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Monday, August 9, 2010

Today Google revealed some new changes to their well-known and widely-used Keyword Tool.  Google says they have been listening to the suggestions and feedback of its users to come up with ways to help businesses and pay-per-click management agencies use this tool more effectively.  Although the new Keyword Tool is currently in beta, by the end of august Google will complete the transition form the old versions and all users will be using this new tool.

The Keyword Tool: What is it?

According to Google:

"The Keyword Tool allows you to build extensive, relevant keyword lists from one simple interface. Generate keyword ideas, review traffic estimations for existing and new keywords, and add keywords directly to your ad groups."

When you enter a word or phrase you are interested in, the keyword tool mines its own keyword data for keywords that are similar and relevant to your keyword, and displays these to you along with a bunch of other statistics (competition, estimated cost per click (CPC), etc...).  This tool is great when you are looking for variations of a keyword to help build a more extensive keyword list.  This tool can also give you a glimpse into the competitive landscape of an industry (level of competition, cost, etc.).

What Did They Change?

Google has added numerous features to the keyword tool.  Here are a few of the most important:

• Flexible search options: Search by any combination of keyword, website/URL, and category (where available) and receive a single set of results
• Easy keyword refinement: Filter results by word or keyword match type
• Advanced options: View statistics for mobile search and use data filters based on local searches, search and ad share, and more
• Removing Duplicate Keywords: When you access the Keyword Tool from within an ad group, keywords that are already in that ad group will appear with an “Already in ad group” message next to them
• Adding Negative keywords: Now, you can easily add keyword ideas as negatives right from your keyword idea list. Just click on a keyword and use the drop down menu to select and save your negative keyword

For those who use this tool on a daily basis (myself included) these features are great!  They will allow me to filter out the data that I want to see, the data that can help me make informed descisions about my clients accounts and keyword lists.  But what does this mean for the rest of the world?  Everyone can sleep a little more soundly tonight knowing that AdWords Advertisers can spend less time navigating through piles of keyword data, and more time optimizing their accounts.

As an PPC Marketer and AdWords user, it is always reassuring to see Google making user friendly changes to their tools and products.  Keep it up Google!