by Bruce Tyson

Created on: August 30, 2010

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) advocates often point bloggers and webmasters to the Google keyword tool in AdWords as a resource for uncovering good keywords for their work. Avoid this advice.

The idea of using the Google keyword tool appeals to many Web users for a variety of reasons. First, many remember the days of the “Do no evil” Google motto and continue to give the company the benefit of the doubt when it comes to providing accurate information. Those same people might also remain unconcerned about privacy and security issues that frequently pop up concerning Google business practices.

Another explanation for why people tend to trust the Google keyword tool in AdWords comes from the fact that it supplies information for paid advertising. Surely, a tool intended to help advertisers focus their online marketing campaigns will provide information that will direct more people to that site. This sounds good at first, but then you must recognize that the AdWords keyword tool emphasizes data from the advertising network, not from routine Google searches, so the number of searches tends to be misleading and often results in a disappointing volume of traffic for even the most well qualified keywords.

Keep in mind that Google gives large AdWords sites such as Mahalo the ability to change or redirect keywords on the fly, a tactic that results in skewed data in the Google keyword tool found in AdWords.

Finally, a little logic might suggest that the AdWords keyword tool won’t work for SEO because of its intent: advertising. You’re not supposed to use pliers as a hammer and using a screw driver as a crowbar is ill advised. Why then would you want to take and advertising tool and use it for SEO? You’re using a tool for something other than its intended purpose and you could get hurt.

The understandable desire to get SEO tools for free continues to drive many people to the Google keyword tool in AdWords, but they get keywords that might work in AdWords, but provide poor results outside of that network. Those with interest in using Google data as part of their SEO effort should consider using the Google keyword tool that carries data from actual Google searches. This tool will likely provide more helpful information for your SEO efforts.

In the end, the search for keyword tools is fraught with risk: free tools including the Google keyword tools may give you incomplete or misleading information. The market for premium SEO tools is a veritable minefield where scams lurk about to defraud those with the best of intentions. Exercise caution when using the tools you choose and always validate their claims with actual results. 

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