Ok, you've got a project in mind and need to find the best keyword tool to get the job done. Right?
Well, kind of. What you need is the best tool for the job, which isn't the same for every single project.
So, let’s break this down a little bit so that you can do 2 things:
- Actually get started on the project and start finding the best keywords.
- Get the keyword research tool that will help you the most.
The Basics
Just about any tool worth using is going to have some common features, so let’s cover those and make sure we’re on the same page.
The process generally goes like this…
You start with a seed keyword (or keywords). This is the main idea of theme around which you are starting a project or exploring an idea. For example, if you were going to build a website about model railroad accessories, you would probably start with model railroad as the seed keyword.
This start point is specific enough that you won’t get a lot of results that don’t matter while still being broad enough to bring back keywords that you likely wouldn't have thought of. This is one of the powers of good keyword data.
Generally you would want this to be 2 or more words in order to not be overly broad, but with time and experience you’ll get a feel for it.
The main idea here is to think of your specific niche or area and make it slightly more broad so that your tool of choice uncovers keywords and phrases that you didn't think of, weren't aware of, or never would have thought as being in the same market.
Next, many keyword research tools offer ways to search the larger search engines.
Wait, aren't we just talking about Google? No!
While Google is of course the juggernaut of monthly searches, you still need to think about where your traffic may be searching and what that means.
For example, your traffic may in fact be looking at YouTube more than Google. In this case, you’ll want to check YouTube searches to see if there are differences.
Those aren't the only two, you may want to consider the other search engines like Bing, along with commerce related powerhouses like Amazon. There are of course tools that can give you information from all of these sources.
Next up is filtering.
Once you've gotten back your keyword results you’re going to have a list of keywords and keyword ideas that includes your target keywords and long tail keywords.
Great, right?
Well, yes and no. Now you need to filter and start tossing out anything irrelevant or not applicable to your project.
Most tools offer a way to do this based on words, length of phrase, or other options.
This is a great way to narrow down your list to the core keywords that you can take and start your project.
Beyond Basics
Now that we’ve covered the basic way that many tools perform, let’s see what else we can do.
The short answer is...a whole lot!
Many tools offer specific advantages and the goal of this article is to list out many of these so you can see what might or might not be useful.
Search Trends
Search Volume
Keyword Difficulty / Competition Level
Advanced Filtering
Keyword Suggestions
Competitor Analysis
SEO value / CTR data
Additional Search Engine Results
Content Marketing Advice
Read the articles below for more specific advice and insights along with recommendations for tools to use for particular situations.
What Is The Best Keyword Research Tool?
Sometimes, it's easier to just get a solid recommendation for a tool that others have used and know just works. To that end, we've listed our top 3 KW research tools below. These have all been independently paid for, utilized in our businesses, and part of our regular processes.