How to check SEO keywords of a website

TL;DR

You can check SEO keywords on any website for free using tools like Google Keyword Planner, Moz, and Ahrefs. Run a page audit, use Google search operators, inspect the source code, and analyse keyword data to find low-competition terms that drive traffic. These insights help you optimise your site, discover new content ideas, and improve search visibility.

Key takeaways

• Use free keyword tools: Tools like Moz Keyword Explorer, Google Keyword Planner, and Seobility Keyword Checker help identify keywords a site ranks for and suggest new opportunities. They reveal metrics like search volume, keyword difficulty, and related terms.

• Target low-competition terms: Focus on low-hanging fruit keywords, terms with decent volume but low competition. These are easier to rank for and ideal for fast SEO gains, especially for small businesses or new websites.

• Audit existing rankings: Run a free web page audit or use Google search operators (e.g. site:yourdomain.com “keyword”) to find the current keywords your website ranks for. This informs your strategy and highlights content gaps.

• Leverage keyword data for content planning: Keyword tools reveal trending phrases and search patterns. Use this data to generate fresh content ideas and align pages with real user queries.

• Inspect the HTML source code: Right-click → “View page source” → use Ctrl+F to search for “title”, “meta description”, or “keywords”. This reveals what a page is optimised for and helps reverse-engineer competitors' SEO strategies.

Pro tip: Treat this list as your SEO action checklist. Each bullet aligns with a step you’ll apply in the guide that follows.

Importance of keyword research in SEO

Keyword research is a cornerstone of search engine optimisation (SEO). It helps small businesses and marketers understand the exact phrases potential customers type into search engines, giving them the power to create content that ranks and converts.

Why keyword research matters

• Improves visibility: By targeting relevant, high-opportunity keywords, your website becomes more discoverable to the right audience at the right time.

• Drives qualified traffic: Choosing the right keywords ensures your content appears in front of users actively searching for your products, services, or expertise.

• Guides content creation: Understanding what people are looking for lets you produce highly targeted blog posts, landing pages, and service descriptions that meet demand.

Focus on long-tail keywords

Not all keywords are equal. Long-tail keywords, longer, more specific search phrases—often have lower competition but higher intent. For example:

• Short-tail: keyword research tool

• Long-tail: free keyword research tool for small businesses in Ireland

These long-tail terms are often easier to rank for and more likely to convert visitors into leads or customers.

Supports competitive analysis

Keyword research isn’t just about your own site. It’s also critical for understanding what your competitors are ranking for and how they’re attracting traffic. By comparing keyword strategies, you can spot content gaps, identify trends, and discover opportunities they’ve missed.

Tip: Start your SEO journey by building a keyword list around your business goals. Include a mix of high-volume terms and low-hanging fruit keywords for a balanced strategy.

The top free keyword research tools

There are several free keyword research tools that can help you uncover what people are searching for, assess keyword competition, and generate new content ideas. Whether you’re managing a personal blog or running a business website, these tools provide a starting point for improving visibility and driving organic traffic without the cost.

Each of the tools below offers unique features, so combining them can give you a broader, more accurate keyword strategy.

Moz Keyword Explorer

Moz Keyword Explorer is a beginner-friendly keyword research tool that offers valuable insights for small business owners looking to grow their organic visibility. It allows you to explore new keyword opportunities, evaluate ranking difficulty, and uncover long-tail variations that can bring targeted traffic.

Key features

• Keyword difficulty score: Understand how competitive a keyword is on a scale from 0 to 100, helping you choose realistic terms based on your site’s authority.

• Monthly search volume estimates: See how often users search for a keyword, helping prioritise content ideas with real demand.

• Organic CTR (click-through rate) estimates: Find out if a keyword typically attracts clicks from organic search (vs being dominated by ads or SERP features).

• Keyword suggestions: Discover related or long-tail keyword ideas tailored to your seed term.

• SERP analysis: View the top-ranking pages for a keyword to assess content gaps and competition.

Best for

• Finding low-hanging fruit keywords with decent traffic potential and low competition.

• Conducting basic competitor research by evaluating SERPs for your target terms.

• Supporting SEO content planning for blog posts, service pages, and landing pages.

Tip: Use Moz’s free account to get 10 keyword queries per month. Combine it with tools like Google Keyword Planner for volume validation.

Google Keyword Planner

Google Keyword Planner is a free keyword research tool built into Google Ads. Despite being designed for advertisers, it offers powerful insights for organic SEO and is widely used by marketers and small business owners alike.

Key features

• Monthly search volume data: Discover how many people search for a particular keyword each month, helping to prioritise terms based on demand.

• Competition indicators: See whether advertisers are bidding heavily on a keyword (labelled as low, medium or high), which can also signal how competitive it may be for SEO.

• Keyword suggestions: Get hundreds of related keyword ideas based on your initial input, helping you find variations and long-tail terms.

• Location-based targeting: Tailor keyword research to specific countries, cities or regions, ideal for local SEO strategies.

Best for

• Identifying high-volume, low-competition keywords to improve your visibility in organic search results.

• Exploring new topic ideas for blog content, landing pages, and service offerings.

• Validating keyword demand before investing time into new content.

Tip: You don’t need to run a Google Ads campaign to use the tool. Just sign up for a free Google Ads account and skip the campaign creation.

Semrush (free features)

Semrush is a comprehensive SEO and digital marketing platform that provides keyword research, competitive analysis, and website auditing tools, all within a single interface. While it is a paid tool, Semrush offers a generous free tier with limited daily searches, making it accessible for small business owners testing out SEO strategies.

Key features (on the free plan)

• Keyword Overview: Enter a keyword and get data on search volume, keyword difficulty, CPC (cost per click), SERP features, and related terms.

• Keyword Magic Tool: Discover thousands of related keyword ideas categorised by match types (broad, phrase, exact).

• Domain Overview: See which keywords your site (or a competitor’s) ranks for, plus estimated traffic and backlink data.

• SEO Audit: Identify on-page issues affecting performance, such as missing meta tags, broken links, or keyword stuffing.

• Position Tracking: Track how your site ranks for selected keywords over time, even on the free plan (with limits).

Best for

• Performing quick keyword research and identifying low-hanging fruit opportunities with solid traffic potential.

• Conducting competitor keyword analysis to discover gaps and top-performing phrases.

• Running a basic website SEO audit to identify technical and content improvements.

Tip: Semrush’s free plan allows for 10 keyword or domain searches per day, perfect for quick checks or comparisons.

Wordtracker (free keyword tool)

Wordtracker is a straightforward yet effective keyword research tool designed to help small businesses uncover high-opportunity search terms. It’s especially useful for discovering low-competition, long-tail keywords that are easier to rank for and more likely to drive qualified traffic.

Key features (free version)

• Keyword suggestions: Enter a seed keyword and receive dozens of related keyword ideas, many of which are underserved and easy to target.

• Search volume and competition scores: Assess how many users are searching for a keyword and how competitive it is to rank for.

• SERP preview: Get a look at the current top-ranking pages for your keyword to evaluate difficulty and spot optimisation opportunities.

• Competitor insights: Explore what terms are helping other websites attract organic traffic.

Best for

• Identifying niche keyword opportunities for blog content, landing pages, or service offerings.

• Gaining quick SEO insights with minimal learning curve, ideal for time-pressed small business owners.

• Validating and expanding keyword lists for content planning and on-page optimisation.

Tip: Wordtracker’s free version lets you run 5 searches daily with 50 results each, ideal for focused keyword discovery sessions.

Ahrefs Site Explorer (limited free access)

Ahrefs Site Explorer is one of the most powerful tools for analysing website performance and identifying keyword opportunities. Although its full features require a paid plan, Ahrefs offers limited free access via its Ahrefs Webmaster Tools (AWT), which includes keyword data and backlink analysis for your own verified websites.

Key features (free via AWT)

• Top-performing keywords: View a list of keywords that your site ranks for in Google, including estimated traffic, position, and ranking trends.

• Competitor keyword analysis: Enter any domain to uncover what keywords are driving traffic to your competitors' websites.

• Backlink profile analysis: See who links to your site (and your competitors), helping you discover new link building opportunities.

• Keyword difficulty scores: Understand how hard it is to rank for specific keywords based on link metrics.

• SERP analysis: Explore live snapshots of current search engine results pages for each keyword.

Best for

• Conducting keyword performance reviews of your site or a competitor’s domain.

• Finding low-hanging fruit keywords—terms where you're ranking just outside page one and could break through with a little optimisation.

• Building a backlink strategy to strengthen authority and ranking power.

Tip: To access Ahrefs Site Explorer for free, register your site in Ahrefs Webmaster Tools. This gives you access to organic keyword data

Seobility Keyword Checker (free tool)

Seobility Keyword Checker is a free and user-friendly SEO tool designed to help small business owners monitor keyword rankings and uncover new optimisation opportunities. It’s particularly useful for quick checks on how well your website (or a competitor’s) ranks for specific search terms.

Key features

• Keyword ranking check: Enter your domain and a keyword to see your current ranking position in Google’s search results, including country-specific tracking (e.g. Ireland).

• SERP preview: Get a visual of the actual search engine results page for your query, helpful for understanding your competition and visibility.

• Traffic potential insights: Identify which keywords could deliver the most impact with minimal effort, ideal for targeting low-hanging fruit.

• Competitor comparison: Check how your site stacks up against others targeting the same keywords.

Best for

• Running quick SEO performance checks for individual keywords.

• Finding low-effort, high-reward keywords to optimise existing pages or inspire new content.

• Performing SERP snapshot reviews to better understand ranking dynamics.

Tip: Combine Seobility with tools like Google Keyword Planner or Moz to validate keyword volume and expand your list of target phrases.

How to find keywords on a website

If you want to discover which SEO keywords a website ranks for, or understand how competitors attract traffic, there are several methods you can use. These include reviewing on-page content, inspecting the source code, and using dedicated keyword tools.

Whether you're analysing your own site or someone else's, identifying the keywords in use will help guide your content strategy, highlight ranking gaps, and improve your visibility in search engines.

Popular methods for finding website keywords

• Use free keyword research tools like Google Keyword Planner, Moz, or Ahrefs Site Explorer to uncover top-performing keywords for any domain.

• Run a web page audit to identify keywords used in key elements like titles, meta descriptions, headings, and body content.

• Inspect a site’s HTML source code to extract keywords directly from tags and structured metadata.

• Apply Google search operators to reveal indexed content related to specific keywords (e.g. site:example.com “keyword”).

• Explore a site's internal search function, if available, to see what topics users frequently look up.

• Review public SEO reports (e.g. via Seobility) that show keyword rankings, search volumes, and competition levels.

Tip: Use multiple methods together for the best results—tools provide data, but manual inspection gives you context.

Running a web page audit

A web page audit is an essential first step in discovering how your website performs in search and identifying opportunities to improve. It reveals which keywords your page is already ranking for, where gaps exist, and how well your content aligns with SEO best practices.

What to check in a keyword-focused audit

1. Keyword usage: Use a free tool (like Moz, Seobility, or Ahrefs Site Explorer) to identify the keywords your page is currently ranking for and their positions.

2. Low-hanging fruit: Look for keywords ranking on pages 2–3 of Google. These are often close to reaching the top 10 and may need only minor improvements to break through.

3. On-page keyword placement:

   • Ensure your title tag, H1, meta description, and image alt tags include your target keywords naturally.

   • Review internal links to make sure anchor text supports keyword relevance.

4. Content clarity and relevance: Is your content easy to read, well-structured, and directly aligned with user intent? If not, consider adding sections that answer specific questions or include semantically related phrases.

5. Technical elements: Check for slow load times, broken links, missing tags, or crawling issues that could impact SEO performance.

Benefits

• Highlights quick wins for keyword ranking improvements

• Ensures your page is targeting the right search queries

• Supports content updates that align better with user intent

Tip: Use Seobility’s on-page SEO checker for a free technical and content audit, or try Screaming Frog for more advanced reviews.

Using Google Keyword Planner

Google Keyword Planner is a free, data-rich tool that helps you discover what your audience is searching for and which keywords to target. Although designed for advertisers, it’s widely used by SEO professionals to find keyword opportunities that align with real search demand.

How to use it for SEO

1. Start with seed keywords: Enter words related to your products, services, or content topics.

2. Review keyword ideas: Google will suggest a wide range of related terms, including long-tail variations.

3. Analyse key metrics:

   • Average monthly searches: Estimate the level of demand.

   • Competition level: Though designed for ads, it provides a rough gauge of how competitive a keyword might be in organic search.

   • Top of page bid: Useful as a signal for keyword value and commercial intent.

What to look for

• Low-hanging fruit keywords: Look for terms with moderate volume and lower competition, these are easier to rank for, especially if your site is new.

• Localised keywords: Use location filters to find phrases relevant to your geographic market.

• New content opportunities: Spot trending or underused keywords to fuel your content strategy.

Best for

• Building an initial keyword list for your site.

• Validating search volume before targeting new topics.

• Discovering content ideas based on real-world search behaviour.

Tip: You can filter out branded or unrelated terms and download keyword lists directly from the tool for further analysis.

Utilising keyword tools

Keyword tools are essential for uncovering which search terms your audience uses and for identifying opportunities to improve your site’s visibility in Google. Many reliable tools are free or offer limited-access plans that are ideal for small businesses and freelancers.

What keyword tools help you do

• Discover keyword opportunities: Tools like Moz Keyword Explorer and Google Keyword Planner generate lists of relevant keywords based on a topic, domain, or seed term.

• Measure keyword difficulty: Understand how competitive it is to rank for a particular keyword, so you can focus on low-hanging fruit that offer faster wins.

• Compare keyword performance: Use tools like Seobility or Ahrefs to see which keywords your website (or competitors') are already ranking for.

• Generate long-tail keyword ideas: These tools reveal variations of your main keywords that are often easier to rank for and more aligned with user intent.

Best for

• Finding new content ideas based on real-world search behaviour.

• Validating keyword targets before publishing or updating pages.

• Making data-driven decisions that improve on-page SEO and content structure.

Tip: Combine results from multiple tools for a fuller picture. One tool may show keyword volume while another reveals SERP competition or backlink strength.

Using Google search operators

Google search operators are advanced search commands that help you refine your queries and uncover valuable keyword data directly from Google’s search index. These techniques are especially useful for discovering how keywords are being used on a website, either your own or a competitor’s.

Common search operators for SEO keyword research

• "exact phrase": Use quotation marks to find pages containing that exact phrase. Example:
  “best free SEO keyword tools”

• site:yourdomain.com: Lists all pages indexed by Google for the specified domain. Add a keyword after to filter results. Example:
  site:yourdomain.com SEO checklist

• intitle:: Finds pages that include the specified word or phrase in the title tag. Example:
  intitle:“local SEO strategy”

• inurl:: Returns pages with the keyword in their URL. Useful for identifying content themes. Example:
  inurl:keyword-research

Why it matters

• Helps identify keyword usage patterns across your own site.

• Reveals how competitors structure content and which keywords they prioritise in titles, URLs, or metadata.

• Uncovers content gaps or duplication issues you can correct or capitalise on.

Best for

• Performing manual keyword audits using Google itself.

• Exploring content angles and keyword targeting strategies used by high-ranking competitors.

• Supporting low-cost SEO research for small businesses or individuals.

Tip: Combine operators for deeper analysis, like site:competitor.com intitle:“keyword research” to view how competitors use specific terms.

Using the website’s search function

If your website has an internal search bar, it can be a hidden goldmine for keyword discovery. Analysing what users search for on your site reveals the phrases they care about most and may expose content gaps or opportunities for SEO optimisation.

How to use it effectively

1. Type in seed terms related to your products, services, or topics.

2. Review the top results, note which pages appear and how they are titled.

3. Identify recurring themes or wordings that reflect your audience’s language and intent.

If your site search logs are accessible (via Google Analytics 4 or your CMS), you can also:

• View the most commonly searched terms on your website.

• Detect content that’s being searched for but not found, signalling missed keyword or content opportunities.

Why this matters

• Helps identify internal keyword usage patterns and highlight low-hanging fruit—terms already covered but not yet fully optimised.

• Informs site navigation and internal linking improvements by showing what users actively look for.

• Aids in topic ideation by showing demand directly from your existing audience.

Best for

• Gathering first-party keyword data based on user behaviour.

• Validating the effectiveness of existing on-site content.

• Discovering new SEO content opportunities without external tools.

Tip: If your CMS doesn’t track internal searches, integrate GA4’s site search tracking feature for ongoing insights.

Finding keywords in page source

Inspecting a webpage’s source code is a quick and manual way to identify the keywords it targets, especially those embedded in meta tags, title tags, and other on-page SEO elements. This is a useful tactic when analysing both your own site and competitors’.

How to view the page source

1. Right-click anywhere on a webpage and select “View page source” (or use Ctrl + U on Windows / Cmd + Option + U on Mac).

2. A new tab or window will display the page’s underlying HTML.

3. Use Ctrl + F (or Cmd + F) to search for:

   • "title" – the page title (important for SEO)

   • "meta name=\"description\"" – the meta description

   • "h1" – the primary page heading

   • "keywords" – although less commonly used now, some sites still include a meta keywords tag

What to look for

• Primary keywords in the title tag and meta description

• Topic-specific terms within H1 and H2 headings

• Semantic keyword usage within structured data, schema tags, and image alt text

Best for

• Reverse-engineering competitor strategies to see what keywords they’ve prioritised

• Verifying if your page includes target keywords in key SEO elements

• Discovering low-hanging fruit keywords that are already partially targeted but under-optimised

Tip: If you regularly audit pages, consider browser extensions like Detailed or SEO Meta in 1 Click to speed up the process.

What to look for when searching for keywords on a website

When analysing a website for SEO keywords—whether it’s your own or a competitor’s—it’s not just about spotting individual terms. You should also consider the broader content themes, evidence of keyword strategy, and areas of opportunity.

Key elements to evaluate

Keyword placement

Look at how and where keywords are used on the page: in the title tag, meta description, headings, URL, image alt text, and throughout the body content. Consistent, natural placement is a good indicator of intent and optimisation.

Content patterns and themes

Are there repeated phrases or related clusters of keywords across different pages? This can signal a topical focus or content silo, valuable for planning your own content around similar topics.

User intent alignment

Does the page content answer a clear question or fulfil a specific need tied to the keyword? Well-optimised pages are typically structured around intent (e.g. informational, navigational, commercial, and transactional).

Data-driven content

Pages that include data studies, surveys, or statistics often rank well in AI-powered results. These types of pages are more likely to be cited by large language models (LLMs) because they offer authoritative, factual material.

Case studies and real examples

These are highly valuable for both users and AI-generated responses. If a site features practical use cases or before-and-after scenarios, these may surface as cited content in AI search results.

New topic opportunities

Keyword-rich sections and content gaps can reveal areas where new blog posts, guides, or landing pages could be created. Look for underdeveloped themes or outdated content as optimisation opportunities.

Tip: As you review a site’s keyword use, make a list of missing content, poorly targeted terms, or outdated SEO elements that you could improve or outperform.

Data studies

Data studies offer powerful insights into how keywords are performing on your website and within your market. By analysing trends, patterns, and performance metrics, they provide a factual basis for SEO decisions far beyond guesswork.

Why data studies matter in keyword research

• Reveal search behaviour trends: Understand which keywords are gaining or losing interest over time, so you can adjust your strategy accordingly.

• Highlight content performance: Spot which keywords consistently drive traffic, conversions, or engagement across your site.

• Support low-hanging fruit discovery: Identify terms that already have visibility but are under-optimised, allowing you to make small updates for big gains.

Types of data sources you can use:

• Google Search Console: Tracks keyword impressions, clicks, average position, and CTR. A rich source of performance data.

• Google Trends: Offers keyword trend data over time, across locations and categories.

• SEO tools like Ahrefs or Semrush: Help you visualise keyword ranking changes and historical SERP positions.

• Internal analytics: Your own GA4 or CRM data can reveal what people are searching for and how they behave post-click.

Best for

• Planning evidence-based SEO strategies

• Prioritising keywords with demonstrated ROI

• Creating content that aligns with user demand and timing

Tip: Turn your own data into public-facing content (e.g. blog posts or reports) to attract backlinks, increase authority, and become a citation-worthy source in AI search.

Quotes

Quotes from industry experts, influencers, and thought leaders can offer more than just inspiration, they can help uncover keyword opportunities and highlight trending language in your sector. When strategically used, quotes can boost user engagement, SEO relevance, and even visibility in AI-generated summaries.

Why quotes are valuable for SEO

• Reveal popular terminology: Influencers and subject matter experts often use phrases that resonate with their audience. These can hint at emerging keywords or established terms worth targeting.

• Add semantic richness: Including quotes adds contextual depth to your content, helping AI systems understand and rank it more accurately.

• Increase engagement and credibility: Well-placed quotes make your content more trustworthy and easier to cite, especially valuable in AI search environments.

How to use quotes effectively

• Extract phrases or recurring terms from quotes that align with your SEO goals (e.g. "keyword mapping", "search intent", "content clusters").

• Use quotes to anchor key sections of your content (e.g. starting a guide with a quote from Rand Fishkin or John Mueller).

• Optimise around the language in those quotes if it reflects low-hanging fruit keywords or new search trends.

Tip: Look for expert commentary in podcasts, blog interviews, or social media posts and use a keyword tool to analyse the SEO potential of any standout phrases.

New topic ideas

Generating fresh, keyword-rich topic ideas is essential for expanding your website’s reach and keeping your content strategy aligned with search demand. By leveraging keyword data from your own site and from external sources, you can uncover content gaps, trending queries, and new opportunities to target.

Where to find new content opportunities

• Internal keyword data: Review keywords that other pages on your site already rank for. Tools like Google Search Console or Ahrefs Site Explorer can help identify underutilised phrases that deserve their own page or post.

• Google Keyword Planner: Enter broad terms related to your niche to find long-tail keywords and localised topics relevant to your target audience.

• Case studies and competitor audits: See what worked for similar businesses and explore variations or complementary topics they haven’t covered.

• Quotes and thought leadership content: Industry leaders often highlight new ideas or challenges, turn these into actionable blog posts, guides, or FAQs.

Example topic ideas based on low-hanging fruit

• “How to use free SEO tools for local business growth”

• “Best ways to find long-tail keywords for blog traffic”

• “Top 5 keyword mistakes small business websites make”

• “What keywords does my competitor rank for? [Free Tools Guide]”

Best for

• Planning a scalable content calendar based on keyword data

• Creating pages that answer real user questions

• Finding topics with high potential but low competition

Tip: Keep a running list of keyword ideas sourced from tools, trends, and user queries. Group them into themes for more efficient content planning.

How to use AI tools for keyword research

AI-powered keyword research tools have transformed how marketers and business owners identify valuable search opportunities. Unlike traditional tools that rely on historical search volume, AI-based platforms use machine learning to surface emerging trends, semantic relationships, and user intent, offering deeper insights that go beyond exact match keywords.

Benefits of AI tools for keyword discovery

• Predictive insights: AI tools can anticipate rising search topics before they peak using trend analysis and real-time data modelling.

• Semantic keyword clustering: Tools like MarketMuse, Surfer SEO, and Clearscope group keywords based on related themes and intent, helping you structure content that ranks holistically.

• SERP feature analysis: AI models assess not only what keywords rank but how, considering whether results are text, video, local packs, or featured snippets.

• Content gap detection: AI tools identify missing topics or underused keywords compared to competitors, streamlining content planning.

Recommended AI keyword research tools

• ChatGPT with web browsing or plugins – Use conversational prompts to explore related keyword phrases, questions people ask, or competitor strategies.

• AlsoAsked / AnswerThePublic – Visualise questions users are asking to find intent-rich keyword opportunities.

• Google Trends + AI overlay tools – Combine search trend data with AI summaries to understand context and evolving search behaviour.

Tip: Use AI tools to brainstorm new seed terms, cluster them by search intent, and validate them with volume and competition metrics from traditional platforms like Google Keyword Planner.

How AI-powered search is reshaping keyword research

With the rise of AI search systems like Google SGE and Bing Copilot, keyword research is no longer just about finding high-volume exact matches. These AI-powered experiences rely on natural language processing to deliver conversational, intent-driven answers, reshaping how content is discovered and ranked.

Key changes to be aware of

• Shift from keyword matching to concept matching: AI search systems understand synonyms and related concepts, meaning content must be semantically rich, not just keyword-dense.

• More zero-click results: With direct answers shown in AI snapshots or summaries, fewer users click through, so ranking in the answer summary becomes the new goal.

• Citation-worthy content matters: AI search engines favour content that is well-structured, factual, and includes expert-backed insights. Pages cited in AI responses gain authority and visibility.

How to adapt your keyword strategy

• Focus on search intent more than exact-match keywords. Think about the questions users are trying to answer.

• Use topic clusters to cover themes comprehensively—helping AI models understand your content as authoritative and complete.

• Add structured data and first-party research (e.g. case studies, statistics) to make your content more appealing to AI summarisation engines.

Tip: Create content that’s not just optimised for traditional SEO but also structured for clarity and factual strength, so it's more likely to be referenced or summarised by AI-powered systems.

Conclusion

Checking SEO keywords on a website without spending a penny is entirely achievable with the right tools and methods. From Google Keyword Planner to Ahrefs, Moz, and Seobility, there are free resources available to help you uncover the keywords your site (and competitors) rank for.

By combining keyword tools, audits, search operators, and on-site analysis, you can:

• Discover low-hanging fruit keywords with high impact potential

• Uncover content gaps and optimisation opportunities

• Generate new topic ideas that align with what users are actually searching for

Whether you’re just starting with SEO or refining an existing strategy, a consistent, data-informed keyword research process is one of the most effective ways to boost visibility and attract targeted traffic.