Keyword research

Keyword research tools show what people type into search engines and roughly how often. They answer two questions at the start of any page: is there demand for this topic, and how do people phrase it? The second question matters as much as the first, because the words a searcher uses tell you what they expect to find.

The tools in this category come at the problem from different sides. Google Keyword Planner gives volume ranges from Google's own advertising data. Google Trends shows whether interest is rising, falling or seasonal, and where it is strongest. Question tools such as AnswerThePublic and AlsoAsked pull from autocomplete and People Also Ask boxes, so they reveal the questions around a topic rather than its volume. Browser extensions put volume data next to the results you are already looking at.

Volume is only one input. A keyword with modest volume and clear intent often brings better visitors than a broad term that mixes several meanings. Before you target a phrase, search it yourself and look at what ranks. If the results are all product pages and you plan a guide, or the other way round, the keyword is telling you something about intent that no number will.

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6 AI SEO tools in keyword research

Google Keyword Planner

by Google

Google Ads tool that suggests keywords and shows search volume ranges, free with a Google Ads account.

  • Free plan or free version

AnswerThePublic

by NP Digital

Turns one keyword into the questions, comparisons and phrases people type around it, drawn from autocomplete data.

  • Free plan or free version

AlsoAsked

Maps the People Also Ask questions Google shows for a search, as a tree of related questions.

  • Free plan or free version

Keywords Everywhere

Browser extension that adds search volume and related keyword data next to Google results and other sites.

  • Chrome extension

KWFinder

by Mangools

Mangools' keyword tool, aimed at finding lower-difficulty keywords with volumes and SERP details.

Google Trends

by Google

Free Google tool that shows how interest in a search term changes over time and by region.

  • Free plan or free version

Difficulty scores estimate how hard it is to reach the first page, usually from the links pointing at the pages that rank now. They help sort a long list, but they are each tool's own model. A site with strong topical coverage can often rank for terms marked as hard, and a new site can struggle with terms marked as easy.

AI assistants have changed research too. People now ask longer, conversational questions, and some of that demand never shows up as a typed keyword. Question tools and your own sales or support conversations are good sources for that phrasing. Group related keywords into topics, write one strong page per topic, and keep the list in a spreadsheet you can update.

A simple way to work: collect ideas from question tools and your own customer conversations, check demand in Keyword Planner or a suite, look at the live results for intent, then group the survivors into topics. Revisit the list every few months with Search Console, which shows the queries your pages already appear for. Those are often the easiest wins, because Google has already connected your site with the topic and a better page can lift the clicks you get from it.

Questions about keyword research

Is Google Keyword Planner accurate enough for SEO?

It shows ranges unless you run ads, and it groups close variants together. It is still Google's own data, so it is a useful anchor. Pair it with Google Trends for direction and with question tools for phrasing.

What is the difference between AnswerThePublic and AlsoAsked?

AnswerThePublic expands a keyword into the questions and phrases found in autocomplete suggestions. AlsoAsked maps the People Also Ask questions Google shows for a search, as a tree of related questions. One is wider, the other follows how Google links questions together.

How many keywords should one page target?

One main topic, plus the close variants and questions that share the same intent. If two keywords bring up very different results, they usually need different pages.

Are free keyword tools enough to start?

For a new site, often yes. Google Keyword Planner, Google Trends, Search Console and the free tiers of question tools give enough to plan a first set of pages. Paid databases help most when you research competitors at scale.

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