Keyword Planner replaces Keyword Tool - what now?

You've probably already heard a lot about it: Google will shut down their current Keyword Tool anytime soon. Fortunately, they are providing an alternative: a new tool named Adwords Keyword Planner. As you know, SECockpit uses Data from Google - so an important question we need to address is: what effect will this change have for our customers?

We're glad to annouce that we have been preparing this big update for several months now and we've done all we can that our customers won't experience any downtime.

What changes will SECockpit Customers notice?

There are 4 main differences between the old Keyword Tool and the new Keyword Planner - but only 2 of these changes will be noticable in SECockpit.

1st Difference: Match Types

These are the 3 search volume types you could choose from when doing your keyword research: Broad, [Exact] and "Phrase". Google has removed these match types in the new Keyword Planner. In future, you'll only see the [Exact]-matched results.

This change has no effect in SECockpit as we've always only used [Exact]-match data.

2nd Difference: Monthly Searches

The old Keyword Tool always displayed Global and Local Monthly Searches. These two columns have been replaced with just one "Average Monthly Searches" column.

By default, the old Keyword Tool always displayed searches from Desktop or Laptop devices. The new Keyword Planner tool's "Average Monthly Searches" combines searches from Desktop AND Mobile devices. This results in most figures being slightly larger now.

This change will be visible in SECockpit - our "Monthly Searches" column will display the new data, which includes mobile devices.

3rd Difference: Cost-per-Click

The CPC Value - that's the Cost per Click for Adwords Ads - is now shown in a column named "Average CPC". According to Google, the data displayed in the new column is more precise than the old Keyword Tool (Link to Article).

This too will result in slightly different (and more precise) values in SECockpit.

4th Difference: Search Volumes by City

The old Keyword Tool allowed you to query search volumes by Country and Language. The new Keyword Planner allows you to query by specific regions and cities as well. This change opens a new world of opportunities, of course! We're already working to see if we can implement this new feature - stay tuned...

Have you seen SECockpit in action? We hold regular Live Webinars showing how you can use SECockpit to find keyword opportunities for your business. Sign up FREE for our next event:

Do you have any questions about this change? We're interested to hear and look forward to your comments below.