13 replies to this topic

[Byagi]

Hi Everyone - my company is starting to look at how we can better handle keyword research for our existing websites, as well as the new ones we're building. Right now, some of us are divided. We have some with experience using Nichebot saying that is the best keyword research tool, and we have some with experience using Wordtracker saying that is the best keyword research tool. Should we use one, both, or neither of these tools? I don't have a lot of experience with this, so I thought I'd turn to this forum for thoughts. I get the feeling that it isn't quite a straightforward and simple as one or the other, but any thoughts you can offer would be very helpful. Thanks in advance!

[Jill]

I would suggest neither, and simply using Google's free keyword research tool. That way you're getting your data straight from Google.

[Byagi]

I would suggest neither, and simply using Google's free keyword research tool. That way you're getting your data straight from Google.

Thanks Jill! It seemed like the google tool was pretty straightforward, but some of the people here feel like they need the additional competition information that nichebot offers. I kind of felt that nichebot was a bit more confusing than some of the other options we looked at.

[DanielRivers]

I would suggest neither, and simply using Google's free keyword research tool. That way you're getting your data straight from Google.

Hi there Jill, I am new around. I was reading an article at SearchEngineGuide:
www.searchengineguide.com/jill-whalen/wordtracker-or.php
Where you say you are a user of KeywordDiscovery and you stick to it, also you said that Wordtracker is still useful. The article was posted three years ago.

Now you are suggesting to use Google Free Keyword research tool.

So, should we use completely the Free Keyword tool? Instead of Keyworddiscovery and Wordtracker?

[Jill]

Yes, I just use Google's keyword tool at the moment and not the others. I tried Wordtracker again last month, but didn't like it as it wasn't finding tons of words that Google's tool finds. The numbers were just way off.

[Scottie]

I'm really liking Google's keyword tool a lot lately. It's come a looong way!

Wordtracker, unless things have changed, uses data from metasearch engines which really aren't very relevant anymore.

[DanielRivers]

I'm really liking Google's keyword tool a lot lately. It's come a looong way!

Wordtracker, unless things have changed, uses data from metasearch engines which really aren't very relevant anymore.

Thank you that really is helping me a lot.

Best regards.

[PatrickGer]

Was wordtracker's data ..data from meta search engines...and extrapolating that.....ever truly useful, btw?

I used to compare yahoo, google and wordtracker..to have different sources..if I remember correctly - got that advice from someone back then (havent done it in a while).

But now, Im thinking: Wait..meta search engine data and extrapolating those search volumes? Wasn't that kind of useless in the past, too?

[Scottie]

For a long time, it was the only tool out there and it was better than guessing!

[PatrickGer]

For a long time, it was the only tool out there and it was better than guessing!

the only tool? so it existed before yahoo/overture and google's adwords tool?
(just asking; havent been in this for long enough to know i guess)

EDIT: Ah, I think back then google didnt show search volume data, and many people would compare overture (highly inflated volumes b/c of certain factors) with the wordtracker data (not necessarily inflated, but from a skewed sample)....and if keywords seemed to be searched for according to both that data the assumption was that those keywords would be searched for in real life, too..... right?

[Jill]

the only tool? so it existed before yahoo/overture and google's adwords tool?

Yes it did. The GoTo tool (later called Overture) may have been first, but I am pretty sure it wasn't.

The overture tool was always pitiful and extremely useless. WordTracker was much better than it, back in the day.

[Scottie]

AdWords wasn't even launched til 2003 and they didn't offer a keyword research tool right off the bat. When they did introduce a keywords sandbox it was just a suggestion tool at first. No stats or comparisons, just alternative phrases to consider.

Wordtracker was the only serious research tool for a long time.

[PatrickGer]

AdWords wasn't even launched til 2003 and they didn't offer a keyword research tool right off the bat. When they did introduce a keywords sandbox it was just a suggestion tool at first. No stats or comparisons, just alternative phrases to consider.

Wordtracker was the only serious research tool for a long time.

I first heard of SEO in late 2006 :-), so that explains it hehe. was really just curious if wordtracker existed first before overture, etc. did (all of which ..I think..existed in 2006 already). thx!

[DanielRivers]

I think the best way to corroborate which tool is the best is by doing the research to test the results. Either way I trust Google more than other services.