Google Keyword tool - How accurate?

[Gwuido65]

Hi,

Just a quick one. In your experience how accurate is the Google Keyword Tool?

I am trying to do some research and was wondering exaclty what the keyword tool is telling me.

For example for certain keywords it says 48,000 searches last month.

Does that really mean that 48,000 individual people have gone into google and typed that exact keyword? Or do they double count in some way?

Thanks

[Eric Stanley]

Try using the Exact filter, might give you a better picture.

[Gwuido65]

Thanks a lot,

I'll try that

[Matt Maiden]

You can check those numbers against these to get a better idea.

Seo Book Keyword Suggestion Tool

Free Keyword Suggestion Tool From Wordtracker

Matt

[Gwuido65]

Thanks for that I'll check it out.

Does that give figures for the UK or is it just the US?

[sunnyman]

There is likely NO keyword tool wich gives you the Truth with capital "T".

I regard the Google Adwords Keyword tool as the best - simply because it has a huge amount of data behind it. The Wordtracker tool seems to be drawing on a much smaller database. But, if in doubt you can do a cross-check between these.

BTW: when using the Google tool, make sure you get things like the geographical area set right. And avoid using the default "Broad match".

[madison_avenue]

Choose one and stick to it. I tried wordtracker it was giving ridiculously small numbers. The Google keyword tool is the best and it's free.

It is easy to obsess about the accuracy keyword tools, for me I just want to get a rule of thumb figure and Google's keyword tool does the job.

The key's to success are your marketing skills and products not the minutiae of key word research results.

[Gwuido65]

Thanks for all the comments.

I think a combination of both Google tool and word tracker will work best for me.

Good point madison, marketing skills and prodcuts are the key. However it is very important to deterimine that there is a market for your products!!

[majestic12]

Hi Gwuido65

I am in the UK and have also been trying to pinpoint accurate UK traffic stats...

For many phrases using "exact" match on the google tool I am getting what I think are reasonale figures.... go over to wortracker and they do no even register..

I am talking 30000 [EXACT] on the google tool set for UK
0 on wordtracker....

Now I am finding this just about every time I try.... even when I set the google tool to U.S the figures in no way come near wordtracker....

"For now" I am sticking with the google tool... I will be closely watching this thread though..

Good luck to all..

David

[Ray Erdmann]

I'm not finding the Google keyword tool even REMOTELY close to be even being a smidge accurate...for example, I entered a keyword into the tool...total searches for last month was indicated as "4,000"..and that's AFTER I selected the 'exact' match option from the drop down menu...

However, when I cross reference this by going to Google.com and enter in that very same keyword....WITH Quotes...the results were up over 60,000...So, now I'm getting ideas for keywords that I may not have otherwise thought of from the keyword tool, but when I want what I configure to be pretty dam good results, I'll just use the Google home page.

Just my $0.02...your mileage may vary..... :-)

[Simon74]

I have been using google tool and also wordtraker, but I have to say that the results are very different. Another tool that I use to see if the keword has not alot of competition is Keyword Difficulty Check Tool it's very good.

Hope it helps.

Simon

[Mangozoom]

A good way of checking actual counts is to run a short PPC and look at the number of impressions.

I have found words/phrases that Adwords tool indicated as having a lot of searches are a waste of time ... better to find this out before basing a whole lot of SEO, Article Writing etc on them.

John

[tonyscott]

Originally Posted by Ray Erdmann

I'm not finding the Google keyword tool even REMOTELY close to be even being a smidge accurate...for example, I entered a keyword into the tool...total searches for last month was indicated as "4,000"..and that's AFTER I selected the 'exact' match option from the drop down menu...

However, when I cross reference this by going to Google.com and enter in that very same keyword....WITH Quotes...the results were up over 60,000...So, now I'm getting ideas for keywords that I may not have otherwise thought of from the keyword tool, but when I want what I configure to be pretty dam good results, I'll just use the Google home page.

Just my $0.02...your mileage may vary..... :-)

Not sure if you're confused or I am Ray.

The Google keyword tool gives an estimate for the number of searches performed monthly and Google.com tells you how many competing pages there are for that keyword. The first is demand, the second is supply.

cheers

Tony

[VictorKimura]

Originally Posted by Simon74

I have been using google tool and also wordtraker, but I have to say that the results are very different. Another tool that I use to see if the keword has not alot of competition is Keyword Difficulty Check Tool it's very good.

Hope it helps.

Simon

I just tried that link. It doesn't work. It's giving easy (0) for a competitive keywords.

[VictorKimura]

Where is the exact filter?

[Agoge Warrior]

The bottom line is there isn't a keyword tool out there that is accurate on it's estimation for the number of searches for a given keyword. They provide estimates and that is all we have to go on. The only way to get an accurate reading is get your site to into the top3, preferably #1, of Google. And take the number of actual monthly searches you get. The rule of thumb is that a site at #1 on Google, gets 60% of the clicks. Take the number of searches you get and divide it by 60% and see if it comes close to the Google Keyword Tool or any other tool you have. That really is the only way to see which tool is the closest to real results.

[pcpupil]

To clarify from wordtracker,against googles tool,there will always be a big difference.
I emailed the wordtracker team them selves and they said wordtracker only accounts for maybe 1/3rd of all searches.
Thats what there data base or whatever pics up.I just looked for there response,i thought i had it saved.
Anyway,you have to multiply there results by 3.
And googles tool must be at exact match.
If someone wants to retry there search and post back and see what they find out.

[Matt Maiden]

Originally Posted by VictorKimura

I just tried that link. It doesn't work. It's giving easy (0) for a competitive keywords.

This was a year old thread.

I'm sure a few things have changed since then.

[Scritty]

Originally Posted by Ray Erdmann

I'm not finding the Google keyword tool even REMOTELY close to be even being a smidge accurate.

My experience as well.

I can't even trust it as a ballpark figure.
I rank 1 in UK and US for aphrase with a 22,000 a month search on Google, Rule of thumb would be I get 45% of the traffic or about 10,000 a month.

I get 70 a month

Another keyword that I'm accidently ranking for (it's an old site - I just happen to be ranked 3 worldwide for a 3 word phrase) Supposed to be total of 800 a month. I should be getting about 17% of that - or 126 a month.

I get 4000+ a day (have almost reached 125,000 in January 2011 for this term alone)

I check and make sure the visitors are real, and that they really are coming with the search term - and they are.

GKT estimates are out by factors of hundreds or thousands.
An error margin that is so ginormous that it beggars belief. And these are old, none "fashion" and relatively none seasonal keywords on sites I've had for ages.

Perhapos 80% of the time Google is "close" in my experience, but often it is so far out it couldn't even be called an unlucky guess.

In my 9-5 days if I made as many errors with as big a margin of error as GKT - I'd have been sacked pretty darn quickly.

Scritty

[kinwall]

Originally Posted by Mangozoom

A good way of checking actual counts is to run a short PPC and look at the number of impressions.

I have found words/phrases that Adwords tool indicated as having a lot of searches are a waste of time ... better to find this out before basing a whole lot of SEO, Article Writing etc on them.

John

real talk. all it cost is less than $5o to test the keyword. the amount of hits you get per day gives you an idea.

[indiatext]

In my personal experience it is very close to accurate...you can consider the data it provides and for a better picture compare results of different keyword tools...

[stanislavlem]

Exact Filter is a good thing. Sometimes it seems Google Keyword Tool is not 100% accurate.

Take it into consideration!

[imfusa]

Originally Posted by Eric Stanley

Try using the Exact filter, might give you a better picture.

Where can i find this exact filter because i selected advanced search and nothing?

[bay37]

Originally Posted by imfusa

Where can i find this exact filter because i selected advanced search and nothing?

Here:

[biscuit85]

you can use tool at rankpay.com plus you can know the strength of competition as well

[Zachmo]

I still prefer Google Adwords Keyword tool

[adnima]

The Google KW tool tends to be an over estimate and WT an underestimate even with a x3 calculation. Treat the results with a pinch of salt and take an average which should give you a guide to a keywords monthly searches.

[Michael Clough]

The tool is fine for what it is.....and not perfect. It's old data and also, the tool is Free! How well do do you expect a free tool to perform?
And do you really think Google cares?

Use it, and believe about 60-70% of your results!

[sappacis13]

I still use google adword keyword tool.

Some internet marketer like Paul Counts said it's not 100% accurate.

He figured it out by comparing the results from AWstats and Webalizer and Google Adword Keyword Tool.

But any way, he still love to use google adword keyword tool.