The Maine SEO Blog

What people search for changes all the time. It changes because of everything from news and events to seasons, and even to the time of day. When you think about it, it’s intimidating to think about how you could possibly keep up with all of the change!

A blog is certainly the easiest and most efficient way to keep up with search trends – by creating keyword rich content that targets popular keywords of the moment. Creating articles, videos, and even images are also great ways to leverage hot keywords. But…where do you find these elusive keywords? Here are a few tools that can help.

Twitter Search

Twitter Search has a section at the bottom of the page for trending topics. You’ll most certainly get up-to-date (or to the minute) information about what the Twitterverse is talking about.

Google Trends

Likewise, Google provides a comprehensive list of what the nation is searching for on the homepage of Google Trends. (Search for topics in your industry to see a graph of trends over time related to that query.)

Google Insights

Google Insights provides “breakout” terms. Simply search for an industry keyword, then scroll through the trend graph, searches by region, and you’ll see a list of “top” and “rising” searches.

WordTracker Keyword Questions

By far one of my favorite tools for blogging inspiration, WordTracker Keyword Questions will give you a list of actual questions people have asked about your query – and how many times that question has been asked in the past year.

I’m sure there are a ton of other tools out there for keeping up with trending topics; but do you really need more than 4?

Nicki Hicks
What’s hot and what’s not

One of the first rules for keyword research is use more than one tool. Lucky for us, Google’s got a whole suite of tools – and better yet – they’re completely free!

1. Keyword Synonyms

I quite honestly don’t use the Google Synonym Tool as often as I probably should, but it will give you some great ideas when you start your keyword research.

2. Google Insights and 3. Google Trends

Google Insights will give you a good idea of what is popular right now (including similar “hot” keywords and phrases); while Google Trends gives a better indicator of how a keyword performs over time (Google has data as far back as 2004).

4. Google Analytics

You didn’t realize your Analytics could give you insight to what people are searching for?! Sure! Look no further than the keyword section. The bottom of the list will more than likely be rich with long tail searches. Maybe you could do a better job optimizing for those keywords, or maybe they’ll give you ideas for even more keyword research.

Another great place to look for keyword inspiration in Analytics is within your site search keywords. What were people looking for that they couldn’t find on their own? You might find some opportunity there.

5. Search-based Keyword Tool

Google’s Search-based Keyword Tool is based on AdWords bidding prices and competition, but you can get a great idea of search volume using it. It’s important to remember that this tool uses keywords in conjunction with existing websites. (So, if you don’t have a website yet, pop in one of your competitors’ sites!)

6. Google AdWords Keyword Tool

To date, Google’s AdWords Keyword Tool has been one of my favorite research tools. Again, based on AdWords competition, you’ll get the added benefit of global and local monthly search volume statistics.

7. (The New) AdWords Keyword Tool

I couldn’t be more excited for this new addition to the keyword research toolbox from Google: the new AdWords Keyword Tool. That much more robust, this tool adds a new column: local search trends. Even in a few short days of using it, I’ve found that, while you have to sort through the irrelevant keywords a bit more, you’ll get a ton of helpful synonyms and related search terms.

8. Google Sets

Ironically, I saw that Kasi Gajtkowski from Hall Web Services just put up a new blogpost about Google Sets – a new keyword research tool from Google. This tool will give you more loosely related (but still relevant) keywords related to the search terms you enter. That way, you’ll really be able to expand your keyword research and get some ideas you’d never thought of!

9. Google Suggest

While it’s not traditionally a keyword research tool, Google Suggest is an out-of-the-box way to get keyword ideas.

With so many free tools to choose from, you’re bound to be a keyword pro in no time. Which is your favorite to use?

Nicki Hicks
Google Tool Savant

Google AdWords Keyword Tool

It’s not specifically for AdWords users, and it gives you probably the most accurate data for Google keyword queries and competition, as well as related keywords and phrases.

Yahoo Site Explorer

To date, Yahoo’s Site Explorer gives the most accurate picture of what websites are linking to yours.

Since Yahoo will soon begin incorporating Bing’s search results, Yahoo Site Explorer may not exist for much longer; so here are two other sources that work just as well (and arguably even better):

More recently, I’ve discovered another great site for tracking incoming links: Majestic SEO. Without logging in, you can check one website’s backlinks. By subscribing (for free), you can compare up to five different domains against one another.

This week, SEOmoz launched their brand new Open Site Explorer, what could be the eventual replacement to Yahoo Site Explorer. Those with PRO membership will have unlimited access, and for the next 24 hours, SEOmoz is offering a free trial for everyone!

Google Analytics

I talk about Analytics relentlessly, but the thing is…you’re not going to get a better Analytics system for free. And you need Analytics, so the choice is logical.

There are thousands of tools out there – from tools for checking PageRank, to checking cache dates, to checking keyword density. They’re all great. Like I said, these are just the three you can’t live without.

Nicki Hicks
Hey – these tools are all search engine-owned!

SEOQuake

I’ve been using the SEOQuake toolbar for a while now. It’s a gem for any search geek: the ability to quickly see statistics in the search results, from PageRank to indexed pages in Google v. Bing, from incoming links to Alexa rank.

You can also dig a little deeper by getting more information about the site you’re currently visiting; which is a nice one-stop shop for getting any of your basic need-to-know information for client statistics. Here’s a screen capture of what that looks like:

Aside from the SEOQuake Toolbar, the SEOQuake Toolbar also has two products for statistics: SEOPivot and SemRush.

SEOPivot

SEOPivot is essentially designed to show you the potential of ranking for certain keywords for particular pages on your website. For example, a post I did on GetListed.org and Local Search currently ranks #152 for “live local search”, a search term with a potential volume of 1,362 visitors if the post were ranking #1.

SEOPivot reminds me a lot of Google Webmaster Tools’ top search queries. Here are Maine SEO’s top 10 queries in Webmaster Tools:

Very similar, but I will say that SEOPivot offers two added benefits above and beyond Webmaster Tools’ top search queries.

1. The potential traffic you could receive if you were #1. While it isn’t a perfect number, it is interesting if nothing else.
2. More importantly, the average search volume. How many people are searching for this keyword a month? (In other words, is it even worth trying to optimize for?

All in all, SEOPivot will give you some interesting information about where your pages could rank – and you can query 10 websites a day for free, with 5 keywords per site. Want more than that? You’ll have to pay a little.

SemRush

The other SEOQuake tool, SemRush, gives a little more insight. Like SEOPivot, you are still served up keywords from your site, where they currently rank, search volume, and the URL. The benefit here comes in the form of some really great AdWords data, should you be using it, including CPC and competition.

Like SEOPivot, you can get several free reports, but have to pay if you want more than that.

All in all…

SEOQuake remains my favorite, although if you want some interesting statistics about where some of your keywords stand (sometimes keywords you never even thought to rank for), SEOPivot and/or SemRush are for you!

Nicki Hicks
SEO Tool Afficiando

As a rule of thumb, I don’t pay attention to Alexa rankings. Primarily, it’s because we deal with mostly small business, so their rankings aren’t going to land them under the 100,000 range. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

What does the Alexa ranking mean? Alexa measures your traffic (and popularity) by way of their toolbar (not unlike Keyword Discovery), and measures your site accordingly. The lower the number, the better. To give some perspective, the Maine SEO blog’s Alexa ranking is 1,051,645. Flyte has an Alexa rank of 140,350; CNN’s is 52, Google’s is 1.

Alexa also provides some Google Analytics-esque statistics which aren’t nearly as accurate, including: pageviews, bounce %, time on site, and incoming links.

I don’t suggest using Alexa because you can get more relevant statistics using tools like Google Analytics and Yahoo Site Explorer.

However, Alexa can be helpful if you’re comparing several large websites. Alexa makes it easy to compare popular websites to gain some quick insight on their differences:

And if you absolutely insist on using it…

• Remember that, like most search stat tools, these numbers are relative
• Realize that you can get far more accurate statistics using your Analytics
• Recognize Alexa rank is not unlike PageRank: where it’s easy to become too focused on where you are today compared to yesterday

Nicki Hicks
SEO Stat Scrutinizer – try saying that five times fast