Best SEO Software for Keyword Research in 2023

Keyword research can be seen as the start and one of the cornerstones of any successful SEO strategy.

We understand the challenges and the importance of finding the right solution to optimize your keyword strategy. We'll walk you through our research on the best SEO software for keyword research and help you choose the right one for your specific needs.

What Makes the Best SEO Software for Keyword Research?

To determine the best SEO software for keyword research, we conducted in-depth market research, interviewed industry experts, and evaluated all major providers on the market based on specific attributes related to their keyword research tools.

Each attribute has a specific weight that contributes to the keyword research score of each provider. We considered both the quality and quantity of tools for each attribute to evaluate providers on a deeper level.

Volume

Volume refers to the number of searches a particular keyword receives within a specific time frame (usually monthly). The keyword research tools of a SEO software should provide accurate and updated search volume data, which helps you to understand the popularity and potential traffic for keywords.

No. of Queries

The number of queries refers to how many keyword lookups you can perform per month using the SEO software. This essentially sets the limit on the number of keyword insights you can gain. It's crucial because it directly affects the scope of your keyword research. More queries allow for a broader understanding of various keywords, which is invaluable in fine-tuning your SEO strategy. Pay attention to this threshold if you plan to make a large number of keyword queries per month.

Keyword Difficulty

Keyword Difficulty (KD) is an essential metric that estimates how hard it would be to rank for a specific keyword. A keyword research tool should offer a reliable KD score, enabling you to identify low-competition keywords that you can rank for more easily and to get an overview of the competition around specific terms.

SERPs

Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) are the pages displayed by search engines in response to a user's query. Good SEO software provides insights into the top-ranking pages for each keyword, allowing you to analyze your competitors and identify opportunities for improving your own content.

CPC Data

Cost-Per-Click (CPC) data represents the average amount advertisers are willing to pay for each click on their ads targeting a specific keyword. The best keyword research tools provide accurate and up-to-date CPC data, helping you to evaluate the potential return on investment for your target keywords.

Search Intent

Understanding the search intent behind a keyword is crucial for creating content that matches users' needs. Some tools help you determine the search intent (informational, navigational, transactional, or commercial) for each keyword, enabling you to optimize your content accordingly.

Keyword Trend

Keyword trend data shows how the popularity of a keyword changes over time. Most keyword research tools with this feature display a graph or the percentage change that indicates the trend over a specific time period. The keyword trend allows you to identify seasonal keywords or rising as well as declining topics in your niche.

10 Best SEO Software for Keyword Research Tools

How to Choose a Great SEO Software for Keyword Research

When choosing the right SEO software for keyword research tools, it is important to hold the mirror up to your head. Do you only need a few basic functions, or do you want to actively use a variety of them? If you need everything to the fullest extent, you'll find the best solution at the top of our list. If other factors are also important to you, then compare things like price, users included (for teams), and so on.

In the next step, you should clarify whether you only need a tool for keyword research or whether other tools should also be included in your SEO software.

If you also want to use other functionalities, check our overall Best Picks for an extensive overview of good all-in-one SEO software. If you just still want to compare a few providers before making your decision, head over to our Comparison Tool.

And if you don't know at all where left and right is, try our Finder Tool. It will give you a personalized recommendation based on a few short questions.