Keywords Everywhere: An SEO Tool Review from a No-Nonsense Dad

Let’s cut to the chase. I’m a 46-year-old dad. I don’t have time for fluff, and I sure as hell don’t want to waste yours. So, here’s the lowdown on Keywords Everywhere, an SEO tool I’ve been using since its early days (back when it was free, bless their souls).

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

The Good:

• Fast & Efficient: Keywords Everywhere is like a shot of espresso for your keyword research. It quickly gives you the data you need: monthly search volume (MSV), related terms, and competitor insights.
• Favorite Star: This little feature is a lifesaver. Hit the star, save the keyword. It’s that simple.
• Competitor Analysis on Steroids: See what keywords your competitors are ranking for? Click, star, done. It’s like stealing their lunch money, but, you know, legally.
• Trend Spotting: The trend graph is your crystal ball. See what’s hot and what’s not over the past 12 months.
• Bulk Credits (Hidden Gem): While they push the subscription model, you can still buy credits in bulk. It’s tucked away, but it’s there.

The Bad:

• Sorting & Bulk Actions: Trying to sort your favorites or bulk deselect keywords is like herding cats. It’s frustrating and time-consuming.
• Pricing Model: The new subscription model feels like a cash grab. I’d rather buy credits in bulk, thank you very much.
• Shared Favorites: If you have multiple seats, everyone shares the same favorites list. It’s a mess.
• Data Limitations: KE pulls its data from Google Keyword Planner, so it might miss some niche or newer terms.

The Ugly:

• Feature Creep: I fear they’ll keep adding unnecessary features and then charging us for them. Just keep it simple, guys.

How I Use It (A Step-by-Step Guide)

1. Topic Research: I start by typing my main topic into Google. Keywords Everywhere immediately shows me the MSV and related terms.
2. Star Power: I star any relevant keywords I find.
3. Competitor Recon: I check out the top-ranking pages for my topic and see what keywords they’re ranking for. More starring ensues.
4. Download & Map: I download my starred keywords and map them to the relevant pages on my site.
5. Cleanup Crew: I open the downloaded list in Excel and filter out any irrelevant terms or those without MSV. (Thanks, KE, for making this extra step necessary with your lack of sorting.)

The Verdict

Keywords Everywhere is a valuable tool, but it’s not perfect. It’s like that old pickup truck you have. It’s a bit rusty, and it’s definitely seen better days, but it still gets the job done. If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to do preliminary keyword research, Keywords Everywhere is worth a shot. Just be prepared for a few quirks along the way, and remember to supplement it with other tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush for a complete picture.

Final Thoughts

To the Keywords Everywhere team: Please, for the love of all that is holy, keep it simple. We don’t need a million bells and whistles. We just need a tool that helps us do our jobs quickly and efficiently. And please, reconsider that pricing model. We’re not made of money.

Oh, and one more thing: fix the damn sorting!