Free keyword planner tool

What is the keyword planner tool?

The keyword planner tool is a free SaaS tool that helps marketers and businesses find the best keywords to optimize their content for social media, SEO, and PPC campaigns. With detailed keyword clustering, tracking reports, and long-tail keyword suggestions, it's designed to enhance your keyword strategy for better online visibility.

What is the keyword?

A keyword is a term or phrase that defines the subject of your content and helps search engines understand what your page is about. It serves as a bridge between what users search for and the content you provide.

Is ContentStudio's keyword planner free to use?

Yes, the keyword planner tool is completely free and designed for users across industries, especially small businesses, marketing teams, and agencies.

What is keyword density?

Keyword density refers to the percentage of times a keyword appears on a page compared to the total word count. Maintaining an ideal keyword density ensures you’re optimizing for search engines without triggering spam filters.

What does keyword mean?

A keyword is a word or phrase that users type into search engines when looking for specific information. Keywords help search engines understand the content of a page and determine its relevance for a search query.

What is keyword volume?

Keyword volume refers to the average number of times a keyword is searched for during a specific time frame, usually a month. High-volume keywords attract more visitors, but they are often more competitive.

Keyword placement

Keyword placement refers to where you include keywords on your webpage. For effective SEO, place keywords in strategic locations like:

• 1. The title tag
• 2. Meta description
• 3. Headings (H1, H2)
• 4. First 100 words of the content
• 5. Image alt tags

What is an ideal keyword density?

An ideal keyword density typically ranges from 1% to 2%. Keeping your keyword density within this range ensures search engines understand the focus of your content without penalizing you for over-optimization.

Why is keyword research important?

Keyword research is crucial because it:

• 1. Helps you understand what your target audience is searching for.
• 2. Guides your content strategy by showing search demand for specific topics.
• 3. Identifies high-value keywords to drive organic traffic and conversions.

What is keyword optimization?

Keyword optimization refers to the process of researching, selecting, and incorporating the best keywords into your content to improve its ranking on search engines. The keyword planner tool assists with identifying and refining keyword choices.

How to use the keyword planner tool?

• 1. Enter a keyword or phrase: Start by typing your main keyword or related phrases.
• 2. Review keyword opportunities: The tool will show relevant keywords, volume, trends, and competition.
• 3. Group and prioritize keywords: Use the keyword clustering feature to organize similar terms.
• 4. Track and optimize: Get keyword ranking reports and adjust your strategy accordingly.

How ContentStudio help in keyword planning?

By integrating the free keyword planner tool with ContentStudio, you can align your SEO strategy with content creation, ensuring your posts are optimized with the right keywords and phrases. Use it to find trending keywords, group them, and then directly implement them into your content.

What is keyword targeting?

Keyword targeting involves choosing specific keywords that you want your content to rank for on search engines. The goal is to match your content with the search terms people use to find products or services like yours.

What is keyword clustering?

Keyword clustering is the process of grouping similar or related keywords into clusters. This allows you to optimize your content for a broader set of search queries while maintaining relevance. Use the keyword planner tool to generate clusters and structure your content around them.

How to build a keyword list

To build an effective keyword list:

• 1. Start with seed keywords: Enter basic keywords relevant to your business.
• 2. Use the keyword planner tool: Find related and long-tail keywords.
• 3. Group keywords: Organize keywords into clusters based on relevance and intent.
• 4. Analyze search volume and competition: Prioritize keywords based on volume and competition.

SEO keyword mapping

SEO keyword mapping involves assigning specific keywords to relevant pages of your website. This strategy ensures each page targets a unique keyword cluster, improving overall SEO performance and avoiding keyword cannibalization.

SEO keyword examples

Examples of SEO keywords include:

• 1. Long-tail keywords like "best coffee shop in San Francisco"
• 2. Brand keywords like "Starbucks coffee"
• 3. Transactional keywords like "buy running shoes online"

Best practices for the keyword planner tool

• 1. Prioritize long-tail keywords: Long-tail keywords are more specific and often less competitive than broad terms. Using the keyword planner tool, identify long-tail keywords that closely match user intent. These keywords can drive targeted traffic with higher conversion rates, especially for niche markets or specific product/service offerings.
• 2. Optimize for both SEO and PPC: Use the tool for both organic SEO and Pay-Per-Click (PPC) campaigns. For SEO, target keywords with a healthy search volume and competition balance. For PPC, focus on finding cost-effective keywords with lower cost-per-click (CPC) and high conversion potential. This dual approach can maximize your marketing efforts across different channels.
• 3. Leverage keyword clusters: Group related keywords into clusters to create a more cohesive content strategy. Instead of targeting single keywords on multiple pages, use keyword clusters to build topic-focused content that captures a broader range of search queries. This enhances your authority on specific topics and improves ranking for multiple related keywords.
• 4. Monitor keyword trends regularly: Keyword trends change over time and are influenced by seasons, events, and market shifts. Regularly revisit the keyword planner tool to track changes in search volume, competition, and emerging opportunities. Staying updated on trends helps you stay ahead of competitors and keeps your content relevant.
• 5. Balance high-volume and low-competition keywords: While it’s tempting to target high-volume keywords, they often come with steep competition. Use the tool to find a balance between high-volume and low-competition keywords to optimize your chances of ranking. Low-competition, niche keywords often provide quicker wins and can help establish domain authority over time.
• 6. Incorporate semantic keyword search: Modern SEO is more about user intent than exact keyword matches. Use semantic search principles to find keywords that address the broader context of user searches. This approach improves the relevancy of your content and aligns it with how people naturally search.
• 7. Track keyword performance regularly: Continuously monitor how well your keywords are performing using keyword ranking reports and tracking tools. Analyze which keywords are driving traffic and conversions, and which need adjustments or removal from your strategy. The keyword planner tool offers detailed performance reports that allow you to refine your approach.
• 8. Avoid keyword cannibalization: Ensure that you're not using the same or very similar keywords across multiple pages. Keyword cannibalization can dilute your SEO efforts and confuse search engines about which page to rank. Use the keyword planner tool’s keyword clustering feature to prevent this and maintain a clear, organized content structure."
• 9. Target local keywords for better local SEO: If your business serves a specific geographical area, focus on local keyword research. Use the tool to identify location-specific keywords that cater to regional audiences. Optimizing for local SEO can boost visibility in local searches, especially for businesses that rely on local customers.
• 10. Regularly refresh and update keyword lists: The effectiveness of keywords can diminish over time. Regularly refresh your keyword lists by revisiting the planner tool to find new, relevant keywords or optimize existing ones. This ensures your content remains up-to-date and aligned with current search trends.
• 11. Use a mix of broad, phrase, and exact match keywords: Experiment with different match types for paid search campaigns to optimize your ad reach and performance. Broad match keywords help capture a wide range of related searches, while phrase and exact match allow for more precise targeting. A balanced strategy increases visibility without sacrificing relevance.

Mistakes to avoid when using the keyword planner tool

• 1. Overfocusing on high-competition keywords: Always balance between high-volume and niche keywords.
• 2. Ignoring local or niche keyword research: Use the local keyword research feature to refine your targeting for specific audiences.
• 3. Keyword cannibalization: Avoid using too many similar keywords across multiple pages to prevent internal competition.

What is keyword cannibalization?

Keyword cannibalization occurs when multiple pages on your site target the same keyword, which can hurt your SEO by splitting authority and confusing search engines. Avoid this by using keyword clusters to ensure each page targets distinct keywords.

How to avoid keyword cannibalization

• 1. Assign unique keyword clusters to each page.
• 2. Use a keyword planner tool to track and manage which keywords are targeted by different pages.
• 3. Regularly audit your site’s content to ensure no overlaps.

The AI technology used in this tool

The keyword planner tool leverages advanced AI and machine learning to offer keyword recommendations, trend analysis, and semantic keyword search, which aligns with user intent rather than just keyword matching.

How to use keyword planner for SEO

• 1. Enter a seed keyword: Start with a core term related to your business.
• 2. Analyze search volume and competition: Find keywords that balance volume with lower competition.
• 3. Use keyword clusters: Group similar terms to create well-rounded content.
• 4. Optimize your content: Incorporate the selected keywords naturally into your pages.

How to do keyword research for PPC

• 1. Identify high-intent keywords: Focus on keywords likely to convert.
• 2. Use broad, phrase, and exact match: Experiment with match types to target a range of queries.
• 3. Analyze keyword competition and CPC: Choose keywords with manageable competition and CPC.
• 4. Track performance: Use the keyword planner tool to monitor clicks, conversions, and ROI.

When to use this tool?

• 1. When planning content or PPC campaigns.
• 2. To refine and optimize your existing keyword strategy.
• 3. For competitor analysis by identifying keyword gaps.

What are keyword gaps?

Keyword gaps refer to search terms or topics that your competitors are ranking for, but you are not. By identifying keyword gaps, you can discover missed opportunities to target new keywords that can help increase your site’s traffic and rank. Use the keyword planner tool to identify these gaps and incorporate the missing keywords into your content strategy.

What is the difference between a brand keyword and a non-brand keyword?

• 1. Brand keywords: These include your brand name or product, such as "Nike shoes" or "Apple iPhone." They are typically used by consumers already familiar with your brand.
• 2. Non-brand keywords: These keywords don’t mention your brand and target broader search intent, like "running shoes" or "smartphones." Non-brand keywords attract a wider audience and can drive more new visitors to your site.

How to avoid keyword stuffing

• 1. Focus on natural keyword placement.
• 2. Use variations of the keyword (synonyms or related terms).
• 3. Follow a content-first approach, ensuring the text makes sense and is readable.

Keyword position report

A keyword position report shows the current ranking position of a keyword on search engine results pages (SERPs). These reports help you track the performance of your keywords and adjust your SEO strategy as needed.

How to search a keyword on a page

• 1. Press Ctrl + F (Windows) or Command + F (Mac).
• 2. Enter the keyword in the search bar, and it will highlight all occurrences on the page.