Which tool is best for keyword research?
- Thread starter Grayson Vale
- Start date
- May 13, 2026
- 128
- 14
my experience is that semrush and ahrefs are both the best tool for keyword research. however semrush is a comparatively low budget option, while ahrefs is a bit more expensive. still you can also check free keywords using ahrefs keyword generator.
- Jul 30, 2019
- 4,305
- 349
I will use Ahref's and Keyword Planner for keywords research which gives solid results to me. It would be a better suggestion for all.
- Dec 18, 2011
- 296
- 136
Worth knowing that the volume numbers in Ahrefs, Semrush and Ubersuggest are all modelled rather than measured. The same keyword can come back 3 to 5x different between them. So pick whichever one you can afford and only use the numbers to rank keywords against each other inside that one tool, never as an absolute traffic estimate. If you ever run even small spend through a Google Ads account, Planner stops giving you the wide 1k-10k ranges and tightens up, which is the cheapest way to get closer to real numbers.
I have had the best results with Google keyword Planner for basic research because it is free and gives a good starting points. When I need more ideas or wants to check competition. I usually use Ahrefs if I have access to it. No single tool is perfect so I like comparing results from more than one.
- May 27, 2016
- 11,285
- 2,563
Ahrefs and Semrush are the best as they dominate the space.