to rank for the same term.
- Search Volume: In the free version, you’ll see a general range of search volume (e.g., “greater than 10,000” or “over 1,000”). While you won’t get exact numbers, it still provides valuable insight into how popular a keyword is.
For instance, when I searched for “how to build a website,” the tool showed that it has a high keyword difficulty and over 10,000 monthly searches. However, the exact search volume isn’t provided in the free version.
Comparing Free vs. Paid Versions
If you’re wondering whether you need to invest in the paid version of Ahrefs, here’s a quick comparison:
- Paid Version: In the paid version, you get exact numbers for both keyword difficulty and search volume. For example, “how to build a website” has a keyword difficulty of 96 (out of 100), meaning it’s extremely competitive. The search volume is 11,000 monthly searches, compared to the free version’s more general “greater than 10,000.”
- More Details: The paid version provides additional data like the last time the keyword was updated, which is helpful for monitoring trends over time. It also includes related keywords, backlink analysis, and more.
While the paid version offers more detailed insights, the free version is still incredibly useful for getting started with keyword research, especially if you’re not ready to commit to a monthly subscription.
How to Use the Free Keyword Generator
- Pick a Keyword: Start by typing a keyword related to your business into the free tool. For example, if you’re a business coach, you might type in “business coach” to see what comes up.
- Analyze the Results: The tool will display the keyword difficulty and search volume. For “business coach,” the free version showed a “hard” difficulty level and over 1,000 searches a month. While we don’t know the exact number, it’s enough to understand that there’s a good amount of interest in the topic.
- Look for Easier Keywords: Ideally, you want to find keywords that are “easy” to rank for but still have decent search volume. For example, when searching “how to become a business coach,” the tool rated it as “easy” with fewer than 100 searches a month. If you’re just starting, going after these lower-competition keywords can be a smart strategy to get your website ranking faster.
Best Practices for Keyword Research
When doing keyword research, I recommend aiming for keywords with at least 100-500 monthly searches, especially if you’re investing time in creating high-quality content around those terms. However, don’t discount keywords with lower search volume—if you’re targeting a niche market, even smaller amounts of traffic can make a big difference.
It’s also important to consider the competition for each keyword. A keyword with a high search volume but very high competition might be difficult to rank for, while a lower-volume keyword with less competition could be much more achievable.
Conclusion: Free Keyword Research Tools Can Deliver Results
Whether you’re just getting started with SEO or you’re looking for a cost-effective tool, Ahrefs’ free keyword generator is a fantastic option. While the paid version offers more detailed insights, the free tool gives you everything you need to find relevant keywords, understand their difficulty, and start optimizing your site.
If you want to test it out yourself, there’s a link to Ahrefs’ free keyword generator below. And if you have any SEO questions, feel free to drop them in the comments!
By using tools like Ahrefs, you can improve your website’s visibility, attract more organic traffic, and grow your business—all without breaking the bank on paid tools.
