Scroll Top
19th Ave New York, NY 95822, USA
Join Now

How to Do Keyword Research for Free (Step-by-Step)

Want to get traffic from Google but don’t have a big budget for premium SEO tools? You’re not alone. The good news is: you can still do powerful keyword research without spending a dime.

In this step-by-step guide, you’ll learn exactly how to find, analyze, and organize SEO keywords using 100% free tools.

✅ Why Keyword Research Matters

Keyword research is the foundation of SEO. It helps you:

  • Understand what your audience is searching for
  • Create content that matches search intent
  • Rank higher in Google and other search engines
  • Drive free, targeted traffic to your blog or website

🚀 Free Keyword Research Tools You’ll Use

Here are the tools we’ll be using in this guide:

  1. Google Search (Autocomplete & People Also Ask)
  2. Google Keyword Planner (requires a free Google Ads account)
  3. AnswerThePublic (limited daily searches)
  4. Ubersuggest (free version)
  5. Keyword Surfer Chrome Extension (free)
  6. AlsoAsked.com

🔎 Step-by-Step Keyword Research Process

Step 1: Start With a Broad Topic

Think about your niche or topic. Example: “email marketing”

This is your seed keyword.

Type it into Google and observe:

  • Autocomplete suggestions
  • “People Also Ask” questions
  • Related searches at the bottom of the page

👉 Write down all relevant terms — these are real user queries

Step 2: Use Keyword Surfer for Instant Metrics

Install the Keyword Surfer extension for Chrome. It shows estimated search volume directly in Google search results along with related keyword ideas.

✅ Pick keywords with reasonable volume and low competition if you’re starting out.

Step 3: Plug into Google Keyword Planner

Sign up for a free Google Ads account, go to Tools > Keyword Planner and select “Discover new keywords”.

Enter your seed keyword and you’ll get:

  • Keyword suggestions
  • Average monthly search volume
  • Competition level (Low/Med/High)

✅ Export the list to organize in Google Sheets or Excel.

Step 4: Use AnswerThePublic for Questions

Visit answerthepublic.com and enter your keyword. It will show question-based searches like:

  • “How does email marketing work?”
  • “Why email marketing is important?”

✅ These are perfect for blog titles and FAQ sections.

Step 4: Use AnswerThePublic for Questions

Visit answerthepublic.com and enter your keyword. It will show question-based searches like:

  • “How does email marketing work?”
  • “Why email marketing is important?”

✅ These are perfect for blog titles and FAQ sections.

Step 5: Use AlsoAsked for Related Questions

Visit alsoasked.com. It visualizes “People Also Ask” question paths — great for structuring your content outline or adding H2/H3s.

Step 6: Check Ubersuggest (Free Version)

Go to ubersuggest.com and type your keyword. It shows volume, SEO difficulty, content ideas, and competitor URLs.

✅ Look for keywords with SEO Difficulty under 35 if you’re a beginner.

📋 Final Step: Organize Keywords into Clusters

Once you’ve collected 30–50 keywords:

  • Group them into topics
  • Prioritize keywords based on relevance, intent, and difficulty

You can now:

  • Build blog content around clusters
  • Create supporting articles for long-tail keywords

🎯 Example Keyword Cluster

Seed Keyword: “Email marketing”

Cluster Topic
Keywords
Getting Started what is email marketing, how to start email marketing
Tools best email marketing tools, Mailchimp alternatives
Tips email marketing tips, how to write subject lines
Advanced email automation, segmentation strategies

✅ Conclusion

You don’t need to pay for expensive tools to find keywords that rank. With smart use of free keyword research tools, you can build a winning SEO strategy and grow your traffic over time.

Start small. Stay consistent. Let the data guide your content.

👉 Want more SEO tips? Browse our latest guides here.