Google's Keyword Tool and Keyword Research

Whether you are using Google AdWords ads or using organic search engine optimization techniques to drive internet traffic to your website and content, and ultimately to make money online, you need a tool to conduct your keyword research. The proper selection and use of keywords is what will get your ads shown on Google Adwords and what will get your site shown if you rely on organic search engine optimization. On the internet, each keyword or keyword phrase is a market of its own Google itself has its own keyword tool which is powerful and free. This article will show you where to find Google's keyword tool and how to use it.

Where To Find Google's Keyword Tool

Google's keyword tool can be found here. If it can't be found there, do a Google search on "google keyword tool". Google might have moved it.

Finding Your Away Around the Keyword Tool

Once you find your way to the URL noted above, you will be presented with the keyword tool which looks like this:

When you begin your keyword research, you have two buttons to choose from under the heading "How would you like to generate keyword ideas?" The choices are "Descriptive words or phrases" and "Website content". If you already have a website, click on the "Website content" button and then cut and paste the URL of the webpage in the box. When you click on the "Get keyword ideas" button, the tool will give you all the keywords that are on that page. This is particularly interesting to use to analyze a competitor's webpage, especially if the competitor's is doing very well in the search engine ranks.

If you are not researching a webpage but are seeking ideas for good keywords for your AdWords campaign or for search engine optimization, then pick the button that says "Descriptive words and phrases". This will open up a box where you can enter keywords or keyword phrases, one per line. When you click in the button "Get keyword ideas" the tool will expand some more and display a list of variations of the keyword you entered. If you also check the box "Use synonyms" the tool will provide you with a much larger list of related keywords.

The tool also gives you a lot of additional useful information. The amount of information displayed is determined by what you choose in the "Choose columns to display" drop down box. Here are what you can choose to display and what it represents:

• Advertiser Competition: This displays a small shaded box. The more shaded the box, the more competition there is for that keyword.
• Approximate Search Volume (for the previous month): This is an estimate of the searches conducted on the Google system particular to the targeted country and language based on the match type chosen (broad, phrase, exact, or negative). A broad match is the keywords can show up in any order. A phrase match has the words in order but there can be other words interspersed. An exact match is when the words are exactly in the same order in the keyword phrase with no words interspersed.
• Approximate Average Search Volume: This is an estimate of the 12 month monthly average search volume based on data for the last 12 months particular to the targeted country and language based on the match type chosen.
• Search Volume Trends: This is a small graph that shows by month the search volume for the keyword(s).
• Highest Volume Occurred In: This is the month in the last 12 months that had the highest search volume for the keyword(s).
• Estimated Ad Position: If a monetary amount is put in the box "Calculate estimates using a different maximum CPC bid" the tool shows the approximate ad position (if you were using Google AdWords). CPC stands for cost per click meaning how much you would pay as a Google AdWords advertiser for everytime a customer clicked on the ad and was sent to your website.
• Estimated Average CPC: This is based on the Estimated Ad Position so it will be influenced by the maximum CPC bid that you have selected.

I hope this guided tour helps you find your way around the Google AdWords Keyword Tool. This is only the very basics as you still need to know what to do with this information and how to apply it to improve your success with your Google AdWords ad campaigns or your organic search engine optimization process. I think I feel another hub coming...

C Doug Mah is an internet network marketing coach whose goal is to teach independent business owners how to use attraction marketing and Web 2.0+ technologies to grow their businesses profitably. Going beyond the old school techniques that are still being taught by some network marketing and MLM organizations, these techniques drive pre-qualified prospects to your business, allowing you to spend more time in business building and training instead of prospecting and recruiting.

If this article was interesting to you please connect with Doug here to learn more about internet marketing and internet network marketing.