I have been having very mixed results when using this tool. Anyone one else doubting the numbers being displayed?
Depends what you're using it for. If it's for Adwords it should be pretty accurate (but if it's PPC it shouldn't matter as much). If it's for the organic searches (for Google) then it's more of a "guesstimate", you need to adjust the search count. For one it includes the content network (not just the search network), also a lot of keyword software queries their searches thus skewing the results, and it's a daily average of the past 12 months (in seasonal niches it can make a big difference).
Gee I never really gave the content network much thought, but the search network is their homepage, people enter their search terms and the SERPs show the listings. Adwords advertisers have the choice of using either or both (search or content). The cost is more per click on the search network, but the conversions are much better. If they choose the content network they can select the websites that they want it to appear if the website allows Adwords ads. Like for instance a blog that you visit may be running ads and you didn't arrive from a search. http://www.google.com/adwords/contentnetwork/index.html
Of-course there is no accurate as hundred percent because as you notice different tools from different provider sometimes differ in giving result. But the very fact that they give you the benefit of knowing whats update and status of your site then for me that enough. Because we can never know but still i count to most google tools for i'm using those tools for my site.
It is not that completely accurate for organic SEO. In fact, when Google's Keyword tool switched over from the old layout to the present one, one of the other changes that occurred and what I noticed was that keyword volume had changed drastically. Keywords that I had researched months before the keyword tool update, and had good volume, showed a totally different number once the tool was updated. Some of the other tools that I have used aren't all that accurate either so that's why I still trust Google's Keyword over any other tool at the end of the day.
Yes i agree it depends upon the business how much keys words can be choosed, if you are offering just one service then about 4-5 keywords are enough but if your main serice is like hospital then obviously you will be needing a lot of keys words for every speciality.
No any keyword tool is accurate. If you want to perform a pure SEO then research on other resources to find good keywords. You can take help from this: Keyword Tools Are Not Enough For Keyword Research
There are many different tools out there that are used to determine the best keywords for your site as well as judge their competition and monthly searches. These tools are built keeping in mind different factors so a difference in the results can be expected. No tool is perfect and no tool is worthless. It pays off if you listen to the results of every tool. As Google Tool is by Google and you would want to rank in it so I think that you should listen to what tool has to say. I do.
It's not accurate, Google admits this. Tools will always be just that : Tools. Don't rely on them too much. Let them do the grunt work but use your common sense to actually check if a keyword is worth ranking for. Does the SERP have other people ranking for it? Is there competition? Are people paying for Adspace? Some keywords bring in alot of traffic, but not always the right type of traffic . I.e the good, hungry, ready to buy type ;-)
It should be used as only a gauge. Like with everything we do, you've got test and monitor. Google Analytics and Webmaster Tools will tell the keywords that are actually driving traffic once you start ranking. But what's really critical is what keywords are converting. That is THE most important metric for most businesses.
The results I get from teh keyword tool seem to be consistent with the results I'm getting for my number 1 ranked terms.