Teachers Pay Teachers just rolled out a new keyword tool inside seller dashboards, and if you haven’t explored it yet, there are definitely some features worth checking out.
My team and I actually had the opportunity to beta test the tool after it was announced at TPT Forward this summer. Now that it’s available, I sat down with Johanna, our keyword expert on Team Lindsay, to look at what the tool does well, where it still falls short, and how TPT sellers can actually use it for keyword research.
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What Does the New TPT Keyword Tool Show You?
Inside your TPT dashboard, the keyword tool allows you to enter a search term and see information including search volume, trends, the number of resources, and related keywords.
One limitation right now is that search volume only includes the last 30 days. That makes it harder to research seasonal products months ahead of time. I’d love to eventually see TPT expand this to a full year of data so sellers could better understand when searches for things like back-to-school, Valentine’s Day, or Christmas resources begin increasing.
Don’t Rely on the Opportunity Score in the Keyword Tool
One feature I wouldn’t put too much weight on right now is TPT’s opportunity score.
A keyword may be labeled as having an opportunity even when there are hundreds of thousands of competing resources. Instead, I recommend looking at search volume alongside competition and then actually searching the keyword on TPT to see what appears on that first page.
Broad keywords like “back to school” are going to be incredibly difficult to rank for. This is where finding more specific, long-tail keywords becomes important.
Related Keywords May Be the Best Feature of the New TPT Keyword Tool
My favorite part of the new tool might be the related keywords section.
These aren’t simply words TPT thinks are similar. They’re terms teachers are searching during the same search session, which gives us insight other keyword tools don’t have access to.
Those connections can help you discover new product ideas, product lines, bundles, and keywords you may not have considered on your own.
You can even click a related keyword and continue exploring what shoppers search from there. Sometimes starting broad and following those connections can uncover a much more specific keyword with lower competition.
Should You Still Use Seller Spy for Keyword Research?
For now, I think the best approach is to use the new TPT keyword tool alongside Seller Spy, rather than choosing one or the other.
The TPT tool gives us some really interesting data—especially the related searches – but Seller Spy can still do much more when it comes to researching keywords and comparing competition.
If you want to dig deeper into your TPT SEO research, you can check out SellerSpy here!
The goal with either tool isn’t simply to find the keyword with the highest number of searches. You’re looking for that sweet spot where teachers are searching for something and you have a realistic chance of competing for it.
Want More Help With TPT SEO?
We’re continuing to test the new keyword tool, and we’ll be doing a much deeper Fall 2026 SEO update inside Teacher Resource Academy, including the new TPT keyword feature and updates to Seller Spy.
If you want more help learning how to find the right keywords, create resources teachers are searching for, and grow your TPT store strategically, start with my free TPT training. You’ll also receive a 50% off discount for Teacher Resource Academy after watching the training.
