9 Best Keyword Research Tools for Startups in 2024

Keyword research is the key to success in today’s digital landscape – that is, if you want to create content that your prospective customers and clients are already searching for and “plug in” to where the traffic is.

If you’re like most founders, then you’ll know that budget and time constraints often make effective digital marketing a challenging task. That's where keyword research tools step in. 

These tools not only cut down the time spent on identifying effective keywords but also allow businesses to focus on their core operations while still reaping the benefits of a strong online presence. 

1. Semrush
2. Moz Keyword Explorer
3. Ahrefs
4. Google Keyword Planner
5. WordStream
6. Serpstat
7. AnswerThePublic
8. SE Ranking
9. Surfer SEO

Whether you're on a tight budget or willing to invest a bit more in your digital marketing efforts, we've got you covered with our top picks for keyword research software. Let’s dive in!

Semrush serves as a one-stop solution for SEO, content marketing, competitive analysis, link building, and more. Its comprehensive suite of over 50 tools provides valuable insights, making it a powerful asset for agencies, businesses, and professionals engaged in serious SEO. 

Some of the more notable features of Semrush include extensive keyword research, powerful link-building capabilities, on-page audits, and comprehensive competitor analysis. The software goes beyond the traditional SEO sphere and covers other marketing channels, such as social media and paid ads.

The software offers both free and paid plans, with the paid plans starting at $108 per month (paid annually) or $129 on a monthly basis. While this price might seem steep to some, the broad set of features and extensive functionality it provides justify its cost. It is worth mentioning, however, that Semrush's free plan is quite limited, and its user interface has a steep learning curve, making it slightly challenging for beginners to navigate. 

Regardless of these small drawbacks, Semrush still stands as a valuable tool for those seeking to advance their marketing efforts.

Pros

• Comprehensive SEO toolset
• Powerful link-building features
• In-depth competitive analysis
• Extensive functionality across channels

Cons

• Steep learning curve
• Pricier starter plan (but with a variety of features)

Who It’s Best For

Semrush is ideal for businesses and agencies in search of a comprehensive all-in-one SEO platform. It especially suits professionals who are looking for in-depth insights into their marketing efforts across various channels.

Want your website to rank higher and drive more traffic? Semrush makes keyword research simple so you can optimize your site for the terms that matter. Try it today!

Navigating the world of keyword research can be a challenge, but tools like Moz Keyword Explorer can help simplify the process. This software provides valuable metrics such as search volume, difficulty, opportunity, and rankings for each keyword. While it may not fully replace other tools, according to some users, its unique features give it a place in any marketing arsenal. One drawback to note is the software only allows for the entry of one keyword at a time for suggestions, unlike Google Keyword Planner, which allows for multiple entries.

Still, Moz Keyword Explorer shines with its innovative data points beyond the typical volume metrics offered by most tools. Their recent effort to improve the user experience is evident in the overhaul of its volume filter, which now features a more intuitive slider replacing the cumbersome individual ranges system. 

Pros

• Comprehensive keyword metrics
• Unique data points
• Improved volume filter
• One-stop solution for keyword research

Cons

• Single keyword input
• Inconvenient interface for keyword lists

Who It’s Best For

For entrepreneurs who want a comprehensive overview of their keyword performance, Moz Keyword Explorer is a valuable tool. While it has its limitations, it shines where others don't with its unique metrics, making it a must-have for those looking to dive deep into keyword analysis.

Looking to optimize your website for search engines? Look no further than Ahrefs, one of the leading SEO tools available in the market today. Ahrefs provides you with a unique blend of data and analytics featuring keyword research, backlink analysis, rank tracking, and site audits. What sets Ahrefs apart is its comprehensive data from not one, not two, but a staggering ten different search engines! This puts it ahead of competitors like Semrush and Moz, which provide data from fewer search engines.

Ahrefs is loaded with key features such as keyword research tools and backlink data on referring domains. It can also help you identify broken links and perform technical SEO audits. The icing on the cake is Ahrefs' traffic potential score – a handy estimate of how much traffic a keyword could pull in. At $99 per month to start, the tool (while on the expensive side) offers features that could make it worth the price. Remember, though, that plans on Ahrefs do come with limits on projects and daily reports.

Pros

• Comprehensive data from 10 search engines
• Estimate of potential keyword traffic
• Backlink analysis and broken link identification
• Technical SEO audits

Cons

• Could be more mobile-friendly
• Understanding of SEO needed for optimal use

Who It’s Best For

If you're an entrepreneur or business owner with a basic understanding of SEO, Ahrefs is ideal for you. The tool’s extensive data and insights can significantly increase your organic traffic when used optimally.

Google Keyword Planner is a valuable tool for entrepreneurs and business owners that helps you discover relevant keywords for your search campaigns; it also provides estimates of search volumes and costs to target terms. To use this tool to its full potential, you simply need to create a Google Ads account – running an active campaign isn't necessary. Filters allow you to sort keywords by location, language, search networks, date range, monthly searches, competition level, and other metrics.

The beauty of Google Keyword Planner lies in its versatility. It provides a unique insight into AdWords competition, but remember that it does not reflect the SEO competition in Google organic search results. All the results you’ll see in GKP are specific to Google Ads, not organic traffic.

Pros

• Comprehensive keyword discovery
• Accurate search volume estimates
• Detailed AdWords competition data
• Versatile filtering options

Cons

• Limited organic competition insight
• Could show highly competitive keywords

Who It’s Best For

Google Keyword Planner is a gem for any startup in its early stages all the way up to an established business looking to gain ground in the digital space. If you're focused on enhancing your online visibility through strategic keyword planning, then this tool can be a great starting point.

Wordstream is a tool tailored to help improve your search engine optimization (SEO) and pay-per-click (PPC) advertising campaigns. Founded in 2007 by digital marketing expert Larry Kim, Wordstream has quickly risen to become a leading PPC optimization solution. With an easy-to-use platform and a suite of free tools, it offers support for keyword research and discovery, keyword generation, niche finding, and grouping. It also has an SEO content creation feature that can help in crafting blog posts and automatically generating keyword permutations.

This software supports campaign management, ad creation, and optimization and provides powerful reporting and analytics capabilities. Subscription plans begin at $79/month for the basic package, increasing up to $499/month for the elite package with more advanced features. Extra tools such as a landing page builder, call tracking, and Facebook ads management are available for an additional fee.

Pros

• Comprehensive SEO & PPC tools
• User-friendly interface
• Excellent customer support
• Real-time keyword updates

Cons

• High costs for some features
• Lacks advanced SEO features

Who It’s Best For

If you're an entrepreneur or business owner who already has a good amount of content with regular updates on your website, Wordstream may prove to be extremely beneficial. Although it may initially seem complex for new websites, a trial run can help you realize its true potential and determine if it suits your needs.

Serpstat is an affordable all-in-one SEO tool that could potentially revolutionize your startup's marketing game. With packages starting at a budget-friendly $15 a month, this tool has features that include everything from keyword research and backlink analysis to rank tracking and site audits. This is a high-value, low-cost tool that compares favorably against more expensive counterparts like SEMrush and Ahrefs, making it a desirable choice for cost-conscious entrepreneurs.

Serpstat's impressive range of offerings includes a keyword research tool, which provides crucial insights into search volume, competition, CPC, difficulty, and related question keywords. The backlink analysis feature provides key metrics around the number of links, referring domains, follow/nofollow links, and anchor text. 

Pros

• Low-cost and high-value
• Comprehensive SEO features
• Effective backlink analysis
• Free trial option

Cons

• Not as robust as Semrush
• Limited features compared to Ahrefs

Who It’s Best For

Serpstat is best suited for budding SEO professionals and bloggers operating on a tight budget. Its array of features and budget-friendly price make it a compelling option for startups looking for high returns on low investment.

AnswerThePublic acts as a gateway into the minds of your potential customers. This intuitive keyword research tool draws its intelligence from Google's autocomplete data, transforming simple keywords into a range of real user queries. You enter your keyword, and you're instantly provided with a detailed visualization of related questions, prepositions, and comparisons that users are making on the internet. 

The pricing is also designed to be flexible, catering to different usage patterns. For those dipping their toes into search engine optimization or the occasional blogger, there's a free variant that offers three searches a day. However, if you need more exhaustive scouting, you can opt for one of their paid plans, which offers unlimited searches.

Pros

• Intuitive visualization views
• Comprehensive data view
• Robust filtering options
• Alerts for new suggestions

Cons

• Partially visible ads
• Limited results in niche areas

Who It’s Best For

AnswerThePublic is ideal for SEO executives and digital marketers who seek a deeper understanding of their audience’s needs and aspirations. It is also suitable for smaller content creators aiming to align their work with current trends and user interests. The simplicity of the tool, combined with its functionality, makes it a standout choice among alternatives.

SE Ranking is a simple solution for all your SEO needs. It's packed with features that allow tracking keyword performance, conducting website audits, and quality-checking backlinks. The setup process is user-friendly and quick – you just need to enter some basic site details along with keywords or competitors you wish to monitor. It even has competitor analysis features giving you access to their keywords, traffic sources and backlink profiles.

In addition to all of these features SE Ranking is also a tool for lead generation. It achieves this through a generator widget that captures contact details by providing a free site audit. 

Pros

• Comprehensive SEO toolset
• User-friendly setup process
• White-label solution availability
• Competitive pricing & discounts

Cons

• Lack of 24/7 support
• Local SEO data could be better

Who It’s Best For

SE Ranking, with its suite of tools, is best suited for entrepreneurs and business owners who want an easy way to monitor their websites' SEO performance. Agencies looking for white-label offerings will also find it beneficial. It's a versatile tool that caters to businesses of various sizes while remaining affordable and competitive in its pricing.

Surfer SEO is a comprehensive platform designed to optimize the content creation process for better search engine visibility. This tool steps up your SEO game by integrating various features such as keyword research, content outlining, brief generation, and real-time content analysis. The platform maintains a keen focus on improving your content's organic reach by providing timely recommendations to enhance the content score and its ranking potential against target keywords.

As part of its distinct offerings, Surfer SEO uses a cluster-based approach to keyword research. This method involves grouping related keywords into topic clusters to target broader topics rather than individual keywords. The platform also has a domain planner that scrutinizes your entire website to find optimization opportunities and determine the highest-performing pages. Existing pages can be audited using Surfer's tools, which identify ways to boost search performance. 

Pros

• Real-time content analysis
• Cluster-based keyword research
• Comprehensive domain planner
• Responsive customer support

Cons

• Confusing SERP analyzer UI
• Limited top pages for domain planner

Who It’s Best For

Surfer SEO would suit startups and entrepreneurs wanting to enhance their content's search performance and visibility. It is the ideal choice for those seeking a platform that blends efficiency, detail, and customer-oriented service together.