Hi everyone. I've been trying to get better at SEO for a small project, and everyone recommends Semrush for keyword research. Honestly, it looks amazing, but it's just way out of my budget right now.
I'm hoping for some community wisdom. What are the best alternatives for someone just starting out? I'm especially interested in tools that are good for finding long-tail keywords and checking search volume, even if the database isn't as huge. I've heard of Ubersuggest and Keyword Surfer, but I'd love to hear about your experiences with them or any others. Thanks in advance for any pointers
Hey there! Oh, I totally feel you on the Semrush price point. It's fantastic, but it can be a real stretch when you're just starting a small project.
You're on the right track with Ubersuggest and Keyword Surfer. For pure keyword research on a budget, I've had a really good experience with Ubersuggest. Its long-tail suggestions are surprisingly solid for the cost, and the search volume trends are helpful. Keyword Surfer is a fantastic freebie for quick volume checks right in the SERPs. Two others I'd add to your list to try are Keyword Everywhere (it's a cheap one-time payment for credits) and AnswerThePublic. The latter is brilliant for uncovering question-based long-tail keywords you might not think of, and it has a decent free tier.
Just a heads up, the databases for these are definitely smaller, so you might see some zeros for volume where Semrush shows data. But for brainstorming content and finding those niche phrases to target, they're more than enough to get you going
Good rundown. One thing I'd add about those smaller databases is they can sometimes over-index on certain markets. If you're looking outside the US or UK, it's worth cross-referencing with Google's own keyword planner, even in its limited free mode, just to sanity-check the volumes you're seeing.