An era has passed with the demise of the Google Adwords Keyword Tool, which is now officially shut down. While this has been a top search method used by SEO professionals and marketers, there is an alternative available from Google called Keyword Planner.

The Pros and Cons of Using Keyword Planner For SEO

Google explains that the new tool has expanded to include new features like the ability to search for ideas related to a specific keyword, website or a category, and then multiply those keywords to create lists. The search has also expanded from just countries to cities and regions, along with statistics.
“Google accounts for 65.5% of U.S. searches according to Compete study”

So what exactly are the main benefits versus drawbacks for the new Keyword Planner tool?
The Good News
• The location search is much more expanded to geographically with the ability to bundle regions
• Performance data has been enhanced through search lists, and now up to 10,000 keywords can be uploaded
• Better data visualization means search volumes are now displayed by ad group, category or landing page
The Bad News
• Users are now required to have a Google Adwords account in order to login
• Unlike the old keyword tool, users can no longer search by volume or compare global versus local meaning the closely related search box is now gone, but will hopefully come back in the future according to Google
Additional Options
There are other third party search tools that are currently available for those who do not wish to sign up with a Google Adwords account. The first, SERP Checker, is a free and easy-to-use keyword search tool, which can be found here.
Second, Search Position Finder is a more simple, and limited search tool, but it is free to use. Although it is not as comprehensive as SERP Checker, it will get the job done quickly and easily.
Third, you might want to try Keyword Spy. The easy to use platform delivers a large amount of data for free and is fairly simple to navigate. This is probably the most comprehensive tool of the three I have mentioned here, and even includes additional information instead of just keywords.
With other search tool options available, expect to see more of these in the future as an alternative of the once popular Google Adwords Keyword Tool. If you already have a Google Adwords account, then you just might enjoy the extended functionality of Keyword Planner.

Final Concern

When I compare the keyword research numbers that I had done using Google’s Keyword Tool with the same words now using Keyword Planner, there is a huge discrepancy.  So the question becomes, which one was/is correct?
Have you tried any alternative search tools?
Tell me how these have worked for you!
Share this article with some great facts:
• Microsoft reports 20% of #Google searches are related to locations – Click to Tweet
• Google leads the U.S. explicit core search market with 66% market share according to Comscore – Click to Tweet
• Google AdSense for content publishers earn a 68% revenue share worldwide – Click to Tweet