9 Best Tools to Validate Keywords Using Third-Party Tools in 2026

Validating keywords before you commit budget to them is the difference between profitable campaigns and wasted ad spend. Whether you're checking search volume, competition levels, cost-per-click estimates, or search intent, third-party keyword validation tools give you the data you need to make smarter decisions. This guide covers top tools that help marketers, freelancers, and agency owners validate keywords effectively—from PPC-focused solutions to comprehensive SEO platforms. We'll break down what each tool does best, who it's ideal for, and what you'll pay.

1. Keywordme

Best for: PPC managers who need real-time keyword validation inside Google Ads

Keywordme is a Chrome extension that validates and optimizes keywords directly within Google Ads' Search Terms Report, eliminating the need for external spreadsheets or dashboards.

Where This Tool Shines

Most keyword validation happens outside of Google Ads—you export data, analyze it in spreadsheets, then go back to implement changes. Keywordme flips that workflow by letting you validate and act on keywords without leaving the platform. You're already in the Search Terms Report reviewing performance, so why not handle validation right there?

The real advantage shows up when you're managing multiple accounts or working through high-volume campaigns. Instead of toggling between tabs and tools, you can spot junk keywords, validate high-intent terms, and apply match types in seconds. For agencies juggling dozens of client accounts, this workflow compression adds up to hours saved every week.

Key Features

One-Click Validation: Remove junk keywords and validate high-intent terms directly from the Search Terms Report without switching tools.

In-Platform Clustering: Group related keywords and apply match types instantly, keeping your workflow inside Google Ads.

Bulk Editing: Process multiple keywords at once, critical for high-volume accounts or agency work.

Negative List Building: Create and manage negative keyword lists on the fly as you validate search terms.

Multi-Account Support: Switch between client accounts seamlessly, ideal for agency teams managing multiple Google Ads profiles.

Best For

PPC managers, freelancers, and agency teams who spend significant time in Google Ads and want to validate keywords where they're already working. Especially valuable if you manage multiple accounts or run high-volume campaigns where spreadsheet workflows slow you down.

Pricing

Flat rate of $12/month per user with a 7-day free trial. No complex tiers or hidden fees—you get full access to all features regardless of account size.

2. Semrush

Best for: Comprehensive keyword validation with competitive intelligence and trend analysis

Semrush is a comprehensive marketing toolkit with robust keyword validation features including difficulty scores, volume trends, competitive analysis, and SERP feature tracking.

Where This Tool Shines

Semrush excels when you need to validate keywords across both SEO and PPC channels simultaneously. The platform shows you not just whether a keyword gets searches, but how hard it'll be to rank organically, what you'll likely pay in ads, and what SERP features are eating into clicks. This dual-channel view helps you make smarter budget allocation decisions.

The historical trend data is particularly valuable for seasonal businesses or anyone launching campaigns around events. You can see exactly when search volume spikes, helping you time campaigns better and avoid committing budget during low-intent periods.

Key Features

Keyword Difficulty Percentage: Clear 0-100 scoring system that estimates how hard it'll be to rank for organic terms.

Volume Trends Over Time: Historical search data showing seasonal patterns and long-term trajectory of keyword interest.

Competitive Density Metrics: PPC competition scores that help estimate how crowded the auction will be.

SERP Analysis: Breakdown of what's ranking now, including featured snippets, local packs, and other features that impact click-through rates.

Keyword Gap Analysis: Compare your keyword coverage against competitors to find validation opportunities they're already winning with.

Best For

Marketing teams and agencies that need comprehensive validation data across multiple channels. Best suited for users who want an all-in-one platform rather than stitching together multiple point solutions.

Pricing

Starts at $139.95/month for the Pro plan, which includes 5 projects and 500 keywords to track. Higher tiers unlock more projects and deeper competitive data.

3. Ahrefs

Best for: Accurate keyword metrics with unique clicks data beyond raw volume

Ahrefs is an SEO toolset known for its accurate keyword metrics, including unique clicks data that shows actual click potential beyond raw search volume.

Where This Tool Shines

Ahrefs introduced a metric that changed how many PPC managers validate keywords: clicks data. Search volume tells you how many people search for a term, but clicks data shows how many actually click on results. This distinction matters because some high-volume keywords generate surprisingly few clicks due to SERP features or instant answers.

The traffic potential feature takes this further by showing you the total traffic the top-ranking page gets from all its keywords combined. This helps you validate whether a keyword is worth targeting based on real traffic outcomes, not just theoretical search volume.

Key Features

Clicks Metric: Shows actual click potential by accounting for zero-click searches and SERP feature interference.

Traffic Potential: Estimates total traffic you could get if you ranked #1, based on all related keywords the current top page ranks for.

Keyword Difficulty: Scoring based on backlink requirements, helping you validate whether you have the domain authority to compete.

Parent Topic Identification: Groups keywords under broader topics, helping you validate entire clusters rather than individual terms.

Global and Local Data: Country-specific volume and difficulty scores for international campaign validation.

Best For

SEO-focused marketers who also run PPC campaigns and want accurate click potential data. Particularly valuable for content marketers validating keywords for both organic and paid strategies simultaneously.

Pricing

Starts at $129/month for the Lite plan with 5 projects. Standard plan at $249/month unlocks more projects and historical data access.

4. Google Keyword Planner

Best for: Free keyword validation with data directly from Google's search engine

Google Keyword Planner is a free keyword research tool from Google that provides search volume ranges and CPC estimates directly from Google's data.

Where This Tool Shines

When you're validating keywords for Google Ads campaigns, why not use Google's own data? Keyword Planner pulls volume and CPC estimates directly from the source, which means you're seeing the same data Google uses to serve ads. Third-party tools estimate these metrics, but Keyword Planner shows you actual ranges.

The tool is particularly useful for validating new campaign ideas before you commit budget. You can plug in a list of seed keywords, see which ones have meaningful volume, and get CPC ranges that help you estimate what a campaign might cost. For freelancers or small agencies working with tight budgets, this free validation step prevents expensive mistakes.

Key Features

Direct Google Data: Volume ranges and CPC estimates pulled straight from Google's search data, not third-party estimates.

Competition Estimates: Shows how many advertisers are bidding on each term, helping you gauge auction competitiveness.

Keyword Suggestions: Generate related terms based on seed keywords, expanding your validation scope beyond your initial list.

Historical Trends: View search volume patterns over the past 12 months to spot seasonal fluctuations.

Free Access: No subscription required—just a Google Ads account, even if you're not actively running campaigns.

Best For

Budget-conscious marketers, freelancers starting new campaigns, and anyone who wants to validate keywords using Google's own data before investing in paid tools.

Pricing

Completely free with a Google Ads account. You don't need to run active campaigns to access Keyword Planner.

5. Moz Keyword Explorer

Best for: Quick validation decisions using the Priority score metric

Moz Keyword Explorer is a keyword research tool with a unique Priority score that combines volume, difficulty, and organic CTR into one actionable metric.

Where This Tool Shines

Moz's Priority score solves a common validation problem: how do you compare keywords when one has high volume but high difficulty, while another has lower volume but easier competition? The Priority score weighs volume, difficulty, and estimated organic CTR together, giving you a single number that helps you make faster decisions.

The organic CTR estimates are particularly useful for PPC managers because they show how many clicks you can expect even if you rank well organically. Some keywords have high volume but low CTR due to featured snippets or other SERP features—knowing this upfront helps you set realistic expectations for both paid and organic efforts.

Key Features

Priority Score: Combines volume, difficulty, and CTR into one 0-100 score for quick validation comparisons.

Organic CTR Estimates: Shows expected click-through rates based on SERP feature analysis.

Keyword Difficulty: Scoring system that estimates ranking difficulty based on current top-ranking pages.

SERP Analysis: Detailed breakdown of what's ranking now, including domain authority and page-level metrics.

Related Keywords: Suggestions for semantically related terms to expand your validation scope.

Best For

Marketers who want a simplified validation workflow and prefer a single score over juggling multiple metrics. Ideal for teams that need to make quick go/no-go decisions on keyword opportunities.

Pricing

Starts at $99/month for the Standard plan with 150 keyword queries per month. Pro plan at $179/month increases query limits and adds more features.

6. SpyFu

Best for: Validating keywords by analyzing competitor bidding history and success

SpyFu is a competitive intelligence tool that validates keywords by showing which terms competitors have bid on historically and their estimated success.

Where This Tool Shines

SpyFu's competitive validation approach flips the typical workflow. Instead of starting with keyword ideas and checking metrics, you can start with competitors who are already successful and see exactly which keywords they've validated through actual ad spend. If a competitor has been bidding on a keyword for years, that's strong validation that it converts.

The historical data goes back over 15 years in some cases, letting you see not just what competitors are bidding on now, but what they've tested and abandoned. This helps you avoid keywords that look promising but don't actually deliver results—if multiple competitors tried it and stopped, that's a red flag worth heeding.

Key Features

Competitor Keyword History: View 15+ years of competitor bidding data to see which keywords have staying power.

Estimated Ad Spend: See how much competitors are likely investing in specific keywords, helping you gauge their value.

Most Profitable Keywords: Identify which terms competitors have consistently bid on, suggesting strong conversion performance.

PPC Keyword Grouping: See how competitors organize their ad groups, providing validated keyword clustering ideas.

Ad Copy Analysis: View competitor ad copy for validated keywords, giving you messaging insights alongside validation data.

Best For

PPC managers and agencies who want to validate keywords based on competitive intelligence rather than just volume metrics. Especially valuable in competitive industries where seeing what works for others saves testing budget.

Pricing

Starts at $39/month for the Basic plan with 5,000 search results and 6 months of data. Professional plan at $79/month adds unlimited results and full historical data.

7. Ubersuggest

Best for: Budget-friendly keyword validation with SEO and PPC difficulty scores

Ubersuggest is a budget-friendly keyword tool offering validation metrics including SEO difficulty, paid difficulty, and content ideas for target keywords.

Where This Tool Shines

Ubersuggest delivers surprisingly robust validation features at a fraction of the cost of tools like Semrush or Ahrefs. You get separate difficulty scores for SEO and paid search, which helps you decide whether a keyword is better suited for organic efforts or paid campaigns. This dual-scoring approach is particularly useful for small teams managing both channels with limited budgets.

The content ideas feature adds validation context by showing you what type of content is already ranking for your target keywords. This helps you understand search intent beyond just the metrics—if all the top results are blog posts, that keyword might not be ideal for a product-focused PPC campaign.

Key Features

SEO and Paid Difficulty: Separate scores for organic and paid competition, helping you choose the right channel for each keyword.

Volume and CPC Data: Search volume estimates and cost-per-click ranges for validation decisions.

Content Ideas: Shows top-performing content for keywords, helping you validate search intent alignment.

Domain Analysis: Compare your domain against competitors to validate whether you have the authority to compete.

Chrome Extension: Quick validation lookups directly from your browser without logging into the full platform.

Best For

Freelancers, small agencies, and solo marketers who need solid validation data without enterprise pricing. Best for users managing both SEO and PPC who want a single affordable tool.

Pricing

Free limited version available with reduced features. Paid plans start at $29/month for Individual with 150 searches per day and 1 site tracked.

8. Keywords Everywhere

Best for: Instant keyword validation metrics while browsing search engines

Keywords Everywhere is a browser extension that displays keyword validation metrics directly on Google, YouTube, Amazon, and other platforms as you search.

Where This Tool Shines

Keywords Everywhere eliminates the extra step of copying keywords into a separate tool for validation. As you search on Google, YouTube, Amazon, or other platforms, the extension overlays volume, CPC, and competition data right on the page. This makes validation almost effortless—you're seeing the data exactly when you need it.

The extension also surfaces related keywords and "People Also Search For" data directly in your search results, helping you discover validation opportunities you might not have thought to check. For PPC managers doing competitive research or content planning, this real-time validation speeds up the workflow significantly.

Key Features

Instant Metrics Overlay: Volume, CPC, and competition data appears automatically as you browse search engines.

Multi-Platform Support: Works across Google, YouTube, Amazon, eBay, and other platforms for cross-channel validation.

Related Keywords Display: Shows related terms and "People Also Search For" data without leaving the search results page.

Trend Charts: View 12-month search volume trends directly in the browser for seasonal validation.

Bulk Upload: Validate entire keyword lists at once through the extension's bulk analysis feature.

Best For

Marketers who do frequent keyword research and want validation data without switching between tools. Particularly useful for content teams and PPC managers who validate keywords while browsing competitor sites or doing market research.

Pricing

Credit-based pricing starting at $1.25 for 10,000 credits. One credit equals one keyword validation. Plans range up to $249 for 2,000,000 credits with lifetime validity.

9. Mangools KWFinder

Best for: Finding and validating low-competition keywords with clear difficulty scoring

Mangools KWFinder is an intuitive keyword research tool focused on finding and validating low-competition keywords with clear difficulty scoring.

Where This Tool Shines

KWFinder specializes in helping you validate keywords that are actually achievable, not just high-volume dreams. The difficulty scale is straightforward—0-100 with color coding—making it immediately clear which keywords are worth pursuing. The tool particularly excels at finding those sweet-spot keywords with decent volume but low enough competition that you can actually rank or bid profitably.

The location-specific validation is more granular than many competitors, letting you validate keywords down to the city level. For local businesses or geo-targeted campaigns, this precision helps you avoid wasting budget on keywords that look good nationally but don't have meaningful volume in your target areas.

Key Features

Clear Difficulty Scale: Simple 0-100 scoring with color coding (green/yellow/orange/red) for instant validation decisions.

SERP Competitor Metrics: Detailed analysis of current top-ranking pages including domain authority and page strength.

Location-Specific Volumes: Validate keywords for specific countries, states, or even cities for geo-targeted campaigns.

Historical Trends: View 12-month search volume patterns to validate seasonal keywords and timing.

Question Keywords: Dedicated filter for question-based keywords, useful for validating informational search intent.

Best For

Small businesses, freelancers, and niche site builders who need to validate keywords they can actually compete for rather than chasing high-volume impossible terms. Ideal for local businesses validating geo-specific keywords.

Pricing

Starts at $29/month for the Mangools Basic plan (part of the Mangools suite) with 100 keyword lookups per 24 hours. Premium plan at $49/month increases limits and adds more features.

Making the Right Validation Choice

The right keyword validation tool depends on where you spend most of your time and what kind of validation you need most urgently.

If you're managing Google Ads campaigns and want validation to happen seamlessly inside your workflow, Keywordme eliminates the friction of switching between tools. You're already reviewing search terms—why not validate and act on them in the same interface? The flat $12/month pricing makes it accessible whether you're a solo freelancer or an agency team.

For comprehensive validation across both SEO and PPC channels, Semrush and Ahrefs deliver the depth you need, though at higher price points. Semrush edges ahead for competitive intelligence, while Ahrefs wins on click potential accuracy. If budget is tight, start with Google Keyword Planner for free baseline validation, then layer on Ubersuggest at $29/month for additional context.

Competitive validation takes a different approach—SpyFu shows you what's already working for competitors, which can save you expensive testing. Keywords Everywhere works best as a supplementary tool for quick checks while you're doing other research.

Most PPC managers I work with use a combination: Keywordme for in-platform optimization, one comprehensive tool like Semrush for deep analysis, and Keywords Everywhere for quick validation checks throughout the day. The key is matching your validation workflow to where you actually work, not forcing yourself to adapt to a tool's limitations.

Start your free 7-day trial of Keywordme and experience keyword validation that actually fits into your Google Ads workflow. No spreadsheets, no switching tabs—just seamless optimization right where you're already working. After the trial, it's just $12/month to keep your campaigns running cleaner and smarter.