AnswerThePublic: Free Question-Based Keyword Visualizer
AnswerThePublic is a keyword tool that aggregates autocomplete suggestions into visual maps of questions, prepositions, and comparisons around a seed keyword. It offers a limited number of free searches per day without a paid plan. It shows questions and phrasing but not search volumes, so pair it with a volume source.
- Provider:
- AnswerThePublic (NP Digital)
- Access:
- Freemium
- Account:
- Required (free)
- Best for:
- Discovering the questions people ask about a topic
What is AnswerThePublic?
AnswerThePublic takes the manual alphabet-soup method of autocomplete mining and automates it. Enter one or two words and it returns wheels of questions (who, what, where, when, why, how, are, can, which), prepositions (for, with, near, without), and comparisons (vs, versus, or) — each branch a potential heading or article.
Since its acquisition by NP Digital, the free tier has tightened: free users get a small daily allowance of searches. The workflow that survives the limits is to spend free searches on pillar topics, export everything, and validate volumes elsewhere.
Main features
Question wheel visualizations
Questions grouped by interrogative word in an explorable visual map, exportable as images or CSV.
Preposition and comparison branches
Surfaces “for / with / near” modifiers and “X vs Y” comparisons that reveal buyer-stage queries.
Country and language targeting
Run reports for specific markets so questions match your audience's language and phrasing.
CSV and image export
Download the full branch list for clustering into briefs, even on the free tier.
Is AnswerThePublic free?
AnswerThePublic is freemium: a free account includes a limited number of searches per day (the allowance has changed over time — check the pricing page before planning a session). Paid plans add more searches, more users, and historical data. No volume metrics are included at any tier.
Free searches require a free account; daily search limits apply on the free tier and paid plans raise them.
How to use AnswerThePublic
Create a free account at answerthepublic.com and set your country and language.
Enter a 1–2 word seed (broad topics work best: “yoga”, “mortgage”, “sourdough”).
Open the Questions wheel and screenshot or export the branches with the most nodes.
Map each strong question to an H2 in your article outline or to its own article if it has standalone intent.
Validate the shortlist in Keyword Planner or Search Console data before prioritizing.
Advantages and limitations
Where it shines
- Fastest way to see every question angle on a topic in one view.
- Exports make it easy to feed questions into briefs and outlines.
- Free tier is enough for occasional pillar-topic research.
- Preposition branches reveal local and use-case modifiers.
Where it falls short
- Free daily search allowance is small and has shrunk over time.
- No search volume, difficulty, or trend data included.
- Broad seeds work; very niche or brand-new topics return thin wheels.
- Requires an account even for free use.
Best use cases
Bloggers
Spend one free search on each pillar topic monthly and turn the question wheels into a quarter of outlines.
FAQ writers
Lift the “how / can / should” branches verbatim into page FAQ sections that match real phrasing.
Video creators
Use comparison branches (“X vs Y”) as video titles where searchers are choosing between options.
Alternatives to AnswerThePublic
Builds question trees from People Also Ask data instead of autocomplete. Official site
The free manual method AnswerThePublic automates. Official site
Adds volume ranges to the questions you discover. Official site
AnswerThePublic FAQ
Is AnswerThePublic free?
Does AnswerThePublic show search volume?
What seed keywords work best?
Sources and official documentation
Official sources are listed separately from RankMeDaily's commentary above. Product details verified 2026-10-13; confirm current pricing and limits on the provider's site.
Put AnswerThePublic insights into practice
Research is step one — publishing consistently is step two. RankMeDaily delivers an SEO article every day for $30/month.