Evaluating KW tools..

[webpresence]

We all use them, I guess we have to. After all, the basis of good SEO is choosing the right KW's, get it wrong here and you’re not going to get much return. I'd like to throw open a discussion as to which is the best KW tool for the UK audience, and why?

Google Adwords KW Tool - this is the search engine where we want to increase our visibility so surely this is the only tool we need. The problem is it doesn't give actual search volumes like the Yahoo tool did. Ok, it gives a low, avg, high indication but is that scale really big enough.. what kind of search volumes constitute a high? what a low? I'm not saying search volumes are too important; it's just good to get a few figures together and make some traffic predictions.

Yahoo Tool - Expired.. god damn it! Well it has in the UK anyway, you have to assess it through your PPC account area and even then it's not the same tool, no where near as useful.

Wordtracker (paid) - As a UK user, not impressed. Gave me very very low search volumes. Ok, you can use this as a comparative guide.. that KW had 20% more searches than that one etc. but again it's pretty much guess work in my opinion. Great interface though and very easy to use, sure the results are fairly accurate too. I just wouldn't recommend it for UK folk. May as well just use the free Google tool.

SEObook - Great tool, if your researching a US audience. Not so good when you need UK results. For the US it gives a believable estimate from the big 3 SE's, it even adds them all up for you. Again, search volumes aren't the be-all and end-all but again, it's about those traffic predictions. It's not their fault that the UK version of the tool doesn't work either, it used to link to the Yahoo KW (overture) tool, now that's gone. We should thank these guys for making such a great tool freely available.

WebCEO - Good tool, just doesn't give UK based results, only daily world counts.

Think I've covered the main ones, if not I'm sure you'll let me know.

So, any thoughts? What is the best KW tool for the UK market and why?

Lee

[mjtaylor]

Have you tried Trellian's? I personally use WT, but I am US based ...

[webpresence]

Hi have thanks yeah, found it to have the same UK restraints as Wordtracker though. Thanks for the tip of though

[incrediblehelp]

Believe it or not Google AdWords tool is giving me the some of the best results of late.

[Peter (IMC)]

You forgot the most important tool. Common Sense!

Besides that the Google Adwords Tool is all you really need.

You don't really need absolute figures because they´re not going to change your decisions anyway.


If you ask me,.. WordTracker is old news and way too labour intensive. You need a tool, not a decision maker.