Free DIY Keyword & Topic Research
Before you go thinking you'll need to throw money at this quest, you need to know there are a number of ways you can already conduct your own keyword research. Here are 5 easy wins you can accomplish without spending a single penny.
Google Trends - If you've never used this tool before, it will blow your mind at how easy it is to conduct a sweep (albeit very cursory) of keywords and their related search volumes. If you just want to see general trends surrounding keywords over time and geographic location, this is a must.
Keyword Tool Dominator - Currently, the free version is limited to two searches per day. But what you gain from those two searches (provided you do your homework ahead of time) more than makes up for volume. You can easily search Google, Amazon, and YouTube for top performing searches.
YouTube Autocomplete - Take a trip down YouTube lane and let autocomplete be your guide. In other words, type in the topic or keyword you're interested in, then see what comes up under the autocomplete tab as you're typing. Whatever the results, they're related to both your query AND the known searches of other YouTube users. This may seem like a fools errand, but it absolutely works and shouldn't be discounted. Especially if you're on a budget!
That goes for any other search engine's autocomplete as well. Don't knock the free wins!
Side by Side SEO Comparison - Have a number of competitors that seem to be ranking above you online EVERY time you run a search? Here's a tool that will give you a quick scan of up to 5 competitor pages, side by side. Why? So you can see if there's anything related to their on-page SEO game that's giving them an advantage over you.
Pay special attention to everything meta (keywords, descriptions, and nuances in general ;).
AnswerThePublic - If you're into data visualization, you will absolutely friggin' LOVE this tool. If you want a quick, easy, free and fun way to see what people are searching for when it comes to your products or services, make haste! There is a pro paid version of this, but if you're on a budget the free version definitely gets the job done.
Full List of SEO Services
For those of you who want to dive in deep, we recommend getting to know our full suite of SEO services. From helping you to understand syndication to plain old fashioned backlink creation, take a few moments to sift through the list before settling on something. If you're completely new to this, we recommend the Keywords & Topics research above, but once that foundation has been built you'll want to periodically scan your site for full compliance with best SEO practices.
