What’s the best free keyword search tool to use right now?

General
1

I’m trying to grow a small website and need a reliable free keyword search tool to find low-competition keywords and understand search volume. I’ve tested a few options, but most either limit data heavily or push me to upgrade before I can really use them. What free keyword research tools are you actually using that give decent SEO insights without paying?

2

Short version. Use a combo. No single free tool does everything well.

Here is what works best right now for a small site.

  1. Google Keyword Planner
    Pros
  • Free with a Google Ads account
  • Real search volume ranges
  • Great for seed keywords

Cons

  • Volume is grouped into ranges
  • Data is skewed toward ads terms

How to use

  • Create an Ads account, skip creating a real campaign
  • Use “Discover new keywords”
  • Export keyword list, sort by volume, then eyeball intent
  1. Google Search Console
    Pros
  • 100 percent your own data
  • Shows real impressions and clicks
  • Shows hidden long tails you already “almost” rank for

Cons

  • Only after you have content and some impressions
  • No keyword difficulty metric

How to use

  • Go to Performance
  • Filter by last 3 or 6 months
  • Sort by impressions, then low CTR, then queries on page 2–3
  • Turn those into new pages or upgrades
  1. Ahrefs Free Tools
  • Ahrefs Free Keyword Generator
    • Good for getting keyword ideas and rough difficulty
    • Limited results, but fine early on
  • Ahrefs Webmaster Tools
    • Free site audit and some organic keyword data for your site

Use case

  • Plug in a seed keyword
  • Take the top 50–100 ideas
  • Check which ones have KD 0–10 and search volume 20–500
  1. Keyword Surfer (Chrome extension)
    Pros
  • Shows search volume inside Google results
  • Shows similar terms on the right side
  • Quick sanity check before writing

Cons

  • Volume is rough
  • Data sometimes off for smaller niches

How to use

  • Turn it on, search your main ideas
  • Look for terms with volume but weak pages in SERP
  • Combine with manual SERP checks
  1. manual keyword difficulty check
    Skip paid “KD” if you want. You can eyeball it.
  • Google the keyword
  • Check top 10
    • Are they all big brands or gov / edu
    • Are there forums, Quora, Reddit, small blogs
    • Are titles well targeted or half related
    If you see multiple weak pages or forums, target it.

Simple free workflow

Step 1

  • Use Google Autocomplete and “People also ask” to gather ideas
  • Use Keyword Surfer to grab volumes

Step 2

  • Throw best seeds into Ahrefs Free Keyword Generator
  • Export top 50–100 low KD terms

Step 3

  • Cross check with Keyword Planner for volume ranges
  • Prioritize volume 20–500 where SERP looks weak

Step 4

  • Publish content, then watch Search Console
  • Double down on queries where you sit on page 2–3

If you want only one tool to start, use Keyword Planner plus manual SERP checks. Every other free option is an assistant, not a full replacement for that combo.

3

If you’re trying to live on free tools only, I’d actually start somewhere slightly different than @chasseurdetoiles, even though most of what they said is solid.

The “best” free keyword tool right now for a small site, in terms of pure practicality, is honestly your own SERPs + Search Console + a lightweight freemium tool. Not sexy, but it works.

Here’s what I’d add that they didn’t lean on as much:

  1. Ubersuggest (free version) as a scout, not a bible

    • You get a limited number of searches per day, but for a tiny site that’s usually enough.
    • The volume numbers are often inflated, and the difficulty scores are “meh,” but it’s great for:
      • Finding long-tail variations
      • Seeing what content types rank (guides, list posts, tools, etc.)
    • How I’d use it:
      • Plug in a seed keyword like “budget travel italy”
      • Grab long-tail suggestions that include modifiers like “cheap,” “for students,” “without car,” etc.
      • Then ignore their difficulty scores and check the SERP manually.

  2. Google Trends for sanity checks
    Everyone obsesses about KD / volume, but almost nobody checks seasonality.

    • Before committing to a keyword from any tool, paste it in Google Trends.
    • If it has tiny but consistent interest over time, it’s a safer bet than some “300 searches/month” term that spiked once in 2021.
    • Also helps you pick which version of a phrase to target: “x vs y” when both look similar in volume in other tools.

  3. Reddit + internal search as a “hidden keyword tool”
    This is the part most tools can’t match.

    • Find a subreddit around your niche.
    • Use its search function with broad terms.
    • Look at actual post titles and recurring phrases. These are real problems in real language.
    • Then check those phrases in Google with Keyword Surfer or Ubersuggest to see if they have any measurable volume.
    • If the SERP looks weak and there’s clear user pain, I’d still write it even if tools show “10 searches/month.” Those tools suck at very long tail.

  4. YouTube search as a proxy keyword tool

    • Type your topic in YouTube. Autocomplete is shockingly good at exposing questions and modifiers.
    • If a long-tail phrase shows up in autocomplete and there are videos with decent views, there is search demand somewhere, even if keyword tools say “0.”
    • Take those ideas, write solid blog content, and over time you’ll see in Search Console which exact queries stick.

  5. My honest take on “best single tool”
    If you’re forcing a single primary tool for free:

    • I’d pick Search Console once your site has any data at all, over Keyword Planner.
    • Keyword Planner is fine for seed volume ranges, but I’ve seen it be wildly useless on informational topics where there’s little ad spend.
    • Search Console shows you the actual queries Google thinks you’re relevant for, which is way more actionable for a small site.

So if I had to give you a simple stack that doesn’t just repeat what’s already been said:

  • Main: Search Console (as soon as you have impressions)
  • Idea finder: Ubersuggest free + Reddit / YouTube autocomplete
  • Volume sanity check: Keyword Surfer or Keyword Planner
  • Reality check: manual SERP review, every time

None of these free tools are “accurate” in the strict sense. They’re directional. The real play is:

  • Aim for very specific, long-tail, real-human phrases
  • Validate by looking at the SERP quality
  • Use Search Console to double down where Google already gives you a foot in the door

The low competition keywords you want are usually the ones that every tool underreports, so trusting tools too much is kinda how you lose.

4

The “best free keyword tool” is kind of a trap question. Nothing free is both accurate and unlimited, so your real edge is in how you combine imperfect stuff.

Since a lot of ground is already covered, here are different angles that pair well with what @chasseurdetoiles and the other reply suggested, without just rehashing SERPs + Search Console + Ubersuggest.

1. If I had to pick one starting point: Google Search Console… but used offensively

Everyone says “use GSC,” but most people only use it reactively.

How to turn GSC into a keyword finder:

  • Go to Performance → Search results
  • Filter by last 3–6 months
  • Sort by Impressions
  • Look for:
    • Queries where you are ranking between positions 8 and 25
    • CTR is low but impressions are real

These are:

  • Proof that Google already sees you as somewhat relevant
  • Often signs there are related long‑tails you have not covered

Then:

  • Group those queries by theme
  • Turn them into:
    • Separate support articles
    • Sections / FAQs inside your main article
    • Internal links with those exact phrases as anchors

This gives you “low competition” in practice, because you are expanding what already works rather than gambling on random keywords.

Disagreement angle:
I think relying too heavily on external difficulty scores (even for validation) slows people down. For a tiny site, your “KD” is usually:

Can I outdo the top 5 results in usefulness, clarity, and specificity?

That is something no free metric shows.

2. Brave Search & Bing as sneaky idea generators

Almost everyone stares at Google only. That is a mistake.

Brave Search and Bing autocomplete + “People also ask” style boxes can surface phrasing that does not show up the same way in Google.

Use them for:

  • Variations in wording
  • Extra modifiers people use
  • Regional phrasing that Google sometimes hides

Flow:

  1. Type your seed term into Brave or Bing
  2. Note the autocomplete phrases
  3. Compare those to Google’s autocomplete
  4. Target phrases that:
    • Appear across multiple engines
    • But show very weak Google SERPs

This is particularly good for tech, finance, and software queries where audiences are more likely to use non‑Google engines.

3. Competitor content gap method without paid tools

You can do a lightweight version of “content gap analysis” even without Ahrefs / SEMrush.

  1. Identify 3–5 competitors that:
    • Rank for your core topic
    • Are roughly your size or a bit bigger
  2. Manually crawl their key pages:
    • Their “best of” posts
    • Resource / hub pages
    • Category pages
  3. Extract:
    • H2 / H3 headings
    • Table of contents entries
    • FAQ blocks

Each heading is often a disguised keyword:

  • Turn headings into question or phrase variations you can target
  • Cross check:
    • Autocomplete in Google
    • “People also ask” boxes related to that heading

No fancy tool, just using their editorial choices as keyword research.

This goes further than the approach of just plugging seed keywords into tools, which is where I part ways a bit with the Ubersuggest‑heavy strategy.

4. Real‑world language mining: chat logs & support inboxes

One thing almost nobody does for small sites:

  • If you have:
    • Email questions from readers
    • Chat transcripts
    • Comments on your own posts
  • Mine those exact phrases

Use:

  • Their exact confusing wording as:
    • H2s
    • FAQ questions
    • Long‑tail article titles

Then:

  • Toss those phrases into Google autocomplete just to see if the wording lines up with broader search patterns

This beats chasing “0–10 searches/month” estimates, because you already know someone in your niche talks like that.

5. Thoughts on “best free tool” as a label

If I am forced to name a single “tool” for your situation, I still would not say a classic keyword tool.

I would pick:

  • Google Search Console as the core
  • Supplemented by:
    • Brave / Bing autocomplete
    • Manual competitor heading mining
    • Your own audience language

@chasseurdetoiles leans harder into structured tool use. That works, but if you are truly constrained, a manual, research‑heavy workflow can actually beat shallow usage of 5 different freemium products.

6. Quick sanity formula for low competition picks

Before writing on a keyword, run this simple checklist:

  • Top 5 results:
    • At least 1 thin / outdated / off‑topic page?
    • No ultra‑dominant brand “moat” like government docs or major institutions on all 10 results?
  • SERP type:
    • Actual articles are ranking, not just huge tools or product pages
  • Your angle:
    • Can you add one of:
      • Region / scenario specificity
      • Up‑to‑date information
      • Clear tutorial structure

If “yes” to those, I would write even if tools show tiny volume.

About the empty product title “”

Since there is no actual product name or tool there, I will treat it conceptually as if it were a free keyword research helper you are considering.

Pros of “” as a free keyword tool conceptually:

  • Cost: fits any budget
  • Flexibility: you define your own workflow using search data, not locked into rigid metrics
  • Scales: as your site grows, the same base methods (GSC, SERPs, competitor headings) keep getting more powerful

Cons of “” as a “tool”:

  • No single interface: you are stitching together methods manually
  • Learning curve: you need to build your own process instead of leaning on a dashboard
  • No hard “KD” number: you must get comfortable judging SERPs by eye

In other words, the “tool” you actually want is a repeatable process using free sources, not a magic button.

If you set up that process now, any later move to paid tools will feel like an upgrade, not a crutch.