Keyword tool & interpretation

[zella]

Hello,

I've found a relevant keyword / keyword phrase with 1,000,000 global and local monthly searches for another site I'd like to build. The competition is indicated as "Low".

Google defines "Low" as : "The Competition column gives you a sense of how many advertisers are bidding for a particular keyword. This data can help you determine how competitive the ad placement is."

I was wondering if this information is really significant enough (using Google Adwords Keyword Tool) to start a website on this subject or better use additional means for more kw research ?

Thank you,

[Dan Nickerson]

It really depends on the keyword. Chances are if competition is low it's too simple of a word.

How many "exact" searches does it get, and if you type it in Google search are there any ads displaying for it?

[zella]

Forgive my ignorance Dan, but how can I get the exact number of searches ?
When I type the kw into Google it shows only one Ad on top of the page. There're none on the right side of the page.

[Dan Nickerson]

You said you were using the Google Keyword Tool. So you should use that and click the "exact" radio button on left hand side.

You should not be on Google.com searching.

[zella]

Ok, got it. So when I use "exact" it shows 60,500 Global as well as Local monthly searches.

[Dan Nickerson]

Yes and that is excellent.. but most words like that are simply too difficult to rank for..

[zella]

Is it a potential issue if only one Ad is shown in Google ? I suppose the more would be better right ?

[Dan Nickerson]

You haven't given the word and I understand why...

But I can tell you that finding a "monetizable" keyword that has 60,000 exact searches, low competition in google and only one ad displaying in Google search on an exact search.... has the same odds as winning the lottery, getting struck by lightning while on your celebratory boat ride and then falling in water and getting eaten by a shark in the same day.

Most likely your word belongs with other words in a key phrase to be profitable.

[zella]

Thanks a lot indeed for all the guidance Dan.

[SHiggins]

Zella, I'm not sure if you've gone forward with your project but thought I'd give my 2 cents. First of all, great advice from Dan.

Besides looking at what Ads show up in Google when you search for the keyword, look at the organic results as well. What sort of websites pop up? Are they mostly schools, article sites, the main competition, or random results loosely based around different variations of the keyword? If the latter, I'd say you might be dealing with a pretty niche keyword that not many are really focused on targeting. This may or may not mean you have a growth opportunity awaiting, but you'll have to figure that out based on external factors (industry, demographics, government, technology, etc.)

Also, you should try using social media networks to see what people are saying, if anything, about that particular keyword. For example, use Twitter to see if people are Tweeting about the keyword/subject. You might learn that the customers you really want to attract are using different keywords and change your entire approach.

Hope this helps!