How I Find Keywords Without a Tool (Yep, It Works)

(No fancy software. No subscriptions. Just scrappy tactics that get clicks.)

Table of Contents

Alright, let’s cut the cake.

You don’t need premium tools to find keywords.

Is AHREFS great? Yep.
SEMRush? Sure.
Even Ubersuggest has its moments.

But here’s the reality: if you’re just starting out — broke, bootstrapped, or just allergic to subscriptions — there’s still a very real way to find search-worthy keywords.

I’ve done it.
I still do it.
And some of my top-ranking pages? Found with zero tools.

Let me show you exactly how I do it. No filters. No BS.

Step 1: Start With the Obvious — Google’s Autocomplete 🧠

You know that bar at the top of Google?

Type something in — anything — and watch it finish your sentence.

That’s Google telling you what people are searching.

Let’s say your niche is backyard gardening.
Type:

how to grow tomatoes

Wait for it.

You’ll get stuff like:

how to grow tomatoes in pots
how to grow tomatoes from seeds
how to grow tomatoes indoors

Each of those is a keyword people actually search. Real people. Real intent.

You don’t need a tool to see it. Just a curious brain and a keyboard.

✍️ Bonus Trick: Add an underscore ( _ ) in your search.

how to _ tomatoes in winter

Google fills in the blank. Magic.

Step 2: Scroll to the Bottom (People Forget This) 🧭

At the bottom of every Google search page, there’s a “Related searches” section.

Goldmine.

Let’s continue the tomato example.
When you scroll down after searching “how to grow tomatoes in pots,” you might find:

best soil for tomatoes in containers
tomato plant spacing guide
how to water tomato plants

These are legit keyword ideas.
I call this Google’s spillover zone. It’s like keyword runoff. Often ignored, but full of nutrient-rich phrases.

Step 3: Dive Into Reddit and Quora Threads 🐙

These two platforms are SEO candy stores.

Let me break it down:

Go to Reddit.com and search your niche.
Look for subreddits where people ask questions (r/gardening, r/solopreneurs, r/personalfinance — whatever fits).
Look for repeat questions.
If the same damn question shows up in five threads, that’s a keyword idea.

Same on Quora.
Search “how to grow tomatoes” and scroll.

What are the top upvoted answers?
What questions keep popping up?
Steal those phrases. Literally. Use the exact words in your content.

People Google stuff the same way they ask strangers online. That’s your keyword.

Step 4: Look Inside YouTube 📹

People forget YouTube is a search engine.

Go there. Type your niche topic.
Let autocomplete help again.

Then check video titles.
The ones with high views?

Those are often SEO-optimized.

Example:
Search “budget meal prep” on YouTube.

You’ll see video titles like:

“$25 Meal Prep for the Week”
“Healthy Meal Prep on a Budget”
“5 Cheap and Easy Dinners”

Each of those = keyword idea.
Not just for blog titles, but subheadings too.

🔥 Extra: Read the comments. Viewers literally say what they want next. Steal that.

Step 5: Amazon Book Titles + Table of Contents 📚

Yes, you heard me.

Go on Amazon. Search books in your niche.

Click a few.

Scroll to the Table of Contents.

Those chapter titles? SEO-rich.

Let’s say you’re blogging about freelancing. Look up books like “The Freelance Manifesto.”

Chapters might read:

How to Pitch Clients
Setting Rates that Stick
Managing Scope Creep

You’ve just unlocked 3 blog post ideas and 3 possible keyword clusters — no SEMRush required.

Book authors pay editors and marketers to research hot topics. Ride that wave for free.

Step 6: Use Google Trends — But Only This Way 📈

Most people misuse Google Trends.

They just type stuff and get overwhelmed.

Here’s how I use it raw:

Go to trends.google.com
Click “Explore”
Narrow the region to where your audience is
Type your broad topic (e.g., “freelance writing”)
Scroll to “Related Queries”

That section?
🔥🔥🔥

You’ll see “rising” and “breakout” search terms.

That’s real-time keyword juice.
Stuff that’s just starting to trend, before tools even catch it.

Pounce early. Win rankings.

Step 7: Dig Into Competitor Blog Comments 💬

Let’s get dirty.

Find a few competitors in your niche.

Scroll down their posts and read the comments.

People ask things like:

“Hey, do you have a post on XYZ?”
“Can you explain this part more?”
“I’m stuck on ABC, help?”

These are keyword gems.
Real questions = real pain = real search volume (usually).

And since no tool tracks it, your post will stand out.

Step 8: Instagram + TikTok Captions (Seriously) 📱

Creators in every niche are SEO-hacking their captions without realizing.

Go search hashtags like #DigitalNomadTips or #TinyHomeIdeas.

Check the caption.

If multiple creators keep using the same phrase or hook (like “make money from anywhere” or “tiny home hacks for families”) — that’s keyword territory.

It’s rough. Raw. Unguessable by keyword tools. And it works.

Real Talk: Why This Works

The internet isn’t run by tools.

It’s run by people. And people talk in patterns.

All I’m doing here is paying attention.

If 10 people ask the same thing across 3 platforms, that’s a trend.

If you spot it before the keyword tools do? You’re ahead of 90% of bloggers.

This method isn’t clean or pretty.

It’s messy.

But it’s free. It’s honest. And it flat-out works.

TL;DR (but keep this to yourself):

Google autocomplete + underscore = endless ideas
Bottom-of-page “Related Searches” = bonus keywords
Reddit, Quora, YouTube = goldmine for question-based keywords
Amazon books = chapter title SEO
Trends = breakout terms before the herd catches on
Comments = human intent in plain view
Captions = real talk that ranks

I’ll be honest:
This method isn’t for lazy bloggers.
It takes digging. Reading. Pattern-spotting.

But if you want to win without spending a cent on keyword tools?

This is how I did it.
This is how you can do it.

And yes… it still works in 2025.

Want me to drop a full template I use to organize all these raw keyword ideas?

Say the word. I’ll hand it over — no opt-in needed.

Let’s keep this scrappy. Let’s keep it real.

🧠💻🔥