The Value of Words: Google Adsense Keyword Tool
After I wrote "The Secret to Making Money on Hubpages", I got a lot of helpful hints from fellow hubbers. One of them was: "Use the Google Adsense Keyword Tool". It was good advice. But I was reluctant to follow it. Why? Because I was afraid it wasn't going to be any fun. My philosophy is: if it's not fun, don't do it!
But... I tried it anyway. And guess what? It is fun!
I'm a linguist. I love words. I have always believed in the value of words. Here is a tool that can help you find out just how much a word is worth! Believe me, not all words are equal. And just to prove it, I will show you how to determine the current market value of the biggest word you ever heard!
But first, let's have a musical interlude to get us in the mood!
Let's say that you have a website or webpage that features the lyrics to Supercalifragisticexpialidocious, and you are wondering what keywords to use and how often each of them is searched per month. Well, you go to Google Adsense Keyword Tool, and you input the URL of your website, and they will give you the answer. You can do it yourself, or you can look at the screenshot below.
Google for Search: Product Intro
Context Dependence and the Shifting Value of Words
The linguists at Google know that the value of a word is not absolute, but rather is entirely dependent on the context in which it is found. They will not tell you how much a keyword is worth until you give them a URL with actual content. For instance, when I gave them the URL of my last hub, they showed me dollar and cents figures for phrases involving chopsticks.
The value of phrases with "chopsticks" in them for my last hub
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious and the Tool for Determining Its Value
- Mary Poppins Lyrics, Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Lyrics >>
Classic Disney Soundtrack Lyrics, Mary Poppins Lyrics - Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Lyrics - Mary Poppins - Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Lyrics - Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious - Lyri
Mary Poppins Lyrics - Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Lyrics - Google AdWords: Keyword Tool
None of My Beeswax
So how much is supercalifragilisticexpialidocious worth on a site where the lyrics to the song appear? I don't actually know. When I tried to input it, the Google Adsense Search-based tool told me it was none of my beeswax. They said that site was in no way connected to my Adsense account.
Still, it's good to know that every word has a market value. And I'm betting that supercalifragilisticexpialidocious is worth a whole lot more than "ape language studies."
Google is also willing to give an estimate of the cost per click of a word without being given a specific context. This is really just an estimate, but according to this information, the cost per click for the biggest word you ever heard would be fifty-eight cents. That's with a global monthly search of 158,000. The cost per click, of course, is not the same as the earnings per click. I think that would be much less.
How does the estimated cost per click of the biggest word you ever heard compare to the phrase "ape language studies"? Ape language studies is estimated to cost five cents per click.
Note to self: write more hubs about supercalifragilisticexpialidocious and fewer hubs about ape language studies! Alternatively, I could just sprinkle the word supercalifragilisticexpialidocious into my hubs about ape language studies. Maybe nobody will notice!
Estimated Cost per Click
The Cost per Click of Ape Language Studies
Conclusion
I have learned a lot from this investigation of the Google Adsense Keyword Tool. It is fun and easy to use. The information it supplies is quite illuminating. I have always believed in the value of words. I just never imagined that it could be determined this precisely!
(c) 2009 Aya Katz
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Comments
- AUTHOR
Wmhseo, thanks! It does seem to be enjoying a resurgence of popularity!
- AUTHOR
Thanks, Sunshine625! It was fun to write.
Dahoglund, I know what you mean. There is always something new to learn about how best to do keyword research.
I do use the tool but possibly not as effectively as possible.
This information is very useful to many. Thank you for creating this hub!:)
- AUTHOR
Thanks, Tammy! I'm glad it helps. I would be delighted for you to mention it in your tips for newbies!
I have been looking for a hub like this. Everyone says use it. I look at it with a blank stare. I am technologically challenged and learn by seeing. This is what I needed! Thanks for writing this. If you don't mind, I want to add it to my tips for newbies hubs. Well done!
- AUTHOR
Safiq, thanks for your comment. There are definitely opportunities waiting for us if we learn how to use the Google tools and programs.
Well you certainly explain why a publisher or a writer like myself should have a google adwords account. If only to track down the high paying words and more market related information. I mean I can't help but think google adwords is like an advertising agency really. But I suppose like in the traditional world of paper publishing advertisers and publishing run so by side. And it's the same with online publishing and google. Though it seems like if you are a hubber and your are interested in expanding into being an advertising agent then google with adsense and adwords gives you just that chance.
Back to the point I want to choose those high earning keywords for my future hubs and I think your article gives me a pleasant tour on how I can do this. Thank you. Good hub. Regards from safiq.
ok thanks
- AUTHOR
Treasure Tweet, my pleasure!
- AUTHOR
My Esoteric, thanks! I'm so glad that you found this helpful!
Aya Katz,an invaluable info. here.Great
hub!.Thanks for sharing.
Let me add my accolades as well, Aya, wonderful hub. I just got here via the latest hub contest, reviewing their rules and standards and started clicking around hub title and keyword articles to see what there was to learn; a lot if yours is any example!
- AUTHOR
Msms, thanks! Romantic is good! If we as hubbers can't lead a romantic life, really then what is life for? You say you expect more. How do you mean that?
What a hub, Aya Katz?
You made adsenser's life romantic. Good ...
But we expect more Aya Katz.
- AUTHOR
Tamil Songs, I'm glad you found what you were searching for.
I was searching for it .Found here. thanks.
- AUTHOR
Thanks, Marisa. This means a lot coming from you. I only recently started using the tool the other way: inputting a word and seeing what other words it has to suggest. When I wrote this hub, I had a back-load of hubs already published in need of keyword research. Now I've taken to doing the keyword work in advance of writing the hub.
Aya, this is a nice Hub! I have never tried entering my URL to find keywords, I must try it.
Most people use it by entering words they think might make a good keyword in the OTHER box - then Google will tell you how much they're searched for, and suggest alternatives.
- AUTHOR
Thanks, AgVulpes! That's a good point about it being up to us to use the appropriate words to attract the ads we want. When I started out on Hubpages, I had no idea that I wanted ads. I mean, I thought it would be nice to be paid for my writing, but I was very passive about how that was supposed to come about. The idea that we can control the ads by using the right keywords opens up a whole new world in which we can be active participants.
Aya Katz, this is a great Hub on the Google Adsense Keyword Tool. From my experiences Google on the whole do a pretty good job on their ad placements. Also,It is up to us in our writing to make sure we use the appropriate words to attract the ads we want displayed on our Hubs.
- AUTHOR
Scheng, that is a great idea! When I lived in Taiwan, we got time off for the Tomb Sweeping holiday. You should look up the value of all the words you mentioned, and maybe you can write a really interesting and profitable hub!
Now is the annual Qingming festival for us Chinese. This is the time when we pray to death ancestors. I wonder what is the value of related words, such as death, coffin, cemetery! If the value is high, I dont mind writing about it.
- AUTHOR
In contrast, "ape language studies" has earned me $0.00. That's over a much longer period of time and with much better traffic.
- AUTHOR
Nicomp, I finally learned how to find the answer to your question. As of now, supercalifragilisticexpialidocious has earned me exactly twenty-seven cents!
- AUTHOR
Rebecca E., thanks! This means a lot coming from you!
bookmarked and stumbled. excellent hub.
- AUTHOR
Nicomp, thanks for asking! Now, can you tell me how I would go about finding the answer?
For a while there, I was starting to earn close to four dollars a day. But around Thanksgiving it all tanked, and things are looking grim again.
How do I determine exactly what earnings are attributable to a particular keyword?
So! How much have you made from supercalifragilisticexpialidocious ?
- AUTHOR
Kevin, thanks!
coooooool, very interesting hubs
thanks
kev.
- AUTHOR
Sunforged, thanks! Sixty percent of estimated cost per click is not bad! And I'm so glad you thought this was fun. The more I learn about the money end of things, the more fascinating I find it! Thanks for the link!
I dug an old wall street journal post where google claimed they gave 60% of their adword revenue to their adsense users. My personal experiments (i have both accounts) confirmed this.
So you can reasonable assume to get 60% of the listed eCPC.
P.S this article gets a backlink..you made the adwords keyword tool fun!
- AUTHOR
Nicomp, yes, I know. But that is a whole different kettle of fish!
Douglas Adams suggested the world was a giant computer, which made for great sci fi humor.
- AUTHOR
Nicomp, good question! It's definitely on the cutting edge of AI if they're able to do it. Up till now, I've been pretty much ignoring the role of Google in all this. I've just now realized that they must employ much better linguists than any I ever met in academia. And if the world is ever really run by a giant computer --as Paraglider would like it to be -- Google will be running that computer!
The keyword context issue is a great point that I never considered. What we have is an advertiser who subsidizes a keyword and who wants desperately for that keyword to be placed in a proper context that will maximize their traffic flow. In other words, a company who sells fishing lures is loathe to see their ads on a PETA site. It could very well happen if Google doesn't manage context properly. This begs another question: it is even possible to do that?
- AUTHOR
Sutrapu, thanks!
its a valuable posting.
- AUTHOR
I have actually written a test hub that features supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. I will be watching it closely to see how much traffic it gets and how much revenue it generates:
- AUTHOR
Laura du Toit, thanks! And as for the hub about supercalifrigilisticexialidocious, with that kind of market, there's room for several hubs! We should all write on that topic.;->
Very informative and well organized hub. Easy to follow. Now let me write that hub on supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (just kidding)
Thanks for the great hub!
- AUTHOR
Wannabewestern, thanks! I could not have gotten this far without your help!
- AUTHOR
IScribble, thanks! I will take a look at your elephant and parrot hubs!
I'm glad you found your way to the Adwords Keyword Tool. This hub was very well executed! As always, your hubs are a delight to read.
I read your Secret to Making Money article & found it very helpful and relateable, as a newish Hubber still trying to figure things out. Joined your Fan Club. I like this one as well, the humour & the practical helpfulness of it.
I'm equally thrilled to learn you are a linguist and write about such things as ape language studies. I'm a psychotherapist-turned-educator and am fascinated by animal intelligence and animal language stuff. Plan to check out your Hubs on the topic, and hope you will check out my Hubs on talking elephants & "Parrots May be As Intelligent as Chimps..." if you haven't already. Talk to you soon, I hope!
- AUTHOR
Dohn121, thanks! I'm learning it all at my own slow pace, but I'll keep you apprised of my progress, and hopefully this will help others, too!
Great hub, Aya. More and more, I'm trying my best to come up with better results when creating my hubs. I think you're well on your way. Thanks for giving us some hope :D
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