Keywords refer to specific words or word groups that people use to search for information online using search engines like Google.
To make it simple: any words you type into a search engine’s search bar to look for something specific can be considered keywords.
Google itself uses keywords found in a web page’s headings and body text to evaluate its relevance for a search query. So, using commonly searched keywords related to your topic in your content is a good idea. It helps your webpage (or content) appear in search results for relevant search queries.
This is where keyword research tools come in. You’ll need at least one to help you find the best keywords for your next piece of SEO-friendly content.
Free vs Paid Keyword Tools
There are so many keyword tools available in the market. Some are free, and some are paid.
Obviously, paid tools are super helpful if you are serious about SEO. Most of them work more or less the same, so you can choose any well-known tool based on your budget. They all offer estimated search volume, keyword difficulty, and other bonus features like site audits.
But if you are doing SEO as a beginner, using free tools is a good idea—because paid tools can cost anywhere from $150 to $500 a year, even for a starter plan.
So, now the question is-
Which Free Keyword Tool Is Perfect For Beginners?
You can find many great free keyword tools that give keyword ideas, search volume, competition insights and more. However, most of them provide limited access for free users.
The only one that offers the most accurate and reliable search volume range data is Google Keyword Planner. Its data is enriched by Google’s own search data, not third-party estimates. So, it may not show advanced insights like- keyword difficulties, backlink analytics and content ideas, but what it shows is enough to get an accurate idea of your potential keywords.
Google Keyword Planner made its interface simple, easy-to-understand and user-friendly so that anyone can create an ad or generate keyword ideas, even on their first attempt.
To access this powerful keyword tool for free, you only need a Google Ads account (no need to run ads).
The Points Which Google Keyword Planner Made Powerful;
- It shows Google’s own search data. So, it’s real search volume insights. Not estimated.
- Beginner-friendly and clean interface.
- It also provides location and language-based keyword search volume and value.
- It shows keyword feature prediction (Year to Year or three-month change).
- To get all the features for free, you need a Google Ads account (no need to run ads).
Note: Remember, Keyword Planner shows the exact search volume range instead of the exact figure to free users. The exact figure will only be visible if you run ads and have a running ad campaign.
How To Use Google Keyword Planner?
Google Keyword Planner is a user-friendly tool that is very easy to understand. You can easily access this feature by creating a Google Ads account with your Gmail.
After creating a Google Ad account, go to “Tools >> Keyword Planner”. You will see two options.
- Discover new keywords.
- Get search volume and forecasts.
The first one is to find the best keyword idea for your content, depending on search volume, competition level and year-over-year popularity changes.
The second one is to determine the search volume and forecast particular keywords, and it is dedicated to advertisers.
The “Discover New Keywords” section is the best option for content creators and SEO guys who want to increase their organic traffic.
Conclusion:
Google Keyword Planner is the only tool that allows you to get the most accurate keyword ideas, search volume range, and insight for absolutely free. It’s a reliable option to estimate your potential keyword. Still, you should remember that Keyword Planner is designed with advertisers in mind. So, you can’t directly estimate the difficulty of organic keywords from it.
However, as a beginner, you can absolutely rely on a keyword planner for your SEO efforts.
Now, if you have any questions, please write in the comment section.
