How to Install free-seo-mcp: Free Keyword Research Inside Claude (No Semrush Trial Needed)

Keyword tools cost more per month than some people's car payment. And half the time you just want to know one thing: what do people actually type?

Google already knows. So do Bing and DuckDuckGo. Every time you start typing, they finish your sentence.

free-seo-mcp asks them for you, right inside Claude. Free. No API key for the main tools. We installed it and tested it on Nov 1, 2026.

Quick words (one line each):

• MCP server: a plug-in that gives an AI assistant like Claude new tools it can run for you.

• Autocomplete: the suggestions a search box shows while you type.

• Google Trends: Google's free chart of how interest in a search goes up and down over time.

• Sitemap: a file listing every page on a website, made for search engines.

• uv: a small, fast helper for installing and running Python tools.

Step 1: Do a 60-second safety check

Here's what free-seo-mcp looked like when we checked it on Nov 1, 2026:

1. Licence: MIT. Free to use, including for client work.

2. Last commit: Oct 24, 2026. The repo was created Sep 25, 2026.

3. Stars: 5 (as of Nov 1, 2026). Tiny and brand new, made by one person.

4. What it calls: we read the code. Google suggest, Bing autosuggest, DuckDuckGo autocomplete, Google Trends, Reddit's public search, and Bing Webmaster (only if you add a key). No telemetry.

5. Cost: free. Only the Bing Webmaster tools need a key, and that key is free too.

Because it's tiny, pin the version you tested and read the changes before you update.

Step 2: Install it

You need Python 3 (we tested 3.13) and uv.

1. Install uv (one command, from the uv website).

2. Run:

git clone https://github.com/JohnWayneeee/free-seo-mcp.git
cd free-seo-mcp
uv sync

Step 3: Connect it to Claude

1. Claude Code: claude mcp add free-seo -- uv run --directory /path/to/free-seo-mcp free-seo-mcp

2. Claude Desktop or Cursor: add a server with the command uv and the args run --directory /path/to/free-seo-mcp free-seo-mcp.

3. Optional: set FREE_SEO_DATA_DIR to pick where it saves data.

It comes with 16 tools. Here are the 4 we use most.

Step 4: Get real phrasing with "expand_questions"

Ask Claude: Run expand_questions on "website design cost".

On Nov 1, 2026 that gave us 8 real searches, like "how much does website design cost." Those are page headings handed to you on a plate.

Step 5: Get suggestions with "suggest"

Ask: Run suggest on "web design newport beach".

We got only 2 suggestions back. That's normal for local service searches: autocomplete has little data on them. Few results does not mean nobody searches it. Autocomplete shows what people type, not how many.

Step 6: Check the trend with "trends_compare"

Compare two or three ways of saying the same thing. It returned 12 months of weekly Google Trends data in our test. Pick the wording that's growing.

Step 7: Spy on headings with "page_outline"

Run page_outline on a competitor's page. You get its title, description and headings in seconds.

We ran it on a live small-business homepage on Nov 1, 2026: a template title, a template description, no H1, and repeated H2s. Found a problem in 5 seconds flat.

Bonus: sitemap_urls lists every page in a site's sitemap. Our test site had 56.

Step 8: Don't let AI invent keywords

Here's the rule: the tool fetches real suggestions. Claude just organizes them.

Semrush said it plainly on Oct 20, 2026: don't ask ChatGPT for a competitor's keywords. It makes some up and gives you far more than you can use. Real data in, AI tidies up.

Step 9: Play nice

1. The autocomplete and Trends endpoints are unofficial. They change and rate-limit without warning.

2. Don't run giant loops. A few dozen searches per project is plenty.

What it costs

Nothing. MIT licence, no paid key for the main tools. The README has a "Buy Me a Coffee" link if you want to thank the author.

Do this today

1. Install uv and clone free-seo-mcp.

2. Add it to Claude with the one-line command.

3. Run expand_questions on your main service.

4. Run page_outline on your top competitor's page.

5. Turn the best 3 questions into headings on your page.

Related reading

• Long, specific searches convert 11x better

• Query fan-out: why ranking #1 isn't enough

• Install search-console-mcp and ask AI about your traffic

Sources

• GitHub: JohnWayneeee/free-seo-mcp

• Semrush - Outrank Your Competitors Using THEIR OWN Keywords (2026-10-20)

Don't worry if this seems like it's a pain in the ass for someone who doesn't build websites. That's because it is. The good news: just click the link below, pull the trigger, and we'll take care of the rest.