Recommended Free Tools
Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs Keyword Generator, Ahrefs Free and Semrush’s free tools cover the main no-subscription keyword tasks in 2026. Use Keyword Planner for Google search and advertising estimates, Ahrefs’ public generator for ideas across several search engines, Ahrefs Free for data from a verified site, and Semrush when you want a collection of free SEO utilities. None is objectively best for every blog; the right choice depends on your site, the data you need and each product’s current access limits.
Which free tool fits your job?
| Tool | Best use | Data or coverage | Access conditions and limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Keyword Planner | Discovering Google-related terms and judging commercial context | Monthly search estimates, average ad cost and keyword ideas | Basic “Get ideas for new keywords” use requires a completed Google Ads setup with billing information |
| Ahrefs Keyword Generator | Generating new topic ideas | Ideas for Google, Bing, YouTube and Amazon; vendor-described filters for difficulty, CPC, SERP features, word count and parent topics | Public generator; it is separate from Ahrefs Free |
| Ahrefs Free | Inspecting a site you own | SEO metrics, backlink and keyword views, and site auditing for verified websites | Ahrefs lists 5,000 crawl credits per verified project each month, with up to 1,000 backlinks and 1,000 keywords visible at once |
| Semrush free tools | Using several standalone SEO utilities | Keyword Tool, Search Volume Checker, Rank Checker and other listed tools | Semrush says its listed free tools require no sign-up; individual limits and features can change |
The figures and caps in this table are vendor-published descriptions, not independent accuracy tests. Check the live pages before relying on a limit or feature.
Google Keyword Planner: estimates for Google search
Google describes Keyword Planner as a way to discover keywords related to a business and view estimates of searches and costs to target them. It can suggest related phrases, show monthly search estimates, report average ad cost and help organize terms. Google’s own wording is that “Keyword Planner can provide insights into keyword targeting, and offer traffic estimates of keyword campaigns.”
Those numbers are designed for Search campaign planning. They are estimates, not a promise that a WordPress post will rank or receive the same number of organic visits. Actual advertising performance varies with bid, budget, ad quality, location targeting and customer behavior. Treat volume and cost as directional evidence when deciding whether a topic deserves research, not as an organic-traffic forecast.
#1 Best Overall
Access requirement
Google says basic functions such as Get ideas for new keywords require a completed Google Ads account setup, including billing information. Do not assume that creating a Google account alone unlocks every Keyword Planner function.
Best fit
Choose it when your audience is primarily on Google and you want a consistent source of Google-oriented demand and advertising-cost context. It is less suitable as your only source for site-specific SEO diagnostics.
Ahrefs Keyword Generator: ideas beyond one search engine
The public Ahrefs Keyword Generator is intended for finding keyword ideas. Its page describes coverage for Google, Bing, YouTube and Amazon, along with filters for keyword difficulty, CPC, SERP features and word count. Parent-topic groupings can help you turn individual long-tail phrases into broader content themes.
These are features Ahrefs describes for the product; the page does not establish that every result is complete or more accurate than another database. Use the generator to build a candidate list, then inspect the actual search results and your audience’s intent before assigning a post.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchAhrefs Free: analysis for a verified website
Ahrefs Free is a different offering from the public generator. It provides SEO information and site analysis after you verify websites you control. Ahrefs currently lists unlimited verified websites, 5,000 Site Audit crawl credits per verified project per month, and visibility of up to 1,000 backlinks and 1,000 keywords at a time.
Those are Ahrefs’ published free-tier limits and may change. The product is useful when you already have a WordPress site and want to examine its existing keywords, links or technical issues; it is not a substitute for a public idea generator when you are starting from a blank topic list.
Rank #3
- How search engines work: Because knowing your enemy is half the battle.
- SEO Basics: Like how to start a website and submit it to Google.
- Keyword Research: Find the most promising keywords for your business.
- SEO Content: Create content that even search engines want to binge-read.
- On-Page SEO: The most effective way to explain your pages to search engines.
Semrush’s free tools: a broader utility shelf
Semrush’s free-tools page lists a Keyword Tool, Keyword Search Volume Checker, Keyword Rank Checker, Keyword Checker and other SEO utilities. Semrush says the listed free tools are available without sign-up. The same page points readers who want all marketing data toward a free Semrush account, so “no sign-up” should not be interpreted as unlimited access to every Semrush feature.
Use the page when you prefer several focused tools rather than one workflow. Confirm the current input limits and output fields in the specific utility you open; free access can be revised independently of the page’s overall list.
A practical free workflow for a WordPress blog
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Start with evidence from your own site
If the blog already receives search impressions, identify queries and pages that are gaining visibility. Use those themes to decide what to expand or improve, then bring promising wording into an idea generator. This keeps brainstorming connected to topics your site has already begun to earn.
Rank #4
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Expand the list with Ahrefs Keyword Generator
Enter a seed topic and review related terms across the search engine that matters to your audience. Group similar long-tail phrases under a parent topic, and record the intent behind each group (informational, comparison, troubleshooting or purchase research).
-
Check Google demand and ad context
Run the strongest candidates through Keyword Planner when Google search estimates or advertising costs would change your priorities. Record the location and other targeting settings used, because estimates are campaign-dependent.
-
Validate the site opportunity
For an established domain, use Ahrefs Free after verification to review the keywords and backlinks already visible for your project. Its monthly crawl-credit and display caps mean you may need to prioritize important pages.
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Use Semrush for a second utility or rank check
Open the relevant Semrush free tool when you need a separate volume check, rank check or another listed utility. Recheck what the current tool allows before building a repeatable process around it.
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Choose the topic manually
Compare the searcher’s intent with the pages currently ranking, your site’s expertise and the effort required to produce a genuinely better answer. A high estimate alone does not make a good WordPress topic.
How to choose between the tools
- Need new ideas with broad engine coverage: start with Ahrefs Keyword Generator.
- Need Google search and advertising estimates: use Google Keyword Planner, while remembering its billing-information setup and campaign-focused estimates.
- Already own and can verify a site: add Ahrefs Free for site-level keywords, backlinks and audits within its published caps.
- Want several independent utilities: browse Semrush’s free-tools collection and check each tool’s current limits.
These products answer different questions: discovery versus owned-site analysis, Google-focused estimates versus multi-engine ideas, and standalone utilities versus a verified project. Combining two complementary tools is often more useful than searching for a single universal winner.
Quick Recap
Important limits and expectations
- Free access is not a permanent specification. Vendor pages can change features, quotas and account requirements.
- Keyword volume, CPC and difficulty are estimates or proprietary metrics; they do not guarantee rankings, clicks or conversions.
- The options above are online services. The cited material does not establish a direct WordPress plugin integration, so plan to transfer selected terms into your editorial calendar or SEO plugin yourself.
- No independent comparative study here proves that one service has the most accurate database or easiest interface.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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