What is SEO and how it works?

SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, encompasses a variety of strategies designed to enhance the visibility of websites, blogs, and online pages in organic search results. Every moment, search engines, predominantly Google, handles millions of queries globally. The top three organic search results attract nearly 30% of all clicks. Merely 0.78% of users venture to click on a link found on the second page of search results.

Each search provides an opportunity for your brand to deliver the most relevant response to user inquiries. By concentrating on this aspect, you can significantly enhance your visibility and click-through rates, attract more organic traffic, and improve your overall online performance. To realize these benefits, it is essential to demonstrate to Google that your content offers the most valuable answer, warranting a top position on the Search Engine Results Page (SERP). Achieving this requires not only high-quality content but also a focus on usability, establishing authority in your market, and ensuring that Google can effectively interpret your pages. These objectives form the foundation of a successful SEO strategy.

What are search engines?

There are various types of search engines, including general search engines (such as Google and Bing), specialized search engines (focused on specific content types, like academic articles), and meta-search engines (which aggregate results from other search engines).

In summary, search engines are essential for navigating the vast amount of information available online, making it easier for users to find relevant content quickly and efficiently.

How search engines work?

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) encompasses a variety of strategies and practices designed to boost a website’s visibility in search engine results. This process can be broken down into three primary stages: crawling, indexing, and ranking. Here’s a detailed overview of each stage:

1. Crawling

The first stage of SEO is crawling, during which search engines discover and access web pages. This process involves:

– Web Crawlers: Automated bots, also known as spiders or crawlers, are deployed by search engines to navigate the web. They start from known pages and follow links to new pages, systematically exploring websites across the internet.

– Discovery of New Content: As crawlers visit web pages, they gather information about them, including their content, structure, and links to other pages. This helps search engines identify new or updated content.

2. Indexing

Following the crawling stage, the next phase is indexing. This is when the search engine organizes and stores the data collected by the crawlers:

– Building the Index: The search engine processes the data collected during the crawling stage and organizes it in a structured format. This index acts as a massive database, containing information about billions of web pages.

– Storing Content: During indexing, the search engine analyzes various elements of each page, such as keywords, metadata, and content structure (HTML tags, images, etc.), and stores this information in a way that allows for quick retrieval.

– Relevance and Rank: Search engines evaluate the quality, relevance, and adherence to SEO best practices during the indexing stage. Pages that meet certain criteria may be prioritized for future searches.

3. Ranking

The final stage is ranking, which determines the order in which search results are displayed in response to a user’s query:

– Algorithmic Assessment: When a user searches for a term or phrase, the search engine’s algorithms evaluate the indexed pages to determine which ones are most relevant to the search intent. Factors considered may include keyword usage, site authority, user engagement, and the freshness of content.

– Search Results Page: The search engine generates a results page (SERP) that lists the most relevant pages, typically ranked from most to least relevant. Results may also include paid ads, featured snippets, knowledge panels, and other specialized formats.

– Continuous Updates: Ranking is an ongoing process; search engines are constantly refining their algorithms to deliver better results. This means that the ranking of pages can change over time based on shifts in search queries and updates to content.

In summary, the three stages of SEO—crawling, indexing, and ranking—are crucial for ensuring that web content is discoverable and appropriately presented in search results. SEO strategies are designed to optimize a website at each of these stages to enhance its visibility, drive traffic, and improve user experience.

What is keyword research tool?

With your grasp of SEO in place, let’s investigate a selection of useful free tools designed to support your search engine optimization initiatives. The market is flooded with tools specifically designed for keyword research, with hundreds available that cater to everyone from beginners to advanced users. These tools can be quite varied, ranging from those that are overly simplistic and ineffective to those that offer significant value. When used correctly, the most effective keyword research tools can simplify your workflow, making it easier to discover the right keywords to target while providing the essential data needed to rank effectively. However, accessing this information should not require a substantial financial investment.

What makes the best keyword research tool?

The ideal keyword research tool combines a variety of essential features and qualities that facilitate comprehensive keyword analysis. Here are some key aspects to consider:

 1. Accurate Data: It provides reliable and current data on search volumes, keyword difficulty, competition, and trends. Accuracy is vital for making well-informed decisions.

 2. Comprehensive Keyword Suggestions: It generates a broad array of keyword suggestions, including long-tail keywords and related terms, to cover all aspects of your niche.

3. Search Volume and Trends: It offers insights into search volumes (the number of times a keyword is searched) and trends over time, helping to identify popular and emerging keywords.

4. Competition Analysis: It aids in evaluating keyword competitiveness by analyzing factors such as the number of competing pages and their authority, helping to assess the difficulty of ranking for a keyword.

5. SERP Analysis: It provides insights into the search engine results page (SERP) for a keyword, including the types of content that rank well, the presence of ads, and any local results.

6. Cost-Per-Click (CPC) Data: For PPC campaigns, it shows the average cost-per-click for a keyword, which is useful for budgeting and planning your advertising budget.

7. User-Friendly Interface: It features an intuitive and easy-to-navigate interface, making it straightforward to conduct keyword research, analyze data, and export reports.

8. Competitor Analysis: It allows you to examine your competitors’ keyword strategies, including the keywords they rank for and their SEO performance.

9. Localization and Language Options: It supports various languages and geographic locations, enabling more targeted keyword research based on your audience’s location.

10. Integration with Other Tools: It seamlessly integrates with other SEO tools and platforms (like Google Analytics, Google Search Console, and content management systems) to offer a more holistic view of your SEO efforts.

11. Customizable Reports: It provides the ability to create and customize reports to track keyword performance and analyze data over time.

12. Affordable Pricing: It offers good value for the features provided, with pricing options that cater to different budgets, whether you’re an individual, small business, or large enterprise.

Popular keyword research tools that often meet these criteria include Semrush, Moz Keyword Explorer, and Google Keyword Planner. Each tool has its unique strengths, so the best choice for you may depend on your specific needs and preferences.

What are the best free keyword research tools?

In this blog post you will see the result of our investigation regarding keywords, metrics, and other data that were available. We documented the sources of this information, whether it was sourced from Google, non-search engine websites like social media or forums, or from the tool’s own data. We also checked the limitations of the free plan, as well as the cost to upgrade to a paid plan if necessary. Where possible, we experimented with additional keyword research tools, including competitive gap analysis and content optimization features, and finally here is the best free SEO tools:

Google Keyword Planner

Semrush Keyword Research Tool

Moz Keyword Explorer

Google Keyword Planner

In the realm of PPC keyword research, Google Keyword Planner stands out as one of the premier tools available. It is entirely free, even for those who do not engage in Google Ads, eliminating concerns about usage limits or costly upgrades. 

The tool features two primary components: one for initial keyword exploration and another for detailed analysis of search volume and forecasting. The “Keyword ideas” function operates similarly to various other tools; you input a seed keyword, and it produces additional keyword suggestions along with metrics such as monthly search volume, historical trends, competition levels, ad impression share, and bid estimates. You can further refine your keyword selections by brand versus non-brand keywords, source websites, and additional criteria. For users of Google Ads, the “Forecast” feature simplifies the process of planning for paid advertisements and budgeting in advance. 

Additionally, Google Keyword Planner can enhance your organic strategy by indicating areas where improving organic rankings could reduce PPC expenses. 

Advantages: 

– Completely free to use indefinitely, regardless of Google Ads usage 

– Provides valuable forecasting tools for budgeting if you utilize Google Ads 

– Capable of generating keyword suggestions based solely on your website

Disadvantages: 

– Limited utility for organic keyword research

Cost of Google Keyword Planner: Completely free.

Semrush Keyword Research Tool

For those seeking advanced capabilities, Semrush provides a wealth of keyword data and facilitates in-depth exploration of details, including SERP features such as featured snippets, reviews, site links, and image packs, along with a thorough analysis of current results. The platform boasts a comprehensive suite of keyword research tools, ranging from standard traffic and search volume metrics to content-focused keyword research and competitive keyword gap analysis.

This extensive range is what distinguishes Semrush, featuring tools like the Keyword Overview, the Keyword Magic Tool for exploratory research, a Keyword Manager with position tracking, competitive Keyword Gap analysis, and Organic Traffic Insights. When linked with your Google Analytics or Search Console account, it can reveal those elusive “not provided” keywords.

Additionally, the SEO Content Template tool allows for the automatic creation of content briefs and real-time optimization of your writing by assessing readability, originality, tone, and SEO effectiveness. It employs a useful bullseye graphic to help maintain the right balance. Furthermore, the tool visually tracks SEO recommendations, such as incorporating target and related keywords and adding pertinent links and images.

The recently introduced Copilot AI feature will proactively suggest actions, such as alerting you when your rankings decline for monitored keywords, offering technical SEO advice, and encouraging you to include more information to refine your data. While upgrading may require a significant investment, you can begin using the tool for free at lower volumes.

Semrush offers a free plan that allows for up to 10 Analytics reports daily and tracks 10 keywords. Paid subscriptions begin at $129.95 per month, providing access to up to 10,000 results per report and tracking 500 keywords monthly.

Advantages:

– Extensive granular keyword data

– Diverse array of specialized keyword research tools

– Quite a generous free plan

Disadvantages:

– May be daunting for those new to keyword research

– Most costly upgrade option

Moz Keyword Explorer

Moz’s SEO platform features various tools tailored for keyword research. Although Moz may not provide as many data points as some of the more extensive SEO tools (such as SERP position history or the total number of keywords a competitor ranks for), this can be seen as an advantage. It creates a less daunting experience for users who are not professional search marketers, while still delivering essential metrics.

With the Keyword Explorer tool, users can input any keyword and view its monthly search volume, difficulty level, and organic click-through rate (CTR). Further down, users can analyze the current results ranking for that keyword and receive suggestions for related keywords. 

Metrics such as clear keyword difficulty and minimum domain authority simplify the process of prioritizing keywords that have the highest potential for ranking, helping users avoid time spent on unattainable queries.

Additionally, the Keyword Gap feature, included in the Competitive Research tool, allows you to identify all the keywords for which your competitors rank but you do not.

Regarding Moz pricing, users can access keyword research functionalities at no cost for up to 10 queries per tool each month, which includes a maximum of 1,000 keyword suggestions and 10 SERP analyses per query. For those interested in more extensive capabilities, Moz Pro plans begin at $99 per month, offering 150 keyword queries monthly.

Advantages: 

– Offers a more user-friendly data presentation compared to many other tools 

– Provides clear prioritization metrics 

– A wide range of tools accessible for free 

Disadvantages: 

– Contains less data than more comprehensive tools 

– The free plan is limited to 10 queries per tool each month

When you should switch from a free keyword research tool to a paid plan? 

In brief, upgrade only when necessary. If you can obtain all the required data without exceeding the limits of a free plan, there is no need to switch to a paid option. However, consider upgrading in the following situations:

• If you frequently reach the monthly or daily search limits of your current tool.
• In case if you are missing out on features unavailable in free versions, such as content optimization advice or the ability to monitor your site’s keywords and rankings over time. 
• You require additional SEO functionalities that a comprehensive upgraded tool can offer (such as technical SEO, site audits, etc.). 

As you progress, several tools from this list can evolve to meet your needs. For instance, Moz Pro and Semrush are both highly comprehensive options. Additionally, there are several well-regarded tools that offer budget-friendly introductory plans, such as GetKeywords, KWFinder, and Topic Ranker.