4 ms·

Ask HN: Search metrics question

2 points by wturner 16y ago

Hi, I write tutorials for certain types of software and I want to have a better understanding of what people are routinely searching for via google etc as it relates to the specifics of said software. So, I wanted to know if there are any websites that can help me assess this information. I'm specifically interested in what people are searching for within the umbrella of certain criteria. This way I can conform what I write to demand better. An example would be a website that allows me to type in "Final cut pro" and a huge list of phrases appear by percentage and popularity. Thanks

patio11 16y ago
Google "AdWords keyword tool.
- wturner 16y ago
  The problem with the adwords keyword tool is it doesn't really help with giving me insight with the specifics of what people are trying to do. The keyword tool just gives me a list of keywords. For example, When I type: "Pro Tools how do I" I simply don't get a list. If I type "Pro Tools" I only get a list of vague search words, like "Pro Tools help" and "Pro Tools keyboard". This isn't useful if I'm debating if writing a tutorial on tempo mapping or audio file conversion is more important. Thank you for the response however.
  - rmc 16y ago
    How about Google Insights for Search? http://www.google.com/insights/search/ http://www.google.com/insights/search/
nostromo 16y ago
If Google Trends and the Adwords Keyword tool don't work for you, I have a kludgey suggestion: auto-suggest. For example, I typed into Google: final cut pro how to ... And I got: cut, capture, edit, render, fade audio, separate audio and video, etc. You can only get ten at a time, but you try lots of other combinations to get a healthy list. Obviously this won't work for the long tail and isn't a very analytical approach, but sometime it helps me find something new to look into in more detail.
- wturner 16y ago
  I know about that. I just wanted to pry further and see if anyone on here knew some other ideas. Thanks though. One thing I like to do is type a topic and then run the entire alphabet as the first letter for the next phrase and let google fill in the blank. Pro Tools A Pro Tools B Pro Tools C Etc.
  - nostromo 16y ago
    Yeah -- you can also get tools to help you do this automatically, like http://www.keywordninja.com/ http://www.keywordninja.com/ Also, if your space isn't time sensitive, I would suggest rounding up a copy of the search data AOL released a few years back. You can get a copy via torrent. Then you can run the data in any way you see fit.

2 points by wturner 16y ago

patio11 16y ago

Google "AdWords keyword tool.

wturner 16y ago
The problem with the adwords keyword tool is it doesn't really help with giving me insight with the specifics of what people are trying to do. The keyword tool just gives me a list of keywords. For example, When I type: "Pro Tools how do I" I simply don't get a list. If I type "Pro Tools" I only get a list of vague search words, like "Pro Tools help" and "Pro Tools keyboard". This isn't useful if I'm debating if writing a tutorial on tempo mapping or audio file conversion is more important. Thank you for the response however.
- rmc 16y ago
  How about Google Insights for Search? http://www.google.com/insights/search/ http://www.google.com/insights/search/

nostromo 16y ago

If Google Trends and the Adwords Keyword tool don't work for you, I have a kludgey suggestion: auto-suggest. For example, I typed into Google: final cut pro how to ... And I got: cut, capture, edit, render, fade audio, separate audio and video, etc. You can only get ten at a time, but you try lots of other combinations to get a healthy list. Obviously this won't work for the long tail and isn't a very analytical approach, but sometime it helps me find something new to look into in more detail.

wturner 16y ago
I know about that. I just wanted to pry further and see if anyone on here knew some other ideas. Thanks though. One thing I like to do is type a topic and then run the entire alphabet as the first letter for the next phrase and let google fill in the blank. Pro Tools A Pro Tools B Pro Tools C Etc.
- nostromo 16y ago
  Yeah -- you can also get tools to help you do this automatically, like http://www.keywordninja.com/ http://www.keywordninja.com/ Also, if your space isn't time sensitive, I would suggest rounding up a copy of the search data AOL released a few years back. You can get a copy via torrent. Then you can run the data in any way you see fit.