I know the most popular ones are Semrush and Ahrefs but they can be quite expensive.

I’m currently using Mangools for about $29/month but their daily keyword research limit is quite annoying.

Any suggestions?

I know there are free tools as well, but they’re quite limited.

Hey guys!

One of my clients put together a blog post about free keyword research tools a while back.

I keep chickening out of sharing it here, but I feel like this community really would find a lot of value in it. It's been quite helpful for me, personally.

I suggested a couple of the tools that made it onto the list, including the SEOBook keyword tool and KeywordShitter. I also compiled a research document for him detailing what kind of content was already out there on this topic, for "skyscraper technique" purposes.

Here's a link to the blog post, but don't worry, you'll find a TL;DR and full list of the tools below.

The tools are divided into three broad categories:

• Keyword research tools that give data about things like search volume. (E.g. the SEOBook Keyword Research Tool.)

• Longtail keyword tools that don't give said data, and which generally draw from Google Suggest. (E.g. KeywordShitter)

• Tools that are a little different and unique, but still relevant for this list. (E.g. Answer the Public.)

Some of these are 100% free. Others are paid but affordable, and/or have a free trial you can use.

In the blog post, he's also compared the search volume and other data from these free tools with info for the same keywords generated by SEMRush, which his agency uses. For the most part, there weren't any substantial discrepancies.

Here's the full list of tools.

Tools that give detailed info (search volume, etc.)

• SEOBook.. I stumbled across this guy's blog one day, and it's a fascinating read. He's quite critical of Google, and not exactly optimistic about the future of SEO. I recommend checking it out. I binge read all his content one evening, and that's pretty rare for me. The keyword tool is free, with a free account.

• Serps.com Keyword Tool. This is another good one. It's a free trial for a paid tool, but iirc, it's quite affordable if you decide on a paid subscription.

• KW Finder. This is another affordable paid tool with a free subscription. Charlie actually uses this one regularly at Finetune Digital. I do too, and I'd recommend it.

• SEMRush Free Trial. This link takes you to a free 14 day trial of SEMRush. (This is another tool Charlie uses regularly.) It's only a 2-week trial, but worth considering if you're laying the groundwork for a new site, and you can get what you need within that time frame.

• Moz Keyword Explorer Free Trial. To be quite frank, I haven't heard much that's positive about Moz from SEO pros. It's not really considered the best SaaS in its class, but you can do up to three searches a day (iirc) using their Keyword Explorer. (Side note: Moz is the very portrait of content marketing done right. If you're implementing content marketing strategies yourself, take a look "between the lines" at what they're doing.)

Tools that generate longtail keywords, usually by way of Google Suggest.

• KeywordShitter. This was created by a Redditor, and I love its simplicity. Don't let the minimalistic interface fool you -- it's actually quite a useful tool. I've used it in the past to come up with blog post ideas for clients in industries where, once you've covered the basics, it's surprisingly challenging to come up with content topics. (Notably a moving company.)

• Keyword.io. This works similarly to KeywordShitter. I've also found it useful for finding fresh content ideas based on longtail searches.

• UberSuggest. Recently acquired by Neil Patel, this one generates a nifty word cloud, in addition to a beefy list of longtail keywords.

• KeywordTool.io. Similar to both of the above, also useful.

• WordstreamKeyword Tool. You can search for free, but it fuzzes out the search volume and other data unless you've got a paid subscription.

• Longtail Pro 7 Day Trial ($1). It's not free per se, but at $1, it may as well be. I've never used it myself, but I've heard good things about it.

Tools that do something a little bit different.

These tools are great for market research. I use Answer the People on a regular basis.

• Answer the Public. This is actually a pretty badass tool for finding common questions your target audience is asking. It focuses on two types of searches: those in question form (who, what, why, etc.), and those beginning with prepositions (on, around, without, etc.). It generates a cool visual chart, as well as a big list of common searches.

• Bulk Keyword Generator. This one is unique in that it focuses specifically on keyword research for local service businesses. (Think plumbers, landscapers, etc.)

• FAQ Fox. This one scrapes Reddit and Quora for questions and discussions.

So, that's the list. Again, I figured I'd share it here because it seems like the kind of thing people here would be into. My apologies to the mods and the community if this is considered self-promotion, as I know the guy that wrote this.