How do I do keyword research for free? You can do solid keyword research using free tools you already have: Google autocomplete, the ‘People also ask’ box, ‘related searches’ at the bottom of results, and your own customers’ questions. Start with seed terms, expand with these suggestions, then group them by search intent and map each to a page.
What free tools can I use?
- Google Search autocomplete
- ‘People also ask’ boxes
- ‘Related searches’ at the page bottom
- Google Search Console (terms you already rank for)
- Your customers’ actual questions
How do I find keyword ideas?
Type a seed term into Google and note the autocomplete suggestions, the ‘People also ask’ questions, and the related searches at the bottom. These reflect what real people search — no paid tool required.
What is keyword intent and why does it matter?
Intent is the reason behind a search — to learn, compare or buy. Matching your page to the intent matters more than the keyword itself, so group your keywords by intent before creating content.
Do I need a paid keyword tool?
Not to start. Paid tools add search-volume and difficulty data that help at scale, but a small local business can go a long way with free suggestions plus Search Console data on what it already ranks for.