If you like to use Google's well known Google Keyword Tool, then it is probably no surprise to you that Google has planned to shutdown the Google Adword Keyword Tool and Traffic Estimator for awhile now to replace it with the new Google Keyword Planner. I noticed that just in the last week the Keyword Tool URL now redirects to the new and, what Google claims, improved Google Keyword Planner.
In a post on Inside Adwords, the official Google Adwords blog, on May 20th 2013 this is why Google says it has switched from the Google Keyword Tool to the Google Keyword Planner.
We’re constantly working to simplify the process of building campaigns, and today we’re happy to announce the launch of a new tool, Keyword Planner, which combines the functionality of the Keyword Tool and Traffic Estimator into a smooth, integrated workflow. You can use Keyword Planner to find new keyword and ad group ideas, get performance estimates for them to find the bid and budget that are right for you, and then add them to your campaigns. You’ll also see some new features in the tool – some of which we’ll highlight below.
To put this into terms people can understand this basically means Google built the Keyword Planner to try to make it easier and simpler for advertisers to figure out which search phrases they want to bid on. Google obviously wants to give as much data and tools as possible since the more advertising on Google Adwords, the more money they will make. The Keyword Planner includes several new features compared to the Google Keyword Tool. This includes;
- Multiply keywords in 2 different lists to generate new keywords you mightnot have thought of.
- You can geotarget not juts countries, but specific cities and regions.
- A graph showing the search volumes for selected keywords or phrases by month by month. This allows you to see when certain terms have a higher volume of searches.
The Google Keyword Tool and Google Traffic Estimator are not exactly retired as they were merged into the Google Keyword Planner. You can do everything you used to do but supposedly even better with the Keyword Planner.
Since I try to make the most of my articles (of course you can't always do that) SEO friendly and keyword optimized I used to use the Google Keyword Tool all the time. Even external SEO programs, like Long Tail Pro, pulled most of their data from the Google Keyword Tool too. While I appreciate it when companies update their tools and services when they are free, I am having a bit of trouble getting used to the Keyword Planner. Since the Keyword Tool has been around for so long I know my way around it easily. The Google Keyword Planner is taking some getting used too. I like the new features but find some of the new layout and tools confusing.
If you are a SEO (search engine optimizer), SEM (search engine marketer), advertiser, or do a lot of keyword research what do you think of Google changing over from the Keyword Tool to the Keyword Planner? Do you like the new tool or wish Google kept the Keyword Tool and just added the new features?