Playbook: a $0 keyword research workflow that's actually usable

Playbook: a $0 keyword research workflow that's actually usable
I did a full research pass for a new site using only free tools, then sanity-checked it against paid. It holds up surprisingly well.

The free stack, in order:
— Seed with Google autosuggest + 'People Also Ask' for raw intent language.
— Run seeds through Keyword Surfer or the free Ahrefs Keyword Generator for rough volume.
— Use Google Trends to kill anything seasonal-dying before you commit.
— Validate real demand in GSC: if you already rank page 2 for it, that's your fastest win.
— Cluster by hand in a sheet — group terms that share the top 3 SERP results = one article.

Keyword Surfer (free):
➕ Volume right in the SERP, zero setup
➖ Estimates are rough, US-skewed
Ahrefs Free Generator:
➕ Surprisingly deep seed expansion
➖ Limited rows, no export

Best for: idea volume → Keyword Surfer. Seed expansion → Ahrefs free.
Price-vs-value: this gets you 70% of paid for $0. The missing 30% is accurate difficulty.
Pick this if you're pre-revenue. Skip the free route once you're choosing between 500 keywords a month.