How to use a keyword generator for keyword research
Start broad. Type a seed keyword that describes your topic in two or three words, and the AI suggests 15 related searches people make, from head terms to long-tail questions. Read the intent column first: it tells you whether a searcher wants to learn (Informational), compare (Commercial), buy (Transactional) or reach a specific site (Navigational). Match the page you write to that intent.
The volume figures are ranges such as 100–1K or 1K–10K rather than single numbers, which is a more honest way to express an estimate. Use them to compare ideas against each other, not as a traffic forecast, and remember that ranking first rarely captures all of a keyword's searches.
Then look at difficulty. New and small sites rank faster for long-tail keywords with lower difficulty; big head terms usually take years and links. A good first list is informational and commercial keywords with difficulty under 30.
| Difficulty | What it means | Who can rank |
|---|---|---|
| Under 30 | Easy | New sites with good content |
| 30–60 | Medium | Sites with some authority and links |
| 60+ | Hard | Established sites with strong backlinks |
How accurate is a free AI keyword research tool?
Be clear about what you're getting. The keyword ideas come from an AI language model, and the volume, difficulty and CPC figures are its estimates, not numbers pulled from Google's or a crawler's database. That makes the tool great for brainstorming, finding angles and spotting intent, and not something to bet a budget on.
Before you commit to a keyword, check it against real data: Google Search Console shows what you already rank for, Google Keyword Planner gives volume ranges for free with an Ads account, and paid tools like Ahrefs or Semrush give click-level detail.
- Use the generator to widen your list; use real data to narrow it.
- Search the keyword yourself and look at what ranks: if it's all huge brands, pick a longer variation.
- One page per intent: don't target 'espresso machine reviews' and 'buy espresso machine' with the same page.
- Re-run the generator with the best ideas as new seeds to go deeper into a niche.
