Niche keyword targeting has never been so important for companies and individuals looking to improve their search engine rankings.

There are many free keyword tools available on the Web that can help you find niche keywords with a good balance of traffic potential and competition. Other SEO tools can be helpful for analyzing pages and identifying keywords that you should focus on or perhaps reduce the usage of.

I have been trying many different SEO tools over years so I thought of sharing my experience with you by providing a list of the best free keyword tools available on the Web. Give them a try and send your comments.

1. Google AdWords Keyword Tool

If you are interested in PPC advertising, the Google AdWords keyword tool is great for finding niche keywords with high traffic potential. Simply enter your main keyword and the tool will return an impressive list of related keywords with cost per click (CPC), search volume and competition estimates. Its search volume data makes it a great SEO tool as well.

2. Google AdWords Traffic Estimator

Although it is focusing on PPC advertising needs, it is also very useful for the SEO services provider to get search volume data and estimated daily clicks by geographic area. You can have access to the Google AdWords Traffic Estimator by registering an AdWords account.

3. Wordtracker

Wordtracker is a keyword tool that has been around since 1997. It is great for keyword research and it provides useful data on competition along with search and traffic estimates. Their website currently offers a free 7 day trial and full system access at minimal costs.

4. GoRank Keyword Density Analyzer
www.gorank.com/analyze.php

The GoRank Keyword Density Analyzer provides great reports on keyword density including occurrences in meta-tags, headings, alt tags, links, etc.

5. Google Insights for Search
www.google.com/insights/search/

Great new keyword tool from Google allowing you to compare keywords by search volume over time. Google Insights gives you the option to filter by geographic area and provides a list of related and rising terms.

6. Google Rankings Ultimate SEO Tool
www.googlerankings.com/ultimate_seo_tool.php

The Google Rankings Ultimate SEO Tool is helpful for analyzing web pages and understanding keyword density. It provides useful options and reports show occurrences for terms including 1, 2 or 3 words.

7. Trillian Keyword Discovery
www.keyworddiscovery.com

The Trillian Keyword Discovery tool is similar to Wordtracker and helps you find niche keywords while providing detailed search data.

8. SEO Chat Keyword Density Tool
www.seochat.com/seo-tools/keyword-density/

The SEO Chat Keyword Density Tool is another great tool for analyzing the content of your website.

9. adCenter Labs – Keyword Forecast
http://adlab.msn.com/Keyword-Forecast/

Keyword Forecast is a nice tool from the adCenter Labs allowing you to compare keyword impressions over time while providing basic demographics for each term.

10. Web CEO
www.webceo.com

Web CEO is actually a SEO software but it provides such great features that I thought of adding it to my list of free keyword tools. It is good for keyword research and you can track up to 10 keywords with the free version.