The numbers just don't stack up
- Thread starter Shaun
- Start date
snoopy
Top Contributor
I don't think they have had any great pitch about accurate data,
Certainly a lot of the data is still wrong though even with the latest update,
Eg,
[realestate] 91
[real estate] 246,000
TroyW
Top Contributor
Isn't google the #1 search engine due to it providing the best/most relevant results?
Just had a meeting with Hitwise (I am a client) and asked them about releasing just their search volume data for a small % of their usual package price.
They said it could well be an option as they are switching from relative measurements (share of search terms) to absolute figures (actual number of searches) so this could be worked in afterwards.
HW measure 3m Australian users through data they buy from ISPs so is pretty damn accurate!
They said it could well be an option as they are switching from relative measurements (share of search terms) to absolute figures (actual number of searches) so this could be worked in afterwards.
HW measure 3m Australian users through data they buy from ISPs so is pretty damn accurate!
FirstPageResults
Top Contributor
Thanks for the heads up NF, thats great news!
Hmmm Hitwise Data
And you guys have been relying on a G sales tool????????????????????????????
This will change things again
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11239037
And you guys have been relying on a G sales tool????????????????????????????
This will change things again
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11239037
Demo here - http://www.google.com/landing/instant/
amazing stuff isn't it
What are the implications? I guess it means you need to put more emphasis on ranking early in the complete search term.
Eg if you rank for 'domain name' but not 'domain', it might be too late - someone who's planning to type 'domain name' might see a relevant search pop up whne they've only got to 'domain...' and give up further typing.
amazing stuff isn't it
What are the implications? I guess it means you need to put more emphasis on ranking early in the complete search term.
Eg if you rank for 'domain name' but not 'domain', it might be too late - someone who's planning to type 'domain name' might see a relevant search pop up whne they've only got to 'domain...' and give up further typing.
That is the major implication that I can see.
Plus how will this affect search volume numbers from now on in the adwords keyword tool, with every keypress = new search.
That is the major implication that I can see.
Plus how will this affect search volume numbers from now on in the adwords keyword tool, with every keypress = new search.
Read somewhere that if the result remains on the screen for at least 3 seconds it will count as an impression. Presumably this will also equate to an actual 'search'
FirstPageResults
Top Contributor
shags38
Top Contributor
Hi Guys,
my 2 cents worth - Google Adword keyword tool - old vs new, I would go for the new - my experience of late shows about a 4 to one reduction. Having said that even the new system still needs to be taken with a grain of salt - the name says it "AdWord" keyword tool - why is it called an AdWord tool and not say Google KeyWord Ranking Tool??. The tool is not promoted as a keyword search to improve rankings per se but moreso for advertisers to pick words for ad relevance - IMO. The two have some commonality but they do not run parallel. How many of the searches shown are in fact from clicks on Adword customers sites and or Adword Sponsered sites? How much influence does this have on the breakdown of the search data? Google are in the business of making money, just like the fruiterer down the road, it just so happens thst Google are using search advertising as an income source whilst the fruiterer is relying on apples and oranges - the reason they are both in business is common, to make a profit. Google will no doubt favor advertisers period.
The new instant search system - in my humble opinion it will be bad news for sites that do not fall into the "did you mean" phrase category - i.e. those categories are selected due to popularity - popularity is gained through "surfing" (not necessarily just clinical searching) - searching will become far less as the search box does what the dropdown box has been doing for some time, narrowing down the search terms to popular ones. So how then does another term get to be popular to be able to be included in the "elite" if searchers do less surfing (surfing = looking around and trying out a few sites - then beginning the actual search) to help drag a new word phrase closer to the top?. So I reckon it will be significantly harder to climb the ranking ladder if your site doesn't fit inside an existing predetermined slot.
cheers,
Mike
my 2 cents worth - Google Adword keyword tool - old vs new, I would go for the new - my experience of late shows about a 4 to one reduction. Having said that even the new system still needs to be taken with a grain of salt - the name says it "AdWord" keyword tool - why is it called an AdWord tool and not say Google KeyWord Ranking Tool??. The tool is not promoted as a keyword search to improve rankings per se but moreso for advertisers to pick words for ad relevance - IMO. The two have some commonality but they do not run parallel. How many of the searches shown are in fact from clicks on Adword customers sites and or Adword Sponsered sites? How much influence does this have on the breakdown of the search data? Google are in the business of making money, just like the fruiterer down the road, it just so happens thst Google are using search advertising as an income source whilst the fruiterer is relying on apples and oranges - the reason they are both in business is common, to make a profit. Google will no doubt favor advertisers period.
The new instant search system - in my humble opinion it will be bad news for sites that do not fall into the "did you mean" phrase category - i.e. those categories are selected due to popularity - popularity is gained through "surfing" (not necessarily just clinical searching) - searching will become far less as the search box does what the dropdown box has been doing for some time, narrowing down the search terms to popular ones. So how then does another term get to be popular to be able to be included in the "elite" if searchers do less surfing (surfing = looking around and trying out a few sites - then beginning the actual search) to help drag a new word phrase closer to the top?. So I reckon it will be significantly harder to climb the ranking ladder if your site doesn't fit inside an existing predetermined slot.
cheers,
Mike
shags38
Top Contributor
Hi Andrew - as a matter of interest how / where do you get the data showing inbound links that you will provide in info against a name dropping? I know NetFleet stopped putting up such data (thankfully) due to unreliability - I certainly made some purchases based on indicated data that turned out to be unreliable (Googles issue, not Netfleets).
cheers,
Mike
FirstPageResults
Top Contributor
The pros and cons of G Instant
http://www.pcworld.com/article/205183/google_instant_pros_and_cons.html?tk=hp_new
http://www.pcworld.com/article/205183/google_instant_pros_and_cons.html?tk=hp_new
Thought I'd throw in my two cents on the AdWords Keyword Tool stats:
I'm almost certain that the "new tool, logged in" results are the most correct (and very close to reality) - based on data, not just an opinion.
I'm not a domainer, but rather run SEO for a medium-sized business that has been into SEO for /long/ time. We rank very well for a large range of short-tail and medium-tail phrases, and all of our analytics data points to the "new tool, logged in" exact match results being correct.
A great example if our own brand name. It's quite distinct, we operate in a fairly narrow niche, our homepage shows at #1 with sitelinks when you search it (as you'd expect), and there is no AdWords competition at all in the SERPs (yay trademarks!). Essentially, if someone runs an exact search for our brand name there is a /very/ high probability they're going to click-through to our site. I'd say certainly 90%+, and 95%+ wouldn't be a stretch.
The "new tool, logged in" exact searches for our brand shows 3,000/month. The total visits to our website last month from people who exact-searched our brand name on Google was 3,100. Note I made these numbers up, but have kept the ratios the same as reality.
As you can see, the two numbers are almost exactly the same. The fact that our own stats are slighly higher I would put down to an increase in search traffic from this keyword phrase, combined with the AdWords Keyword Tool data being a three-month rolling average whereas our own stats are for the last complete month.
To me, the almost idential searches and visitors numbers combined with the expected 90+% CTR strongly suggests that to the numbers from the Keyword Tool are correct.
My guess is that it's going to be a very good thing if you rank well for short-tail phrases, and a bad thing if you rely upon long-tail.
Consider this: say you run a website that is #1 for "cheap widgets" but nowhere to be found for "cheap widgets for blue cars in melbourne".
Previously, you would miss any users searching for the long-tail phrase. Now, when the user gets as far as typing "cheap widgets..." (or perhaps even shorter - e.g. "cheap widg..."), the SERPs will update to show /your/ website at #1. Previously, they would never have seen your website /at all/.
Some proportion of searchers will continue to type "... for blue cars in melbourne" and pass you by, but you'd expect some to notice your #1 result after "cheap widgets...", stop, and click on the result. So, in essence, you'll end up "stealing" some of the long-tail traffic. And, on the flip-side, I can't think of any reason why Instant would be negative for your existing short-tail SERPs unless perhaps it benefits AdWord advertisers greatly in some way.
Maybe time will prove me wrong, but this seems logical... going to be an interesting couple of months regardless.
I'm almost certain that the "new tool, logged in" results are the most correct (and very close to reality) - based on data, not just an opinion.
I'm not a domainer, but rather run SEO for a medium-sized business that has been into SEO for /long/ time. We rank very well for a large range of short-tail and medium-tail phrases, and all of our analytics data points to the "new tool, logged in" exact match results being correct.
A great example if our own brand name. It's quite distinct, we operate in a fairly narrow niche, our homepage shows at #1 with sitelinks when you search it (as you'd expect), and there is no AdWords competition at all in the SERPs (yay trademarks!). Essentially, if someone runs an exact search for our brand name there is a /very/ high probability they're going to click-through to our site. I'd say certainly 90%+, and 95%+ wouldn't be a stretch.
The "new tool, logged in" exact searches for our brand shows 3,000/month. The total visits to our website last month from people who exact-searched our brand name on Google was 3,100. Note I made these numbers up, but have kept the ratios the same as reality.
As you can see, the two numbers are almost exactly the same. The fact that our own stats are slighly higher I would put down to an increase in search traffic from this keyword phrase, combined with the AdWords Keyword Tool data being a three-month rolling average whereas our own stats are for the last complete month.
To me, the almost idential searches and visitors numbers combined with the expected 90+% CTR strongly suggests that to the numbers from the Keyword Tool are correct.
My guess is that it's going to be a very good thing if you rank well for short-tail phrases, and a bad thing if you rely upon long-tail.
Consider this: say you run a website that is #1 for "cheap widgets" but nowhere to be found for "cheap widgets for blue cars in melbourne".
Previously, you would miss any users searching for the long-tail phrase. Now, when the user gets as far as typing "cheap widgets..." (or perhaps even shorter - e.g. "cheap widg..."), the SERPs will update to show /your/ website at #1. Previously, they would never have seen your website /at all/.
Some proportion of searchers will continue to type "... for blue cars in melbourne" and pass you by, but you'd expect some to notice your #1 result after "cheap widgets...", stop, and click on the result. So, in essence, you'll end up "stealing" some of the long-tail traffic. And, on the flip-side, I can't think of any reason why Instant would be negative for your existing short-tail SERPs unless perhaps it benefits AdWord advertisers greatly in some way.
Maybe time will prove me wrong, but this seems logical... going to be an interesting couple of months regardless.
Shaun
Top Contributor
Just to state the obvious, short term searches hold the most value for Google in terms of Adwords revenue.
Very true. I think that fact also helps validate my logic: Google will be chasing the buck, which means they've probably measured that Instant = more short-tail ad clicks. If that rule holds true for ads, then you'd assume it holds true for organic SERPs too.
James
Top Contributor
Best way to get accurate data for keywords is to rank on page 1 for a vast number of keywords then take data from webmaster tools.
The bad thing about the Australian market is that the tools available for keyword research are not that great, I have tested a whole bunch of US tools and the data set in Australia sucks.
The bad thing about the Australian market is that the tools available for keyword research are not that great, I have tested a whole bunch of US tools and the data set in Australia sucks.
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