Using Google Adwords Keyword Tool for SEO research

[shaynadc]

Hey guys,

I just want to confirm something with regards to using Adwords Exact Match for SEO keyword research purposes.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't Exact Match show traffic for a keyword exactly as it's searched, without any reordering or extra words? It doesn't mean traffic for queries where a user has surrounded the term with quotation marks, right?

From my understanding, for the keyword Blue Widgets, Broad Match shows cumulative traffic for any search query that uses Blue and Widgets, in any order, with any other words attached.

Exact match would show traffic for the term Blue Widgets, in this order, without any words attached. (Exact Match doesn't mean traffic for the term "Blue Widgets" with quotations).

I'm just looking for confirmation on this.

Thank you!

[tedster]

Yes, exact match is supposed to show the number of searches for that precise phrase, as you said, and not searches with the phrase in quotes.

But note well, the reported number is the search volume -- that's NOT the same as the amount of total traffic generated.

For some terms, there can be as high as 40% of searches that do not generate any clicks at all, because the minute the user sees the results they know they need to revise their query

[shaynadc]

Great clarification, tedster. Thanks!

[deadsea]

I have found that anything other than exact match is useless for SEO research.

I believe that broad match can also include searches for synonyms.

[limoshawn]

broad match can be helpful if you run a keyword report to find out what keywords triggered the ad. good way to find out words that google associates with the main keyword so they can be added into your seo content. you'll need some data to get a keyword report though, i believe at least 3 days, however a month is better.