Keyword research, whether you love it or hate, is one of the most important aspects of internet marketing and plays a huge role in the SEO and PPC decisions you make when marketing your business and products online.
Unfortunately, keyword research is somewhat like a handed down recipe from your grandma, mainly based on feel than perfectly measured methods for success. In this article, we look at 6 tools that can help demystify the keyword research process and hopefully make it easier to find the ideal keywords to incorporate into your marketing campaign.
Google Keyword Planner
Now we know this seems obvious, but no list of keyword tools would be complete without Google’s mighty Keyword Planner. When used correctly, this is one of the most powerful tools in your arsenal for finding primary and secondary keywords.
It allows you to enter a bunch of variables, such as the name of the product/service you sell, your landing page, a product category, your competitor’s URL, and a few others. Based on what you enter, it will generate a bunch of ideas on what keywords you should be targeting with your SEO strategies and PPC campaigns.
KeywordTool.io
KeywordTool is a free software that uses Google’s Suggest API to generate a list of long-tail keywords for you to target. It is very simple to use, and only requires you to enter a few details, such as a search term, the search engine you’d like to run it through, and the language you want results to show up in.
Once you’ve done that, the app will spit out a very useful list of long-tail keywords that you may struggle to generate using just Google’s Keyword Planner or another similar tool. You can also upgrade to a Pro version which provides more in-depth info.
Google Trends
If you’re not using Google Trends to inform your keyword-related decisions, you best start. Not only does it allow you to see the biggest search trends relative to your industry, but it also allows you to compare them to see exactly which ones are worth chasing.
Now you might be thinking “most keyword tools allow you to compare multiple keywords and assess their search traffic.” And you’re right. So, how does Google trends set itself apart? Mainly in the detail it provides. Not only does it show you which keywords attract more traffic, but it can also show you where those searches are being made, how search volume for each trend has changed over time, and much more
Soovle
Soovle is another great free tool to add to your keyword research tool kit. It allows you to compare search terms over multiple platforms, including Google, Bing, Yahoo, Youtube, Amazon, Wikipedia, and many more.
It can auto-generate a bunch of ideas based on the searches you enter, making it a great tool for the early stages of your keyword planning process.
Ahrefs Keywords Explorer
Ahrefs relatively new tool allows you to make smarter keyword decisions. On top of the expected date (search volume), you also get a breakdown of the first page competition, and how many searches clicked on links.
In addition, Keywords Explorer also provides insights into how many backlinks you’ll need to rank on the first page of Google. This is some pretty great information as you look at the competitive landscape for your keywords.
Google Search
Last but definitely not least on our list of keyword research tools is Google Search. This is undoubtedly one of the most powerful tools you can use to find the right keywords (especially long-tail keywords) relative to your site and industry, and it’s completely free.
Once you’ve got your list of keywords, try entering them into Google with words like how, what, where, when, etc. Then, add an asterisk to the search query to let Google fill in the blanks and automatically show you the most searched for terms using those metrics. So, if you sell tennis equipment for example, your search might look something like “how * tennis equipment,” “where * tennis rackets.” or “what * tennis shoes.”
Hit search and Google will automatically present you with a variety of long-tail keywords that may prove extremely useful in your SEO and PPC campaigns. Just remember to play around with the tool a bit to see what best works for your niche.
Get Help With Your Keyword Strategy
A good SEO professional can assist you with keyword research to ensure that you are targeting the right topics to connect with your customers and grow your business. To get help with your keyword research click here.
