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New Google Keyword Tool is depressing!

by Michael Nguyen
16 replies
  • SEO
    • |
I'm usually excited when I see search volumes of eg 5K exact searches and above but ever since the new tool has arrived the exact numbers just get lower and lower to the point where I think is it even worth going into this niche with only 1K searches? Baring in mind that #1 spot gets about 50% of the searches...

I'm still gonna plough on so instead of doing 10 page websites, maybe its time to do 20 pages to push up the numbers

Does anyone else feel the same?

Michael

Time to adapt or die...
#adwords #depressing #google #keyword #tool
  • Profile picture of the author Jacob Martus
    Originally Posted by Michael Nguyen View Post

    I'm usually excited when I see search volumes of eg 5K exact searches and above but ever since the new tool has arrived the exact numbers just get lower and lower to the point where I think is it even worth going into this niche with only 1K searches? Baring in mind that #1 spot gets about 50% of the searches...

    I'm still gonna plough on so instead of doing 10 page websites, maybe its time to do 20 pages to push up the numbers

    Does anyone else feel the same?

    Michael

    Time to adapt or die...
    New Google Keyword tool is showing search numbers for only Google.com. That's not including searches done at their partners like AOL, or Netscape.

    For almost every single keyword where I'm ranked #1, I get more traffic than the keyword tool estimates now.

    Don't get depressed. The numbers are in most cases higher than the tool now is showing.
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    • Profile picture of the author Vlad Shelest
      Interestigly, the MNF still pulls its data from the legacy (old) GAKT, even though it is no longer available via a browser.

      Having posted a few support tickets with them, they (at least for now) appear to be saying that the data that includes Google as well as their search partners is the more useful one and they don't intend to change their resource for reporting search numbers.

      The other thing is I see a lot of people saying how upset they are about these new, much lower numbers. I have actually read posts of people worrying about the future of their currently successful website because the primary keyword doesn't appear to have the search numbers that they originaly thought. I guess that's fair enough, on the face of it there seem to be far fewer potential visitors across the board. The fact is though that nothing has changed! I mean it's not as though Google have reduced the number of people looking to buy, it's only the number that Google reports that has changed. And that number, as we all know, has never been all that accurate.

      Anyhow, this change to Google's methodology in reporting search numbers has certainly not made the keyword research any easier, but I just don't feel that it is a big deal either. Real world numbers (whatever they are) have not changed.

      Vlad
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      • Profile picture of the author darksky
        Question is: how much longer MNF will be able to do this...


        Originally Posted by diggitydog View Post

        Interestigly, the MNF still pulls its data from the legacy (old) GAKT, even though it is no longer available via a browser.

        Having posted a few support tickets with them, they (at least for now) appear to be saying that the data that includes Google as well as their search partners is the more useful one and they don't intend to change their resource for reporting search numbers.

        The other thing is I see a lot of people saying how upset they are about these new, much lower numbers. I have actually read posts of people worrying about the future of their currently successful website because the primary keyword doesn't appear to have the search numbers that they originaly thought. I guess that's fair enough, on the face of it there seem to be far fewer potential visitors across the board. The fact is though that nothing has changed! I mean it's not as though Google have reduced the number of people looking to buy, it's only the number that Google reports that has changed. And that number, as we all know, has never been all that accurate.

        Anyhow, this change to Google's methodology in reporting search numbers has certainly not made the keyword research any easier, but I just don't feel that it is a big deal either. Real world numbers (whatever they are) have not changed.

        Vlad
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  • Profile picture of the author mikkosant
    Yes, the numbers are definitely a lot lower than before, but even if it is depressing, I think it may be more accurate which can save you some heartache later. I was ranked for a term that got supposedly 18k exact searches a month, and ranked #1 but only got about 5k searches, now, with the new tool, it says the term gets around 9k exact searches, so that seems about right in comparison to the traffic I am getting.

    All in all it may be lower, but I think it is better, and make sure to use the insights function and see what keywords in your niche are spiking up and down.

    Cheers
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    • Profile picture of the author SEO ibiza
      Originally Posted by mikkosant View Post

      Yes, the numbers are definitely a lot lower than before, but even if it is depressing, I think it may be more accurate which can save you some heartache later.

      Cheers
      exactly.

      not nearly as depressing as falling for the nonsensical numbers it used to give, getting to #1 and finding out that you get 1/30th of what the tool says you should get.

      I like it, much prefer to know the truth than some fantasy figures.

      it just reinforces what Im always telling clients anyway, dont focus too much on any one word, go horizontally and rank for everything in your area.
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      • Profile picture of the author markv
        As Jacob says: "The keyword is only showing traffic from google"

        So what share does google search have of the total traffic from ALL sources?

        I had a look at a lot of keywords over the last few weeks and 80% of then are now only showing 20-30% of the traffic that they had showing on the old tool.

        One of the other consequences of this change is that a lot of product part number searches do not even show when an exact match search is made. Its very frustrating not being able to get any information when you are doing KW research on long tail phrases.
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  • Profile picture of the author John Romaine
    Guys, this new keyword tool sucks big time. Is there ANY way of locating the old one?????
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    • Profile picture of the author Jacob Martus
      Originally Posted by ramone_johnny View Post

      Guys, this new keyword tool sucks big time. Is there ANY way of locating the old one?????
      Nope.

      You can use MNF apparently they are getting their numbers from it still, but I haven't found a way to get to the old keyword tool anymore.
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  • Profile picture of the author John Romaine
    I was hoping you wouldnt say that.

    This new tool really blows.

    I should learn to use MS properly.

    Google is losing the plot.
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    • Profile picture of the author markv
      I think that Market Samurai is using an old sample of info from Google that probably wont be updated going forward.

      I expect that MS will move to the new Google data pretty soon if they havent already.

      Oh well..
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    • Profile picture of the author 4morereferrals
      Originally Posted by ramone_johnny View Post

      I was hoping you wouldnt say that.

      This new tool really blows.

      I should learn to use MS properly.

      Google is losing the plot.
      Hey Johnny,

      Why so? Wouldnt it be better to underestimate the niches and find later you get more search volume - than get mislead to have built a niche site etc on one that gets far less than estimated?

      All i heard before was peeps pissed they build links and pages for niche sites - and they finally get to #1 - only to find there is F all for traffic.

      I think it sux we need to learn new metrics like :

      " I only target kw's that get 5k global searches on exact"

      or .. " i take the GKWT figures divide by 3 and looks for those that are over X per month on exact"

      time and testing I suppose will give us new rules and metrics to play by.
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      • Profile picture of the author darksky
        May not be so easy to do... I went back to search data I have from 60-90 days ago of searches in Google across various keywords to look for patterns.

        Some exact match phrases are showing 2X the number of Global Monthly Searches back then as compared to today's results. Other phrases are showing as much as 4X the number of searches back in July/August as compared to today.

        I don't see a pattern.


        [QUOTE=4morereferrals;2668603]

        or .. " i take the GKWT figures divide by 3 and looks for those that are over X per month on exact"
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  • Profile picture of the author thebitbotdotcom
    Why would anyone say the tool sucks if it gives more accurate numbers? Wouldn't you want accurate numbers? Why build a business around inflated numbers? The more accurate the numbers are, the more worthwhile your SEO will be.
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    • Profile picture of the author Jacob Martus
      Originally Posted by thebitbotdotcom View Post

      Why would anyone say the tool sucks if it gives more accurate numbers? Wouldn't you want accurate numbers? Why build a business around inflated numbers? The more accurate the numbers are, the more worthwhile your SEO will be.
      They are not inflated numbers. The previous tool was showing searches done through search partners which are powered by Google.

      90% of the keywords that I rank #1 for get much more traffic than the new keyword tool shows.

      All of Google's search partners are powered by Google's search results. So excluding those search numbers from the keyword tool is hiding more than it is showing.
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  • Profile picture of the author dirtdigger
    Isn't this the Google Adwords: Keyword Tool and while I don't use Adwords weren't there a lot of complaints from Adwords users about Google showing more than just the search results on their own search results page to Adwords users?

    It looks like they made the changes to keep their Adwords customers happy.

    I think we are lucky to have access to the data and have more faith in the accuracy of the new numbers than I did have with the old numbers. That is the numbers may be lower but when I use them (and my old rules) the chance of success is higher now. We just have to learn new rules, especially in where the cutoff is in low search results (number of searches) and building a site that is successful.

    I do groan when I see the lower numbers (have to get the old numbers out of my thoughts).

    This new tool does give some strange results. The CPC changes with different choices made in some of the settings. And no, I am not talking about changing between broad, phase and exact (this I understand).
    The numbers of some results change a few cents (on the few keywords I have looked at) depending on whether you are logged in or not. Not a big deal but why change at all?

    When you change the settings of the "Show results for" radio buttons you can get some surprising results. One keyword I am using gives a CPC of $11.50 with the "All keywords ideals" and only $2.40 when you select the "Ideas containing my search terms" selection. What am I missing?

    I am not trying to lecture here but more trying to get my thoughts in order and hoping if I am wrong in my thinking someone will jump-in and point out my errors.

    John
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    • Profile picture of the author Tommy Perez
      I think it's not so much that Google's new tool is bad.

      With a few uses...it turns out to be quite good!

      However, the BADDEST thing the new tool has is that it makes MANY of the keyword analysis tools/software have problems - due to the new interface layout etc.

      That is probably the biggest downer of this new update.
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