What is the Google Keyword Tool?
The Google Keyword Tool is a free tool published by Google to enable you to perform Keyphrase Research – arguably the main factor of any search engine optimization (SEO) campaign.
The Google keyword tool enables you to find different search terms based on a seed keyword, or keyword phrases, but also, displays competition based on those keywords.
You do not have to have a Google account to use this tool, as Google offers an external website. Simply do a search for “External Google Keyword Tool” and you can begin to use it immediately.
Note, there are additional keyphrase research tools available, which do offer more advanced functions to make it somewhat easier to find good keyword phrases (after under-going a mild learning curve). For anyone who is beginning, Id strongly suggest making use of the Google Keyword Tool to get used to keyword phrase research and just how it plays its part in SEO before investing in premium tools.
What Constitutes a Good Keyword?
There are 2 main factors you should think of when choosing keywords and key phrases, and the Google Keyword Tool can aid in each one of these:
Traffic – just how much traffic does your selected keyword phrase get per month? If you are targeting keywords and key phrases that get restricted searches, then youll likely get very limited traffic. In contrast, a very high search rate is usually indicative of very high competition, that makes it hard to get ranked for.
Competition – excessive competition and you will find it too difficult it or close to impossible to rank high enough in the search engines to generate traffic from those key-phrases.The Google Keyword tool reports how many searches monthly are conducted for each keyword phrase. I generally shoot for keywords which are above 500 each month, 2,000 being more ideal.
The Google Keyword Tool also reports competition for any keyword or keyword phrase. I always aim for low-medium competition keywords phrases.
Using the Google Keyword Tool to “Spy” on your Competition!
This doesnt imply you are able to copy the competing website and expect to get the same ranking, sorry, if only it were that simple! But you can usually get a general idea for what content is used. If you did copy this content directly, Google wont award you with any credit for it – Google stores one copy of original content and provides credit to the first website page it found it on – a very good reason to write unique content!The Google Keyword Tool offers an updated function for you to actually see what keywords your competition is using! To do this, rather than inputting keywords, there is a space for “website”. You can enter the website address here and see what search phrases your competition is getting ranked for!
Additional Features of the Google Keyword Tool
Here are a few neat additional little features
- You can download keyword phrases into an excel spreadsheet and manipulate them
- You can search for keyword phrases based on location and language
- You can search for keyword phrases based upon categories
- The keyword tool produces both local and global search volume
- Can now exclude certain terms from your keyword results
Google Keyword Tool Summary
To begin with, this is a free tool. Free is good! Additionally the data is straight from Google, so while not always 100% accurate, its safe to say its probably the most accurate data well get.
The Google Keyword Tool is designed with a relatively friendly interface with a short learning curve. Despite demonstrating various premium keyword research tools, I always double check with the Google keyword Tool before committing to any keyword phrases.
I would suggest the Google Keyword Tool to anyone that runs a web site and has even a slight involvement in keyword research and SEO!
For further information on the Google Keyword Tool, including a step-by-step, real world example, please see How to Begin a Websites page on Keyword Research using the Google Keyword Tool
Thanks for this. I am in the early stages of becoming a millionaire
and this has helped me look with fresh eyes at Google’s new Keyword tool. 
G Buller, fantastic! I wish you all the luck with becoming a millionaire.