Short answer: Keywords Everywhere is a paid browser extension for Chrome, Firefox and Edge that shows search volume, cost per click, competition and related keywords directly inside Google, YouTube, Amazon and other sites. One credit buys the data for one keyword, and plans are billed yearly. It is good for quick checks while you browse. For deeper work, Google Search Console and Keyword Planner are free alternatives, and Ahrefs or Semrush cover competitive research.
This guide is for bloggers, small business owners and freelance SEOs deciding whether Keywords Everywhere is worth paying for, or how to get more out of it if they already have it. You will see what it shows, how to set it up so credits last, a real research workflow, where its data misleads people, and which alternative fits which budget. I have used it alongside the bigger suites for years, mainly for quick checks while browsing.
What Keywords Everywhere shows you
Keywords Everywhere adds keyword data to the pages you already use: Google results, YouTube, Amazon, Etsy, Bing and more. Once it has credits, it adds a small panel and sidebar widgets showing:
- Search volume: estimated monthly searches, with a trend chart. You can choose the country, which matters if you target Pakistan, the UK or the UAE rather than the US.
- CPC: the average amount advertisers pay per click in Google Ads. A high CPC usually means commercial value.
- Competition: a score for paid search competition. Google defines its own competition figure as the number of advertisers showing on a keyword relative to all keywords, according to Google Ads Help. It is not organic ranking difficulty, a point many beginners miss.
- Related keywords and “people also search for”: sidebar lists useful for finding subtopics and long-tail variations.
- SERP and traffic metrics: estimates of traffic for the pages already ranking, so you can judge the strength of the competition.
- Bulk import and export: paste a list of keywords to get metrics for all of them, then export to CSV or Excel.
It also works on YouTube (search volume and video insights) and on marketplaces such as Amazon and Etsy, which is handy for product research.
How to set up and use Keywords Everywhere
Step 1: Install the extension
Find Keywords Everywhere in the Chrome Web Store, Firefox Add-ons or the Edge Add-ons store and install it. The icon appears in your toolbar.
Step 2: Get an API key and choose a plan
The extension asks for your email address and sends an API key to paste into its settings. Keywords Everywhere stopped being free in 2019. The free mode now shows only limited features, while volume, CPC and competition need credits. According to its current plans page, plans run from Bronze ($84 a year, 100,000 credits) to Platinum ($1,440 a year, 8,000,000 credits), all billed annually, and credits expire after one year. Pricing has changed several times, so check before you buy.
Step 3: Set country and switch off unused widgets
Choose your country and currency, then switch off widgets and websites you do not need. Every keyword shown with data uses one credit, so a single Google search with long related-keyword lists can use dozens of credits. This is the single biggest lever on how long a plan lasts.
Step 4: Search as normal
Search Google for, say, “best SEO tools”. The extension shows the volume, CPC and competition under the search box and lists related terms in the sidebar. Use these to spot subheadings or separate articles.
Step 5: Save and export
Star useful keywords to add them to your favourites list, then export for planning. For larger lists, use the bulk import tool on the Keywords Everywhere website.
Rather have an expert do this for you?
Hand it over and get back to running your business.
How many credits will you actually use?
Most people buy a plan without estimating usage. Put your own habits into the calculator to see whether a plan covers a year.
Keywords Everywhere credit calculator
How to read it: this assumes one credit per keyword displayed with data, as the plans page states. Real usage depends on which widgets are on, so check your credit balance after a normal week and adjust the inputs.
How I use it in a real research session
When a client asks whether a topic is worth writing about, this is my usual 20-minute routine:
- Search the seed term on Google with the country set to the client’s market. I note volume and CPC, then look at what ranks: guides, product pages, forums or videos. That tells me the search intent.
- Star useful related keywords from the sidebar, skipping anything that changes intent, such as “free” variations for a paid service.
- Check “people also search for” on two or three ranking pages. These often reveal subtopics I would have missed.
- Repeat on YouTube if videos appear in Google. If they do, a video may be worth making too; my guide to YouTube keyword competition covers that side.
- Export and group by intent. Each group becomes one page, not one page per keyword. My guide to keyword mapping shows how.
- Cross-check winners in Search Console if the site already gets impressions, and in a fuller tool for difficulty if the niche is competitive.
Worked example: checking a Pakistan-market topic
Say a Lahore bakery wants a blog post about “birthday cake delivery”. With the country left on the US default, the extension shows numbers that mean nothing for a Lahore business. Switching to Pakistan changes the picture, and the related list shows local phrasing such as “cake delivery in Lahore” and “online cake order”. Some local phrases show very low or zero volume, but the results page shows local bakeries and delivery apps ranking, which tells me these are real buying searches. In this case the right page is a well-built service page for cake delivery in Lahore, not a blog post, and the volumes were a secondary signal. Many valuable local searches look small in any tool.
Is Keywords Everywhere worth it?
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|
| Data appears where you already search, with no dashboard to learn | Free mode shows little useful data |
| Entry plan costs far less than full SEO suites | Credits drain fast if every widget is on |
| Works on Google, YouTube, Amazon, Etsy and more | Desktop browser only, no mobile app |
| Good for related keywords and topic ideas | Shallow competitive and backlink data |
| Bulk import and export for lists | Volumes are modelled estimates, like every third-party tool |
My view: for a blogger or small business doing occasional research, the entry plan is good value. For anyone working in competitive niches, it is a convenience layer on top of a proper suite, not a replacement.
Common mistakes with keyword tools
- Treating volume as traffic: even first place gets only a share of clicks, and AI Overviews now answer many questions on the results page. See my guide to zero-click searches.
- Reading paid competition as SEO difficulty: low competition means few advertisers, not easy rankings.
- Ignoring zero-volume keywords: many B2B and local searches show little volume but still convert. Long-tail keywords often bring the best customers.
- Using the wrong country: set it to the market you serve.
- One page per keyword: creating separate pages for close variants leads to keyword cannibalisation.
Best Keywords Everywhere alternatives
Google Search Console (free)
The Performance report shows the real queries your site appears for, with clicks, impressions, CTR and average position, as described in Search Console Help. I often find better ideas here than in any paid tool, especially queries where a page sits on page two. It only shows queries you already get impressions for. My guide to the Search Console performance report shows how to filter it.
Google Keyword Planner (free with an Ads account)
Google’s own tool, built for advertisers. Accounts without active campaigns often see volume ranges rather than exact figures, and it can miss informational long-tail queries. Best for commercial keywords and PPC planning.
Google Trends (free)
The best way to see whether interest is rising, falling or seasonal, and how it differs by country or region.
AnswerThePublic (limited free searches)
Turns autocomplete data into questions and comparisons. Good for content and FAQ ideas; see my review of AnswerThePublic.
Ubersuggest and Moz Keyword Explorer (low cost)
Both offer keyword ideas, a difficulty score and some free usage. Simpler than the big suites, with smaller databases.
Ahrefs and Semrush (paid suites)
The strongest options for competitive research: large keyword databases, difficulty based on links, competitor gap analysis and rank tracking. Expensive, and worth it mainly if SEO is a significant channel for you.
Which keyword tool should you choose?
| Your situation | Where I would start |
|---|---|
| No budget, existing site | Search Console, then Keyword Planner and Google Trends |
| Small budget, quick checks while browsing | Keywords Everywhere (Bronze) |
| Beginner wanting one simple tool | Ubersuggest or Moz |
| Competitive niche, serious SEO | Ahrefs or Semrush |
| Content and FAQ ideas | AnswerThePublic plus Google’s “People also ask” |
| Paid search planning | Google Keyword Planner |
Whichever tool you pick, volume is only one input. Intent, the type of page that ranks and whether you can realistically compete matter more. My full guide to keyword research puts all of this together.
Frequently asked questions
Is Keywords Everywhere free?
The extension is free to install, but volume, CPC and competition data need paid credits. The free mode shows limited features only.
How accurate is Keywords Everywhere data?
Its volumes are estimates, as with every third-party tool. Use them to compare keywords with each other rather than as traffic forecasts, and check your own Search Console data where you can.
How long do Keywords Everywhere credits last?
Credits expire one year after purchase, according to the plans page. How fast you use them depends on how many keywords each search displays, so switch off widgets you do not read.
Does Keywords Everywhere work on YouTube and Amazon?
Yes. It shows keyword data on YouTube, Amazon, Etsy and several other sites, which helps video creators and online sellers.
What is the best free alternative to Keywords Everywhere?
For your own site, Google Search Console. For new topics, combine Keyword Planner for volume, Google Trends for seasonality and the “People also ask” box for questions.
Sources
- Keywords Everywhere, “Plans and pricing” (accessed 2026).
- Google Ads Help, “About Keyword Planner forecasts” (accessed 2026).
- Search Console Help, “Performance report (Search results)” (accessed 2026).
- Ahrefs, search traffic study of about 14 billion pages (December 2023).
If you want a keyword plan built for your own site rather than doing it yourself, my on-page optimisation service starts with exactly this research, or you can ask me a question.
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