Keyword tools
Search engines match content from websites and online shops to search queries. Which terms users use for this is therefore one of the most important questions in search engine optimisation. Instead of guessing which words make sense, you use data.
Keyword tools provide this data. They draw on large databases and show which terms people enter into search engines on a topic, how often this happens, how strong the competition is and which related terms and questions exist.
The best-known free tool is Google's Keyword Planner, which is part of Google Ads and requires a free Ads account. It provides search terms, related ideas and search volume as well as an assessment of competition – but related to ads, not organic search. Without running campaigns, it also only shows search volume in broad ranges. High competition means that many providers are competing for a term; optimisation is then more effort. It often makes more sense to use the tools to find related, more specific terms or niches that the target group also uses. Success in search engine optimisation usually shows much faster there.
How and when should you use keyword tools?
There are numerous keyword tools on the market – free and paid, some with their own databases and some that evaluate suggestions from Google or other platforms. They are usually easy to use: you enter a term and receive data and suggestions. Because each tool uses its own data sources and calculation methods, values sometimes differ considerably. Search volumes are always estimates. For sound decisions, it's therefore worth comparing several tools and paying attention to orders of magnitude rather than exact figures.
Keyword tools are already used when planning a website or shop, for example to align the category structure with demand: how do customers search for the products, which subcategories are worthwhile? After that, they help with creating individual content, from category texts to guide articles. Because websites and product ranges grow and search behaviour changes, keyword tools are an ongoing instrument: they show seasonal fluctuations, new trends and topics where the competition performs better. This makes them a basic tool for SEO specialists, editors and shop owners – in every phase of a project.
What keyword tools are there?
Besides Google's Keyword Planner, there are many other tools, for example:
Google Search Console (shows which terms a website is already found for) and Google Trends (shows seasonal developments)
Google Autocomplete: the suggestions while typing in Google Search, plus “People also ask” in the search results
KWFinder by Mangools
SE Ranking
Ubersuggest
LowFruits
Ahrefs
AnswerThePublic
Sistrix
Semrush
Which tool is right depends on requirements and budget. For shops in German-speaking countries, tools with good data for Germany, Austria and Switzerland are particularly important, such as Sistrix, Semrush or Ahrefs. It's also increasingly worth looking at which questions users ask AI assistants such as ChatGPT – dedicated monitoring tools are emerging for this too.