Better tactics for keyword research

[natearistotle]

I am paying for monthly Adwords Google.  I am planning to build out and optimize my website content with the findings from the Adwords campaign.  What is frustrating me is the Google list of keywords recommended.  Is there a better tool for determining excellent, "long-tail" keywords specific to my industry, products and services?

-Feeling Left Out

[JaredBroker]

Hey Nate,

Try Keyword Optimizer Pro (Google It)

It is free and here is what it does:

When you search Google, it shows a list of suggestions before you hit "enter".  Now try this: hit "space" letter "a".  This gives a new list, delete it, then "space" letter "b", etc.

Keyword Optimizer Pro scrapes A-Z and 0-9.  There are a couple of settings, the longest which can return 10,000 phrases.

You can take the lists, and if you are signed in to Adwords, you can paste 2500 keywords in there to analyze them.  I use it at least once a week with no problems and it was completely updated about a month ago.

Hope this helps (I know it will),

Jared

[CaseyKluver]

Try typing the keywords you have now into Ubersuggest. This will give you hundreds of more long tail suggestions. You can quickly come up with thousands of possible phrases. Then copy your new list into Google keyword tool and see if any of them are worth anything to form your new list.

[EGOL]

There are some good keyword research tools out there.  SEOBook features some of them here. (about 1.5 years old)

http://www.seobook.com/archives/001013.shtml

I have used keyword discovery, wordtracker and the adwords tool.  All have performed well.  However, I think adwords tool does a great job and that, combined with my brain, and some very occasional competitor checking is enough time spent on the task for me.

Why check the people below you?  They are the ones who might be kicking your butt tomorrow.... and the most dangerous competitor is the one who has not yet arrived.

[natearistotle]

EGOL: Thanks for the tips.  But, why look at competitors who are not beating me?

From what you're saying there is not necessarily a good "tool"  out there for outstanding keyword research.  It comes down to fundamental research and evaluating your competitors.

[EGOL]

Pick the competitors who are beating you in the SERPs... and a few who are not.

Then visit their sites and sniff their keywords.

Also... when I use the Adwords keyword too, I look at the list of KWs that they provide and then start typing in some that I think of.  I can usually add a lot to their list because I know my industry very well.