If you want to know how to create content that people are actually searching for, you need to become an expert with content marketing research tools. Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be hard or expensive!
However, you might get overwhelmed when deciding which of the many programs to choose from. In fact, TrustRadius lists over 300 different content marketing software options.
For your convenience, we’ve narrowed the list down to the 20 we’re seeing ourselves and others have the most success with. Read this to discover the most powerful and easy-to-use content marketing research tools.
Key Takeaways:
Google offers lots of free tools that are perfect for beginners and do-it-yourselfers on a tight budget.
Semrush, BuzzSumo, and Ahrefs are great high-powered tools for full-fledged content marketing strategy and research.
Collaborative tools like Trello and Asana can help your team compound its research efforts.
Grammarly and Hemingway are must-have apps for writers and editors.
You don’t need all of the following tools, but you should test them to uncover which ones fit your needs.
20 Content Marketing Research Tools You Can’t Overlook
As content marketing professionals, we’re in the perfect position to share with you what really works. So, buckle up and get ready to roll through the 20 content marketing research tools you should consider.
1. Google Autofill
Google can do a lot of the work of finding content topics for you. The Autofill feature lets you know what search terms people are using, making it the first and easiest of the content marketing research tools you need in your arsenal.
Honestly, you’ve probably used this tool thousands of times without realizing how useful it is for informing your content marketing strategies.
Simply, start typing in the beginning of a question or phrase. Omniscient Google will do the rest. Autofill displays the most popular searches, offering you a gold mine of on-trend long-tail keywords for free!
Play around with Autofill to fully grasp what it can do. For instance, do you want to know the meaning of life? Ta-da!
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When our team is searching for what marketers are looking for to help develop a content strategy, we need to go no further than the autofill box as the first stop among our content marketing research tools. In this case, here’s what you’ll get:
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With this information, you discover that marketers are after examples, templates, and the latest content marketing strategy tips. (Hey, even MIG favorite, content marketing guru Robert Rose, is on there!)
You can also select a result to find related terms. For example, click on “content marketing strategy template” and scroll to the bottom of the search engine results page.
Now, you can get even more specific and spot-on for your audience. Consider creating content that offers a “content plan template for social media” or a “content marketing strategy checklist.
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You’ll find exactly what searchers are after and be ready to provide the solution. See, you don’t have to be a psychic to excel at content marketing.
2. Semrush
Do you want to see what keywords your competitors are using to drive organic traffic? Wouldn’t it be helpful if you could see clearly how you stand up to other sites in your niche when it comes to search rankings and track these changes over time?
Of course! That’s why our team uses Semrush. It’s one of the best competitive intelligence content marketing research tools out there.
Semrush offers a unique look at your site’s metrics. It is a practical tool for informing both your content marketing and advertising strategies.
The biggest perk is the Keyword Magic Tool, which gives you access to over 2 million keyword ideas. You can group by topic, analyze data, and create targeted lists, helping to make solid and well-organized content strategies.
With all the information at your fingertips in excellent data visuals, you can take your content research capabilities to a whole new level of precision. This is all without having to spend extra time making sense of all the numbers because Semrush does it for you.
3. BuzzSumo
BuzzSumo allows you to create your entire content marketing strategy with one program. It’s comprehensive and intuitive; plus, it simplifies your research.
We LOVE this software, as it’s simply one of the best content marketing research tools. (No, we’re not affiliated with or receiving commissions from any of these companies. 
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Here’s a glimpse of the things you can do with BuzzSumo:
Type in your category or search query to get a list of the most shared articles on that term. Filter results by duration, content type, or even how in-depth the article goes; then reverse engineer the most popular topics for your audience.
Uncover the most popular publications in your industry. Now you can create a list of the best people to target for advertising or to pitch your articles.
Type in the website of a competitor or a top industry publisher, and BuzzSumo shows you the most shared articles on the site. Publish your take on the subject and be sure to provide more value for your target audience.
Look across the social platforms to see which are the most popular in your niche and the most likely to engage your target audience. Focus your strategy on those channels.
Give your content marketing strategy an upgrade with influencer marketing. See the top influencers in your topic area and reach out to them for guest posts and other influencer marketing strategies.
BuzzSumo’s content marketing research tools also allow you to monitor your output. You can even compare the progress of your campaigns against that of your competitors.
While you can start with a free trial, BuzzSumo’s elegant search data requires a subscription. We find the Pro level service to be a great value and a good starting point for small marketing teams and professional bloggers.
4. UberSuggest
UberSuggest comes from digital marketing master Neil Patel. It’s one of the top content marketing research tools for keyword recommendations and topic creation.
The software examines suggestions from Google Ads Keyword Planner and Google Suggest to help you expand beyond short-tail keywords that have too much competition. You’ll also get backlink data in this user-friendly application.
While not as expansive as tools like BuzzSumo and Semrush, you can get solid content ideas, competitor analysis, and an SEO audit in an easy-to-use interface. Plus, if you like it and want the premium version, you can get this tool and unlimited access to AnswerThePublic for a single lifetime access fee instead of a recurring subscription.
5. Google Analytics
Get to know how well your site is performing by its metrics and discover more about your audience with Google Analytics. Here, you’ve got another of Google’s free content marketing research tools you can’t afford to ignore.
Google Analytics integrates with many other SEO and content tools, so make sure you set it up ASAP to deliver more data to your other resources. Find out:
Website traffic
User behavior
Conversions
Audience insights
SEO insights
Plus, you can customize your dashboards so you can quickly see what matters most to your team.
6. Ahrefs
For content strategists who like to take their SEO very seriously, Ahrefs Content Explorer is a data-rich resource. It will inject an expansive perspective into your keyword and content planning.
You can do a lot here, including:
Look up the organic search traffic and backlink profile of any website, including industry leaders and competitors.
Get a clear overview of the most popular content for a topic by reviewing backlinks, organic traffic, and social shares, as well as an in-depth list of keyword ideas.
Uncover backlink opportunities.
Use the SERP Checker to analyze search results and accurately estimate traffic potential.
This is one of the most dynamic content marketing research tools out there. Even SEO and content experts like Neil Patel and SEObook’s Aaron Wall recommend it.
7. AnswerThePublic
We mentioned this one earlier in our list as a premium tool you can get with a lifetime subscription to UberSuggest. That’s because Neil Patel acquired the site back in 2022 to add to his content marketing empire.
However, you can access the basic features for free, which can still make a huge impact on your content marketing research. Like many other all-around digital marketing tools, this one is as simple to use as it is profound in its offerings.
Plug in “content marketing,” for example, and you’ll get a visual diagram of the 115 relevant questions searchers are using to learn more about the query in a nifty visualization wheel.
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From how to do it to why it matters, AnswerThePublic gives you the questions so you can provide your audience with the answers in your blog.
8. Buffer
If you need to focus on social media and get your content out quickly across platforms, Buffer is the tool for you. It starts by helping you schedule your posts so you don’t miss any eyeballs.
Team collaboration features help you assign tasks and keep everyone on the same page. Performance analytics make it easy to track what’s getting traction through likes, shares, and comments, letting you easily repeat what’s working.
Furthermore, you’ll never be at a loss to figure out what content to publish next and when to publish it. If social media is critical to your marketing, Buffer needs to be in your box of content marketing research tools.
9. Quora
Quora has a great way of getting itself on the first page of Google searches. This online community can tell you what your target audience wants to know about most.
Like other search tools, when you type in a word or phrase in Quora’s search box, you’ll get the most popular questions. Use this site to get ideas for article topics and FAQs.
You or an affiliated influencer can even offer answers on the platform and link back to your site as an authority, helping your backlinking strategy. Quora seems to be most effective for a target audience between 20 and 40, so keep that in mind.
10. Yoast
Anyone with a WordPress site should consider having Yoast among their content marketing research tools. The plugin rates how SEO-friendly your content is and provides suggestions for readability.
For example, you can let the app know what your focus keyword is for a post. It then lets you know how you can use it in a way that helps you rank higher in Google’s mysterious algorithm.
You’ll also get insights for your meta descriptions and URL slugs. Plus, the feature that suggests relevant internal links can save you lots of time with link building.
11. Hemingway Editor
Can a free online writing editor really be one of the top content marketing research tools? Absolutely! Not only should you use editing apps like Hemingway to help you check for errors, but you also need to examine your content for readability.
Our research here at MIG finds that Grade 6 to 8 is usually the sweet spot, and Hemingway helps us get there. Even when we create articles for clients who cover more advanced subjects, we never stray into college-level text.
Hemingway makes it easy to find your readability level and shows which sentences are too complex. Plus, you can find and eliminate passive voice, which can create unclear and wordy sentences.
12. Grammarly
Even the best editors might miss something due to fatigue or being in a rush. Grammarly is a must-have editor for any writer.
The extension functions across all of your apps and browsers to check your writing so you avoid embarrassing mistakes. Start with the free version to catch errors and access a handy thesaurus.
If you pay for the pro upgrade, you’ll get more suggestions on how to tighten up your writing and avoid repetitiveness. You also get a decent plagiarism checker.
13. Trello
Trello lets everyone in your organization bring the power of their work and separate content marketing research tools together in a powerful platform. Share content in a single place while using this customizable software that grows with your organization.
Trello is worth considering if you work with multiple freelancers, contractors, and guest writers. It helps you stay organized and connected with your team, no matter where they are.
14. Google Trends
Google has even more to offer in terms of free content marketing research tools to help you craft the content your audience wants to stumble upon. Google Trends is your go-to source for finding out what are the most important topics right now in relation to your search terms.
Google Trends will show you related queries, interest by region, and a comparison of related search terms. The results range over different time durations ranging from 2004 to the past hour.
Not sure what direction to go in for a particular topic or which is a more relevant keyword topic? Google Trends will resolve your issue with neat, easy-to-digest data.
Also, this tool will give you the top 25 related search queries to make your content development even more efficient.
Wow, with all of this free help, could it be that Google wants content marketers to only create highly relevant, value-driven, useful material? You bet.
Google’s vision statement is still “to provide access to the world’s information in one click.” The search engine has offered these free, powerful research tools so you can do a better job. Use them!
15. Constant Contact
Constant Contact helps you manage your email campaigns, which are still among the best ways to connect with your audience. You’ll be able to design engaging and targeted campaigns that you can easily test and track for effectiveness.
For example, templates help you with attractive designs, and list management tools help you segment and refine how you target subscribers. We’re also fans of Constant Contact, and it’s a staple among our content marketing research tools.
16. Asana
Research also involves monitoring your team, not just your audience and topics. Asana is another project management tool that helps you collaborate as you create content campaigns and automates much of the busy work.
Stay on top of deadlines, share documents, and assign tasks easily in this interface. Then keep up with the status of any project to stay productive while keeping quality high.
17. Surfer SEO
Make sure content satisfies the technical side of search engine optimization with Surfer SEO. Get an analysis of the pages that are ranking at the top for your desired keywords and see how you compare.
Surfer also has a content editor that shows how you can optimize what you’re writing in real time. Its data-driven analysis with actionable insights makes it one of the most valuable content marketing research tools.
18. Feedly
Feedly is like your personal news curator. What makes this RSS reader one of the great content marketing research tools is it reduces the amount of manual searching for the topics you and your audience care about most.
The app brings you the latest from news sites, newsletters, blogs, Reddit, and X (formerly Twitter). Then it uses AI to summarize articles and prioritizes what has the most value so you know what content to create.
19. Statista
Great content requires reliable statistics and data to back it up. Statista is a favorite site you’ll see pop up in many image sources, backlinks, and attributions.
The site pulls info from credible publications, such as scientific journals, industry databases, and market research. Then Statista provides a handy chart and concise breakdown of the key points. If you’re in B2B marketing and need strong sources, Statista should be one of your content marketing research tools.
20. Google Optimize
Our final suggestion is another free resource from Google you have to check out: Google Optimize. The tool helps you discover what specific areas your site visitors engage with most so you can correct what needs fixing.
You can experiment and A/B test how different layouts and pages perform with statistical modeling to simulate real-world performance. Its free and user-friendly format makes this a no-brainer for beginners who are starting out and aren’t ready to invest a lot in stronger optimization tools yet.
Get the Most of Your Content Marketing Research Tools With MIG
Any of these resources can help you hone in on the most relevant topics to answer the questions that your audience is asking. Of course, while solid research is the foundation of an effective strategy, writing and publishing your blog regularly is where the rubber meets the road.
If you’re struggling to get the most out of your content marketing research tools, talk to us here at MIG. We’ll help you kick your content marketing efforts into high gear with consistent, high-quality posts that attract your target audience.