How does Overture calculate keyword search totals?

[Ozoilman]

Hi all

If you check on the number of times a certain keyword has been searched for, using the search suggestion tool, Overture give you a total. Is that the total number of times that term was searched for on Overture ALONE, or is it some aggregate?

Reason is, I can't begin to imagine why some 4.5 million searches for the term "yahoo" are carried out each month, apparently on Overture. Doesn't make sense!

[Woz]

There are two issues here.

Firstly, yes Overture aggregates the number of searches on ALL the other engines to which it is supplying results. This also includes keyword bidders checking on positions, prelinked searches from affiliates, and so on.

So these results should be used as a preliminary guide only and certainly taken with a hefty pinch of salt.

Secondly, you would be suprised the terms that the general public search for which to us make no sense. The challenge is that a very good proportion of the general public a really stumbling around blind looking for stuff. So, to find Yahoo, they will simply type in Yahoo, or even Yahoo.com, into the search box on their default page and then click on the results.

What is their default page? - in most cases MSN.com which takes feeds from Overture. So this will of course inflate these search figures in the suggestion tool.

Add another hefty pinch of salt.

Onya
Woz

[diddlydazz]

hi this is probably a stupid question but how do you check keyword poularity on the overture website ??

thanks in advance

[Ozoilman]

Go to

[inventory.overture.com...]

and all will become clear:-)