keyword research tools – This thread is very interesting and worh a read
Question by Joseph Ponnou: How accurate and reliable are statistics from keyword research tools?
My supposed "niche" 'new online income opportunity' had a 24-hr search result of 580 according to a very popular keyword research tool when I started optimizing it. For the past 4 months, it has been fluctuating between 450 to 650 which is fine.
Now, for the past 1 week or so, I find that there are "zero" searches being shown in the 24-hr count. On the contrary, my own website is recording more than 100 hits per day through Google organic search itself.
Likewise another of my keyword 'where is dubai' that is drawing a traffic of average 150 visits per day through Google organic search has a total search of 20 per day according to this super tool.
Any comments?
I thought I was pretty good in using such tools, but now I wonder if I know to use them at all. For how can such well reckoned and vastly used research tools be wrong?
Regards,
Joseph Ponnou
http://www.internetmarketingtoolsntips.com
Best answer:
Answer by Mark Welch
I am not aware of any keyword research tools that are "very accurate," and at best they tend to be "somewhat helpful."
There are several issues here. First, no tool is more reliable than the data it is "fed," and neither Google nor Yahoo provide their search data to third parties. WordTracker uses data from a pool of smaller search engine sites, and often shows high traffic levels for very bizarre search phrases. (In my experience, WordTracker's data includes "fake traffic" including traffic from other keyword-research bots.)
In addition, even your own data is not complete: you may find that your bidding draws 150 impressions per day for searches for "where dubai" but in fact, your ad might not be shown for 1,000 other searches done each day. (Your data may also be "over-inclusive," as you may be including searches through the Search Network, which aren't done at Google, or traffic on the Content Network).
Second, search patterns change over time; the number of searches for "Santa Claus' address" rises in December and probably zeroes out from January to October. In addition to predictable seasons like that, there are random fluctuations as well as "surges" (when Jay Leno mentions widgets, there may be a bunch of web searches in the next 24 hours).
There are also "cycles" for certain search terms. For example, searches for "porn" peak on weekends (Friday and Saturday night), while searches for "football scores" peak on Sunday and Monday. For some search terms, it's possible that 80% to 90% of the total searches occur on a single day each week ("lotto numbers"), or even a single day each month or each quarter ("Fed interest rate change").
Another crucial factor to consider is the activity of "fraud operators," who use keyword research tools to identify high-bid keywords; when bid amounts rise, those terms attract more fraudulent activity (because fraudsters can make more money from each click than for low-bid terms), increasing volume.
The bottom line is that you should absolutely NEVER rely on any tools to be reliable — not even within an "order of magnitude" — in predicting search volumes for specific keywords or even "keyword families."
Mark Welch
Internet Marketing Consultant
http://www.MarkWelch.com/
ADMINS NOTE: I disagree with Mark Welch on many counts.
Mark Says "Never rely on any tools to be reliable". Then what does he use a guess? I have studied a lot of the tolls and found that YES the data DOES fluctuate. But that does NOT make the tools innacurate in most cases. It Usually means that people ASSUME that 3000 searches a month means 100 a day.
But really, so what? If the searches come in spurts you still get the searches.
AND if the search patterns change then they change. THAT DOES NOT MEAN THE KEYWORD TOOL WAS INNACURATE OR WRONG! It means that the INternet is a dynamic place. Things change because people change.
It is up to the user of the tool to continually monitor his market niche and change his focus to keep up with the markets rapid changes.And to
do that you need a quality Keyword Tool. As well as a suite of other tools.
Here is another opinion on Research Tools:
keyword research tools
KEYWORD RESEARCH TOOL
Trying to compete in the arena of internet marketing without a good keyword research tool (not to mention a free keyword tool) is like going to slay the dragon with your everyday kitchen steak knife. Your tool is too small and you are about to get yourself hurt. Big time. Think about it like this….the army with the most guns will usually win the war. With a free keyword tool you have a single gun, and a small one at that. But what a solid paid keywords research tool will give you is an arsenal of firepower that can be wielded so many ways that most campaigns become virtually indefensible by the competition. It's the difference between guns and bows and arrows. There is just no way to win if you are using inferior weapons.
A good keywords research tool will provide you intelligence on the competition that the free tools will never deliver. How much content has your competitor published? Where is the strongest competition on the internet for your campaign? What exactly has your competitor published and how are going to beat them? Try answering all those questions with the free tool Google provides you. You will not stand a chance and neither will your campaigns. You should have tool that gives you all this information with the click of a single button in half the amount of time it would take to track it down manually, even if you already know how to do that which is doubtful. I don't know about you, but I need as much time as I can get. I heard they weren't making any more of it.
Owning a good keyword research tool is being serious about internet marketing. If you are just playing and dipping your toe in the water to check the temperature, OK. But you will never make any money that way, at least no more than a dinner and movie might cost you. But if you are looking to make a living, you will never compete with the marketers who are already experiencing success in their niches. They have already learned their lesson. Free ain't really free. There is a price to pay for being cheap and skimping on your keyword research. That price is losing profitable spots on the front page of Google by the people who own a 0 tool and are beating your pants offs at will. Information is king and his sword is a good keywords research tool.
Keywords research tools come in many forms and you can pull your hair out trying to figure out which one is for you. At some point in your search you will have to trust someone and decide to buy one. Until you do, you are no more tan a hobbyist. However, I doubt that is why you are reading this article and if you are still reading at this point, maybe you already know it is time to get serious or get to finding you a new hobby.
You can build a solid foundation for your campaigns and gather enough information to annihilate your competition if you have a great keyword generator software. Don't be a fool and skimp on your keyword research tool because people like me will totally destroy your campaign once we find your niche. How can we do that? By finding each and every piece of content you have published for a certain niche and pick it completely apart and by pass you on our way to the front page of Google. All because we found more information, faster than you can and used it to attack your money making system. Don't be left in the dust with an inferior and free keyword research tool. You'll be kicking yourself in the pants when you find out what I found out a long time ago. lol
OK so what Keyword Tools should you consider?
Here are a list with links:
2) Free Keyword Tools NOTE – these in NO WAY compare to the two paid for tools above. But they work to a basic degree.
Keyword Tool – The top 5 FREE Keyword Software Keyword Tools.