The #1 Tool We Use for Smarter Keyword Research

I just got back from a speaking engagement at the European Language Industry Association’s “Together 2025” event in Barcelona (beautiful city—highly recommend visiting if you haven’t!). My talk focused on the future of language services, and one of the key takeaways was the power of keyword research in shaping content strategy.

As part of my presentation, I demonstrated how people are still searching for the term “translation agency”—and how tools can show us exactly how often and from which countries these searches are happening.

Check out the video above to see what I mean.

So, why am I talking about keyword research now?

Well, on my return flight, I was catching up on reading and came across an insightful blog post: 16 Digital Marketing Metrics Used in SE Ranking. One part stood out—the source of SE Ranking’s data. Their insights come directly from Google and are supplemented by their own metrics, making their tools some of the most valuable when optimizing content. After all, you should know how many people are actually searching for your keywords before you create content around them.

So, which tools do I personally use for keyword research? Here are some of my favorites:

• Google Keyword Planner: One of the most popular tools, available within Google Ads. (Note: If you’re not running active campaigns, you’ll only see search volume ranges instead of precise numbers.)
• Google Trends: A great free tool to track search interest over time and by location.
• SE Ranking: My top recommendation. It’s a powerful third-party platform with incredibly detailed keyword data. SE Ranking helps us at BSM refine our content strategy to make sure every piece is backed by data. (I get the most use out of the Keyword Research and Competitive Research tools.)

Bottom line? The right keyword research can completely transform your content strategy, making your efforts more targeted, effective, and impactful. Trust me—it’s worth the effort!

Let me know if you have any questions, and be sure to check out the video above!