If you’re looking for one “truly free keyword tool,” the honest answer is: there isn’t a single magic one… but there is one I’d treat as the “core” and then patch its weaknesses with stuff that’s actually free.
@espritlibre already gave you a great Google‑centric stack. I’ll go in a different direction and try not to repeat the same steps.
The closest thing to “one free tool”: Keywords Everywhere (free data mode) + Google
Weird answer, I know, because the paid version is credits, but the free version still gives you a ton:
- Shows “People Also Search For” terms in the sidebar
- Surfaces “Related keywords,” “Long‑tail keywords,” and “Trending” under the SERP
- Works directly on Google, YouTube etc
- Lets you export stuff and then you can sort / filter in a spreadsheet
You don’t get exact volume, but frankly, for a small blog you mostly need relative interest + low competition, not “this gets 260 vs 320 searches.”
How I’d use it for low‑competition stuff:
-
Google your seed topic like:
how to start balcony garden -
Let Keywords Everywhere load its side panels:
- Grab “Related Keywords” and “People Also Search For”
- Pick phrases that:
- Sound weirdly specific
- Have 3+ words
- Are not dominated by huge brands in the results
-
Open a bunch of those weird phrases in new tabs and quickly eyeball each SERP:
- If you see forums, Quora, random small blogs, old posts, not perfect content → good sign
- If it’s all big brands and super polished guides → skip
This is basically the “I am poor but stubborn” version of paid tools’ keyword difficulty.
One place I slightly disagree with the usual advice
Everyone worships Google Keyword Planner, but for tiny blogs I find it:
- Hides a ton of low‑volume stuff
- Groups unrelated phrases
- Gives ranges that are so vague they’re almost vibes
I still use it, but not as my main idea engine. I treat it as:
“Check if this phrase is totally dead or at least has a pulse.”
The ideas come from the SERP and from the way real people phrase things, not from GKP’s bland list.
Two underrated, actually‑free angles that pair well with the above
1. Reddit + site search
Use this in Google:
site:reddit.com 'your topic'
Example:
site:reddit.com balcony garden
You’ll see:
- The exact phrases people use
- Real questions and pain points
- Long‑tail wording like “balcony garden for windy apartment”
Those phrases often never show up in keyword tools, but they still bring traffic if you:
- Use the phrase in your title / H1
- Answer the question clearly
- Add related variations naturally
Free, messy, and very effective.
2. Internal search + comments (once you have some traffic)
If your blog has:
- An internal search bar, check search logs
- Comments or emails, look for repeated questions
These are “keywords” straight from your audience. Tool volume might say “0,” but GSC later proves they actually pull in impressions from a bunch of tiny variations.
This doesn’t help on day one, but it becomes a goldmine after 20–30 posts.
If you want a single “stack” that isn’t just repeating what was already said
- Core discovery: Keywords Everywhere (free) on Google SERPs
- Reality check: Very light use of Google Keyword Planner just to see if topic = totally dead
- User language: Reddit site search & other communities in your niche
- ** SERP sanity check:** Just eyeball the first page, not obsess over metrics
- Refinement later: Google Search Console once you have content actually ranking a bit
That’s genuinely free, no free trials, no “10 credits a month and then pay us,” and it’s enough to dig up plenty of low‑competition, long‑tail topics for a small blog.
And yeah, it’s a bit more legwork than pushing a button in Ahrefs, but the upside is you actually start thinking like your reader instead of like a tool output. Which, annoyingly, works better in the long run.