5 Free Keyword Research Tools for Amazon KDP (That Actually Work)

If you want your books to get found on Amazon, keyword research is non-negotiable.

The right keywords put your book directly in front of people who are already searching for it. Use the wrong ones and your book just sits there collecting dust.

In my opinion, the best free keyword research tools for Amazon KDP are the Amazon Search Bar (Autosuggest), AMZ Suggestion Expander, DS Amazon Quickview, Titans Pro Quickview Tool, and Google Trends. 

These five tools give you everything you need to find profitable keywords, validate demand, and make sure your book is actually set up to sell without spending any money.

In this post, let's break down each one and exactly how to use it.

1. Amazon Search Bar (Autosuggest)

Best for: Getting valuable keyword insights straight from Amazon

This tool is such a powerful resource that many people don't take advantage of. It's honestly one of the most powerful free keyword research tools for Amazon KDP available. 

Amazon's own search bar uses autosuggest to show you exactly what real shoppers are typing. These aren't guesses or estimates — they're actual search terms being used by buyers right now.

How to use it:

• Go to Amazon and switch the search category to Books or Kindle Store
• Start typing your topic into the search bar, but don't press enter
• Watch the autocomplete suggestions appear and note down every relevant one

Pro tip: After typing your main keyword, add a letter after it (e.g. "gratitude journal a", "gratitude journal b") to uncover even more variations. Work through the alphabet and you'll have a solid keyword list fast.

2. AMZ Suggestion Expander

Best for: Revealing additional keywords people are searching for

AMZ Suggestion Expander is a Google Chrome extension that takes Amazon autosuggest and supercharges it.

While the standard search bar gives you a handful of suggestions, this tool expands those results and reveals additional keywords that people are searching for.

What I love about the AMZ Suggestion Expander tool is that it reveals additional keywords that you might never have found on your own.

It essentially does the alphabet trick automatically, saving you a ton of time and making sure you're not leaving valuable keywords on the table.

How to use it:

• Install the free browser extension
• Head to Amazon and search your main topic
• Let the tool expand the results and surface additional keyword variations
• Add the most relevant ones to your list 

Pro tip: Use this alongside the Amazon search bar for a comprehensive picture of what buyers in your niche are actually searching for.

3. DS Amazon Quickview

Best for: Checking BSR and whether a book is actually making sales

Knowing what keywords to target is only half the battle. You also need to know whether books in your niche are actually selling.

That's where the DS Amazon Quickview chrome extension comes in.

This free browser extension shows you the Best Seller Rank (BSR) of books directly in the Amazon search results, without having to click into every single listing.

BSR is one of the clearest indicators of whether a book is making sales, so being able to see it at a glance is a game changer for niche research.

Not sure which niches are worth researching in the first place? Take a look at the Best KDP Niches to get a head start before you dive into the data.

How to use it:

• Install the free DS Amazon Quickview extension
• Search your target keyword on Amazon
• The BSR displays directly on each book in the search results
• Look for niches where multiple books have a strong BSR (the lower the better). This signals real demand

Pro tip: A lower BSR means more sales. You'll want to get good at identifying whether or not a book has a low BSR.

4. Titans Pro Quickview Tool

Best for: Getting the full sales history, BSR, and search result data of a book

Titans Pro Quickview Tool goes a step further than DS Amazon Quickview. 

On top of showing you the BSR, it also gives you the sales history of a book. This will help you so you can see whether a niche has consistent demand or whether a book just had one lucky spike.

This removes the guesswork entirely. Instead of hoping a niche is profitable, you can see the actual data before you commit.

How to use it:

• Install the free Titans Pro Quickview extension
• Search your niche keyword on Amazon
• Dig into individual books that are ranking well
• Check the sales history to confirm performance is consistent over time

Pro tip: Always cross-reference Titans Pro with DS Quickview. Together they give you a full picture of both current and historical performance.

5. Google Trends

Best for: Finding trending topics and understanding demand over time

Google Trends gives you information about trending topics and whether interest in a niche is growing, declining, or seasonal.

This is something the other tools on this list can't show you.

While the other tools help you research what's selling right now, Google Trends helps you look ahead and get into niches before they become saturated. 

If you want to know whether low content books are still a viable publishing model, I've actually broken that  down in detail here in this post Are Low Content Books Still Profitable?

How to use it:

• Go to trends.google.com
• Type in your book topic or niche
• Filter by country, time range, and category
• Look at the trend line — is interest growing, steady, or dropping?

Pro Tip: Use Google Trends to plan seasonal books around recurring spikes — Christmas journals, Halloween activity books, back-to-school planners. Get your book live before the spike hits, not during it.

How to Use All 5 Tools Together

Here's the simple workflow I recommend:

Step 1 — Find your keywords: Use the Amazon Search Bar and AMZ Suggestion Expander together to build a keyword list from real search data.

Step 2 — Validate demand: Use DS Amazon Quickview and Titans Pro to check the BSR and sales history of books already ranking for those keywords.

Step 3 — Check the trend: Run your niche through Google Trends to confirm interest is stable or growing before you invest time creating a book.

Step 4 — Apply your keywords: Use your best keywords in your book title, subtitle, description, and all seven keyword fields in your KDP dashboard.

Get Profitable Niches Handed to You — Without the Guesswork

Once you've got your keyword research process down, the next step is actually picking a profitable niche and getting your first book live.

If you want to skip straight to the good part, I've already done the niche research for you inside my  Jumpstart Kits.

Each kit comes with profitable, pre-researched niches alongside done-for-you templates and a step-by-step publishing guide so you can go from zero to published in a weekend.

You can grab the  Puzzle Book Jumpstart Kit for $7 or the Gratitude Journal Jumpstart Kit for $7.

Final Thoughts

You don't need to spend anything to do great keyword research for Amazon KDP.

These five free tools give you real buyer data, sales insights, and trend information and pretty much everything you need to publish with confidence.

Start with the Amazon search bar today.

It takes five minutes and it's the most direct way to understand exactly what your readers are already searching for.

Thanks for reading and Happy researching!