Using Overture- Yahoo Search Marketing Keyword Tool
Overview
One of the main tools webmasters use each time they search for keywords for their websites is the Yahoo Search Marketing Keyword Selector Tool (formerly known as the Overture Keyword Selector Tool). Though this has gone through troubled times, people still get back to using this tool.
Useful Features
Overture’s Keyword Selector Tool has a very easy process in searching for keywords. It’s just an “enter-and-wait�? thing. You also have the query results quickly. The tool gives a large number of possible keywords so you’ll be able also to make a large list of keywords for your website, and pick the best ones. Clicking on any of the search terms from the result will dig for more keywords variation.
Negative Features
Overture’s Keyword Selector Tool has the tendency of giving inflated traffic data for each search term. The tool includes the automated searches in its results; this includes automated bid optimizers, position and ranking monitors and page popularity analyzers. Because Overture cannot make distinction from automated and manual searches, it tallies all positioning queries from each of Overture’s partner-MSN Search, Yahoo, Altavista, and others, causing the inflated results.
Another weakness of Overture is that it is prone to duplications in counting the number of term searches. One person may use same term in searching to different engine which is a partner of Overture. So instead of counting as one, Overture may tally 5 or more searches.
Compared with its Competition
One tool that’s always compared with Overture is Wordtracker. Compared to Wordtracker’s data which are two months old, Overture uses data from the previous month. Also, Overture simply provides related keywords to the ones entered and shows the number which a particular word or phrase was used in searching. Wordtracker has KEI Analysis where aside from giving the number of searches to which a search term was used, its competitiveness is also measured.
Another rising competitor is Keyword Discovery. This tool’s data goes back to 12 months before the search compared to Overture’s 1 month. Like Wordtracker, it also offers KEI Analysis. It also has keyword density tester which Overture lacks.
Another thing that separates Overture from the two mentioned is that it is for free-it gives results for your keyword query no matter how many terms it suggests. Unlike the two which gives limited results when you’re using the free version and you have to pay if you want to see all the results.
Overture works just like the other free keyword research tools that only offer keyword suggestions and the number of keyword usage.
In Conclusion
In my case, I’ll use Overture’s Keyword Selector Tool in getting general idea of what keywords are always used. But still, I’d check the other tools if I want to be sure that I get the exact keywords for my website. It won’t harm you trying Overture, though. It’s for free.
