Sunday, October 16, 2005
Using SearchIt! Free Research Tool to Research Keyword Competition
The SearchIt! free search tool consists of a window with two dropdown boxes and two text boxes. In the two dropdown boxes, you select the type of search you want to do. In the two text boxes, you select the search criteria (such as keywords or URLs) you want to use.
Rather than repeat the introductory info about SearchIt! that I shared last week, I suggest that you see the October 2nd blog for this information. Or simply realize that it is important to click all the links and read all the instructions that SearchIt! tells you to do.
You'll find SearchIt! A LOT easier and more valuable to use if you do that.
As I said last week, I do the bulk of my keyword research on Wordtracker rather than SearchIt!. Wordtracker provides information on what keyword variations people are using to search, how frequently people search for each keyword variation, and how many pages compete for the same keywords. In other words, it provides the full package of keyword research information.
But Wordtracker charges for accesss to their database. While I'm happy to spend my money on this valuable service instead of spending extra time piecing together keyword research information from different sources, I know some people take the opposite view.
If you're one of them, SearchIt! gives you a lot of options for using free tools that give you parts of the keyword research equation. So here's some of the ways you can do keyword research for free with SearchIt!
Using SearchIt!
Last week we looked at using SearchIt! for brainstorming keywords. This week we'll look at the tools that show you how heavy or light the competition is for your keywords.
In the Step 1 dropdown box, select Competition.
Click the dropdown box for Step 2: Select Search Type. You'll see the following options.
(Note: These options may change. The SiteSell people (who maintain the SearchIt! tool) are constantly adding new search tools to it.)
Yahoo! Bid Price
Let's start by looking at the Yahoo! Bid Price tool.
This kind of search helps you see how competitive your keyword is by showing what advertisers are paying for that keyword on Yahoo! Search Marketing. Lots of bidders willing to pay over $1 per click indicates a term that is profitable, but also hugely competitive. A lack of bidders, on the other hand, suggests a keyword that few others compete for, but that may not convert to sales as readily as the highly competitive ones.
Type your keyword in the Step 3 box and click the SearchIt! button. Read the information about this search and click the link at the bottom to show your results. You'll have to copy four letters from a graphic into the box to assure Yahoo! that a real person is requesting this search instead of an automated script, but then you'll see your results.
Google Single Keyword SUPPLY
This option shows you how many sites provide content for the exact keyword you are researching. Type your keyword into the Step 3 box (without quotes - SearchIt! adds the quotes to the query automatically). Click the SearchIt! button and read the information that describes how to interpret your results.
Google Multiple Keyword SUPPLY
This tool is incredibly handy if you want to research supply data for more than one keyword. It requires that you enter your own Google API key into the Step 4 box after entering up to ten keywords in the Step 3 box, each keyword phrase separated by a comma. Rather than simply repeat the instruction SearchIt! gives for this kind of search (it's a little more complicated than most), I'll just encourage you again to read all the directions, including the directions that pop up when you click the link between the top row of two drop-down boxes and the bottom row of two text boxes.
And a word of encouragement: when registering for your Google API key, don't let all Google's geek-speak scare you off. Using your Google API key is as easy as copying and pasting a line of numbers and letters from the email they send to into any tool that requires a Google API key. You don't need to download any programming toolkits or know any programming or do anything of a technical nature.
Just apply for your key. Once you receive it, you can copy it into any tool on the Web that requires a Google API key for a specialized search. And you'll find many of those tools (like this one) to be a great time-saver.
Competitors by PageRank
This tool shows you at a glance how the highest ranking page for this keyword compare in Google PageRank. How does this help? It shows how influential Google considers each page to be based on the number and quality of links coming into them. Again, check both the popup information (that pops up when you click on the link on the SearchIt! page, and the introductory information (that appears when you click the SearchIt! button) for more information on how to interpret this kind of search.
Back Links to SITE (Yahoo! Search)
This tool shows you how many sites are linking to your site or a competitor's site and gives a good idea of easy or tough it will be to make your site competitive in link popularity.
This tool differs, though, in what you type into the Step 3 box. Instead of typing a keyword, type the domain name of the site you want to check. Don't include the http:// or the www. Just include the domain name and extension (for example, onestopwebsupport.com).
Click the button and the link and SearchIt! will show you listings of all the sites that Yahoo! shows as linking to any page on that site.
Back Links to PAGE (Google)
This is like the Back Links to SITE (Yahoo! Search) option, except that it shows you how many sites link to a specific page of your site.
Type the page URL of the page you want to check in the Step 3 box. Don't include the http://, but you can include the www. if applicable (for example, www.onestopwebsupport.com/weblog/weblog.html).
Next week
This Sunday, I've covered just the keyword competition tools that SearchIt! provides. Next Sunday, I'll show the tools it has for doing advanced keyword research on your pages or your competitors' pages.
All in all, SearchIt! can find you lots of keywords and much other valuable information. The main thing to remember is to READ THE DIRECTIONS. With as many tools packed into this one interface, you're not going to take one look at it and intuitively understand how to use every one of them. But the directions they give are easy, and they do more than just tell you how to use each tool; they also throw in tips on how to use the results you receive to make your site more successful.
SearchIt! is one of these free tools that really produces value for you. I recommend that you check it out and make it a part of your web marketing arsenal.
Jeff
The SearchIt! free search tool consists of a window with two dropdown boxes and two text boxes. In the two dropdown boxes, you select the type of search you want to do. In the two text boxes, you select the search criteria (such as keywords or URLs) you want to use.
Rather than repeat the introductory info about SearchIt! that I shared last week, I suggest that you see the October 2nd blog for this information. Or simply realize that it is important to click all the links and read all the instructions that SearchIt! tells you to do.
You'll find SearchIt! A LOT easier and more valuable to use if you do that.
As I said last week, I do the bulk of my keyword research on Wordtracker rather than SearchIt!. Wordtracker provides information on what keyword variations people are using to search, how frequently people search for each keyword variation, and how many pages compete for the same keywords. In other words, it provides the full package of keyword research information.
But Wordtracker charges for accesss to their database. While I'm happy to spend my money on this valuable service instead of spending extra time piecing together keyword research information from different sources, I know some people take the opposite view.
If you're one of them, SearchIt! gives you a lot of options for using free tools that give you parts of the keyword research equation. So here's some of the ways you can do keyword research for free with SearchIt!
Using SearchIt!
Last week we looked at using SearchIt! for brainstorming keywords. This week we'll look at the tools that show you how heavy or light the competition is for your keywords.
In the Step 1 dropdown box, select Competition.
Click the dropdown box for Step 2: Select Search Type. You'll see the following options.
- Yahoo! Bid Price
- Google Single Keyword SUPPLY
- Google Multiple Keyword SUPPLY
- Competitors by PageRank
- Back Links to SITE (Yahoo! Search)
- Back Links to PAGE (Google)
(Note: These options may change. The SiteSell people (who maintain the SearchIt! tool) are constantly adding new search tools to it.)
Yahoo! Bid Price
Let's start by looking at the Yahoo! Bid Price tool.
This kind of search helps you see how competitive your keyword is by showing what advertisers are paying for that keyword on Yahoo! Search Marketing. Lots of bidders willing to pay over $1 per click indicates a term that is profitable, but also hugely competitive. A lack of bidders, on the other hand, suggests a keyword that few others compete for, but that may not convert to sales as readily as the highly competitive ones.
Type your keyword in the Step 3 box and click the SearchIt! button. Read the information about this search and click the link at the bottom to show your results. You'll have to copy four letters from a graphic into the box to assure Yahoo! that a real person is requesting this search instead of an automated script, but then you'll see your results.
Google Single Keyword SUPPLY
This option shows you how many sites provide content for the exact keyword you are researching. Type your keyword into the Step 3 box (without quotes - SearchIt! adds the quotes to the query automatically). Click the SearchIt! button and read the information that describes how to interpret your results.
Google Multiple Keyword SUPPLY
This tool is incredibly handy if you want to research supply data for more than one keyword. It requires that you enter your own Google API key into the Step 4 box after entering up to ten keywords in the Step 3 box, each keyword phrase separated by a comma. Rather than simply repeat the instruction SearchIt! gives for this kind of search (it's a little more complicated than most), I'll just encourage you again to read all the directions, including the directions that pop up when you click the link between the top row of two drop-down boxes and the bottom row of two text boxes.
And a word of encouragement: when registering for your Google API key, don't let all Google's geek-speak scare you off. Using your Google API key is as easy as copying and pasting a line of numbers and letters from the email they send to into any tool that requires a Google API key. You don't need to download any programming toolkits or know any programming or do anything of a technical nature.
Just apply for your key. Once you receive it, you can copy it into any tool on the Web that requires a Google API key for a specialized search. And you'll find many of those tools (like this one) to be a great time-saver.
Competitors by PageRank
This tool shows you at a glance how the highest ranking page for this keyword compare in Google PageRank. How does this help? It shows how influential Google considers each page to be based on the number and quality of links coming into them. Again, check both the popup information (that pops up when you click on the link on the SearchIt! page, and the introductory information (that appears when you click the SearchIt! button) for more information on how to interpret this kind of search.
Back Links to SITE (Yahoo! Search)
This tool shows you how many sites are linking to your site or a competitor's site and gives a good idea of easy or tough it will be to make your site competitive in link popularity.
This tool differs, though, in what you type into the Step 3 box. Instead of typing a keyword, type the domain name of the site you want to check. Don't include the http:// or the www. Just include the domain name and extension (for example, onestopwebsupport.com).
Click the button and the link and SearchIt! will show you listings of all the sites that Yahoo! shows as linking to any page on that site.
Back Links to PAGE (Google)
This is like the Back Links to SITE (Yahoo! Search) option, except that it shows you how many sites link to a specific page of your site.
Type the page URL of the page you want to check in the Step 3 box. Don't include the http://, but you can include the www. if applicable (for example, www.onestopwebsupport.com/weblog/weblog.html).
Next week
This Sunday, I've covered just the keyword competition tools that SearchIt! provides. Next Sunday, I'll show the tools it has for doing advanced keyword research on your pages or your competitors' pages.
All in all, SearchIt! can find you lots of keywords and much other valuable information. The main thing to remember is to READ THE DIRECTIONS. With as many tools packed into this one interface, you're not going to take one look at it and intuitively understand how to use every one of them. But the directions they give are easy, and they do more than just tell you how to use each tool; they also throw in tips on how to use the results you receive to make your site more successful.
SearchIt! is one of these free tools that really produces value for you. I recommend that you check it out and make it a part of your web marketing arsenal.
Jeff
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