Maybe it doesn’t quite eclipse the presidential race in the news cycle, but I learned (via Dave Alston) that Google’s External Keyword tool now offers keyword search volumes.
This handy little addition allows you to do simple keyword research, though serious researchers will continue to use services like Wordtracker.
Still, “Free” has a certain pleasing quality all its own, and for lightweight keyword research (often I’m giving clients an idea what’s searched for and what isn’t), this is handy.
In fact, I just ran a quick search and dumped the results into a spreadsheet for a client conference call that should have started four minutes ago.
(Blogging. It’s more than a profession. It’s a way to fill the minutes between calls.)
Keep writing, Tom Chandler.
Are you kidding? This is almost as big as “Man Walks on Moon”!
Ever since the Yahoo!/Overture keyword tool disappeared, I’ve been looking for a suitable replacement. I’ve wondered why Google didn’t show actual volume numbers (though I suspected it was another one of those top-secret things — sometimes I wonder if they have more clandestine programs going on than the CIA…)
Beautiful news. You’ve made my day!
~Graham
Graham Strong(Quote) (Reply)
This is HUGE! In a quick comparison of results vs Wordtracker (daily times 30) Google is reporting 600% more monthly volume, and that are only reporting their 55% share. Wordtracker claims to be estimating total searches including projected Google traffic. Someone is way off and I don’t think it’s Google. HUGE!
Charles Willson(Quote) (Reply)
Graham: Overture was handy – and my Good Keywords tool is largely useless without it – so this is good timing on Google’s part.
Charles: Ohh, interesting. Wonder how those results will match up in a couple weeks…
Tom Chandler(Quote) (Reply)