How to Use HubSpot for Keyword Research And Its 5 Best Alternatives

If your business already runs on HubSpot, the promise is tempting.

Your contacts are there.

Your email campaigns are there.

Your landing pages may be there.

Your CRM is there.

Your reporting is there.

So when HubSpot offers SEO tools inside the same ecosystem, the obvious question is:

Why pay for another keyword tool?

At first glance, keeping everything under one roof sounds perfect. You can plan content, connect it to campaigns, track performance, and tie marketing activity back to contacts and revenue.

But there is a catch.

HubSpot is an elite CRM and inbound marketing platform. It is excellent at organizing content strategy, managing customer relationships, and connecting marketing activity to business outcomes.

But raw keyword discovery is a different job.

Using HubSpot as your only keyword research platform can feel like trying to carve a delicate sculpture with a sledgehammer. The tool is powerful, but it was not built primarily to uncover every low-competition keyword, competitor gap, or long-tail opportunity in your market.

In this guide, you will learn how to use HubSpot for keyword research, where its built-in SEO tools help, where they fall short, and which alternatives can fill the gaps.

We will also cover the five best alternatives for deeper keyword analysis SEO work, including TopKeywordTool.com, Semrush, Keysearch, Ahrefs, and a free data mix using Google Search Console and answer-engine visibility tools.

What Does HubSpot Mean by Keyword Research?

Before using HubSpot for keyword research, you need to understand how HubSpot thinks about SEO.

Traditional keyword tools usually start with a search box.

You enter a keyword.

The tool gives you related keywords, search volume, difficulty, CPC, competitor rankings, and keyword ideas.

HubSpot approaches SEO differently.

HubSpot’s SEO tools are built around a topic cluster model.

That means you organize your content into:

• A core topic
• A pillar page
• Subtopic keywords
• Supporting content
• Internal links
• Performance tracking

Instead of thinking only about one keyword at a time, HubSpot encourages you to build a network of related content.

That is useful.

It helps prevent random blogging and supports topical authority.

But it also means HubSpot is often better at organizing keyword strategy than discovering every keyword opportunity from scratch.

Step-by-Step: How to Do Keyword Research Inside HubSpot

Now let’s walk through the basic process.

Your exact interface may vary depending on your HubSpot subscription and updates to the platform, but the general workflow is built around topics, subtopics, and content performance.

Step 1: Access the SEO Tools

Inside your HubSpot portal, navigate to the SEO tools area.

Depending on your HubSpot setup, this may appear under your marketing, content, or optimization tools.

HubSpot’s SEO workspace is designed to help you organize content around topics that matter to your customers.

This is not the same as opening a dedicated keyword research database.

Think of it more like a content strategy planner.

Step 2: Create a Core Topic

A core topic is the broad idea your pillar page will target.

For example, if you run a marketing software company, a core topic might be:

• SEO keyword research
• customer acquisition strategy
• email marketing automation
• CRM implementation
• B2B lead generation

For TopKeywordTool.com, a core topic might be:

SEO Keyword Research

This would become the main pillar topic.

Your pillar page might be:

The Ultimate Guide to SEO Keyword Research

That page would cover the broad topic and link out to supporting articles.

Step 3: Add Subtopic Keywords

Subtopic keywords are narrower supporting ideas related to the main topic.

For the core topic “SEO Keyword Research,” subtopic keywords might include:

• keyword competitor research
• local SEO keyword research
• keyword research by city
• international keyword research
• social media keyword research
• B2B keyword research
• content writing keyword research
• white label keyword research tool
• keyword research services price

Each subtopic can become a supporting blog post.

This is where HubSpot’s topic cluster model is useful.

It helps you visualize how your content connects.

Instead of publishing isolated articles, you build a cluster.

Step 4: Connect Supporting Content to the Pillar Page

HubSpot’s topic model encourages internal linking.

The pillar page should link to supporting articles.

The supporting articles should link back to the pillar page.

For example:

Pillar page:

The Ultimate Guide to SEO Keyword Research

Supporting articles:

• A Step-by-Step Guide to Keyword Competitor Research
• A Simple Guide to Local SEO Keyword Research
• How to Do Keyword Research by City
• How to Use HubSpot for Keyword Research
• How Much Do Keyword Research Services Cost?

This structure helps users move through related content.

It also helps search engines understand that your website has depth around a topic.

Step 5: Review HubSpot’s Native Metrics

HubSpot may provide metrics such as search volume and difficulty for topics or subtopic keywords.

These can help you quickly judge whether a keyword may be worth targeting.

Common metrics include:

• Monthly search volume
• Difficulty
• Topic relevance
• Content performance
• Internal linking status

Search volume estimates demand.

Difficulty estimates how hard it may be to rank.

These metrics are useful, but they should not be the only data you rely on.

For serious keyword analysis SEO work, you should also check competitor rankings, search intent, long-tail variations, and keyword gaps using a dedicated keyword research tool.

Step 6: Track Content Performance

One of HubSpot’s strengths is performance tracking inside the broader marketing ecosystem.

After you publish content, HubSpot can help you see how that content performs in relation to campaigns, contacts, traffic, and conversions.

This is where HubSpot shines.

It can help answer questions like:

• Which content supports lead generation?
• Which topics are connected to campaigns?
• Which pages are attracting visitors?
• Which content contributes to conversions?
• Which topic clusters are gaining traction?

This is useful for marketing teams that care about more than rankings.

HubSpot helps connect content to business activity.

But again, this is different from raw keyword discovery.

The Catch: The Crucial Limitations of HubSpot’s Keyword Data

HubSpot can be helpful for organizing SEO content, but it has limits.

Those limits matter if you are trying to build a serious organic growth engine.

1. HubSpot Is Not a Deep Keyword Discovery Engine

HubSpot is not built like Semrush, Ahrefs, or a dedicated keyword tool.

Its SEO tools are designed around content organization, topics, and inbound marketing strategy.

That means HubSpot may not uncover all the long-tail keyword opportunities available in your niche.

This matters because many of the best SEO opportunities are not obvious.

They may be specific, low-volume, or buried inside competitor content.

Examples:

• keyword research by city
• dentist keyword research
• social media keyword research
• white label keyword research tool
• keyword research services price
• how to do keyword research for content writing

A dedicated keyword tool is better suited for finding those granular opportunities.

2. Competitor Gap Analysis Is Limited

One of the most valuable keyword research workflows is competitor gap analysis.

A keyword gap is a keyword your competitor ranks for but you do not.

This is powerful because it shows proven demand.

HubSpot is not primarily built for this kind of aggressive competitor keyword mining.

You typically cannot use it the same way you would use a dedicated SEO platform where you plug in competitor domains and immediately extract ranking keywords, top pages, and gaps.

That is a major limitation if your goal is to beat competitors in search.

3. HubSpot Can Be Expensive If You Only Need SEO

HubSpot makes sense when you use it as a full marketing platform.

But if your only goal is keyword research, it may be overkill.

Many of HubSpot’s more advanced marketing, reporting, and content features are tied to paid tiers.

That can be worth it for teams using HubSpot for CRM, email, landing pages, automation, and reporting.

But for a blogger, affiliate marketer, small business, or lean SEO team, paying for HubSpot mainly to do keyword research may not make financial sense.

4. HubSpot Works Best After You Already Know the Topic

HubSpot is excellent for organizing a topic cluster.

But first, you need to know which topics and subtopics are worth targeting.

That is where many users get stuck.

HubSpot can help you structure:

• Pillar pages
• Subtopic pages
• Internal links
• Content performance

But you may need another tool to discover:

• Hidden long-tail keywords
• Competitor gaps
• Low-difficulty opportunities
• Commercial-intent terms
• Keyword variations
• Search intent patterns

HubSpot helps organize the map.

A dedicated keyword tool helps you find the territory.

The 5 Best Alternatives for Raw Keyword Discovery

Now let’s look at five alternatives that can fill the gaps.

These tools are not all the same. Each one serves a different type of user.

1. TopKeywordTool.com: Best for Speed, Value, and Competitor Gaps

TopKeywordTool.com is built for marketers, bloggers, small businesses, affiliate site owners, and content teams that want practical keyword data without dashboard overload.

The goal is simple:

Help you find keywords, analyze competitors, discover gaps, and build a content plan quickly.

Why TopKeywordTool.com Beats HubSpot for Keyword Discovery

HubSpot is useful for topic organization.

TopKeywordTool.com is built for discovery.

With TopKeywordTool.com, you can focus on the workflows that actually uncover SEO opportunities:

• Competitor keyword analysis
• Keyword gap discovery
• Long-tail keyword research
• Search intent filtering
• Keyword grouping
• Content topic planning
• Local and niche keyword discovery
• Blog post idea generation

Instead of starting with a blank topic cluster, you can start by asking:

“What are my competitors ranking for that I am missing?”

That question is often more valuable than brainstorming from scratch.

Best Use Case

Use TopKeywordTool.com if you want to:

• Find keywords quickly
• Analyze competitors
• Discover keyword gaps
• Build topic clusters
• Create blog content plans
• Prioritize low-difficulty opportunities
• Avoid paying for bloated enterprise tools
• Supplement HubSpot with better keyword discovery

Example Workflow

Here is how TopKeywordTool.com can support a HubSpot user:

1. Use TopKeywordTool.com to analyze competitor domains.
2. Find keywords those competitors rank for.
3. Filter for high-intent and low-difficulty opportunities.
4. Group keywords by topic.
5. Choose pillar and subtopic ideas.
6. Add those keywords into HubSpot’s topic cluster planner.
7. Use HubSpot to organize publishing and track results.

That gives you the best of both worlds.

TopKeywordTool.com for discovery.

HubSpot for organization and campaign tracking.

2. Semrush: Best for Deep Enterprise Analytics

Semrush is one of the most powerful SEO platforms on the market.

It is built for advanced keyword research, competitor analysis, domain research, backlink insights, rank tracking, PPC research, and content workflows.

If HubSpot is your marketing command center, Semrush is more like an SEO intelligence lab.

Why Semrush Beats HubSpot for Advanced Keyword Research

Semrush is stronger for:

• Large keyword databases
• Competitor keyword research
• Keyword gap analysis
• Intent labels
• Rank tracking
• SERP analysis
• PPC keyword research
• Multi-market SEO research
• Advanced reporting

If you are doing advanced keyword research across multiple markets, competitors, or websites, Semrush gives you far more raw SEO data than HubSpot.

Best Use Case

Use Semrush if:

• You are an SEO professional
• You manage multiple websites
• You work at an agency
• You need deep competitor data
• You need advanced reporting
• You have the budget
• You want one premium platform for many SEO tasks

The Downside

Semrush can be expensive and complex.

For users who only need keyword research and competitor gaps, it may feel like too much.

That is why many smaller teams look for a focused alternative.

3. Keysearch: Best for Budget-Conscious Bloggers

Keysearch is a budget-friendly SEO tool known for keyword research, competitor analysis, rank tracking, and content support.

It is popular with bloggers, niche site builders, and content creators who want more than free tools but do not want to pay enterprise-level prices.

Why Keysearch Beats HubSpot for Keyword Research

Keysearch is designed specifically for SEO research.

It can help users find keyword ideas, check difficulty, study competitors, and make better content decisions.

Compared with HubSpot, Keysearch is more focused on raw SEO discovery.

Best Use Case

Use Keysearch if:

• You are a blogger
• You are building a niche site
• You need affordable keyword research
• You want a simpler SEO tool
• You do not need a full CRM
• You want quick difficulty checks

The Downside

Keysearch is useful, but it may not be as deep as enterprise platforms for massive competitor research, large agency workflows, or advanced multi-market SEO.

It is a strong budget option, not necessarily a full replacement for advanced SEO suites.

4. Ahrefs: Best for Backlink and Domain Profiling

Ahrefs is another major SEO platform, especially known for backlink analysis, competitor research, and domain-level insights.

While it also provides keyword research tools, many SEOs value Ahrefs because of its link data and ability to analyze competing pages.

Why Ahrefs Beats HubSpot for Competitive SEO

HubSpot helps organize topics.

Ahrefs helps you understand why pages rank.

That includes:

• Backlink profiles
• Referring domains
• Top pages
• Competitor content
• Keyword rankings
• Content gaps
• Organic traffic estimates

This is important because ranking is not only about choosing the right keyword.

You also need to know whether your page has a realistic chance to compete.

If the top-ranking pages have strong backlink profiles, you need to know that before investing in content.

Best Use Case

Use Ahrefs if:

• You care deeply about backlinks
• You want competitor page analysis
• You need content gap research
• You want to study domain authority signals
• You are planning link-building campaigns
• You manage serious SEO campaigns

The Downside

Ahrefs is also a premium tool.

For small teams, it may be more expensive and advanced than necessary if the main goal is simple keyword discovery.

5. Google Search Console Plus Answer-Engine Visibility Tools: Best Free Data Mix

Google Search Console is not a keyword discovery tool in the traditional sense.

It shows how your existing site performs in Google Search.

That makes it incredibly valuable.

It gives you real query data from your own website.

Why Google Search Console Beats HubSpot for Real Performance Data

Google Search Console can show:

• Queries your pages appear for
• Clicks
• Impressions
• Average position
• Click-through rate
• Pages gaining visibility
• Pages losing traction
• Unexpected keyword opportunities

This is raw performance data from Google.

HubSpot can help you organize and report on content, but Search Console gives you direct visibility into how Google Search is actually showing your site.

Pair It With Answer-Engine Visibility Tools

Search is changing.

More users now interact with AI answer engines, AI Overviews, and conversational search tools.

Because of that, many marketers are starting to track not only traditional rankings but also AI visibility.

Answer-engine visibility tools can help you understand whether your brand is appearing in AI-generated answers or being cited in AI-powered search experiences.

This is still an emerging area, but it matters more every year.

Best Use Case

Use Google Search Console plus answer-engine tracking if:

• You want free first-party Google data
• You already have published content
• You want to improve existing pages
• You want to find queries you did not intentionally target
• You want to monitor traditional and emerging search visibility

The Downside

Google Search Console is strongest after you already have content and impressions.

It does not fully solve the problem of discovering brand-new keyword opportunities before you publish.

Alternative Comparison Table

Tool	Best For	Beats HubSpot At	Main Limitation
TopKeywordTool.com	Fast keyword discovery and competitor gaps	Practical keyword research and content planning	Best when paired with execution
Semrush	Enterprise SEO analytics	Deep data, intent, competitor research	Cost and complexity
Keysearch	Budget bloggers	Affordable keyword discovery	Less advanced than enterprise suites
Ahrefs	Backlinks and competitor domains	Link analysis and content gaps	Premium pricing
Google Search Console + AEO tools	Free performance data	Real Google query data and visibility tracking	Limited for new keyword discovery

The Ideal Modern Workflow: Blending Systems for Peak Efficiency

You do not need to abandon HubSpot.

If your team relies on HubSpot for CRM, marketing automation, content management, email, or reporting, keep using it.

But do not expect HubSpot to do every SEO job perfectly.

The smartest workflow is blended.

Step 1: Use TopKeywordTool.com for Discovery

Start by finding keyword opportunities.

Use TopKeywordTool.com to:

• Analyze competitors
• Find keyword gaps
• Discover long-tail terms
• Group topics
• Identify content opportunities
• Prioritize by intent

This gives you a stronger keyword foundation.

Step 2: Use HubSpot for Topic Organization

Once you know which keywords matter, use HubSpot to organize them.

Build:

• Core topics
• Pillar pages
• Subtopic keywords
• Supporting content
• Internal link structures

This lets HubSpot do what it does best.

Step 3: Publish and Track Performance

Use HubSpot, Google Search Console, and analytics tools to monitor results.

Watch:

• Traffic
• Impressions
• Rankings
• Leads
• Conversions
• Content-assisted revenue
• Topic cluster performance

Step 4: Feed Results Back Into Keyword Research

SEO is not one-and-done.

Use performance data to improve your strategy.

Look for:

• Pages getting impressions but few clicks
• Keywords ranking on page two
• Topics gaining momentum
• Content gaps competitors are exploiting
• New long-tail searches
• Pages that need updates

Then go back to TopKeywordTool.com and build the next round of content.

When HubSpot Alone Is Enough

HubSpot may be enough if:

• Your team already uses HubSpot heavily
• You only need basic topic organization
• You are not aggressively competing in SEO
• You already know your target keywords
• You mainly care about campaign tracking
• You have a small content footprint
• You do not need deep competitor analysis

In that case, HubSpot’s built-in SEO tools may be sufficient.

When You Need a Dedicated Keyword Tool

You need a dedicated keyword tool if:

• You are serious about organic growth
• You need competitor keyword gaps
• You want long-tail opportunities
• You are building content clusters
• You need local SEO keywords
• You want to compare multiple competitors
• You need advanced keyword research
• You want to publish content consistently
• You need better topic ideas than brainstorming alone

That is where TopKeywordTool.com, Semrush, Keysearch, Ahrefs, and Search Console workflows come in.

Common Mistakes When Using HubSpot for Keyword Research

Avoid these mistakes.

Mistake 1: Treating HubSpot Like Semrush

HubSpot is not primarily a raw keyword mining platform.

Use it for organization, not as your only discovery engine.

Mistake 2: Building Topic Clusters Before Validating Keywords

A topic cluster is only useful if people search for the topics.

Validate keywords first.

Mistake 3: Ignoring Competitor Gaps

Competitors are already showing you what works.

Do not build content only from internal brainstorming.

Mistake 4: Choosing Keywords Only by Volume

High volume does not always mean high value.

Prioritize intent and relevance.

Mistake 5: Not Linking Pillar and Subtopic Pages

HubSpot’s topic model depends on content connections.

Make sure your pillar pages and supporting content link to each other clearly.

Mistake 6: Not Using Google Search Console

HubSpot reporting is useful, but Search Console gives direct Google query data.

Use both.

Suggested Visuals for This Article

To make this article stronger in WordPress, add:

1. HubSpot Topic Cluster Diagram
   Core topic → pillar page → subtopic keywords → supporting articles.
2. Discovery vs. Organization Chart
   TopKeywordTool.com for keyword discovery, HubSpot for content organization.
3. Alternative Tools Comparison Table
   Show best use case, strengths, and limitations.
4. Blended Workflow Graphic
   Competitor mining → keyword gap analysis → HubSpot cluster planning → publishing → tracking.
5. Decision Tree
   Already using HubSpot? Keep it. Need keyword gaps? Add TopKeywordTool.com. Need enterprise data? Consider Semrush or Ahrefs.

Conclusion: Prioritize Actionable Data Over Corporate Convenience

HubSpot is a powerful marketing platform.

It is excellent for managing contacts, organizing inbound campaigns, building topic clusters, and connecting content to business outcomes.

But keyword research requires discovery.

You need to find what people search.

You need to see what competitors rank for.

You need to identify gaps before your market gets crowded.

You need more than a convenient checkbox inside a larger software suite.

That does not mean HubSpot is bad for SEO.

It means HubSpot works best when paired with a true keyword discovery workflow.

Use HubSpot to organize content.

Use TopKeywordTool.com to uncover the keywords HubSpot may miss.

That combination gives you both strategy and execution.

Ready to find the high-converting keywords your competitors are ranking for?

Start your free trial at TopKeywordTool.com today and get real competitor intelligence, keyword gap mining, and practical content ideas in minutes.

Unsure how HubSpot stacks up against other standalone tools on the market? Read our full breakdown: The Best Keyword Research Tools: Semrush vs. The Hoth vs. HubSpot.

Do you prefer having keyword tracking embedded inside your main marketing platform, or do specialized point solutions give you a sharper competitive edge?

Try TopKeywordTool.com to find the long-tail keywords and competitor gaps HubSpot may be missing.