Other tools to check keyword competition/difficulty

[flyntime_tx]

I really like the Keyword Analysis tool/process at MOZ, particularly the composite score of keyword difficulty.   However, on my budget/account level I can only check 400 kw's per day and sometimes that's not enough.   So my question is...

What other tools do you rely on or recommend to provide a preliminary measure of competition for a keyword?   Not Adwords competition, but the kind of analysis Moz does by looking at specific ranking factors like phrase the page authority, domain authority, kw in title tag, URL, anchor text, number of external links to the page, etc.    Are there any other tools you'd recommend for checking those kind of competition/difficulty factors for a keyword?  I know SpyFu.com, Open Site Explorer, Majestic, etc will provide backlink metrics, but hoping for something more comprehensive.

Thanks!!
Mike

[TheZenAgency]

I would recommend installing the Moz Bar, Google search your key terms and check the DA and PA of the pages that are ranking. The higher they are generally the tougher it will be to rank for that term

[MonicaOConnor]

I ran into a similar problem with the keyword limit. I started breaking up my research into groups. I would do 400 a day in Moz, then I would double check them in other tools like keywordtool.io, AdWords keyword planner and just plain old fashion google searches. The Zen Agency has a good suggestion with adding the Moz Bar. It will give you DA, PA and link information right in the SERPs.

[flyntime_tx]

Thanks for the suggestion.  I love the Moz bar and that may be my best option.  I like it for checking small numbers of keywords but I'm just hoping to find a better solution for culling through and weeding out larger numbers of keywords.   Appreciate the suggestion though!   Maybe I just have to suck it up and upgrade my subscription.  

[flyntime_tx]

Thanks Monica!  I like the category/grouping idea, I'll definitely start using that in Moz.

[Bryan_Loconto]

Hey Michael!!

Have you given SEMrush a shot? I find it to be quite useful although I don't believe it will analyze the way Moz does. Even with Moz, the whole Bing data mixed with Google data could really throw you for a loop. To properly perform keyword research, you truly have to do much more than just use a tool such as Moz or SEM Rush, etc. Although this is a great starting point, you should them manually perform more in-depth research based on the sites that are actually ranking for "said" kw terms.

Not sure if this helps in any way but check out http://moz.com/beginners-guide-to-seo/keyword-research

Hope this helps!!

[flyntime_tx]

Bryan,

Thanks for your response.  I've known of SEMRush for a long time but don't think I've ever used them so that's a good suggestion.  I agree with your point that we're just talking about this just being a start.  That's kind of the point of my question, i.e. how to I get from a list of 1,000 or more keyword ideas down to a manageable number that I can evaluate more closely.   That's where I like the composite score, it makes it easy to eliminate the really tough ones without having to spend time on them unless/until I want to..

I wasn't familiar with the "Bing data mixed with Google data" topic, sounds like I should read more about how Moz aggregates their data, where different metrics are sourced, etc.  Good point!

I appreciate your response and suggestions, definitely have a lot to learn yet.  Thanks!!

Mike

[Bryan_Loconto]

Absolutely Michael! That is what this community is all about

Yes if you read carefully in the Keyword Difficulty and SERP Analysis tool page, it states...

"Enter keywords to see keyword difficulty and Bing search volume." Even though you have the "Google" selected in the drop down. This had me very confused for a while until I emailed Moz and they helped me understand better how they are gathering the data. It is limited due to the amount of information Google's API allows Moz to access. Unfortunately we can only blame Google for that! haa haa!

Good luck and always keep learning!!

Puit0Tc