Finally, Better Search Volume Data!

Search Engine Optimizers do it.

Paid search managers do it.

So, why aren’t you doing it?

I’m talking about looking at search query volume, of course. As you plot out your search marketing strategy, you’re looking for the intersection of high volume, low competition and strong user intent.

Getting at the volume part of that estimate can be tricky business. Typically, this involves using any number of keyword discovery tools, such as Trellian. 3rd party tools pull from an amalgamation of sources and the absolute number you get is dubious at best. Relationships, however, still hold true.

Better Search Query Volume Estimates

Now, Google’s AdWords Keyword Tool has finally pulled back the curtain and included search query volume in their reports (it used to be a graphical scale). Take a look at this example for web analytics phrases.

Just a couple quick things to keep in mind:

1. You can change your match type. I used exact in that image.
2. Hide and unhide the columns you need. I think the search trends is really great for understanding seasonality:

Ideas for Using the Data

From a paid search marketing perspective, more exact volume data will help you plan budgets and campaigns better (especially for larger projects where volume can be tricky within constraints).

SEO’s now have another sources of search query (aka keyword) volume data. I’m sure there are weaknesses associated with these data as well, but it does come straight from the source. It’s also much more granular than Google Trends.

For the web analysts in the audience, this will help you:

1. Gauge your search query/keyword share for targeted terms
2. Analyze whether trends in search results are due to seasonality
3. Complement your web analytics and internal site search data to help see how well your site users your customers’ language.

Which tools do you prefer?