Keyword Research tools can help you get more visits to your website in 2025. These tools are specialised platforms that can analyse the search engines for the search behaviour, trends, patterns, and high-performing keywords. As search is changing fast, and AI is taking place all over. These tools can be the best buddy you can get while preparing your SEO strategies.
There are thousands of tools available online promising to simplify your SEO workflow. However, while choosing one of these tools, you have to make sure that these keyword research tools are effective, loaded with features, and not too heavy on your pocket. Here, we will learn about four of the best SEO keyword research tools along with their features.
What Are Keyword Research Tools?
A Keyword Research Tool is a sophisticated free or paid platform offering important keyword metrics like search volume, keyword gaps, competitor keyword analysis, cost per click, and more. With a keyword research tool, you can easily find relevant keywords based on your target audience and niche.
- There are many keyword Research tools available online, such as Ahrefs, Moz, Semrush, SurferSEO, which are more popular names prevalent in the market
- Keyword research tools offer competitive intelligence, anti-competitive marketing trends forecasting, and more.
- You can create high-quality content that matches search intents and fills content gaps with AI
- You can monitor website performance and optimize Local SEO for your site.
- Get smart AI supports like AI content detectors, humanizers, automated interlinkings, and more with smart Keyword Research tools.
The Best Free Keyword Research Tools For 2025
Let us check some of the best Free Keyword research tools for a better SEO strategy.
1. Semrush: Best All-in-One Advanced SEO Tools
Semrush is one of the most popular keyword research tools, offering you full-scale SEO campaigns, competitor analysis, paid keyword, organic keyword research, SEO audit, backlink analytics, writing assistance, and more.
Semrush is best suited for Advanced SEO professionals, offering granular keyword data for your site. Semrush is an overpowered tool considering every aspect of Advanced SEO in just a single tool.
Features of Semrush
- Semrush provides in-depth keyword research tools, including keyword overview, keyword magic, keyword gap, and more.
- You can perform complete site audits, rank tracking, a content marketing toolkit, and more.
- Semrush offers competitive analysis and PPC insights.
- You can analyse the backlinks of any domain profile
- Semrush also offers AI-driven tools and enterprise features in 2025.
Pros
- Semrush provides extensive SEO, content marketing tools, and PPC insights.
- You can keep up with all the latest trends in SEO with Semrush.
- It offers a rich dataset and granular reporting
- It is an excellent tool for competitor analysis and an all-in-one SEO strategy platform
Cons
- Semrush can be an expensive option for beginners or small businesses.
- It can be a bit overwhelming, especially for beginners, due to a completely loaded dashboard.
- There are reports of discrepancies or gaps in the data being displayed in Semrush, which might not be a good factor.
- It offers fewer data based insights for non-English regions.
Pricing
These different pricing slabs in Semrush come with additional features like AI search audit, AI Search tracking, prompts to track for LLMs, and more. Make sure you check which price slab offers you the features you need for your SEO strategy.
| Pro | $117.33 per month |
| Guru | $208.33 per month |
| Business | $416.66 per month |
| Free | Free trial (10 analytics reports and 10 tracked keywords in a day) |
2. Ahrefs: Best for Backlinks & Competitive Insights
Ahrefs is one of the best keyword research tools, particularly for backlink analysis and competitive intelligence. You can check what people want on the internet, what is holding you back and track your growth on Ahrefs. The Ahrefs platform is completely built and optimised for search and AI.
Features of Ahrefs
- You can dominate AI search, track brand mentions, citations, and more across AI chatbots on Ahrefs
- Get competitive intelligence to reveal what competitors are targeting, reveal their strategy, and anticipate market trends
- Get high-quality content marketing matching search intent and fill in content gaps with AI.
- Monitor your website health anytime you want in real time for free
- Free trial versions are available for users.
Pros
- You can start on Ahrefs for free, accessing crucial features.
- The Ahrefs platform is completely optimised for AI-based search, including sentiment matching, competitive intelligence, content marketing, and more.
- Get industry-leading backlink data and analysis
- Get rich keywords and SERP insights for strategic keyword and content planning.
Cons
- Ahrefs pricing might be a bit expensive for beginners, small businesses, and bloggers
- It offers rich dashboards loaded with features can be overwhelming for beginners
- It might fail to capture long-tail keyword data
Pricing
| Lite | $129 per month |
| Standard | $249 per month |
| Advanced | $449 per month |
| Enterprise | $1499 per month |
Read More: What is Keyword Optimization in SEO? Complete Explanation For Beginners
3. Google Keyword Planner: Best Free Keyword Research Tool
The Google keyword planner is a free tool especially for beginners, pay-per-click advertisements, and more. Anyone who is looking for an open-source, free option can try Google Keyword Planner. You can easily research and accumulate keyword ideas, search volume data, competition levels, forecasting, and more at no cost.
Features of Google Keyword Planner
- Google Keyword Planner is suitable for keyword discovery and suggestion based on seed terms, especially for PPC.
- You can find search volume estimates, bid ranges, competition metrics, and more.
- Best forecast tool for budget and campaign planning
- You can build keyword lists and share them with collaborators
Pros
- The complete Google Keyword Planner is available at no cost with a Google Ads account.
- This tool is designed as an alternative to a Google Ad campaign
- It provides extensive keyword data based on Google searches.
- Get a working idea for keyword demands and PPC spend.
Cons
- There is no exact volume count, as it appears as a range using Google Ads spend
- It is not tailored for organic SEO practices
- The interface might be complex for beginners
- No focus on specific niche needs, and only suggests generic keywords
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4. SurferSEO: Best AI-Enhanced Content Optimization
SurferSEO is one of the best keyword research tools if you are looking to boost visibility on Google, ChatGPT, and more. Surfer gives you a complete workflow to make sure that your content is visible everywhere.
Features of SurferSEO
- SurferSEO is completely optimised for Google and AI chats
- You can insert internal links automatically for your site
- Get an AI content detector, much needed for a publisher, educator, or content manager
- Get an AI content humaniser and complete SEO at your fingertips
Pros
- It offers real-time keyword suggestions along with SERP analysis and topical maps.
- Surfer offers on-page optimisation tools aligned with the answer engine preferences.
- It offers user user-friendly interface and fast setup suitable for beginners as well
Cons
- High pricing barrier, especially for beginners, bloggers, and small businesses.
- It lacks in offering border SEO data when compared to Semrush and Ahrefs.
Is ChatGPT A Next Best Keyword Research Tool?
ChatGPT is a smart LLM and Natural language-based chatbot model developed by OpenAI, capable of generating responses to prompts and questions. ChatGPT is very much capable of brainstorming, especially for long tail keywords and conversational ideas, far better than other keyword research tools available online.
- ChatGPT can guide you through building structured workflows, teaching you how to use Search Console APIs, regex queries, filter search terms, and even more.
- ChatGPT can offer you an instant response based on a deep analysis of websites available online, particularly your competitors’.
- You can simplify concepts into plain language and gain a quick foothold in the SEO market.
Challenges Ahead For ChatGPT
- ChatGPT, unlike other SEO tools such as Ahrefs, Semrush, and Google Keyword Planner, does not provide real search volume, competition scores, keyword difficulty ratings, and more.
- ChatGPT can often hallucinate on data, giving keyword ideas with no backing metrics and incorrect information.
- ChatGPT often suffers from outdated knowledge and limited updates
Also Read:
- What is Keyword Density? Is it Important for SEO?
- What is Keyword Optimization in SEO? Complete Explanation For Beginners
- What Are Branded Keywords? 11 Smart Ways To Use Them
- Keyword Stuffing in SEO: What It Is & How to Avoid It
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Keyword Research Tools FAQs
Q1. What are keyword research tools?
Ans: Keyword research tools are platforms used to discover high-ranking and potential keywords for Search engine optimisation and marketing discovery.
Q2. Which is the best keyword research tool?
Ans: Ahrefs, Moz, Semrush, Google Keyword Planner, Semrush, and Google Trends are some of the best keyword research tools available online.
Q3. Is Google Keyword Planner free?
Ans: Google Keyword Planner is a free keyword research tool, especially focused on advertisers investing in pay-per-click-based advertisements.
Q4. Can I use Semrush for Free?
Ans: Smeursh offers a free trial version with limited access to its features, which can be used to understand the offerings of this tool.
