How google helps you - the google keyword tool

If you are looking to run a google campaign, how do you find out what people are searching for? Not surprisingly, google has made it easy for you to find out - after all, if you take a sponsored link for a popular search string, you will be paying your fees for the privilege and contributing to google's revenues.

Amongst the many tools that are available to google account holders, the keyword tool gives you the chance to investigate the most popular search phrases so you can determine your campaign strategy. Log-in to google (setting up an account is easy - look for "sign-in" in the top right hand corner and follow instructions) and look for the section called "Business Solutions". In there, you will find the keyword tool.

Simply type in the phrase you want to be found for, and google will come back with a report about the search volume in the last month and the last twelve months, as well as the level of competition for advertising. In addition, and most usefully, the keyword tool will return a list of similar phrases that may be of interest to you. Some of these will be too far removed from your core campaign, but a phrase with low advertiser competition and high search volumes may be worth researching further.

Finally, you can use google to forecast your pay-per-click budgeting requirements and estimated google returns. It's all in there - just log-in and have a look around the most useful site on the internet.