No tool in the world, no analytical model and no intuition are a match for the best keyword analysts in the world: the user. And thanks to keyword advertising, or let’s say Google AdWords, it can be recognized how the user reacts to a keyword world. All kinds of conceivable terms can be perfectly tested, modified and ultimately used for an effective search engine optimization.

However, whoever intends to harness Google AdWords as a tool for keyword analysis has to consider three basic and not always easily understandable features of this advertising program:

  1. If keywords on Google are in the "broad match" mode, which means without any restriction, Google possibly shows AdWords as well in case of completely different terms, the so-called "broadly appropriate" words and "related terms”.
  2. If a more or less appropriate related search term provokes a click, Google provides no adequate information.
  3. Impressions due to largely matching or related terms are not shown.

In the context of a keyword analysis, it has the following consequences:

  1. First, the terms should be booked as "broad match" whenever reasonably justifiable, thus without quotes or square brackets. Only this way allows Google to self-expand the keyword world. Although unfortunately, waste coverage is generated, it is rewarding in the end.
  2. Adopt additional tracking tools. With Google conversion tracking, the additional terms Google has assigned independently can’t get evaluated at all and with Google Analytics, this is very cumbersome. Whoever therefore wants to measure what specific terms have led to how many conversions will sooner or later inevitably have to face the issue of involving third-party programs.
  3. Logging in additional meaningful terms. From time to time, Google hits with its mechanism of largely appropriate and related terms the bull’s eye. The only problem is that in order to raise the search frequency of a term it has to be logged in as otherwise Google provides no data.

Who takes into consideration these peculiarities and maintains and analyses his campaigns on that score, will gain reliable data to search frequency and profitability of each keyword or simply conduct search engine optimization efficiently. That the analysis process itself helps to increase the quality of the AdWords campaign is in the process a nice side effect.

By Daniela La Marca