How accurate and reliable are statistics from keyword research tools?
I am not aware of any keyword research tools that are “very accurate,” and at best they tend to be “somewhat helpful.” There are several issues here. First, no tool is more reliable than the data it is “fed,” and neither Google nor Yahoo provide their search data to third parties. WordTracker uses data from a pool of smaller search engine sites, and often shows high traffic levels for very bizarre search phrases. (In my experience, WordTracker’s data includes “fake traffic” including traffic from other keyword-research bots.) In addition, even your own data is not complete: you may find that your bidding draws 150 impressions per day for searches for “where dubai” but in fact, your ad might not be shown for 1,000 other searches done each day. (Your data may also be “over-inclusive,” as you may be including searches through the Search Network, which aren’t done at Google, or traffic on the Content Network). Second, search patterns change over time; the number of searches for “Santa Clau
