Keyword Explorers Guide » MONEY FROM BLOGGING

Use Keyword Explorers: My No-BS Guide to Actually Finding Stuff That Ranks

Alright, look. If you’re still out here stabbing in the dark with random keywords like “best coffee mugs 2025” and wondering why your blog ain’t ranking, I got you. Let’s talk keyword explorers. Real ones. Free, freemium, paid—whatever—but I’m only talking about tools I’ve used and ACTUALLY found real keywords with.

Table of Contents

So yeah. No fluff. No “AI writing 101” corporate BS. Just raw, greasy, how-it-really-works stuff from someone in the trenches.

What Even Is a Keyword Explorer?

Let’s dumb it down: A keyword explorer is like your blog’s treasure map. Except instead of gold, it finds you phrases people are actually typing into Google (and not 100 other bloggers already ranking for).

You type a seed keyword → It gives you a bunch of keyword ideas → You spy on volume, competition, intent → You steal the ones with the highest chance to rank → You write 🔥 content → You win traffic.

It’s not complicated. But 90% of people mess it up by overthinking or using the wrong tool.

Which Keyword Explorers Are Worth Using?

Here’s my hotlist. I’ve used every one of these to rank weird-ass blog posts and make money from boring niches nobody talks about.

1. Ahrefs Keyword Explorer (the beast 🐯)

This one ain’t free, but holy hell is it powerful. You get:

Keyword Difficulty (and it’s actually realistic)
SERP analysis with links + authority scores
Related terms, questions, autosuggest gold

👉 How I use it:
I type in weird, long-tail stuff like “can you microwave wooden spoons,” scroll straight to questions, and sort by KD. If it’s under 10 KD and has any volume, I bookmark it.

Bonus: Even if you don’t have a paid account, Ahrefs’ free tools (like their Free Keyword Generator) spit out 100 keyword ideas for Google, YouTube, Bing, and Amazon.

2. Google Search Console + Your Own Posts (most slept on)

Nobody talks about this but your own site is the best keyword explorer.

Here’s what I do:

Go to GSC → Performance → Pages → Click on a post → Click Queries.
Now look at what people almost clicked on.
Find keywords that are getting 10–50 impressions but low clicks.
Add them as new H2s, or make a fresh blog post out of it.

This is how I 5X’d traffic on a random “how to clean baking trays” blog in a week.

3. Keyword Sheeter (a literal firehose 🚿)

This tool just vomits keywords at you. Like 1,000+ in under a minute. It pulls straight from Google autosuggest.

Free plan gives you raw data
Paid plan = CPC, volume, filters, etc.

👉 Pro move: Type in something like “best laptop for” and let it run. You’ll get:

best laptop for seniors with bad eyesight
best laptop for editing YouTube videos under $500

These are gold mines. Super specific, low comp, money intent. Write fast, publish fast.

4. LowFruits.io (cherry-pick mode 🍒)

It’s like if Keyword Chef and Ahrefs had a baby. This one finds low-competition keywords with weak sites ranking on page 1.

Shows if forums like Quora or Reddit are ranking (great sign)
Highlights “weak domains” so you can snipe those SERPs

👉 I use this when I’m trying to break into new niches or just looking for easy wins.

5. Semrush Keyword Magic Tool (fancy but useful)

Kinda like Ahrefs but a bit more visual. It gives:

Keyword clusters (great if you’re building silos)
Filters by word count, KD, CPC, SERP features
Also has a “Questions” filter, which I abuse constantly

Not everyone vibes with the interface, but it works.

How to Actually Use These to Find Keywords That Rank

Let’s break this down so you don’t screw it up:

Step 1: Start With a Real Topic You Can Write About

Don’t just chase volume. Start with stuff you know or can research fast.

Examples:

“Cheap meals for one” → leads to “$5 meal prep ideas”
“Grooming a cat” → leads to “best brush for long-haired cats”

If it sounds too obvious, good. Obvious = keywords people search.

Step 2: Fire Up 2–3 Keyword Explorers

I usually run the same seed keyword through:

Ahrefs (or Semrush)
Keyword Sheeter (for long-tails)
Google itself (autosuggest + “People Also Ask”)

Take the overlap. Look for:

KD < 15 (ideally)
Volume > 50
Clear intent (informational OR product-based)

Step 3: Spy on the SERP (the lazy goldmine 🧐)

Before you write anything—Google it.

Are there Reddit threads ranking? Old forums? Pinterest?
That’s your green light. These are weak competitors.
You can outrank them with a decent article.

If the top 5 results are Forbes, Healthline, and NerdWallet… run away.

Step 4: Cluster + Attack

Don’t just write a one-off post. Build a mini-cluster.

Example:

Main Keyword: “best camping chairs under $100”

Support posts:

“How to choose a camping chair that won’t break”
“Camping chairs vs stools”
“Are zero gravity chairs worth it?”

Internally link everything. That’s how topical authority is built (Google eats it up).

Step 5: Track & Update

After 3 weeks:

Check GSC → Impressions
Anything not getting clicks? Update H2s, add FAQs
Anything almost ranking? Add internal links from other posts

This constant tweaking is where most people fail. Keep touching your content.

One Mistake I See Too Often…

New bloggers keep chasing “best SEO tools” or “how to lose weight” type keywords.

Bro… unless you’ve got a backlink army and 100 blog posts already ranking, forget it.

Use keyword explorers to niche down, not go viral.

The smaller and more specific your target, the faster you rank. That’s the game.

My Quick Stack (for the impatient ones)

Here’s the combo I use when I need keywords today:

Seed idea → in Keyword Sheeter + Ahrefs
Copy keywords → paste into LowFruits to filter weak ones
Check SERP → If I see Reddit or Quora, I go
Write fast → Publish, wait 7 days, tweak using GSC

Works. Every. Time.

Final Words (And No Motivational BS)

Stop sleeping on keyword explorers. Most of you are just one solid long-tail keyword away from your first 1,000 clicks. Maybe even a sale or two.

Use the tools. Combine them. And write like a person, not ChatGPT.

Now go rank something. Then come back and tell me what keyword you found. 😉