Let’s face it—most small business owners hear “keyword research” and immediately feel like they need a marketing degree, a paid tool, and possibly a life coach.

The good news? You don’t need any of that. There are free, beginner-friendly tools that can help you find great keywords in minutes—without pulling your hair out or selling your firstborn to SEMrush.

Let’s go tool shopping!

Why Keyword Research Matters (Quick Recap)

If you skipped our last article (tsk tsk), here’s the TL;DR:

Keywords are the words your potential customers are typing into Google. If you use those same words on your site, you have a way better chance of getting found.

Keyword research = finding out what people are actually searching for so you can match your content to that.

5 Free Keyword Tools You Can Start Using Today

1. Google Autocomplete (aka: Free Gold)

Start typing a phrase into Google and let it finish your sentence.

For example, type “pressure washing…” and you might see:

  • pressure washing near me
  • pressure washing driveway cost
  • pressure washing vs soft washing

These are actual searches—free keyword ideas. And they’re local-friendly, too!

2. AnswerThePublic

https://answerthepublic.com

This tool visualizes the questions people ask about a topic. You’ll get a big spiderweb of “how,” “why,” “where,” and “can I” type searches related to your business.

Example for “roof cleaning”:

  • “Is roof cleaning safe?”
  • “How often should you clean your roof?”
  • “Can you pressure wash a shingle roof?”

👉 Perfect for blog post ideas and FAQ content.

3. Ubersuggest

https://neilpatel.com/ubersuggest/

Type in a keyword and it gives you:

  • Search volume (how many people are searching per month)
  • Keyword difficulty
  • Related keyword suggestions

It’s free with some limits, but more than enough for a local business just getting started.

4. Google Keyword Planner

https://ads.google.com/home/tools/keyword-planner/

Technically a Google Ads tool—but you can use it to find:

  • New keyword ideas
  • Search volume ranges
  • Location-specific keyword data

Yes, you’ll need to make a free Google Ads account to access it. But you don’t have to run any actual ads. Sneaky, huh?

5. Google Trends

https://trends.google.com

Want to know if a keyword is getting hotter or colder over time?
This tool shows interest over time and lets you compare multiple terms.

It’s also great for seasonal businesses or identifying breakout topics.

Example:
Compare “paver sealing” vs “pressure washing” in Florida—you’ll see how demand changes month to month.

Combine Tools for Better Ideas

These tools work best together. For example:

  • Start with Google Autocomplete
  • Run the phrase through Ubersuggest
  • Use Keyword Planner to localize it
  • Check Google Trends to see when it’s hot

Just 15–20 minutes of poking around can give you a solid list of terms to use on your website, blogs, service pages, and Google Business Profile.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Only targeting keywords with huge search volume (they’re also highly competitive)
  • Ignoring long-tail keywords (they’re often more specific and easier to rank for)
  • Using the exact same keyword across every page (Google likes variety, too)

💡 TL;DR

  • You don’t need paid tools to do solid keyword research
  • Start with Google itself, then use tools like Ubersuggest, AnswerThePublic, and Keyword Planne
  • Use your findings to create better content that actually ranks

Final Thoughts

Keyword research doesn’t have to be overwhelming, expensive, or even that time-consuming. With a few free tools and some curiosity, you’ll have a list of powerful, relevant phrases that bring real humans to your site.