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Adwords’ Keyword Tool replacement story

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11–20 of 35 posts

Re: Adwords’ Keyword Tool replacement story

#11

I'm quite confused with the new Planner - when I searched for a specific keyword in the old Keywords Tool it gave me around 40k global searches, but when I searched for the same keyword in the new Planner, it shows 10 (ten) global searches. I don't get it, there is some new algorithm or maybe the new Planner just doesn't have all the data yet?

The old tool defaulted to BROAD match, meaning you might get something like this:

phone - 1,200,000 home phone - 36,000

you would get really high numbers because people are searching for smart phone, mobile phone, landline phone, phone bill, et cetera and those are all counted under phone. Also, if you SUMMED the two keywords, you were actually double counting because home phone is already included in phone's count.

Google decided that this defaulting to BROAD match was causing confusion and double counting for people who didn't understand match types, so now when you get something like:

phone - 10,000 home phone - 12,000

because a lot less people just type phone or home phone.

More Detail: https://support.google.com/adwords/answer/3141229

Re: Adwords’ Keyword Tool replacement story

#12
post #4

And where before it was public, now it's only viewable when logged into an AdWords account. I used to refer clients to it for keyword inspiration when writing content for SEO purposes, but this is no longer an option.

Sadly. I also liked this option. I wonder how much it will affect people dealing with SEO.

It's very frustrating that they gated this feature. It's probably going to be great for more focused targeting (they can see exactly who wants to add what keywords to their web page). but as the OP states, there is about 1/2 of the features in this new version AND you need to sign up for AdWords.

Re: Adwords’ Keyword Tool replacement story

#14
post #4

And where before it was public, now it's only viewable when logged into an AdWords account. I used to refer clients to it for keyword inspiration when writing content for SEO purposes, but this is no longer an option.

Sadly. I also liked this option. I wonder how much it will affect people dealing with SEO.

It's irritating for losing query volume, but it became harder and harder to generate good ideas in the past few years.

Using tools like UberSuggest (ubersuggest.org) which runs off Google Suggest, or pulling from Google itself (http://clients1.google.com/complete/search?hl=en&output=tool...) is better.

Since Suggest is for users, and it shows the most popular, you can cream off suggested queries which may be based on query volumes. It's relative, but it'll do for now :)

Re: Adwords’ Keyword Tool replacement story

#15
Well its not that bad, as I first thought. Here is what I know from playing with new tool for some time:

1. How can I see the exact match search volume? - The search number you see is actually exact match.

2. But why are the exact match search volumes higher/lower than those in the old keyword tool? - Because KW Tool was showing the search volumes in the current month. KW Planner calculates the average per year, so that's why the numbers are different.

3. Well, but it doesn't show the local search volume! - It does show ONLY local search volume of the country you selected in targeting. If you want to see global search statistics, then change targeting to all countries.

4. But but... it doesn't show search trends! - Yeah it does, just hover your mouse over that small graph icon right of the keyword. These new search trends are actually far more better, cause you can see exact names of the months.

Re: Adwords’ Keyword Tool replacement story

#16
post #4

And where before it was public, now it's only viewable when logged into an AdWords account. I used to refer clients to it for keyword inspiration when writing content for SEO purposes, but this is no longer an option.

Why not? It's free to have an AdWords account and you're not required to spend any money. I have one and haven't run a campaign in 5+ years.

Re: Adwords’ Keyword Tool replacement story

#17
post #4

And where before it was public, now it's only viewable when logged into an AdWords account. I used to refer clients to it for keyword inspiration when writing content for SEO purposes, but this is no longer an option.

You're saying Google made a change that hurts SEO? Isn't that what they're supposed to be doing?

Re: Adwords’ Keyword Tool replacement story

#18

Anyone complaining about how the tool got worse is not using it to improve their AdWords Paid Search campaigns, they are using it to scrape out keyword demand data for SEO. Don't try and lump this in with legitimate Google complaints.

Why do you think paid search campaigns don't need more detailed data? Why do you seem to think SEOs shouldn't get data?

Re: Adwords’ Keyword Tool replacement story

#19
post #18

Anyone complaining about how the tool got worse is not using it to improve their AdWords Paid Search campaigns, they are using it to scrape out keyword demand data for SEO. Don't try and lump this in with legitimate Google complaints.

Why do you think paid search campaigns don't need more detailed data? Why do you seem to think SEOs shouldn't get data?

>Why do you seem to think SEOs shouldn't get data?

Because they pollute the real results. If you write your content for search engines and not for users then it's bad content.

Re: Adwords’ Keyword Tool replacement story

#20
post #19
post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why do you think paid search campaigns don't need more detailed data? Why do you seem to think SEOs shouldn't get data?

>Why do you seem to think SEOs shouldn't get data? Because they pollute the real results. If you write your content for search engines and not for users then it's bad content.

You've been drinking the Google kool-aid. Google has always been the primary financier of web spam on the Internet. They knowingly profit from Adsense on spam sites. If they wanted to, they could end web-spam over night by banning Adsense accounts for spamming.

SEO is just another form of marketing. It is no more/less legitimate than PPC campaigns. In fact, PPC ads are far worse because Google does little to police them. As long as Google makes money, they don't care if you scam users. That's why they paid half a billion dollars in a settlement to the FTC for knowingly selling illegal pharmaceutical ads.

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