Choosing A SEO Keyword Tool: A Tale Of Two Approaches [LNIM147]

With dozens of SEO keyword tools on the market, how do you decide which one deserves your money and your time? In this episode, Mark compares two fundamentally different approaches to keyword research and explains why he made the switch from traditional keyword tools to a backlink-first approach using Ahrefs.

What You'll Learn in This Episode

• The difference between traditional keyword tools and backlink-based keyword research tools
• Why traditional keyword tools are becoming less useful as Google restricts data access
• How Ahrefs works backwards from backlinks to give you more complete keyword data
• What to look for when evaluating an SEO keyword tool for your content business
• How to use competitor backlink analysis to make smarter keyword decisions
• Mark's specific recommendation for which tool to invest in

Episode Summary

Mark opens this episode by acknowledging that he used to recommend a very different approach to keyword research. For years, he used a tool called Keyword Canine, which later became Keyword Titan. These traditional keyword tools worked by analyzing a keyword, showing you which websites ranked for it, and evaluating those sites based on their on-page and off-page SEO. The better tools included keyword discovery modes that suggested related terms to target, along with difficulty scores and estimated traffic values.

The problem, as Mark explains, is that Google has steadily restricted the data it shares with third-party tools. The Google AdWords Keyword Tool became more and more limited in what it would reveal, which undercut the foundation that most traditional keyword tools were built on. The data was getting thinner and the keyword lists shorter.

This is where the second approach comes in. Tools like Ahrefs took a completely different path. Instead of relying on Google for keyword data, Ahrefs crawls the internet independently, counts and catalogs backlinks, and assigns authority scores to every page it indexes. It works backwards: rather than starting with a keyword and guessing at difficulty, it starts with the actual competitive landscape and shows you exactly what makes the top-ranking pages rank where they are.

Mark makes a compelling case for why this matters. If you are trying to decide whether to go after a particular keyword, the most important thing to understand is your competition. With Ahrefs, you can see the exact backlinks your competitors have earned, what kinds of links they are, where they come from, and how strong they are. No other tool gives you that level of competitive intelligence.

The practical recommendation is straightforward: if you are choosing one SEO keyword tool, Mark says to look at Ahrefs seriously. He suggests signing up for a trial and using it extensively during that period so you can see the depth of data available. For those who prefer a more traditional tool and want a budget-friendly option, Long Tail Pro remains a solid alternative.

The underlying lesson goes beyond any specific tool. The SEO landscape changes, and the tools that serve you best will change with it. What matters is understanding the approach behind the tool, not just its feature list.

Key Takeaways

• Traditional keyword tools rely on Google data that has become increasingly restricted over time
• Backlink-based tools like Ahrefs provide richer competitive intelligence by crawling the web independently
• Understanding your competition's backlink profile is the most valuable data for making keyword decisions
• Sign up for trial periods and use tools extensively before committing to a subscription
• The best SEO tool is the one that matches your approach to content creation and competitive analysis
• Budget-conscious creators can start with more affordable traditional tools and upgrade as revenue grows

What's Changed Since This Episode

Mark recorded this episode in July 2017, and the SEO keyword tool landscape has transformed dramatically in the years since. The trend Mark identified, the shift from Google-dependent keyword tools to independent data crawlers, has only accelerated.

Ahrefs, which Mark recommended, has grown into one of the two dominant SEO platforms. It now indexes over 35 trillion backlinks and offers a comprehensive suite that includes keyword research, site auditing, rank tracking, and content analysis. Pricing starts at $129 per month for the Lite plan. Semrush, the other major player, has grown to cover over 25 billion keywords and offers a similarly comprehensive toolkit starting at $139.95 per month. Both tools have far surpassed what was available in 2017.

For budget-conscious creators, the options have improved significantly. SE Ranking offers professional-grade keyword research starting at $55 per month. Ubersuggest by Neil Patel provides three free searches per day and lifetime plans starting at $29. Google Search Console remains completely free and shows you the actual keywords your site ranks for, along with click-through rates and position data. The WPBeginner Keyword Generator is another free option for brainstorming keyword ideas.

The tools Mark mentioned in the original episode have had mixed fates. Keyword Canine and Keyword Titan are no longer active products. Long Tail Pro still exists but has lost market share to the larger platforms.

Perhaps the most significant change is how AI has reshaped keyword research. Modern SEO tools now automatically classify search intent, telling you whether a keyword signals informational, commercial, navigational, or transactional intent. This was manual guesswork in 2017. Google's introduction of AI Overviews in search results has also changed keyword strategy. Keywords that trigger AI Overviews may send less organic traffic to individual websites, which means keyword selection now requires evaluating whether Google will answer the query itself before users ever reach your content.

Mark's core insight still holds: choose a tool that helps you understand the competition, not just the keyword volume. That principle is more important than ever in 2026.

Resources Mentioned

• Ahrefs — backlink analysis and keyword research platform
• Long Tail Pro — traditional keyword research tool

Related Episodes

If you found this episode helpful, you might also enjoy:

• LNIM163 — Keys To Creating Consistent Content
• LNIM114 — Switching to HTTPS

Listen and Subscribe

Listen to Late Night Internet Marketing on Apple Podcasts or subscribe at latenightim.com/internet-marketing-podcast/. Have a question for Mark? Call the digital recorder at 214-444-8655 or drop a comment below.