KeySearch Review: The Best Budget SEO Tool?

Everyone knows that Ahrefs and Semrush are the top dogs in the SEO tool industry, but in this KeySearch review, I’ll compare these top dogs with KeySearch.

If you’re familiar with KeySearch, you probably realize they aim to rival Semrush and Ahrefs while keeping their prices really affordable.

In this KeySearch review, I’ll walk you through everything Keysearch can do and compare them with other big players in the industry. I’ll also point out a few downsides of the platform since nothing is without its flaws.

KeySearch Review 2024: What is KeySearch?

KeySearch is a collection of keyword research and SEO tools made for bloggers and online entrepreneurs looking to boost the traffic for their websites. 

Keysearch started as a niche keyword research tool in 2015 and has now grown into a much more complete SEO tool with rank tracker, website SEO analysis, backlink analysis, content assistant and much more.

It’s designed to provide small business owners with access to features and data typically reserved for larger companies and agencies. Plus, it focuses on being user-friendly and easy to pick up, unlike those pricey tools that come with a steep learning curve and complicated features.

In a nutshell, KeySearch aims to deliver top-notch, easy-to-use SEO tools at a price that won’t break the bank for anyone.

Who Should Use KeySearch?

KeySearch is particularly well-suited for:

• Bloggers: Those who need to find low-competition keywords to rank content and increase organic traffic.
• Small Businesses: Companies looking to optimize their online presence without investing in expensive tools.
• Freelancers: SEO professionals who require a reliable toolset for client work without significant overhead costs.
• Digital Marketing Agencies: Agencies that manage SEO for multiple clients can benefit from KeySearch’s competitive analysis and rank tracking features.

Is Keysearch Worth It?

Before we delve into the features of the tool, let’s look at its pricing. For just $240 a year, this is the most affordable keyword research tool I’ve come across that actually delivers results. You can also opt for a monthly plan at $24, and you can cancel your subscription and skip the months when you’re not utilizing the tool, which makes it a great deal.

Keysearch is super user-friendly and helps you easily discover keyword opportunities and research your competitors.

When starting a blog, the top recommendation I have is to invest in a keyword research tool and use that to find keywords that people are searching for on search engines.

KeySearch Features

The main features for KeySearch are:

• Keyword research
• Website Explorer
• Competitive analysis
• Keyword Rank tracking
• YouTube research
• Content assistant

Keyword Research

Just in case you are new to the SEO industry, I’ll explain what keyword research is. If you already know about this, then skip to the “KeySearch Keyword Research” section.

What is Keyword Research?

Keywords are basically the terms people use when they search on Google.

For instance, if you’re curious about which web hosting is the best, you may type in “best web hosting” on Google. That’s a keyword.

Keep in mind that a keyword can be just a single word or a whole phrase. It’s whatever someone types in for a specific search engine.

If you’re looking to boost the search traffic to your site, the cool thing is you can access all the details about what keywords people are searching for, when they’re searching, and how often.

This whole process of digging into that data and figuring out the right keywords for your content is known as keyword research.

Doing keyword research is super important if you want to attract more visitors through search engines. It helps you pinpoint the best keywords for your articles, giving you a solid shot at increasing your search traffic. Honestly, I see keyword research as a type of market research – it reveals what people are curious about and the terms they use to find that info. It’s really effective!

KeySearch Keyword Research

KeySearch makes keyword research super simple, even if you have never done keyword research before. Just pop a keyword into the search box, pick your target location, choose ‘related keywords,’ and hit ‘search.’

Once you dive into this module, you kick things off by entering a keyword, and then Keysearch will churn out the top 10 rankings for that keyword along with a huge list of related keywords. You can choose to focus on a specific country or look at all countries.

On the right side of the screen, you’ll find that extensive list of keywords. You’ll get the Volume and Keyword Difficulty scores for your keyword, plus a list of up to 700 related keywords. 

You can sort these by Volume or Keyword Difficulty to spot low competition keywords that still have decent search volumes. Plus, the Keyword Difficulty is color-coded, so you can quickly see which keywords you might actually be able rank for.

Over on the left side, Keysearch shows you the top 10 rankings for that keyword, featuring metrics like PA/DA, links, and some on-page SEO details. Plus, it gives you a glimpse of the search trends from the last year.

The My Lists module is super handy for keeping tabs on all the keywords you’ve saved over time. It’s a great tool because you can easily revisit and analyze past keywords whenever you need to.

You’ll get a quick overview of the search volumes, CPC, PPC, and Difficulty Score for each keyword in your lists. You can create as many lists as you want! For instance, you could have separate lists for different blog posts, each containing relevant keywords.

Another cool feature is that you can quickly pick multiple keywords from your lists and send them over to the Rank Tracker. Plus, you can also export these lists in CSV and PDF formats.

Website Explorer

Keysearch’s Explorer feature allows you to analyse an entire website or just a single page. Just plug in the URL of any website and you can check out the Domain Strength, backlinks, organic keywords, competitors and rank distribution of the website. Domain Strength is Keysearch’s version of Domain Authority and Domain Rating.

This is useful for checking your own website’s data and seeing how your website is performing. This can also be used to check the backlinks of your competitors as well as the keywords that they are ranking for. 

The website explorer will also suggest keyword difficulties that the website should aim for which they name “Score To Target”. Some people will look for keywords that are below the “Score To Target” and focus on ranking for those keywords but is this always the best idea?

From our experience, the “Score To Target” should only be used as a reference and you should not put too much emphasis on this. You should put more emphasis on analysing the first 10 results on the page for the keyword as those are your main competitors. Look at their backlinks to that page, their DA, PA and website content. If you want to rank better than them, then you will need to make sure that your website and content is better than theirs. 

Competitive analysis

Backlink Explorer

There are 5 different tools inside the competitive analysis section. The first tool is the backlink explorer. The Backlink Checker allows you to examine backlinks for an entire domain or specific pages. This tool is super handy when you’re analyzing competitors for a new article you’re about to write or if you want to boost links for your current articles.

The backlink checker works similarly to Ahref’s backlink overview, letting you view all the links pointing to either an entire blog or a specific page.

It’s a fantastic tool for spotting guest post opportunities since if a site is linking to your competitor, they might be open to linking to your website too.

I also check out how many do-follow backlinks are directed at a competitor’s post. This gives me a good idea of how many I should aim for with my own content. The backlink explorer also shows the domain strength of the website providing the backlink which gives me a good idea of how good the backlink is.

Organic Keywords

The second tool is the Organic Keyword tool. I usually hang out in the Organic Keyword section of the Competitive Analysis part of Keysearch the most. It’s a goldmine for digging up keywords from competitors, spotting low competition keywords. 

Just pop in a website’s URL, and you’ll see all the keywords they’re ranking for. Plus, you can tweak the results to show only the keywords that have a specific word, a certain level of traffic each month, or based on their SERP ranking.

When you enter a URL from your website, it helps you spot keyword opportunities. For instance, you can tweak your content to target keywords that haven’t made it to Google’s first page yet.

A downside to this feature is that you cannot save the keywords to your keyword list. However, you can download the keywords into a CSV, Excel or PDF format.

Site Audit

KeySearch’s site audit feature lets you do a technical site audit. This is super handy for spotting any SEO issues on your site that might be messing with your rankings and user experience.

Running the audit is a breeze. Just head over to Competitive Analysis > Site Audit in the KeySearch menu and pop in your site URL.

It covers all the essential on-page SEO elements like title tags, meta descriptions, alt attributes, internal and outbound links, and more. It also shows a list of all the crawled pages and the number of internal links of each page.

While this module isn’t revolutionary, it definitely gets the job done and it’s great to have easy access to a site audit tool.

Competitor Gap

There’s a cool competitor gap analysis feature that lets you check out how your site ranks against up to three competitors. You can see which keywords they’re ranking for that you haven’t ranked yet. Plus, you can sort the findings by search volume or keyword difficulty.

You can also use this tool to take a closer look at your own website and see which keywords you’re already ranking for. Since you’re already ranking for that keyword, even if it’s not doing great, you can optimize the page and try to rank it higher.

This is a very good tool for spotting low competition keywords that your competitors are ranking for. If your competitor has similar DA, PA, DR to you, then you can probably rank for that keyword too.

URL Metrics

The final feature inside competitive analysis is the URL Metrics. URL Metrics lets you easily research multiple competitors at once. Just drop the URLs of up to 20 competitors, each on a new line, and you can check out their DA, PA, backlinks, traffic, and other stats. It’s a smart way to identify competitors that are more on your level for keyword mining—going after someone with a DA of 70 when you’re sitting at a DA of 10 isn’t a smart move.

YouTube Research

Youtube Research is pretty similar to the regular Keyword Research part of Keysearch, but it’s specifically tailored for Youtube and video content.

Rather than looking at domain authority, it focuses on how the keyword appears in the video like title or description, the view count, and how old the video is.

You still get insights on search trends, average monthly search volume, and a difficulty score.

Just like the keyword research tool, you can save keywords and come back to it later.

Rank Tracking

Keysearch’s Starter plan lets you track 80 keywords of your choice, and you can switch them out whenever you want. 

You can also set it up to automatically email you reports, so you’ll always be in the loop about your rankings. If you’re unsure about which keywords to keep an eye on, the software can suggest keywords that you’re already ranking for, and you can pick from those options.

When adding a keyword, you can choose a location you want to track your keyword for. For example, USA which will be for Google.com, UK which will be for Google.co.uk etc.

The rank tracker also provides keyword search volume and a graph of the history of your rankings. You can also see the top 100 websites that rank for that keyword.

Content Assistant

Keysearch offers an awesome Content Assistant tool that makes optimizing your blog posts a breeze.

To get started, just enter your keyword in the search box and click ‘search’.

KeySearch will provide you with the Volume, Keyword Difficulty Score, and the Average Word Count for the first page on Google. Plus, it’ll suggest a bunch of recommended keywords to add into your blog post, based on what’s working for the top-ranking articles out there.

You’ll also see the headings used by those high-ranking posts and some popular questions from Google Search that relate to your keyword. I really dig these features because they help you whip up a solid outline for your blog post in no time.

After that, you can either paste your draft or write it directly in the text box, and the Content Assistant will show you your current word count while highlighting the Recommended Keywords you’ve used. It’s a handy checklist to make sure you’ve hit all the key points and crafted a blog post that really answers your readers’ questions.

Keysearch also has an AI content creator feature. You get 5000 AI credits per month on their cheapest plan which you can use to create content, headings, page titles or meta descriptions.

Ease of Use

User-Friendly Interface

One of the standout features of KeySearch is how easy it is to use. The interface is super intuitive, so even if you’re just starting out with SEO, you won’t feel lost. The dashboard is neat and organized, with all the important tools right at your fingertips from the main menu.

Learning Curve

Getting the hang of KeySearch is a breeze, especially when you compare it to more complicated tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush. Most users can dive into keyword research, competitor analysis, and rank tracking just minutes after signing up. Plus, there are tons of tutorials and guides available to help you make the most of everything it offers.

Customizable Settings

KeySearch gives users the ability to tweak various settings to fit their preferences. For example, you can set alerts for keyword changes, and personalize your reports. This level of customization makes it a great fit for everyone, from casual bloggers to big digital marketing firms.

Data Export and Reporting

KeySearch has some solid data export and reporting options. Users can quickly export keyword data, rank tracking reports, and competitor insights into CSV or PDF formats. This is super handy for agencies or freelancers who need to share data with their clients.

Customer Support and Community

Responsive Support

KeySearch is praised for its quick customer support. You can get in touch with their team via email or through their website, and they usually respond pretty quickly to any questions or issues.

Tutorials and Resources

KeySearch has a ton of tutorials and resources available on its site, including how-to guides, video tutorials, and a blog filled with SEO tips and strategies. These materials are super helpful for both beginners and seasoned users wanting to maximize their experience with the tool.

Community and Forums

While KeySearch doesn’t have its own community forum, you can find a lot of users active on various SEO forums and social media groups. These spaces are great for sharing tips, asking questions, and learning from fellow KeySearch users.

Real-World Applications

Use Cases for Bloggers

Finding Low-Competition Keywords
Bloggers frequently face challenges in discovering keywords that they can actually rank for, particularly in crowded niches. KeySearch’s keyword difficulty score and search volume insights assist bloggers in pinpointing low-competition keywords that still attract enough traffic.

Content Optimization
The Content Assistant feature is a game-changer for bloggers aiming to enhance their content. It offers keyword suggestions and on-page SEO evaluations, making it easier for bloggers to craft content that stands a better chance of ranking high.

Competitor Research
With KeySearch, bloggers can dive into their competitors’ content strategies, revealing the keywords they’re focusing on and the backlinks they’ve secured. This intel can help bloggers develop more competitive content.

Use Cases for Small Businesses

Local SEO Optimization
Small businesses often depend on local SEO to draw in customers nearby. KeySearch can pinpoint local keywords and assess the competition in a specific area, simplifying the process of ranking for local search queries.

Affordable SEO Solution
For small businesses that are tight on cash, KeySearch is a wallet-friendly choice compared to pricier SEO tools. It packs all the key features necessary to boost online presence without breaking the bank.

Monitoring Competitors
With KeySearch’s competitor analysis tools, small businesses can monitor what their rivals are doing in terms of SEO. This insight helps them stay ahead in their local market and tweak their own strategies as needed.

Use Cases for Digital Marketing Agencies

Managing Multiple Clients
Digital marketing agencies often do SEO for several clients at once. KeySearch’s affordable rates and comprehensive features make it an ideal tool for these agencies, enabling them to perform keyword research, competitor analysis, and rank tracking for various client websites.

Customizable Reporting
Agencies need to deliver thorough reports to their clients. KeySearch provides customizable reporting options that let agencies export data in different formats and adjust reports to fit client requirements.

Scaling SEO Efforts
As agencies grow, they need tools that can scale with them. KeySearch’s Pro and Agency plans provide the additional features and resources needed to manage larger campaigns and more complex SEO strategies.

KeySearch’s Limitations

Limited Advanced Features
KeySearch hits all the basic notes, but it doesn’t have some of the fancy features that pricier tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush provide. For instance, it falls short on offering detailed technical SEO audits and thorough PPC insights.

Data Accuracy
A few users have mentioned that KeySearch’s data can sometimes miss the mark compared to other tools. This is especially the case with search volume figures and backlink info. While it’s mostly dependable, those who need pinpoint accuracy might want to pair it with another tool.

No Mobile App
Right now, KeySearch doesn’t have a mobile app, which could be a downside for folks who want to use SEO tools while on the move. The web version works fine on mobile, but without a dedicated app, its mobile capabilities are a bit limited.

KeySearch vs Ahrefs

When it comes to SEO tools, KeySearch and Ahrefs are popular choices for professionals and businesses looking to improve their website’s search engine performance. 

Both tools offer a wide range of features that help users with keyword research, competitor analysis, backlink tracking, and more. However, there are significant differences between the two in terms of functionality, ease of use, and cost. 

We will compare KeySearch with Ahrefs to help you decide which tool is better suited for your needs.

Cost and Accessibility

One of the most significant differences between KeySearch and Ahrefs is the price. KeySearch is known for its affordability, making it an attractive option for bloggers, small businesses, and freelancers who are on a budget.

KeySearch offers plans starting at just $24 per month, making it accessible to a wide range of users. In contrast, Ahrefs has a starter plan costing just $29 per month. However, its starter plan offers only limited features. In order to get all the features offered by Ahrefs, you must pay $99 per month. On KeySearch’s $24 per month plan, you get access to all the features available on the platform.

Keyword Research

Keyword research is a fundamental feature for both tools, but the approach and depth differ. KeySearch provides a straightforward keyword research tool that is easy to use, making it ideal for beginners or those who need quick insights. 

It offers metrics such as search volume, keyword difficulty, and trends, allowing users to find keywords with good potential. Ahrefs, on the other hand, offers a more advanced keyword research experience. 

Ahrefs also offers extensive filters, allowing users to drill down into long-tail keywords and niche markets. For those who need in-depth keyword analysis, Ahrefs is the superior choice, but for basic to intermediate research, KeySearch’s simplicity and efficiency are sufficient.

Competitor Analysis

Competitor analysis is another area where Ahrefs shines. Ahrefs provides detailed insights into your competitors’ SEO strategies, including the keywords they rank for, their top-performing content, and their backlink profiles. 

The tool’s comprehensive site explorer allows users to analyze competitors’ organic search traffic, paid traffic, and referring domains, offering a complete picture of their online presence.

KeySearch also offers competitor analysis, but with less depth. It provides essential data such as keyword rankings and backlinks but lacks the advanced features and granularity found in Ahrefs. 

For small businesses or bloggers, KeySearch’s competitor analysis tools are usually enough to understand where they stand in their niche, but for larger businesses or agencies, Ahrefs offers more powerful insights.

Backlink Analysis

Backlinks are crucial for SEO, and both KeySearch and Ahrefs offer backlink analysis tools. Ahrefs is widely regarded as one of the best tools for backlink analysis due to its extensive database and detailed reports. 

Users can analyze their backlink profile, identify toxic links, and explore competitor backlinks to discover new opportunities.

KeySearch’s backlink analysis is more basic but still effective for those with smaller sites or simpler needs. It allows users to check their backlinks and gain insights into their competitors’ link profiles, but it doesn’t provide the same level of detail as Ahrefs.

Ease of Use

KeySearch is designed to be user-friendly, with an intuitive interface that even beginners can navigate easily. This simplicity makes it a great choice for those who are new to SEO or who don’t need a complex tool.

Ahrefs, while powerful, has a steeper learning curve due to its wide array of features. It’s better suited for experienced SEO professionals who require a comprehensive tool to manage large-scale SEO campaigns.

How to Use KeySearch to Increase Website Traffic

Comprehensive Keyword Research

The first step in driving more traffic to your site is identifying the right keywords. KeySearch offers a powerful keyword research tool that helps you find keywords relevant to your niche with a good balance of search volume and competition.

Start by entering a seed keyword related to your business or content topic into KeySearch. The tool will generate a list of related keywords along with essential metrics like search volume, difficulty score, and trends. 

Focus on finding low-competition keywords with a decent search volume. These keywords are easier to rank for, especially if your site is newer or doesn’t have a high domain authority. 

Integrating these keywords into your content, meta tags, and headings can significantly improve your chances of ranking higher in search engine results, which leads to more traffic.

Optimize Content Using Content Assistant

Creating high-quality content is crucial, but it needs to be optimized to rank well in search engines. KeySearch’s Content Assistant tool helps you optimize your content for your target keywords. 

This tool analyzes the top-ranking pages for your chosen keyword and provides suggestions on related keywords to include, ideal word count, and content structure.

Using the Content Assistant, you can create content that is more likely to rank well in search results. For example, if the tool suggests adding certain related keywords, incorporating these into your content can improve its relevance. 

Additionally, following the recommended content structure and word count can improve your content, further boosting your chance of ranking well on search engines.

Analyze and Outperform Competitors

Understanding your competition is key to gaining an edge in the SEO game. KeySearch allows you to conduct a detailed competitor analysis. By entering your competitors’ URLs into the tool, you can see which keywords they are ranking for and their backlink profiles.

Use this information to identify opportunities where you can outperform your competitors. For example, if you notice a competitor ranking well for a keyword that you haven’t targeted, consider creating content around that keyword. 

Additionally, analyzing their backlink sources can help you discover new link-building opportunities, which can increase your domain authority and improve your rankings, leading to more traffic.

Monitor and Improve Rankings with Rank Tracking

To effectively drive traffic, it’s important to track your keyword rankings over time. KeySearch’s Rank Tracking tool allows you to monitor how your keywords perform in search engine results. 

By regularly monitoring your rankings, you can identify which strategies are working and which needs adjusting. If a particular keyword’s ranking drops, you can take corrective action, such as updating the content or building more backlinks. Consistent monitoring and adjustments help ensure that your SEO efforts continue to drive traffic growth.

Build a Strong Backlink Profile

Backlinks are a critical factor in SEO. They indicate to search engines that your website is reliable and credible. KeySearch’s Backlink Checker tool allows you to analyze your site’s backlinks and those of your competitors. 

By identifying high-quality backlinks pointing to your competitors, you can reach out to those sites and request backlinks, improving your site’s authority and rankings.

Building a strong backlink profile can significantly increase your site’s visibility, resulting in higher search engine rankings and more traffic.

KeySearch Review: Pros and Cons of KeySearch

Here is a summary of the pros and cons of KeySearch:

Pros

• Affordability: KeySearch is one of the most affordable SEO tools on the market, offering a wide range of features at a low price.
• Ease of Use: The tool is designed to be user-friendly, making it accessible to both beginners and experienced SEO professionals.
• Comprehensive Feature Set: KeySearch covers all the essential SEO tools, including keyword research, competitor analysis, rank tracking, and backlink checking.
• Regular Updates: The tool provides daily updates for rank tracking, ensuring users always have the latest data.
• Customer Support: KeySearch offers responsive and helpful customer support, along with plenty of tutorials and resources.

Cons

• Limited Data Depth: While KeySearch offers a comprehensive feature set, the depth of data and analysis may not be sufficient for advanced users who need more granular insights.
• No Dedicated Community Forum: Unlike some other tools, KeySearch doesn’t have a dedicated community forum, which might limit the opportunities for peer support and networking.
• Basic Interface: While the interface is user-friendly, it may be too basic for those who prefer more advanced customization and features.

KeySearch Review Verdict

KeySearch is a robust and budget-friendly SEO tool that comes packed with features aimed at enhancing your online presence. While it might not offer the extensive data or advanced functionalities of pricier options, it covers all the basics needed for effective SEO. Its easy-to-navigate interface, wide range of features, and helpful customer support make it a great pick for bloggers, small businesses, and digital marketing firms.

If you’re on the hunt for an affordable SEO tool that doesn’t compromise on performance, KeySearch is a top contender. It’s especially ideal for those who want a simple, user-friendly tool that delivers reliable data and practical insights. While it might not be the go-to for users needing advanced features or pinpoint accuracy, it provides fantastic value and is a solid option for anyone aiming to enhance their SEO game. We hope