SEO & GEO10 Dec 2012·2 min read

The best SEO keyword tool? Creativity!

Quite recently Google has informed some big SEO dashboard players that, starting from January 2013, these tools will no longer be able to access their API and retrieve the PPC data. As you may know, although these tools and the API are meant to be used only for providing information on how much traffic and ROI a given keyword can generate on the PPC side, tools like SEOMoz, Raven and SEMRush have been using them for ages to help users (SEOers) plan their organic strategy.

As you can imagine, this is now generating a lot of turmoil and panic among those "professionals" who have always relied on automatic systems rather than understanding search engine dynamics. It is a fear shared by a colleague of mine, Carlo Pandian, who has provided some tips on keyword research tools now that such tools won't be useful anymore. But don’t panic!

Given that one of the most useful skills in SEO is creativity, and that having access to that information has never been able to sort out all your problems anyway, the following online tools will help you spot new keywords, develop your research to generate easy-to-rank keywords, and drive valuable traffic.

Übersuggest

A simple tool that expands your keyword list. Add your hyper competitive keyword to the form, select the search engine location target, and the type of results you want (web, images, news, shopping, video, recipes etc).

The tool has an automatic export system that enables you to copy and paste the selected keywords into your spreadsheet. Are you ready to get traffic volume out of these, and test your new opportunities?

Play around with this HTML5 feature from Google. Type the keyword in the search form, wait for Google’s suggestion, and write down the keywords related to your products or ideas for additional pages, or content to the site.

Analyse search volume for different sets of keywords, looking for peaks where you can achieve extra traffic. The following are some elements to consider when using Google Trends:

  • important dates in the year (Christmas, Easter, half term, fairs and conferences, national holidays etc.)
  • Days and years, for example: Christmas 2012, Holiday 2012 etc.

Wikipedia

When you run out of ideas, a quick visit to Wikipedia’s immense database of knowledge will help you spot new keywords.

Topsy

When looking to choose a restaurant, social media is more effective than any review site. In fact, these are populated with real people expressing their real opinions; look at what they have written to help you expand your keyword list.

Have you ever used another website for your on-page SEO, apart from Google AdWords? Comment below to start a conversation about your best tips and tricks on keyword research.