Ok, so you realise the importance of Search Engine Optimisation and want to ensure that your website stands the best chance possible of reaching number 1 in the search engines, for your chosen field.
But of course, your website cannot just rank #1 in Google for everything! To do so, would be impossible. Rather, you need your website to rank highly for specific words or phrases that are highly relevant to the goods or services that you provide your clients. In short, you need to target a finite set of keywords within your website/s.
Today I’ll expose a few excellent (and free!) keyword tools that will assist in your keyword research endeavours.
Top 3 Free Keyword Research Tools for Search Engine Optimisation
1. Google Keywords
This tool is actually designed to research and refine the keywords you will target in your Google Adwords search engine marketing campaign. However, this tool is of relevance to any webmaster (whether you are in involved with Adwords campaigns or not). Visit the Google Keywords home page (you may need to sign into your Google account first), enter in a short phrase or list of phrases, and you will be presented with data from Google including:
- Global monthly search volume
- Synonyms for the keywords that you entered, and
- Search Volume Trends (so that you can detect seasonal keywords as opposed to those that are constant all year round)
This is sincerely one of my favourite tools, as it can easily expose niches for you to target through it’s intuitive inclusion of similar keywords or phrases within the data.
2. KW Browse
KB Browse is ideal for use as keyword idea generator. Whereas Google Keywords is good at identifying keywords or phrases containing one or more of the keywords you entered, KWBrowse is less literal, and manages to suggest keywords that are related to your original phrase (however which don’t necessarily contain your original word or phrase).
I like to use KWBrowse to perform my keyword brain storming research, and then plug all of my ideas into Google Keywords (refer to Tool #1, above) to see how often the general public are searching for each of the phrases identified in KW Browse.
3. Google Wonder Wheel
This is a hidden little gem that has recently been released within the Google Search Engine itself. Go to google.com (or your local version of Google) and perform a standard search.
Once the SERP (search engine results page) appears, click on the “Show Options” link just below the Google logo in the top left of the screen. The left column will expand.
At the bottom of the left column, select Wonder Wheel, and a fantastic little keyword application will open, allow you to plough through keywords related to your original search. This is a great tool for brainstorming new keyword suggestions, that are based on real Google search data.
(If the above instructions aren’t your cup of tea, check out this visual demonstration of the Google Wheel in action here)
So there you have it – three great keyword research tools for you to try right away. If you have any more free keyword research tools that you think are worth their salt, please submit a comment.
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