Keywords are at the heart of a campaign, targeting keywords that don’t have enough volume isn’t really exciting. Every single campaign should start at PPC keyword research. Using tools to gather keyword search volume and cost per click can help organize your campaign and keep you on budget.

On this page, we’ll look at different SEM Software for PPC Keyword Research.

Software for PPC Keyword Research

ProviderPricingOrganic SEOPaid SEMCompetitor TrafficReviewFree Trial

SEMrush
$99
Month
Yes, full suite of organic SEO research toolsYes, the best selection of toolsYes, estimates on competitor on-site metricsReviewFree Trial@semrushTechnical SEO Analysis,
Backlink Research,
Backlink Management,
Keyword Rank Tracking,
Ranking History,
Organic Traffic Estimates,
Local Rankings,
Local SEO Listing Research,
Keyword Competitors,
PPC Keyword Research,
PLA Research,
Display Ad Research,
PPC Ad Research,
Paid Search Research,
Competitor Traffic Analysis,

Spy Fu
$40
Month
Yes, limited to backlinks and keywordsYes, limited to search PPC onlyNoReviewFree Trial@spyfuBacklink Research,
Ranking History,
Backlink Management,
Keyword Rank Tracking,
Organic Traffic Estimates,
Keyword Competitors,
Paid Search Research,
PPC Keyword Research,
PPC Ad Research,

Mangools
$50
Month
Yes, limited only backlinks and keywordsYesYesReviewFree Trial@mangoolsBacklink Research,
Keyword Rank Tracking,
Organic Traffic Estimates,
Local Rankings,
Keyword Competitors,

SEO Power Suite
$299
License
Yes, robust and full featuredNoYes, traffic estimates and other metricsReviewFree Trial@seopowersuiteTechnical SEO Analysis,
Backlink Research,
Backlink Management,
Keyword Rank Tracking,
Ranking History,
Organic Traffic Estimates,
Local Rankings,
Keyword Competitors,
Competitor Traffic Analysis,

Raven Tools
$110
Month
Yes, well-featured only missing competitor keyword analysisNoNoReviewFree Trial@raventoolsTechnical SEO Analysis,
Backlink Research,
Keyword Rank Tracking,
Organic Traffic Estimates,
Local Rankings,

Choosing the Best SEM Software with PPC Keyword Research

Picking the right software for PPC keyword research is important and your paid search campaigns rely on the right keywords. Typical data points for PPC keyword research that SEM software has are:

  • CPC: Cost Per Click
  • Long-tail Suggestions: Additional relevant keyword suggestions that are less competitive
  • Competitors Keywords: Keywords your competitors are bidding on
  • Search Volume Data: The number of searches for the particular keyword

Shouldn’t I Just Use Keyword Planner?

Google keyword planner is great for AdWords alone. If you want to look at others like Bing Ads all from one place and have access to competitors PPC data as well consider the use of software like SEMrush and SpyFu.

Related Resources

  • SEMrush: SEO software for PPC keyword research.
  • SpyFu: SEO software for PPC keyword research