Thread: Google KeywordToolExternal or Google sktool ? (Confused)

Hi

My name is Vijay. Im from India and am a prominent member in some other forums... Another software engg... This is a wonderful forum. Glad to find it.

This is my first post. I have come looking for answers to my query, but I guess I'll stay here for good


I am trying to build a site/niche. I have been using Google KeywordToolExternal. But just sometime back I had a look at Google's sktool too. Now both give contrasting results and hence the confusion.

For ex:
When I search for "herbal green tea" using KeywordExternalTool it gave me 8100 local US search numbers. The same keyword gave paltry 290 searches on google sktool.


So my question is this:

Why does
https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal
and
http://www.google.com/sktool/#

give entirely different results. And what is their significance. Which tool gives the real picture?


Pl help

Regards
Vij

The main difference between the Search-based Keyword Tool and the Keyword Tool currently in AdWords is that the former generates keyword ideas based on your website, and identifies those currently not being used in your AdWords account. Additionally, the Search-based Keyword Tool provides more detailed data for each keyword, such as category information, suggested bid that may place the ad in the top three spots of a search results page, and ad/search share. Both tools, however, offer the option of browsing all keywords across all categories.

You may also notice that some of the data (like such as the monthly search volume) may vary slightly between the two tools, which is due to different methods of calculation at this time.

Reference: http://www.google.com/support/sktool/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=114875

Originally Posted by sturat

The main difference between the Search-based Keyword Tool and the Keyword Tool currently in AdWords is that the former generates keyword ideas based on your website, and identifies those currently not being used in your AdWords account. Additionally, the Search-based Keyword Tool provides more detailed data for each keyword, such as category information, suggested bid that may place the ad in the top three spots of a search results page, and ad/search share. Both tools, however, offer the option of browsing all keywords across all categories.

You may also notice that some of the data (like such as the monthly search volume) may vary slightly between the two tools, which is due to different methods of calculation at this time.

Reference: http://www.google.com/support/sktool/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=114875

Thanks for the reply. I got some of that.But I can get results on sk tool even without entering any website parameter(using just the keyword).
But the difference is not slight.

Like I mentioned;
When I search for "herbal green tea" using KeywordExternalTool it gave me 8100 local US search numbers. The same keyword gave paltry 290 searches on google sktool.

Ok Let me ask this:

If I need to know how many searches are made in google for a particular keyword, which will be the right tool?

So is it 290 or 8000? Not so slight I am afraid

Originally Posted by vij

Thanks for the reply. I got some of that.But I can get results on sk tool even without entering any website parameter(using just the keyword).
But the difference is not slight.

Like I mentioned;
When I search for "herbal green tea" using KeywordExternalTool it gave me 8100 local US search numbers. The same keyword gave paltry 290 searches on google sktool.

Ok Let me ask this:

If I need to know how many searches are made in google for a particular keyword, which will be the right tool?

So is it 290 or 8000? Not so slight I am afraid

ok so the best way to do is to use the exact math GLOBAL result from the KeywordExternalTool and also use the http://tools.seobook.com/keyword-tools/seobook/
SEOBOOK keyword tool to confirm your data

Hope this helps

Which tool gives the real picture?

Actually, I don't prefer either of those tools. I like the Microsoft AdCenter plugin for MS Excel, which gives the actual data. You can multiply those numbers by 8 and get the Google numbers. Google's tools don't give you the accurate numbers.

I don't know the reason for you problem but I usually use KeywordToolExternal and number of searches and the traffic on my site from the keyword usually match(if i calculate with avarage CTR).

The Google external keyword tool can be off by a factor of 100 (not a typo) when compared to sktool. Even though they use different methods of calculation, the external keyword tool often grossly exaggerates the true search volumes based on the way it extrapolates "similar searches" from clickthroughs on the content network. Most people who have been basing important advertising decisions based on SERP and the external keyword tool have been disappointed when they do finally rank on the first page.

I use Google Keyword tool. People give money through Adwords and It would better to use this tool to analyze this. It is that money we are aiming through adsense.

Havent use sktool, need to check that.

All the best.

I suggest that, Prefer using the Google Adwords for keyword search.