How to Do Keyword Research Without Expensive Tools

25 September 2026·3 min read

Quick answer: You don't need a paid SEO tool subscription to do useful keyword research — Google's own autocomplete, the 'People also ask' box, and the free Google Keyword Planner (accessible through a free Google Ads account) will get most small businesses 80% of the way there. Paid tools add precision and competitor data, but they're not the barrier to entry they're often made out to be. 🔍

Most small business owners assume proper keyword research requires an expensive monthly subscription to a tool like Ahrefs or SEMrush, and either skip the process entirely or guess at what people search for. Neither is necessary to get started. 💖

What most businesses get wrong: researching keywords for the words they'd use themselves, rather than the words their customers actually type — a plumber might think in terms of "licensed plumbing services" when the customer is searching "why is my hot water not working".

The Free Keyword Research Method

Type your service into Google and note the autocomplete suggestions — these are real, common searches.
Scroll to 'People also ask' and 'Related searches' at the bottom of the results page — free, direct insight into related questions.
Search your topic on YouTube and TikTok too — their autocomplete reflects slightly different phrasing and often surfaces more conversational search terms.
Set up a free Google Ads account (no need to run ads) purely to access Keyword Planner's free search volume estimates.
Check what questions actual customers ask you in enquiries and reviews — this is often better data than any tool.

A booking-based business with lots of no-shows: Discovered through Google autocomplete that customers searched "how do I cancel a [type of] appointment" far more than expected — leading to a dedicated cancellation policy page that reduced confused calls to reception.

A B2B firm with a long sales cycle: Used 'People also ask' results to find the specific comparison questions prospects were researching before enquiring (e.g. "in-house vs outsourced [service]"), and built content directly answering those questions.

A local service business with a seasonal dip: Found through autocomplete that a specific seasonal service had much higher search volume under a different common name than the business's own internal terminology — adjusting website copy to match the customer's language, not the industry's.

When paid tools actually help

Free methods are genuinely sufficient for finding what to write about. Paid tools (Ahrefs, SEMrush, Ubersuggest) add value once you're trying to estimate competitive difficulty or compare volume precisely across dozens of terms — useful at scale, not essential for a single business getting started.

💡 Your own enquiry inbox is a keyword research tool you already have. The exact phrases customers use when they email or call you are often more valuable than anything a paid tool will surface — they're real language from real prospective customers.

Mistakes to avoid

Researching keywords using industry jargon instead of how customers actually phrase things.
Assuming you need a paid subscription before you can start at all.
Ignoring 'People also ask' and autocomplete, which are free and highly relevant.
Chasing high-volume keywords that don't match what your specific business actually offers.

Frequently asked questions

Is Google Keyword Planner accurate?

It gives a range rather than an exact number if you're not running active ad spend, but it's still useful for comparing relative popularity between terms.

How many keywords should we target per page?

Focus each page around one main topic and a small handful of closely related terms — spreading one page across many unrelated keywords usually backfires.

Should we pay for a tool eventually?

If you're producing content regularly and want to track rankings and competitor gaps at scale, yes — but it's an upgrade, not a prerequisite.

Honestly, does keyword research guarantee we'll rank?

No — it tells you what to write about, not that you'll automatically rank for it. Content quality, site authority and competition still matter enormously.

Keep reading 🤍

Written by

Kate, founder of Chronically Online

I help Gold Coast and Brisbane businesses grow with branding, websites and marketing that actually works.

Work with me ✦