Step 5: Leverage Online Keyphrase Tools
Use the following tools to further expand your keyphrase list. At the same time, create a spreadsheet to record the internet search traffic generated by each keyphrase. You'll be using the traffic volumes to sort, prune, and prioritize the keyphrase list in Step 6.
Yahoo's Overture Keyword Selector Tool
http://inventory.overture.com
For any given keyphrase, the Overture Keyword Selector Tool will show you the number of searches done via Yahoo during the previous month. Yahoo searches account for approximately 25% of all searches completed on the internet. If you multiply the number of Yahoo searches by four, you can easily estimate how many total searches are done for a particular keyphrase. Be aware that some conspiracy theorists believe Overture search results are overstated because Yahoo uses the Overture tool to sell search engine advertising.
The Overture Keyword Selector Tool will also generate a list of related keyphrases. Keep in mind that this program converts all plural words into the singular tense. "Charity" and "charities" are considered the same term in this tool, while actual search engines identify them as distinct words with distinct search results.
You may also want to try the SEO Book Keyword Tool (tools.seobook.com/general/keyword). This free program uses the data provided by Overture in addition to estimated data for Google and MSN, and links to other helpful statistics.
Google Keyword Tool
http://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal
Google's free keyword tool displays a wealth of information including related keywords, keyword popularity, search trends, and possible negative keywords. The downside of this tool is that it doesn't provide solid numbers – search statistics are displayed as a bar graph without numerical figures. However, the tool does offer several unique advantages. While Overture reports only on the previous month's search results, Google's tool uses data from past years to show seasonal changes. This can help you avoid missing out on terms that are only popular during certain times of the year.
Another useful feature is the included site-related keyword generator. Enter in your organization's URL and the tool will spider your website to identify potential keyphrases. You can select keyphrases for a single page or for your entire site.
In addition to its Keyword Tool, Google provides a couple other online tools that can come in handy when you're researching keyphrases. Google Trends (google.com/trends) generates charts that show traffic volume, regional popularity, and common languages for any given keyphrase. The tool provides an entire year's worth of data. Google Suggest (http://labs.google.com/suggest/) can provide additional keyphrase suggestions. Simply enter your keyphrase into the search box. As you type, the auto-fill feature will suggest related terms and the number of webpages competing for top position.
Wordtracker
http://wordtracker.com
Wordtracker is a subscription-based keyword tool that pulls data from metacrawler.com and dogpile.com. Wordtracker offers a Thesaurus feature and provides statistics for plural words and misspellings. With this program, you can easily identify which keyphrases attract the greatest and least competition for top ranking.
