Keyword research and BS terms

[alexmw106]

Hey warriors,

I have been in SEO for a good 5 years much of that time spend on education as well as bulding sites.

I have 10 great sites now all ranking but something is still bothering me.

Nearly all kw tools give different results grrrr

I have used MS, KE, GKT and many others. None can actually give me straight up how much traffic the kw gets and is sometime way off.

The one tools that seems to give me the best os SEM rush but still not always good.

I did a project a while back on the terms

pa refi
fl refi
nc refi

all these terms say they get millions a month on all kw tools except sem rush. (of course is didnt no about that tool till after)

so i built the sites and got to number one and f**k all :P.


So i am asking what are your methods to getting good quality search results or traffic results from a kw.

PS: Shame sinse google instant adwords impressions dont work as well either.

[karenv]

I have one site about tooth fairy costumes that has been ranking on the first page of Google for the keyword "tooth fairy costumes" (not in quotes) almost from the day I created it about six months ago.

I think it's ranking well for several reasons:

1. I'm using Wordpress, and was taught how to optimally set up a Wodpress site for the search engines.

2. My content is very specific to my main subject of tooth fairy costumes, and I also used the method of "latent semantic indexing" - where you also target keywords that relate to your main keywords. For instance: tooth (which attracts inquiries about dental matters). I have Adsense on my site, and get people finding my site in searches related to dental issues, which is sort of related to my main subject of the tooth fairy. lol

[Alexa Smith]

Originally Posted by karenv

I have one site about tooth fairy costumes

It's interesting how threads here can sometimes disclose niches that you'd never have thought of in 100 years ... I'm just saying ...

[webapex]

Don't they have disclaimers to the effect "estimated traffic, only for relative comparison" I image broad matches are the least accurate.

Had adwords tool open, tried exact match for your terms, fl refi had the most, 73 US local a month. (3,600 local broad)

[alexmw106]

fl refi was just an example my question is has anyone got any methods that allow for more uptodate results.

Fl refi has been changed now probs it did have a silly amount.

[bizwebstart]

Hi Alex

Like you, I use a number of keyword tools but more recently have gone back to using the Google keyword tool and just good old research and a bit of gut feeling too. I tend to look at how many sites are competing and what their SEO is like.

I used to use Micro Niche Finder that I thought was great but although recently it has started to improve again it is still a bit buggy.

[frankfihn]

Yeah it certainly sucks. What I've forced myself into doing late is just paying top dollar for adwords (with an intentionally POORLY written ad that hopefully does not get many clicks) just to measure impressions for a few days, maybe even weeks. That helps get me more accurate information. Obviously, it'll cost a few bucks.

I found out after getting number one for a few terms that the traffic was 1/10 at best of the various kw estimates.

At the end of the day, the impressions have been a more accurate reflection for me.

[alexmw106]

Originally Posted by frankfihn

Yeah it certainly sucks. What I've forced myself into doing late is just paying top dollar for adwords (with an intentionally POORLY written ad that hopefully does not get many clicks) just to measure impressions for a few days, maybe even weeks. That helps get me more accurate information. Obviously, it'll cost a few bucks.

I found out after getting number one for a few terms that the traffic was 1/10 at best of the various kw estimates.

At the end of the day, the impressions have been a more accurate reflection for me.

Yes indeed i have tested using this method but ever sinse google instant i have been getting silly results. So that method is also out the window.

Alexa has some good tools but if people are willing to show their methods.

[frankfihn]

I guess I never thought of that. I have obviously been working on some long term keywords in the mean time. Hmmmm.... back to the drawing board for both of us then. If you find something else, do share.

[Zeus66]

Originally Posted by Alexa Smith

It's interesting how threads here can sometimes disclose niches that you'd never have thought of in 100 years ... I'm just saying ...

I know a guy who was making an absolute killing online in the antique gumball machines niche. I kid you not. Or, as Yoda would say it, kid you not do I.

[alexmw106]

Originally Posted by Zeus66

I know a guy who was making an absolute killing online in the antique gumball machines niche. I kid you not. Or, as Yoda would say it, kid you not do I.

Err stay on topic please :P

[londonwarrior]

All traffic results are just estimates. No-one knows the exact traffic and even if they did it constantly changes. You just need a rough estimate to get started. Don't get caught up with the figures. Find something that seems ok, build a site and see if it works. If it does, great, if not then move on to the next site.

[Zeus66]

Originally Posted by alexmw106

Err stay on topic please :P

OK, I will. SEO is not for the faint of heart. Having done my fair share over the past 8 years, I can tell you that you must accept bizarre results as a part of life in this business. The numbers you get from the various tools are usually pretty accurate, but the problem is that there doesn't appear to be any rhyme or reason re: when it glitches up the numbers. We're all in the matrix, and sometimes it needs a slap to run right.

I think it points to the need to be smart about how much time and money you invest in a niche sight-unseen. Test it tentatively based on the keyword numbers. If you see that the numbers are borne out, go in with guns blazing. I learned that lesson more than once the hard way.

John

[alexmw106]

Originally Posted by Zeus66

OK, I will. SEO is not for the faint of heart. Having done my fair share over the past 8 years, I can tell you that you must accept bizarre results as a part of life in this business. The numbers you get from the various tools are usually pretty accurate, but the problem is that there doesn't appear to be any rhyme or reason re: when it glitches up the numbers. We're all in the matrix, and sometimes it needs a slap to run right.

I think it points to the need to be smart about how much time and money you invest in a niche sight-unseen. Test it tentatively based on the keyword numbers. If you see that the numbers are borne out, go in with guns blazing. I learned that lesson more than once the hard way.

John

Ye i agree john. Its has just been something that has been bugging me for sometime. Especially in local seo with place names.

Most town + kw dont have any traffic according to google kw tool or sem rush or ms. This makes it hard business just have to go with what people search for in alexa and so forth.

Hmmm

Someone create a tool to do what i want

[JohnMcCabe]

Originally Posted by frankfihn

Yeah it certainly sucks. What I've forced myself into doing late is just paying top dollar for adwords (with an intentionally POORLY written ad that hopefully does not get many clicks) just to measure impressions for a few days, maybe even weeks. That helps get me more accurate information. Obviously, it'll cost a few bucks.

I found out after getting number one for a few terms that the traffic was 1/10 at best of the various kw estimates.

At the end of the day, the impressions have been a more accurate reflection for me.

Maybe I'm missing something here, but wouldn't you get the same impression numbers bidding for the 5-8 spots, with less risk due to lower bids?

[alexmw106]

lol your right about that. Just make the shi*est add so no one clicks on it as well works.

Dont click this add
Click here to die

Or something like that.

[marketingstatic]

I just signe dup for 2 week free trial of SEM Rush and I have to concur I have a couple newer WP websites since everyone says their the best WordPRess for SEO sites that I put up and added Keywords with SEO plugin SEM Rush says it finds 0 Keywords period.
One Awesone and funny thing though I found one of my competitors locally has a great website visually ranks top of search term locally for web designers but has no keywords that make sense and none in its META Keywords when I View Page Source which lets me know these people know Nodda about SEO so I can go in there an dkick their butts right out of the Top Stop with a little work.