10 replies to this topic

[Raymondo17]

When doing keyword research using Google AdWords Keyword Tool to find keyword gems, would it be best to use Broad, Exact, or Phrase as the Match Type? Seems like Broad would yield better results, keying in to what folks on the web are typing into their search engines. But an online class I took specified using Exact, but I don't see why that would be a better choice.

[Jill]

Exact is the better choice, IMO, because you want to know how much traffic the individual phrases get, not what all phrases that are anything even similar to the one you put in gets. The latter is what you get with broad match, which doesn't tell you anything. (Again, my opinion.)

[Raymondo17]

Thank you, Jill. You cut through my fog surrounding that issue quite succinctly.

[Raymondo17]

I'm a newbie here, so forgive me for not putting two and two together sooner, but I just realized that you're Jill Whalen! I recently took your course, "SEO: Getting Started," on Lynda.com and loved it! I learned so much, I can't tell you how valuable that course was to me! Thank you!

Lynda.com just published a new SEO course, "Analyzing Your Web Site to Improve SEO." In it, the instructor provided one bit of info that didn't quite jibe with your course. It said that, for the most part, the Meta Description serves merely as a way to clarify the page's content in the Google search results, and it's not used at all for page ranking. What's your take on that? I realize that Google's methods are a constantly moving target, and things may have easily changed since you released your lesson back in March of 2010. But I consider you to be the guru and would like to know your stance on that.

[Jill]

It said that, for the most part, the Meta Description serves merely as a way to clarify the page's content in the Google search results, and it's not used at all for page ranking. What's your take on that?

That's basically correct, although I still could swear that I've seen instances where the Meta description may have had impact on the site showing up in the Google search results.

[WebsiteMaster]

Phrases is to help you think of more set of keywords you never thought of searching before. Exact is to help you know what people are searching and the broad feature I find it useless.

[Beakon]

Always use exact, but broad will give you an idea of how many possible LSI keyword variations there are for that exact match keyword.

[DawniStamps]

I am building a new site for someone and I found using the broad terms was an interesting way to take the keywords we had come up with and find something similar that we may not have ever thought of. I'm still using the exact match for most searches, but when coming up with ideas or ways to spread influence, I do think that looking at the broad picture can help as well.

[DanThies]

I am building a new site for someone and I found using the broad terms was an interesting way to take the keywords we had come up with and find something similar that we may not have ever thought of. I'm still using the exact match for most searches, but when coming up with ideas or ways to spread influence, I do think that looking at the broad picture can help as well.

One of the best ways to use the Google Keyword Tool to get keyword ideas is to input a website URL instead of keywords - run through a list of similar/competing sites, dump all the suggestions out to spreadsheets, sort through that for what's actually relevant. Then you can go back in and get exact match search counts.

[ITsoldUK]

One of the best ways to use the Google Keyword Tool to get keyword ideas is to input a website URL instead of keywords - run through a list of similar/competing sites, dump all the suggestions out to spreadsheets, sort through that for what's actually relevant. Then you can go back in and get exact match search counts.

Would that be a URL of a competitor or one on the site you are researching for?

TIA
Daren

[WilliamO]

Hello
First post here. When I use both keyword tools inside Ad Center and Google one thing I found was that using the broad search as suggestions leads to more "negative" keywords that I should be using. The sites I'm concentrating on are E commerce sites and making the links relative to the search is important to me, which is nice since it keeps my desired effect in line with that of the search engines.
In a way I've found that keyword tools inside for example, Adwords, which is designed to make the most out of advertising dollars ends up forcing me to generate SEO that is inline with best practices and good end user experience. So I guess for me broad search is a way to trim the fat off of the keywords or phrases I actually can benefit from.