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Which SERP results do I believe?

by timber
3 replies
  • SEO
    • |
Okay, this has been bugging me for a long time, and each time I think I have it figured out, I realize I don't. So, here it is.

First, I load Google.com and enter the settings to 100 search results and turn off Google Instant. Doing this, I am told, improves the accuracy of the results.

I generate keywords with Google's Keyword Tool with Exact Match, and find a keyword with 2500 global and 2000 local searches.

I check that keyword in quotes "" in Google. The first page of results, in this scenario, gives 250,000 results. But at the bottom of the page, I see that there are only 5 pages of results. I click on the last page (5), and see that there are actually only 315 results.

So, which set of numbers do I believe?

Obviously, this is not where my research ends, but it is a big consideration as to if I even check the intitle: competition of that same keyword.

So, I ask, which set of results is the one to use. Am I shooting myself in the foot if I go ahead with this keyword because the competition is too high, or is it suitable for my needs?

Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks
#intitle #keyword #results #serp
  • Profile picture of the author Cataclysm1987
    First off, why are you typing it in quotes? It would be better for you to type it in the way a person searching for it might type it in.

    Second, I would believe the first measurement. It is likely derived from the actual results whereas the second one, the actual pages you find, is derived from it in quotes.

    You will likely be competing against phrase and broad matches in addition to exact matches for your rankings. This is where the larger number comes from.
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  • Profile picture of the author timber
    Also, the same issue happens when I use intitle in the search field. Still giving two sets of numbers. This really bugs me, because the intitle is supposed to be at least a little more accurate.
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    • Profile picture of the author timber
      I search for the phrase in quotes because I want to know the competition of that phrase only. My understanding is that if a search match's exactly, it will be considered to have a higher SEO score than if it's a broad or phrase match.
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