Keyword Research Overview
Find keywords with volume, difficulty, and intent, next to where the client already ranks.
Keyword Research finds search terms related to a few seed keywords you type in, and shows market data for each one: monthly search volume, a 12-month trend, keyword difficulty, cost per click, and search intent. Every keyword also shows where the client already ranks in Google Search Console, so you can tell quick wins (keywords the site already gets impressions for) apart from topics it has never touched.
Use it to plan new content, choose keywords to track, or pick a page for an SEO test.
Where to find it
Open a client, then click Keyword Research in the client sidebar. The page has two tabs:
- Research: the search form and your latest results.
- Saved: the client's shortlist of saved keywords. The number next to the tab is how many keywords are saved.
The meter in the page header shows how many research reports your account has left this month.
For the You rank figures, the client needs a connected Search Console property. See Google Search Console. Without one, searches still work, but every keyword reads as not ranking yet.
How it works
- Search. Enter up to five seed keywords, pick a country, and click Search. See Finding Keywords.
- Filter and read. Narrow the results by volume, difficulty, intent, or whether the site already ranks. Click any keyword to open its details and check the live Google results for it.
- Save. Select the keywords worth keeping and click Save. They land in the client's Saved tab. See Saved Keywords.
- Act on them. Send keywords to Rank Tracking with Track rankings, or start an SEO test on the page that already ranks with Create SEO test.
What uses research reports
Searches use research reports from your account's monthly allowance. RankNest always shows the count before anything runs, next to the Search button or on the button that starts the action.
| Action | Reports |
|---|---|
| A keyword search | Shown before you click Search. More seeds cost more in some modes. |
| Repeating the same search within a day | Free |
| Live Google results for one keyword | 1, or free if that keyword was checked in the last 12 hours |
| Refresh metrics on saved keywords | Shown in the confirmation dialog. Recently refreshed keywords are free. |
| Saving, removing, copying, filtering | Free |
| Track rankings | No reports. Each keyword counts toward the client's tracked keywords instead. |
Nothing paid runs when the page loads. You always click something first.
For how reports, tracked keywords, and add-on packs are counted, see Limits & Add-ons. For the allowance on each plan, see Pricing.
Keywords from the setup wizard
The optional Keywords step of the setup wizard lists the client's top non-brand searches from the last 28 days of Search Console data. The keywords you pick there are saved to Keyword Research and added to rank tracking, and the step uses no research reports. You can also paste in other keywords by hand.
Troubleshooting
"Keyword data isn't switched on yet." Keyword searches are not available on your account yet. Nothing was charged, and any saved keywords stay where they are.
Every keyword shows Not yet in You rank. The client has no Search Console property connected, or the site has no search data for those keywords yet. Check the client's connection in Google Search Console.
Related
Last updated 2026-09-25