AdWords Keyword tool

Greg Findley · #1 (**permalink**) 18-07-2008, 10:36

Hello to the SEO forum, an area of A1BF I don't frequent too often. But all that is about to change as I finally got hold of a copy of 'Get to the top of Google' by David Viney!

OK I'm putting together my research for keywords and noticed that the Google Adwords keyword tool provides numerical data for search volumes now, does anyone know how reliable this data is? and if I'm doing my research to compare search volumes against competing sites, etc, should I be searching using the 'exact' match type?

Thanks
Greg

Paul Norman · #2 (**permalink**) 18-07-2008, 10:50

Hi Greg. Its not perfect, but its a good and worthwhile indicator. Obviously, it relates only to Google searches, but as that is 80% or more in the UK that is not too serious a draw back!

Greg Findley · #3 (**permalink**) 18-07-2008, 10:55

Thanks for the reply Paul, the reason I asked was I started to compile some data research last night over at my girlfriends house, using the same settings and recording the average search volumes in my spreadsheet, then this morning I've been doing the same from my office, and some of the stats I recorded last night are very different to results I'm getting this morning? Perhaps there was a setting I missed on one?

boxby · #4 (**permalink**) 18-07-2008, 11:07

I think OWG suggests that the longer the search string, the less reliable the number data. Maybe if you combine this with wordpress results?

Greg Findley · #5 (**permalink**) 18-07-2008, 11:13

Thanks for the reply Boxby, I just figured out why I'm seeing different data! As I had just searched for keyword tool on Google and clicked the top link using my girlfriends PC I had clicked on the keyword tool link to the Google.com version, and not the Keyword tool external via Google.co.uk, so it must have been local data, hence the big differences! Oops!

RedEvo · #6 (**permalink**) 18-07-2008, 11:20

It's probably the best data available given ALL the other tools extrapolate from various 'dubios' sources.

d

Greg Findley · #7 (**permalink**) 18-07-2008, 11:27

Thanks David, I'm beginning to get some more realistic results now I'm searching through data from the correct Country!

OldWelshGuy · #8 (**permalink**) 18-07-2008, 11:52

There are a couple of things to take into consideration. I won't write it all again, as by spooky co-incidence, I ahve blogged about this very thing this morning.

www.oldwelshguy.co.uk (oh bugger I have shamelessly self promoted my blog ) LOL

Greg Findley · #9 (**permalink**) 18-07-2008, 12:05

Thanks OWG, I've learnt from my experience on 2 PC's that the two settings you have mentioned make a vast difference!!

Quote:

1. Location setting. the default is US
2. phrase matching. The Default is broad.

Thanks,
Greg

OldWelshGuy · #10 (**permalink**) 18-07-2008, 12:15

Glad to help. I enjoy giving away the so called 'secret sauce' that others claim to have