Free and Essential Keyword Optimization Tools
Use the Best Keywords Save Money on Pay Per Click Advertising
Oct 21, 2009
Developing an effective strategy for keyword optimization is extremely important when using Google AdWords to advertise online. The right tools are essential when deciding which words and phrases will create the most traffic for a site. Three of these tools, all of which are free, are listed below.
Use the Free Google Keyword Tool to Streamline Search Engine Advertising
The Google AdWords Keyword Tool is the Rosetta Stone for keyword optimization. It is also a completely free service. Google tracks every search made through its engine and stores that information in a massive database.
When a user enters a keyword or phrase in the Keyword Tool search box, the AdWords software cross references that entry with every related search in the database and displays the results below. These results include:
- Estimated Ad Position - the display position for an ad containing the relevant keyword, based on the cost per click (a position of 9 or higher is not likely to be shown on the first page of search results)
- Estimated Avg. CPC - the average cost to the advertiser for each customer's click on an ad containing the keyword (this is a best guess estimate)
- Advertiser Competition - without giving a specific number, this bar graph gives a general idea of how many advertisers are bidding on that keyword throughout the world (more green = more advertisers)
- Local Search Volume - the total number of searches for the keyword during the last month in the user's home country and native language
- Global Monthly Search Volume - the average number of monthly searches over the past year in all countries and all languages
- Search Volume Trends - a bar graph showing the monthly search trend for that keyword over the past year (the phrase "halloween costumes" will peak in October)
- Highest Volume Occurred In - displays the month in which the highest monthly number of searches occurred during the past year
The Keyword Tool will automatically display all the keywords and phrases relevant to the search. When selecting keywords, quality is better than quantity, so choose the keywords closest to the top of the list.
These are the most relevant phrases and, in addition to bringing more traffic to a site, will help move a site closer to the top of Google's organic search results (the results on the left side of a Google search page).
Wordtracker's Free Keyword Suggestion Tool
The depth of this program's keyword analysis is much deeper than that of Google's Keyword Tool. The free keyword suggestion tool provided allows a user to type in a single phrase and the program will return every related search result and the number of searches in the last 24 hours for each result. The full version of the Wordtracker software has a few capabilities not found in the AdWords Keyword Tool:
- Wide Search - lists relevant keywords that do not contain the words entered in the search field, provides opportunities and ideas that would not otherwise be apparent
- Variations - lists all the variations people have typed in over the last 60 days and the number of times each variation has been searched
- In Anchor and Title - shows the number of times each keyword appears in either the title of a page or in the anchor text of an inbound link for a page (one of the best indicators of how competitive advertising is for each phrase)
- KEI - Keyword Effectiveness Index is based on the ratio of search volume to competition, it is also a gauge of the return on investment a user can expect by placing the keyword prominently on a website
Wordtracker bases its search results on a database of over one trillion indexed URLs. It analysis of the content of inbound links makes it superior to Google's Keyword tool in many ways. Inbound links give an idea of how popular and respected a site is throughout the Internet and are indicative of how effective each keyword is at steering traffic to a website.
A subscription to the full version of Wordtracker goes for $59 per month, however, prices for yearly subscriptions and corporate accounts are much lower.
Both the Google Keyword Tool and Wordtracker help a user choose the best keywords to make the most their website and AdWords ads. While Wordtracker offers a more in depth analysis for experienced users, the Google Keyword Tool offers more than enough information for a user who is unfamiliar to the keyword selection process.
Sources
Perry Marshall and Brian Todd. Ultimate Guide to Google AdWords. Canada: Entrepreneur Media, Inc., 2007.
Google AdWords: Keyword Tool. 22 Oct 2009. https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal
Wordtracker website. 22 Oct 2009. http://wordtracker.info/
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