Picking the best keyword research SEO tool is critical if you desire to increase visitors to your website. Here are seven criteria I applied when I was recently shopping for keyword research software:
1) User Friendly. The software program should be user friendly. While this can be difficult to ascertain until you actually try the program some software sellers include videos on their website showing how their software works. Other sellers may include screen shots on their sites. Some may even offer free demos. You can also read reviews on the software.
When I was choosing keyword research software I primarily watched the videos on their websites and read reviews. This gave me a good idea as to which one appeared the easiest to use..
2) Search Features. In addition to the basic search function the program ought to let you to expand or narrow a search for a specific keyword, provide you with a keyword count of supply versus demand, show you what products or articles are tied to a particular keyword, etc. The software should also allow you to filter and sort results.
3) Keyword Scoring. This feature is essential. The better software programs available will analyze the data generated for a keyword and provide you with an indicator regarding the amount of competition.
Just to illustrate, with the software I have I can check the amount of competition on specific keywords I am interested in using. This indicator is exclusive to the software and works much like a traffic light: Green means light competition, yellow means moderate competition and red means strong competition. Although these indicators do not guarantee success with a keyword but they do give me an idea of supply and demand for a specific keyword. So far I have only utilized keywords with a green indicator.
A number of keyword research SEO tools have their own proprietary scoring systems. I used one in the past that rated keywords on a numerical scale (the lower the number the better). But again, when choosing software you will want to ensure some sort of scoring system is included.
4) Technical Support. There might be times when you have a technical problem with your software and require assistance. This is where first-class technical support becomes important. Look for a seller that has a stated turnaround time to technical support inquiries. Using the software I have as an example the seller has a stated turnaround time of usually around 24 hours Monday through Friday.
5) Software Updates. Be sure that the software you are considering offers updates. The software package I ended up deciding on provides free updates for life. This is good because I do not want to buy software and then end up having to pay for updates in the future..
6) Price. Price is without doubt a consideration. From what I have seen the better keyword research software packages out there cost around $ 97.00 or more. It goes without saying you can get hold of software packages for less but they may perhaps not have as many features. Although it really comes down to the specific software package you are contemplating.
7) Money-Back Guarantee. Whenever I purchase software I want to be certain that it comes with some sort of money-back guarantee just in case it doesn't work on my computer or I am simply not happy with it. The longer the guarantee period the better because this gives me more time to use the software. Look for a guarantee period of at the very least 30 days. And study the terms of the guarantee.
In sum, those are the seven criteria I used when selecting a keyword research SEO tool. You may possibly come up with additional criteria of your own or change mine. But hopefully the items covered in this article will provide you with a starting point as you begin shopping for keyword research software.
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://www.look4articles.com/images/icon_Rss.png "XML Feed For RSS"){kind=icon}
Category Rss Feed
Print This Article
Add To Favorites
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://www.look4articles.com/images/rss.jpg "XML Feed For RSS")