Search frequency w/o using keywords or phrases

[Ray]

I'm new to all of this. I appreciate the generous help that is offered here.

I'm not sure how to phrase the following question.

Is it possible to determine search frequency w/o using any keywords or keyword phrases? For example, I might want to know which terms are most often searched for, but I don't know what those terms are. That might help me determine heavily searched terms that are not being bid on.

For example, if GoTo says that there are 30 million searches done on their site everyday, would it be possible to get the highest searched terms in a descending order, from most to least searched, w/o
knowing the keywords or phrases?

Thanks, Ray

[Brett_Tabke]

Hi Ray, welcome to the board.

Top search lists are kept pretty close to the vest by all the search engines. Lycos has it's Top 50 searches (filtered, suspect, and biased because it is Lycos). Alta has a similar list but it isn't updated regularly, and Yahoo has something that is akin to a advertisement. There are some top word list sites, but nothing worth using because the data sources are unknown. There just isn't anyone that is will to share that good data. Alexa put out a press release on their search bar data yesterday, but their weren't any surprises in it.

Wish I could be of more help on this one, but that Goto utility is the best thing going.

[spiky]

Alta (.co.uk) have been showing "hot searches" on their front page recently.

The list seems pretty dynamic and "news sensitive"
No actual data on numbers are given.

[WebGuerrilla]

Both WordSpot and WordTracker (subscription based services) provide top 1000 and top 500 search reports. I'm not sure if they still offer it, but WordSpot used to have a free email service that would send you the top searches each week.

Other than giving you a good snap shot of overall search trends, they aren't much help for specific SEO projects. They only contain top level, usually single words that are far to popular and broad to be the basis of your SEO efforts.

[rpking]

You can use the Google Adwords program (link on the font page) to check out estimates for search frequencies.

[Ray]

Very fine suggestions from all of you. If a newbie starts their internet web page design work by reading these Webmasterworld forums first, they will be well on their way to 'success' with the keywords and search engines, etc., and besides that, they can save LOTS of money. It appears to me there are many? questionable search engine services being offered, and an impulsive, ignorant, newbie, like me :-), is seriously tempted to grab whatever might work and overspend in the process. Thanks for your help.