15 Best Free SEO Tools for Bloggers to Find Low-Competition Keywords

15 Best Free SEO Tools for Bloggers to Find Low-Competition Keywords

Hello, what's up bloggers!

You know that feeling when you pour your heart into a blog post, hit publish and then… nothing? Crickets. It’s the worst!

The truth is, writing amazing content is only half the battle. If you want to know how to write a quality blog post that actually gets seen, the other half is all about finding the right keywords-specifically, the low-competition keywords-where you can actually win a spot on the first page of Google. 

Think of it like a race, you don’t want to run against Usain Bolt right away. You want a clear path where you can zoom ahead!

Now, I know what you’re thinking: "I need expensive software for that!" Nope! As bloggers, we need to keep costs low, which is why I’m here today. I have gone digging deep and rounded up the 15 best free SEO tools that give you professional-level power without costing you a single penny.

I promise to keep this simple. No fancy jargon. We’re going to talk about these tools just like we’re chatting over coffee. Ready to turn your blog into a traffic magnet? Let's dive in!

Why Every Blogger Needs a Great Free SEO Tool for Keyword Research

A good free SEO tool isn't just a bonus, it’s essential.

Imagine you want to open a small bakery. You wouldn’t just guess what kind of bread people want, right? You’d look around, see which cafes are always full and see what they are missing. That’s what keyword research is! We use these tools to spy on the internet and find out exactly what questions people are asking.

Our main goal today is to find those sweet, low-competition keywords. These are search phrases that people use often, but not many other big websites are competing for. This is where a small blog like yours can sneak in and dominate! These tools help with early SEO optimization by getting the targeting right from the start.

The Powerhouse Five: Best Free SEO Tools for Finding Low-Competition Keywords

These five tools are your bread and butter for finding those hidden keyword gems. They are the free SEO optimization tools every beginner should start with.

1. Google Keyword Planner (GKP)

The Go-To Guy: Think of GKP as the most reliable friend you have. Since it comes straight from Google, the data is spot-on.

How Bloggers Use It: You can’t see the exact competition score, that's the one thing it hides, but you can see the search volume, how many people search for it and the level of competition for paid ads. If the ad competition is low, the organic competition is often low too.

Example: Say you search for "best dog food." Google Keyword Planner will suggest "dog food recipes for picky eaters." That long, specific phrase is your low-competition target!

2. Ubersuggest

The Friendly Analyst: Ubersuggest gives you a limited number of free searches per day, but those few searches are gold!

How Bloggers Use It: It shows you the actual "Keyword Difficulty" score and gives you content ideas based on the keyword. Always aim for keywords with a KD score under 30 if you’re a new or mid-sized blog.

Extra Tip: Use their "Content Ideas" feature to see posts that are already ranking well for that topic. This helps you figure out the best way to structure your own content when you are planning how to find low competition keywords.

3. AnswerThePublic (ATP)

The Question Finder: This tool is genius because it shows you what real people are asking about a topic.

How Bloggers Use It: Type in a broad topic like "internal linking". ATP will visually show you every question, preposition and comparison related to it. You get ideas like "Is internal linking necessary?" or "Internal linking vs. external linking." These long questions are often low-competition keywords!

4. Google Search Console (GSC)

Your Own Report Card: Google Search Console is technically not a keyword research tool, but it's the best free SEO tool you have for improvement.

How Bloggers Use It: It shows you keywords your blog is already ranking for (maybe on page two or three). If you’re ranking #15 for a keyword, you just need a small content tweak to jump to page one! Find those keywords and update the relevant post.

5. WordStream’s Free Keyword Tool

The Idea Generator: Need a quick burst of ideas? WordStream is a solid, no-fuss option.

How Bloggers Use It: It offers a huge list of keyword variations and their volume. It's excellent for brainstorming before you dive into the competition analysis with the other tools.

Beyond Keyword Research: Free SEO Tools Like Ahrefs and SEMrush

Okay, let’s talk serious power. The best stuff like tracking your backlinks and seeing what your competitors are doing usually costs a fortune. But you can still get amazing data using a free SEO tool that acts like Ahrefs or SEMrush. These are essential for true SEO optimization of your blog.

6. Ahrefs Webmaster Tools (AWT) - The Closest to Premium!

The Premium Peek: Ahrefs is one of the biggest names, but AWT gives you access to a surprising amount of data for your own site, for free!

How Bloggers Use It: You can check your site’s health, see all your backlinks and most importantly, see all the keywords you currently rank for. This is crucial for fixing technical issues and finding opportunities. This is the free seo tool that acts like ahrefs for your own domain.

7. SEMrush (Limited Free Account)

The Competitor Spreader: With a limited free SEMrush account, you can do a handful of competitor searches per day.

How Bloggers Use It: Type in a successful competitor’s URL. You can see their top-ranking keywords and pages. If a small competitor is ranking for a keyword, that’s a massive clue that the competition is low enough for you to target it, too!

8. MozBar (Free Browser Extension)

The Instant Checker: This is a small tool that sits right in your browser.

How Bloggers Use It: When you do a Google search, the MozBar shows you the Domain Authority (DA) and Page Authority (PA) of the top-ranking sites. If a site with a DA under 40 is ranking on page one, that’s a huge sign that the keyword is low-competition. Go for it!

The Technical Check-Up: Free Tools for Blog Health

Finding keywords is just the start. If your blog is slow or broken, Google won't send traffic your way! These tools are your free mechanics.

9. Google PageSpeed Insights

The Speed Tester: Nobody likes a slow website. Google really hates them.

How Bloggers Use It: Enter your URL and this tool gives you a score and a list of specific, easy-to-understand things you need to fix to make your site faster on both desktop and mobile.

10. Broken Link Checker (Plugin or Online Tool)

The Dead Link Hunter: Broken links make your blog look messy and unprofessional, and they hurt your SEO.

How Bloggers Use It: Run a scan to find any links that lead nowhere called 404 errors. Fixing these is one of the quickest wins for improving your site health.

11. Surfer SEO (Free AI Outline Generator)

The Content Planner: While Surfer is mostly paid, their free AI-powered outline generator is incredible.

How Bloggers Use It: Type in your low-competition keyword, and it gives you a complete outline based on what the current top-ranking pages are covering. This ensures your post is more comprehensive than the competition!

The Content Deepeners: Free Tools for Quality & Linking

12. Google Trends

The Time Traveler: This tool shows you how often a keyword has been searched over time.

How Bloggers Use It: You can use it to avoid keywords that are 'dying' and find keywords that are 'trending.' It’s perfect for finding topics that are about to get huge!

13. Hemingway Editor (Online)

The Clarity Coach: Remember how I promised to keep this simple so even a UKG kid could read it? This free tool helps you do exactly that!

How Bloggers Use It: Paste your final draft in, and it highlights long sentences and complex words. Keeping your writing clean and simple is a massive SEO and reader-engagement win.

14. Your Internal Linking Strategy Tool (Your Own Blog!)

This is an often-overlooked secret! Before you chase new keywords, make sure you've mastered the art of connecting your current content.

If you haven't yet, you absolutely need to check out my comprehensive guide on Internal Linking Strategy. I break down exactly how to use links within your own blog to tell Google which of your pages are most important. For a blogger, a smart internal linking setup is just as powerful as an external backlink. It helps search engines find all your content, and it’s completely free!

15. The Free SEO Audit Checklist (Your Other Post)

We can’t forget about the complete picture! Once you’ve used these best free SEO tools 2026 to find your low-competition keywords and write a great post, you need to make sure your entire site is ready. That’s why I recommend you grab and use my SEO audit checklist to make sure you didn’t miss any crucial steps.

Final Thoughts on Winning the SEO Game

Look, nobody wants to spend all day on spreadsheets. The best part about using these best free SEO tools 2026 is that they save you time and give you confidence. You are no longer guessing, you are working with real data.

Start small. Pick one or two tools from this list, find one amazing, low-competition keyword, and write the best post on the internet for it. That's how you win. That's how a small blog gets noticed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: What is considered a good "low-competition keyword" difficulty score?

If you are a brand new blog under 6 months old, you should look for keywords with a Keyword Difficulty (KD) score of 15 or less. If your blog is a bit older and has some traffic, aim for keywords between 20 and 30 KD. Anything higher is usually reserved for very established websites. This is key to successful SEO optimization.

Q2: Why is the keyword "free SEO tools like ahrefs" so valuable?

It shows high intent. When a user searches for a free SEO tool that acts like Ahrefs, they know exactly what features they want backlink checks, site audit but are looking for a no-cost version. By creating content that directly answers this specific need, you capture very motivated readers who are likely to stick around.

Q3: How often should I check my rankings using a free SEO tool?

You should use Google Search Console your official report card at least once a week to see what keywords you are appearing for. For new content, give it 2-3 months to start ranking before you decide if the keyword was a winner or a dud. Patience is a massive part of SEO optimization.

Q4: Can I really get high traffic just by using a free SEO tool?

Absolutely! Tools like Google Keyword Planner and GSC give you the exact same data that expensive tools pull from, just presented differently. The key isn't the cost of the tool, it's how smartly you use the data to find those low-competition keywords spots and write high-quality content that users actually love.