If you've logged into your account over the past couple of days then you've probably noticed the tool looks really rather different. The good thing is that the same great features are accessible. However the way the tools feels and works is very different. So let's go through some of the stuff that's changed and why it's changed.
- If you want a more in-depth dive into the new feature set then our article on the redesign has a breakdown of the features.
- If you're looking just to dive and get started then the Quick Start guide is a great companion.
- And, if you're looking to try out the new features and you're not a customer just sign up for a free trial. It costs nothing so why not give it a shot?
Using past strengths
Wordtracker has been around since 1998 and that means we've been through a lot of iterations. One of the very early designs looked like this:
This design eventually became outdated so got replaced; looking at it now it feels old. However part of this design that we wanted to bring back into the tool was the workflow, starting with the 'Find keywords related to' section. What this did was enable people to create a better view on any given keyword, by pulling in more widely related terms than the more narrowly focused results. They could then seemlessly pull these keywords across from the related keywords, to the main results and into their list.
This is why in the new design we have 'Suggestions', it's the evolution of the Related Keywords. We now generate these in much more sophisticated ways and we're able to generate terms which use completely separated words but share the same meaning. Something that we simply could not have done 10 years ago.
This has become really important now, as the way in which Google choses to evaluate the relevance of a page to a certain topic has changed so much. It's no longer enough to just use keywords that contain your core term or close variations. Google is now using advanced technology and models such as Word2Vec in order to map keywords and their relationships.
So, we also need to be more sophisticated about the way we generate the terms we choose to use on page.
Getting the balance right
Some things are outright missing from the new design and one of these is KEI. The Keyword Effectiveness Index is something invented and coined by us at Wordtracker. We have had to move this metric off the main results and you will now only find in within your lists. The reason for this is simply a space premium, with this design we have less horizontal room within the results.
Another resulting change is seen in the new 'SEO' and 'PPC' tabs which you can find at the top of the page. These switch the metrics provided for keywords between those useful for SEO and those useful for PPC, including showing organic or paid competition.
Our next aim is to make all the columns fully customisable and we're working our way towards this. It will mean you can choose to show whichever combination of three metrics you want within the results.
What's coming next
Once these changes have bedded in and we've had a chance to take on board any feedback (please add yours to the comments) we will be undertaking the next round of development work, which we have adventurously labelled 'Phase 2'. We'll be building on the platform we've created and it will return functionality such as Inspect, as well as Amazon and YouTube data. Also, for those who want more PPC metrics, we're going to be adding some awesome stuff that will allow you to dig into an idividual keyword - more of this later!
Keyword Research has changed as has the data we provide and the way we generate it. But what hasn't changed is the core need to connect people to the language of thier market; to know how their audience looks for things and the words to use on page to show your content is relevent to what they are looking for. We are really focusing Wordtracker on being able to fulfil those tasks in the most efficient and effective way possible.
We want to make the keyword tool as good as possible and be the best possible resource for our customers. That's our goal and we hope this is a great step towards that.
If you want to try out the new features then why not sign up for a free trial and give it a test run for yourself.
