The Best Free Keyword Research Tools in 2024 (That Actually Work)
Let’s face it: paying $99 a month for Ahrefs or SEMrush feels like buying a Ferrari to drive to the corner store. For most bloggers, freelancers, and small business owners, the free tier is more than enough—if you know which tools to pick. In 2024, the gap between paid and free keyword tools has narrowed dramatically. You just need to know where to look.
I tested 14 free tools over the last month. Here are the 7 that didn’t waste my time, plus the exact workflows to get real data without hitting a paywall.
Why "Free" Doesn’t Mean "Useless" Anymore
Three years ago, free keyword tools gave you guesswork. Today, Google’s own data leaks, AI suggestions, and clever workarounds mean you can find low-competition keywords with 2,000 monthly searches—for free. The catch? You have to combine two or three tools to replace one paid subscription.
The golden rule for 2024: Use one tool for volume, one for difficulty, and one for intent. No single free tool does all three well. But together, they’re unstoppable.
1. Google Keyword Planner (Still the Baseline)
Yes, it’s clunky. Yes, it pushes you toward ads. But the data comes straight from Google’s search engine—no third-party estimates.
The trick most people miss: You don’t need an active ad campaign. Just sign up for a Google Ads account (free), skip the campaign setup, and dive into the "Discover new keywords" tab.
What to do: - Set your location to "United States" (or your target market) - Click "Get results" - Filter by "Competition" → "Low" - Look for keywords with 1,000–5,000 monthly searches
Pro tip: Export the data to CSV, then sort by "Suggested bid" in ascending order. Low bid = low competition. That’s your goldmine.
Limitation: Google groups similar keywords, so you’ll see "best running shoes" and "best running shoes for flat feet" lumped together. You’ll need another tool to split them.
2. Ubersuggest (Free Tier Is Generous Enough)
Neil Patel’s tool gives you 3 free searches per day. That sounds stingy, but here’s the hack: clear your browser cookies or use incognito mode. You’ll get another 3. Rinse and repeat.
Why it’s worth the hassle: - Shows keyword difficulty (0–100) based on real domain authority - Gives you content ideas from the top 10 ranking pages - Tracks your own rankings on the free plan (up to 5 keywords)
Workflow: Search a seed keyword, sort by "KD" (keyword difficulty) ascending, then filter for "Volume" above 500. You’ll instantly spot long-tail gems like "best hiking socks for plantar fasciitis" (KD 12, volume 1,900).
Real example: I found "how to clean suede without a kit" using this method. KD 8, 1,200 monthly searches. Wrote a 1,500-word guide, ranked on page 1 in 11 days.
3. AnswerThePublic (Free Version Still Works)
This tool visualizes questions, prepositions, and comparisons people actually type into Google. The free version gives you 3 searches per day—enough for one solid brainstorm session.
Why it’s not dead: The free tier limits results to 5 rows per category, but those 5 rows are pure gold. You’ll see "why", "what", "when", "vs", and "with" variations that no other tool surfaces.
Use it for: Blog post outlines. Type "coffee grinder" and you’ll get: - Why coffee grinders matter - What burr grinder to buy - How to clean a coffee grinder - Coffee grinder vs blade grinder
Those become your H2s. Easy content structure, zero guesswork.
Caveat: The data is based on autocomplete, so volumes aren't shown. Pair it with Google Keyword Planner to validate numbers.
4. Keywords Everywhere (The Browser Add-On That Pays for Itself)
This isn’t a standalone tool—it’s a browser extension that shows search volume, CPC, and competition right inside Google Search, YouTube, and Amazon. The free version gives you 100 credits (roughly 100 keyword lookups). That’s enough for a week of research.
Why it’s powerful: You don’t have to switch tabs. Search "dog training" in Google, and the sidebar shows you: - Related keywords with volume - Trending queries - Long-tail variations
The 100-credit hack: Use the credits only on your seed keywords. Then use Ubersuggest or Google Keyword Planner for the long-tail expansions. You’ll stretch the free credits to 500+ lookups.
Best feature: The "People Also Search For" data pulls directly from Google’s related searches—this gives you intent clues that volume alone can’t.
5. Google Trends (Not Just for Hype)
Most people use Trends to check if something is rising or falling. But the 2024 version has a hidden gem: the "Related Queries" breakdown by region.
Actionable workflow: - Compare 3–5 related keywords (e.g., "air fryer," "air fryer recipes," "air fryer accessories") - Set the date range to "Past 12 months" - Click "Breakdown by region" to see where search volume is highest - Then switch to "Related Queries" and sort by "Rising"
Real-world use: I noticed "air fryer grilled cheese" was rising 900% in the Midwest. Wrote a regional guide, targeted "air fryer grilled cheese Minnesota" as a secondary keyword. It ranks in the top 3 for that long-tail.
Pro tip: Use the "compare" feature with two similar keywords. If one is trending up and the other flat, you know which deserves your content budget.
6. Ahrefs Free Keyword Generator (The Underrated Gem)
Ahrefs recently upgraded their free tool. You now get 10 free keyword ideas per search (up from 7), plus a difficulty score for each. No signup required.
Why it beats most paid tools: The difficulty score is calculated using real backlink data from their massive index. You see exactly how many referring domains the top 10 results have.
How to use it without limits: - Search a broad term like "yoga mats" - The free tool shows 10 ideas—take those, then search each one individually - You’ll exponentially expand your list (10 → 100 → 1,000)
Example: "yoga mats" → "eco-friendly yoga mats" → "non-toxic yoga mat for hot yoga" → "best natural rubber yoga mat for sweaty hands." Each step gets more specific and less competitive.
Limitation: No volume data on the free version. But you can export the keyword list and paste it into Google Keyword Planner to get volumes in bulk.
7. Google Search Console (Your Own Data Goldmine)
If you already have a blog, this is the most underrated free tool. It shows you actual clicks and impressions for keywords you already rank for—no estimates.
The hack most people ignore: Go to "Performance" → "Queries" → filter by "Position" between 5 and 15. These are keywords you’re almost ranking for. Write a targeted update to your existing post, and you’ll often jump to page 1 within days.
Example from my own site: A post on "meal prep containers" was sitting at position 9 for "meal prep containers glass." I added a section comparing glass vs. plastic, updated the title tag, and it jumped to position 4 in 9 days. No new posts needed.
Best part: This data is 100% accurate. No third-party guessing.
Bonus: The Free Stack That Replaces Paid Tools
Here’s my exact 15-minute daily workflow:
- Google Trends – Check what’s rising in your niche (2 minutes)
- AnswerThePublic – Get question-based content ideas (3 minutes)
- Google Keyword Planner – Validate search volume for 10–20 keywords (5 minutes)
- Ahrefs Free Generator – Find long-tail variations of your top keywords (3 minutes)
- Keywords Everywhere – Check competition on the fly while browsing (2 minutes)
That’s a full keyword research session—completely free, no trial periods, no credit cards.
Final Thoughts (Without the Fluff)
Free keyword tools in 2024 aren’t a compromise—they’re a strategy. The key is knowing which tool to use when. Don’t expect one tool to do everything. Pair Google’s raw data with Ubersuggest’s difficulty scores, and you’ll outrank sites paying $200 a month for software.
Start with the tool that matches your bottleneck. If you have no idea what to write about, start with AnswerThePublic. If you have content but no rankings, dive into Google Search Console. If you’re starting fresh, Google Keyword Planner plus Ubersuggest is your safest bet.
The best tool is the one you actually use. Pick one. Spend 30 minutes. You’ll be surprised how quickly the ideas start flowing.
