I Tried a Bunch of Keyword Tools. Here’s the One I Keep Using (With Real Examples)

Quick outline

• What I do and what I needed
• My test topics and real results
• Tool-by-tool notes (pros, cons, and quick tips)
• Which tool is “best” for who
• My simple, repeatable workflow
• Final thoughts

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What I needed (and why I got picky)

I write posts for clients and for my own small blogs. Food, pets, and local service stuff. I also help a friend who sells cheap earbuds online. So I needed a tool that finds real search terms fast. I care about three things: search volume, how hard it is to rank (KD), and what shows on the first page (the SERP).

I used a lot of tools. Some were smooth. Some were clunky. A few gave me gold. And a few… made my coffee go cold while I waited. For a side-by-side cheat sheet of the most popular keyword tools (and the best situations to use each one), check out the free chart on PTools.

If you’d like to see every step of my experiment—including the spreadsheets, filters, and finished posts—check out the full case study I shared on my keyword-tool deep dive.

You know what? I thought cheap tools were enough. I was wrong. Well, kind of. For tiny sites, simple tools can win. For bigger goals, power helps.

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Real tests I ran (with plain examples)

I ran the same mini tests in each tool:

• Food blog test: “air fryer chicken wings”
• Local test: “Austin plumber”
• Store test: “wireless earbuds under 50”
• Pet blog test: “can dogs eat watermelon”
• YouTube test: “how to tie a tie” (just to see the video SERP)

I checked:

• volume (how many searches)
• KD (how hard it is to rank)
• the SERP (who’s on page one and what type of results show)
• long-tail ideas (those sweet, easy wins)

Note: search numbers shift over time. I’m sharing what I saw while testing.

While poking around in smaller Texas markets to compare against my “Austin plumber” benchmark, I also pulled up ultra-local service queries such as Listcrawler Eagle Pass to see how directory-style pages hold the top spots; exploring that SERP is a quick way to understand how aggregated listings, user reviews, and geo-specific modifiers can shape your own local-SEO content strategy.

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Tool-by-tool: what actually helped

Ahrefs

I keep coming back to Ahrefs. It’s fast and deep.

• What I loved:

  • Keyword ideas that actually match how people talk.
  • KD feels fair. Not perfect, but close.
  • SERP overview is clear. I can scan and know if I have a shot.

• What bugged me:

  • Price. It’s not cheap.
  • You can get lost in the data if you’re new.

• Real example wins:

  • “air fryer chicken wings crispy baking powder” — low KD; steady volume. I wrote a post with step-by-step photos. It picked up clicks in two weeks.
  • “emergency plumber Austin 24/7” — higher KD, but clear intent. We built a short, trust-heavy landing page with call buttons. It brought weekend calls.
  • “best earbuds for small ears under 50” — long-tail, low KD. We added a size-fit chart and ear tip tips (ha). Sales lifted on that page.

• Tiny tip: filter by “Questions” and then sort by KD. You’ll see low-hanging fruit in minutes.

Semrush

Feels like a big Swiss Army knife. SEO, PPC, and more.

• What I liked:

  • Topic clusters pop out fast.
  • Great for local and paid keyword checks.
  • “Keyword Magic” has tons of variants.
    If you're new to the platform, the built-in Keyword Research Toolkit lets you jump from broad discovery to SERP checks in just a couple of clicks.

• What I didn’t:

  • The interface feels busy.
  • Exports sometimes lag. My tea got cold. Twice.

• Real example:

  • “drain cleaning Austin cost” — showed mid volume, medium KD. We wrote a price guide with clear ranges and a “call for quote” box. Good leads.
  • For “how to tie a tie,” Semrush showed video-heavy SERPs. So we kept it short and went for YouTube first. Views came faster than a blog post would.

For a broader look at the keyword metrics I lean on day-to-day, you can skim my quick review of the best keyword analysis tool I actually use.

If you want a step-by-step primer on squeezing even more out of those features, the Semrush team has a helpful guide on how to use Semrush for keyword research that walks through every dial and toggle.

Google Keyword Planner (free, inside Google Ads)

It’s free. It’s also… vague.

• What works:

  • Great for broad discovery.
  • Real Google data, which I trust.

• What doesn’t:

  • Volume ranges can be wide.
  • It mixes in ad-first ideas.

• Real example:

  • For “can dogs eat watermelon,” it hinted at strong interest in “seeds” and “rind.” We made two mini posts: one on seeds, one on rind. Both picked up traffic with basic on-page SEO.

• Tiny tip: plug seed terms, then export, then prune with another tool.

Keywords Everywhere (browser add-on)

It shows volume and ideas right on Google.

• What I liked:

  • Cheap and handy.
  • See People Also Search and related terms while you search.

• What I didn’t:

  • It’s not a full research suite.
  • You still need to check competition somewhere else.

• Real example:

  • I typed “air fryer chicken wings” and saw “baking powder vs cornstarch” on the side with volume hints. That line alone gave me a new subhead that ranks.

AnswerThePublic

It maps questions people ask. Super visual.

• What I liked:

  • Great for FAQ sections and headings.
  • Helps with natural language.

• What I didn’t:

  • It doesn’t show strong difficulty data.
  • Sometimes repeats terms a lot.

• Real example:

  • “can dogs eat watermelon seeds” and “how much watermelon for dogs” came up as clear question clusters. We set up short, clear answers and added a vet quote. Readers stayed longer.

LowFruits

This one targets weak SERPs. It’s simple and clever.

• What I liked:

  • It flags results with low-authority pages on page one.
  • Perfect for small sites hunting easy wins.

• What I didn’t:

  • It’s not great for giant lists or PPC stuff.
  • The interface is plain.

• Real example:

  • “best earbuds under 50 for sleeping” — found weak page-one sites. We wrote a short guide with side-sleep tips and thin earbuds. It ranked faster than our broader earbuds page.

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So… what’s the “best” keyword research tool?

It depends on you. Sorry, but it does. Here’s my real-world take:

• Power pick: Ahrefs

  • If you publish often and need solid KD and SERP checks, this is it.
  • It’s pricey, but it saves me time, and time is money.

• All-around for teams: Semrush

  • If you do SEO and paid ads, it’s a strong one-stop shop.

• Budget stack that works:

  • Google Keyword Planner + Keywords Everywhere + LowFruits
  • I’ve ranked with just these three. It takes a bit more manual checking, but it works.

If you asked me what I actually pay for right now: Ahrefs. Then I keep Keywords Everywhere as my quick helper. That mix fits my day-to-day work.

When I need to size up rival sites before picking a keyword, I lean on a small toolkit that’s built for speed; you can see exactly how in my roundup of the best competitor analysis tools.

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My simple workflow (I repeat this every week)

1. Start with 3–5 seed terms

• Example: “air fryer wings,” “Austin plumber,” “earbuds under 50”

2. Grab long-tail ideas

• Use Ahrefs or Semrush. If on a budget, use Keyword Planner and Keywords Everywhere.

3. Check KD and the SERP

• Look for weaker sites or forums on page one. If page one is all giants, I pass.

4. Group by intent

• “How to,” “best,” “near me,” “cost,” “problems,” “fix,” “vs.”

5. Write lean, then polish

• Clear headings. Straight answers. Add a table or a check list if it helps.

6. Update after 4–6 weeks

• Add FAQs you missed. Tighten titles. If it’s stuck, try a spinoff long-tail.

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A few quick, real examples you can steal

• Food: “air fryer wings baking