Help Corner Questions & Answers

Here's a list of questions and answers I've compiled since I started using Keyword Research tools. Got a question that's not answered here? Please use this contact form and ASK ME! If I don't know the answer, I'll do my best to find out from my contacts in the industry.

Do I really need a tool?

From my experience, you can come up with a lot of good keywords on your own. But unless you're a real literary genius (I'm not!) then you won't be able to think of every single variation of the keywords you're working with. As well as doing a lot of the hard work for you, keyword research tools come up with keyphrases you'd never find on your own.

I'm really confused about which tool to get

I'm not surprised! Reading through each of the sales pages for the products out there, and some of the bogus reviews on the web of those tools, it's easy to see why people buy the wrong tool.

In truth, you can't go wrong with any of the 'big three': Keywords Analyzer, Keyword Elite and Wordtracker. I've used them all over the years constantly and you'll find any of those tools very effective. Keywords Analyzer is slightly cheaper.

Do you need more than one tool?

It would be nice, but it's not essential. I've found that each keyword tool do something slightly different to the next one. And offers up a slightly different keyword list. If you're loaded - get yourself the three mentioned above. If not you'll do fine just getting one of the top ranking tools. Don't forget to ALSO use the free tools on my essential freebies page.

Why buy a tool when there's loads of free ones?

This is something I'd wondered in the beginning. But I've found two solid advantages of the paid services and tools over the other ones.

1) They build much bigger, more thorough keyword lists

If you compare something like WordTracker to Overture's free keywords suggestion tool, then there's just no comparison. WordTracker offers a lot more ways to find phrases and you'll dig out many more variations than you could for free. The free tools carry a lot of problems too. For example, Overture can't separate plural phrases from singular ones and it always seems to be slow these days.

2) Your competition is or isn't using them.

Most people trying to build keyword lists are lazy and won't be prepared to spend any money. It's easy to get ahead of them by investing in a decent tool.

And then there's the competitors that are using tools like Keywords Analyzer and WordTracker. The only way to keep up and beat them is to use the same tools they're using. Trust me when I say that the big players ARE using the latest software.

What computer spec do I need?

One of the good things about keyword research software is that you don't need the world's fastest, most up-to-date computer to use the software. If you've got a 500mhz PC then you'll be fine. Here's a more full description of the system specs you need:

• Operating system: Windows 95, 98, ME, NT 4.0, 2000 and XP.
• Processor speed of 500mhz or above
• 64 MB of RAM
• 10 MB Free Space

What connection speed do you need?

You can run these tools on Dialup but in all honesty they'll run so much faster on a broadband connection. That's because you have to be connected to the web to use either the software based tools or the online based tools. And all of them have to connect to a database before they can start building keywords lists.

	The best software I've found
	Comparison of the major programs
	Reviews of Keyword Research software