Keyword Research Tool Review: Market Samurai

What makes me sure enough about a piece of SEO software to write a keyword research tool review?

I am not an SEO or Marketing guru–I am just a career-long researcher who knows the Web. I began my freelance writing career doing print materials for nonprofits–and in late 2009, I turned web content writer. Did I know anything about SEO? Uh….no. I am ashamed to say I didn’t know the difference between a backlink and a LinkedIn link. My goodness– I had to learn oodles about Googles before I could turn out the kinds of keyword-intelligent articles my new clients expected.  I also began reading one keyword research tool review after another.  And became more and more confused!

Oh. but I knew one thing I wanted. I saw that I would get just one chance to impress a local prospect enough to get ongoing article-writing, web-updating, and SEO-maintaining business. Wouldn’t it be lovely, I thought, to have a tool that was just so over-the-top wonderful that I would impress a prospect from that very first meeting? And keep ’em for the long haul.

What exactly would that take? A keyword research software tool that would allow me to do a quick, up-front keyword list–complete with competition overview and related applications. All from within a single, easy-to-read interface.

I continued researching premium keyword research tool reviews and learning what sets a great tool apart from a good one. After all of that immersion, here’s my list of non-negotiables: full-featured user interface, flexible, criteria-based filtering, free video training, one-time cost, and easy-to-interpret results.

1. Full-featured…within the SINGLE APPLICATION

A big drawback of some of the free tools out there is that it is next to impossible to conduct all of the necessary research within a single, unified interface. Browser window after browser window must be opened to check on the Google competition, research domain ages and available names, and so on…and so on.  No keyword research tool review that I read mentioned that little problem–but almost all of the tools I tried suffered from browser-window overload.

What to do? Is there a software product out there that handles all of the keyword research, competition analysis, domain research, and even content research? Yup, there is. And I stumbled across it through a forum of marketers.

In my attempt to marinate myself in all things SEO, I joined the Warrior Forum–a very active (some would describe themselves as HYPERactive) group of Internet Marketers. I was, I’m ashamed to say, merely a lurker of the lowest, ocean-floor variety. But what an extraordinary training time my lurking ended up being! I’ll always remember the intriguing entry that asked forum members to tell what tools, out of ALL the tools they had ever purchased (and believe me, these folks try out EVERYTHING you can imagine), had yielded the most satisfying returns. Out of, like, 23 pages of posts, naming various useful tools and tutorials, one software product was mentioned in about 60% of the posts.  Unbelievable. The winner of that unofficial keyword research tool review fest was…you guessed it… Market Samurai

At first, I thought a bunch of those IM’ers were giving affiliate links. No–far from it. Market Samurai did not even have an affiliate program at that time. The IM veterans in that forum simply thought it was an awesome product and wanted to say so. And what did they most love about it (aside from price)? Its comprehensive, full-featured interface.  Hard to come by a more honest keyword research tool review than that, right?

2. First-Rate Video/Screenshot Training

Keyword research tools can make you feel like a real dumb-dumb. Keyword research tool reviews often neglect to mention that unfortunate fact. It’s quite marvelous to see a list of related words populate table rows after you enter only one word or phrase–but then…yowie!

WHAT on earth are all those bleeping figures? Am I supposed to dig out a badly translated PDF manual and look up OCI and SEOC while I am examining all of those tiny little figures on the screen? Nooooooooo…overload alert!

Deep breath…there, that’s better.

So…I explored the Market Samurai training tools–appropriately called the “Dojo.” Hold off on all that a**-kicking, little white belt, until the Sensei has spoken. Sheesh, after all, no one tries to tackle building a website without learning HTML, right?. Silly to tackle professional market research (which is exactly what keyword tools enable) without training.  Thus my keyword research tool review would not be complete without giving you the skinny on the Dojo.

The Dojo was fantastic. So was the charming Maori Sensei. And I’ve got a teaching background and a lot of training snobbiness in me. The cool Aussie guy in the training vids took me through the use of the tool (in perfect little bite-sized tidbits). I viewed, made copious notes, and had an researcher epiphyany. By the end of the video series, I “got” how to do results filtering. And how to make research into a very streamlined workflow.

3. Easy-to-Interpret Results

Guess what? (I’m going to lay some deep wisdom on ya here.)

The only keyword results that matter are the ones that actually give you access to a niche. In this business, that means disposing of all the junk results–as in, well, never having to view the worthless stuff at all!  

Keyword Research Tool Review Tip #1:  Get an app that filters.

And one of the most useful features of the free Market Samurai Dojo is its step-by-step video tutorial on effectively applying filters.

Keyword Research Tool Review Tip #2:  Find a way to sample the training WHILE you sample the software.

Oh, and guess what? You can sample ALL of the Dojo videos without buying or downloading a thing.  Not bad, eh?

4. One-time, Up-Front Cost

As a novice “info-preneur,” I’m more than happy to buy a set of excellent marketing tools–but I studiously avoid recurring monthly costs. My goal is to MAKE money–not to see my money draining away in the form of automatic credit card charges.  (Boo-hoo-makes me heartsick to think about it.)

Keyword Research Tool Review Tip #3:  Run in the other direction when someone asks you to pay a month for the all-important software.

So, I made myself a solemn promise as I began my business that I would stick religiously to a “tool budget” and limit myself to purchases that required only a one-time investment. Ahem…lo siento, Wordtracker. I love you, but you simply cost too much every darned month. Back to reading more keyword research tool reviews….

What else did the Warrior Forum members extol about Market Samurai? Its very reasonable, one-time-purchase price model. I agree. Mmm-hmmm–very nice indeed.

But you can, of course, give it a spin without paying a nickel–OR giving your credit card.

Keyword Research Tool Review Tip #4:  Don’t give anyone your credit card just to try the thing out.

I liked the terms of Market Samurai’s free trial offer. 12 DAYS! No credit card required–just an email list opt-in. That’s fair. They advertise their discounted price to you if you purchase the software during the 12-day trial period. I wish they would just keep it and not apply the pressure–but, well, I get it. And that is, of course, their right. And it’s pretty sweet that all of the Dojo vids are available during that 12-day trial period.

5. Rapidly Generated, Easy-to-Read Results.

Three main things you want to know quickly when you are doing keyword research:

1. Keywords with decent traffic volume 2. Keywords with actual commercial value (i.e., visitors likely to make a purchase) 3. Keywords with low competition

If you can’t get quickly assess these three things, the software is worthless. So how does Market Samurai do on these three counts?

Keyword Research Tool Review Tip # 5:  Know how to read the darn results.

To see full details on the way Market Samurai generates and displays its results, check out my Squidoo review at http://www.squidoo.com/keyword-research-tool-review

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