Reviewed by the NexaToolkit team · Last reviewed June 2026. “Low difficulty” is relative to your site’s authority — we explain why that caveat matters. NexaToolkit may earn a commission from links on this page — it never changes what we recommend.
The fastest SEO wins come from keywords with real search volume that aren’t already locked up by high-authority sites. Frase helps surface those and then builds the content brief to rank for them — a tighter loop than a pure keyword tool. Here’s how to use it for keyword research specifically, with real 2026 pricing.
Step 1: pick the Frase plan
Frase runs roughly $15–$45/month depending on tier and article volume (Solo through Team), with an SEO add-on for deeper search data. It’s cheaper than most dedicated SEO suites because its core strength is content briefs, with keyword research built around them.
Step 2: find volume-vs-difficulty opportunities
Enter a seed topic and Frase returns related queries with volume and competition signals. Filter for decent volume + lower difficulty — but read “low difficulty” relative to your site: a keyword that’s easy for an authority site may be hard for a new blog.
Step 3: turn the keyword into a brief
This is where Frase beats a standalone keyword tool — it builds a SERP-driven outline (headings, questions, entities competitors cover) so you go straight from keyword to a brief you can write or hand off.
Where Frase falls short
Its keyword database isn’t as deep as the big suites. For serious volume and difficulty accuracy, pair it with Ahrefs (from ~$29/mo) or Semrush (~$139/mo). For finding genuinely low-competition long-tails, LowFruits and KeySearch are cheap specialists.
Keyword-research tools compared
| Tool | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Frase | ~$15–$45/mo | Keyword → content brief in one loop |
| Ahrefs | From ~$29/mo | Deep keyword + difficulty data |
| Semrush | ~$139/mo | Full suite, volume accuracy |
| LowFruits | Credit-based, cheap | Low-competition long-tails |
| Surfer | $99/mo | On-page optimization after |
A real scenario
A niche blogger hunting their next 10 posts: in Frase ($15–$45) they seed their topic, filter for keywords with 300–1,500 monthly searches and lower competition, and immediately generate a brief for each — going from research to a writable outline in one sitting. They sanity-check the toughest picks against Ahrefs‘ difficulty score before committing. The caveat that saves wasted effort: “low difficulty” is always relative to domain authority — a new site should aim lower than the tool’s raw score suggests, then earn its way up to the harder terms.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Frase cost?
Roughly $15–$45/month depending on tier and article volume, with an optional SEO add-on for deeper search data. It’s cheaper than full SEO suites because its core is content briefs.
Is Frase good for keyword research?
Yes for finding topic opportunities and turning them straight into content briefs — that keyword-to-brief loop is its edge. For deep volume and difficulty accuracy, pair it with Ahrefs or Semrush, whose databases are larger.
What does “low difficulty” really mean?
It estimates how hard a keyword is to rank for — but always relative to site authority. A “low difficulty” term may still be tough for a brand-new site, so newer sites should target the easiest keywords first and build up.
More: see our AI marketing analytics tools and AI writing assistants compared.
