🔍 Keyword Research Tool
By Shihab Mia · Updated 2026-06-29
Enter a value and click the button. 2 free lookups per day.
| Keyword | Monthly Volume | CPC (USD) | Difficulty (0-100) |
|---|
This keyword research tool turns one seed keyword into a ranked list of related keyword ideas, each with an estimated monthly search volume, an average cost per click (CPC) and a difficulty score from 0 to 100. Type a topic such as "seo tools", press Search, and the tool returns the close variants and questions real people type into Google so you can pick the terms worth writing about. The data comes from DataForSEO and the search volumes are estimates, not exact counts. To keep this tool free for everyone it is limited to 2 free searches per day.
What is the Keyword Research Tool?
Keyword research is the practice of finding the actual words and phrases people type into search engines, then choosing which of those phrases your pages should target. It is the foundation of search engine optimization (SEO) and content marketing, because a page written around a phrase nobody searches for will never get organic traffic no matter how good it is. A keyword research tool speeds this up by taking one idea you already have and expanding it into dozens of related terms, each annotated with the numbers you need to make a decision.
Three numbers do most of the work. Monthly search volume is an estimate of how many times a phrase is searched per month, averaged over the last year, so you can tell a busy keyword from a quiet one. CPC, or cost per click, is the average price advertisers pay for a click on that keyword in paid search, which is a rough proxy for commercial intent: a high CPC usually means buyers, not just browsers, are searching. Difficulty is a 0 to 100 score that estimates how hard it would be to rank on the first page, based on how strong the sites already ranking are.
The smart way to use these numbers together is to look for the gap between value and effort. A keyword with decent volume, healthy CPC and low difficulty is a strong candidate, especially for a newer site, because you can realistically rank for it and the traffic is worth something. Very high volume head terms like "shoes" or "insurance" are tempting but brutally competitive, so most sites win by targeting longer, more specific phrases, the long tail keywords, where difficulty is lower and intent is clearer.
This keyword research tool is built around a seed and expand workflow. You give it a seed keyword that describes your topic, and it returns related ideas that share intent or vocabulary with the seed. The list is sorted by monthly volume so the biggest opportunities sit at the top, but you should read down the list, because the lower volume long tail terms are often easier to rank for and convert better. Use the copy button to pull the whole list into a spreadsheet where you can group, filter and prioritize.
It is important to be honest about what the numbers are. Search volumes, CPC and difficulty are all estimates produced by a third party data provider (DataForSEO) by modelling clickstream and advertising data. They are directionally useful for comparing one keyword against another, but they are not the exact figure Google holds internally, and two tools will rarely show identical numbers for the same keyword. Treat them as a well-informed guide, not gospel.
Because every search costs us money and quota at the data provider, this free keyword research tool is capped at 2 searches per day per visitor. That keeps it genuinely free with no signup, while still being enough to research a topic or sanity check an idea. If you need to run hundreds of keywords a day, a paid platform like Ahrefs, Semrush or DataForSEO directly is the right tool for the job.
When to use it
- Planning a blog or content calendar by turning one topic into a list of related keyword ideas to write about.
- Finding low difficulty long tail keywords a newer site can realistically rank for instead of fighting for head terms.
- Checking the estimated monthly search volume of a phrase before committing time to a page about it.
- Spotting commercial keywords with a high CPC that signal buyer intent for product or service pages.
- Building a quick keyword map for a client by copying the results into a spreadsheet and grouping by theme.
- Sanity checking an idea for a new tool, product or landing page to see whether anyone is searching for it.
How to use the Keyword Research Tool
- Type a seed keyword that describes your topic into the input box. Start broad, for example "seo tools" or "running shoes".
- Click the Search keywords button. The tool only fetches when you click, so it never wastes a search on page load.
- Wait a moment while the tool queries the data provider and shows a loading message.
- Read the table of related keyword ideas, sorted by monthly volume. Scan the CPC and difficulty columns to judge value and effort.
- Use the Copy all button to copy every keyword, volume, CPC and difficulty into a spreadsheet for sorting and prioritizing.
- Remember you get 2 free searches per day, so pick your seed keywords thoughtfully rather than guessing repeatedly.
Formula & method
Worked examples
A new SEO blog wants topics to write about and searches the seed "keyword research".
- Enter "keyword research" and click Search keywords.
- The tool returns related ideas such as "keyword research tool", "free keyword research", "keyword research for seo" and "how to do keyword research".
- The list is sorted by monthly volume, so the broad head terms appear at the top.
- The writer scrolls down to the lower volume, lower difficulty long tail phrases as the easiest first articles.
Result: A shortlist of 4 to 6 realistic article topics, each with a volume, CPC and difficulty to prioritize by.
An online store checks commercial intent for the seed "running shoes".
- Enter "running shoes" and click Search keywords.
- Ideas come back including "best running shoes", "trail running shoes" and "running shoes for flat feet".
- The store compares the CPC column and notices "best running shoes" has a higher CPC than informational variants.
- A higher CPC suggests stronger buyer intent, so that phrase is flagged for a product comparison page.
Result: A clear split between buyer keywords (high CPC) and research keywords (lower CPC) to map to the right page types.
Keyword difficulty bands (0 to 100) and what they usually mean
| Difficulty | Band | What it suggests |
|---|---|---|
| 0 to 14 | Very easy | Realistic even for a brand new site with little authority. |
| 15 to 29 | Easy | A good target for a young site with some quality content. |
| 30 to 49 | Medium | Doable with solid content and a few relevant links. |
| 50 to 69 | Hard | Needs an established site, strong content and links. |
| 70 to 100 | Very hard | Dominated by big, authoritative brands. Long-term play only. |
How to read the three core metrics this keyword research tool shows
| Metric | What it is | How to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly volume | Estimated average searches per month over a year. | Compare demand between keywords. Bigger is not always better. |
| CPC (USD) | Average advertiser cost per click in paid search. | A proxy for commercial or buyer intent. Higher often means money. |
| Difficulty (0 to 100) | Estimated effort to rank on page one. | Match it to your site strength. Newer sites should aim low. |
Common mistakes to avoid
- Chasing only the highest volume head terms. The biggest keywords at the top of the list are usually the hardest to rank for. Newer sites win far more often by targeting lower volume, lower difficulty long tail keywords with clearer intent.
- Treating the numbers as exact. Search volume, CPC and difficulty are estimates from a data provider, not exact Google figures. Use them to compare keywords against each other, not as precise traffic predictions.
- Ignoring search intent. Volume tells you how many people search, not what they want. Always sense check whether a keyword wants a guide, a product page or a tool, and build the matching page type.
- Picking a keyword with no commercial fit. A high volume keyword that has nothing to do with what you sell or publish brings traffic that never converts. Relevance to your offer beats raw volume.
- Doing research once and never revisiting. Search demand shifts with seasons and trends. Re-run your seed keywords periodically rather than relying on a single old keyword list.
- Skipping the export step. Eyeballing the table is fine for a quick look, but real prioritization happens in a spreadsheet. Use Copy all so you can group, filter and sort by your own criteria.
Glossary
- Seed keyword
- The starting word or phrase you enter, which the tool expands into a list of related keyword ideas.
- Search volume
- An estimate of how many times a keyword is searched per month, usually a 12 month average. It is an estimate, not an exact count.
- CPC (cost per click)
- The average price advertisers pay for one click on a keyword in paid search. It hints at how commercial the keyword is.
- Keyword difficulty
- A 0 to 100 score estimating how hard it is to rank on page one for a keyword, based on the strength of the sites already ranking.
- Long tail keyword
- A longer, more specific phrase with lower volume but usually lower difficulty and clearer intent, for example "best running shoes for flat feet".
- Search intent
- The goal behind a search: to learn something, to buy, to find a specific site, or to do a task. Matching intent is key to ranking.
- Head term
- A short, broad, high volume keyword such as "shoes" or "insurance", typically very competitive and hard to rank for.
- DataForSEO
- The third party data provider that supplies the keyword volume, CPC and difficulty figures shown by this tool.
Frequently asked questions
Where does the keyword data come from and how accurate is it?
The data comes from DataForSEO, a third party SEO data provider. The volume, CPC and difficulty figures are estimates modelled from clickstream and advertising data, not exact numbers from Google. They are reliable enough to compare keywords against each other and spot opportunities, but you should not treat any single figure as precise. Different tools will show slightly different numbers for the same keyword.
Is this keyword research tool really free?
Yes. There is no signup and no payment. To keep it free and cover the cost of querying the data provider, it is limited to 2 keyword searches per day per visitor. That is enough to research a topic or check an idea. For high volume daily research, a paid platform is the right choice.
Why only 2 searches per day?
Every search you run costs us real money at the data provider. Capping it at 2 free searches per day lets us offer the keyword research tool with no signup and no fee while keeping it sustainable. The limit resets each day.
Is the difficulty score the same as Moz Domain Authority or Ahrefs Difficulty?
No. The difficulty score here is the keyword difficulty value from DataForSEO on a 0 to 100 scale. It is not Moz Domain Authority, not Ahrefs Keyword Difficulty, and not Semrush KD. Each tool calculates difficulty with its own model, so do not compare this score one to one against those other branded metrics.
Is the search volume exact?
No, search volume is an estimate. It is an average of monthly searches over roughly the last year, modelled by the data provider. Use it to rank keywords by relative demand, not as a guarantee of how many visitors a page will get.
What is a good keyword to target for a new website?
For a new site, look for keywords with a low difficulty score (roughly under 30), some real monthly volume, and clear relevance to what you publish or sell. These are usually longer, more specific long tail keywords rather than broad head terms.
Why are the results sorted by volume?
Sorting by monthly volume puts the biggest demand at the top so you see the largest opportunities first. But the easiest wins are often further down the list, where the long tail keywords have lower volume and lower difficulty, so read the whole table.
Can I export the keyword ideas?
Yes. Use the Copy all button to copy every keyword along with its volume, CPC and difficulty as tab separated text. Paste it straight into a spreadsheet to group, filter and prioritize.
What does a high CPC tell me?
A high cost per click usually means advertisers are willing to pay a lot for that keyword, which is a sign of strong commercial or buyer intent. Those keywords are often worth targeting with product or service pages rather than informational articles.
Does the tool run a search automatically when the page loads?
No. It only fetches data when you click the Search button, so it never wastes one of your 2 daily free searches just by loading the page.