Keyword Data cut for those without active ad campaign

Keyword Data Cut For Those Without Active Ad Campaigns

Keyword Data Cut For Those Without Active Ad Campaigns 700 411 Gravitate Digital

Advertisers without active ad campaigns on AdWords can no longer gain full access to Google’s Keyword Planner Tool after average monthly keyword data is restricted.

Users with a low monthly ad spend or those that carry out excessive data searches may also be affected by the change, which will see AdWords display data ranges (1K – 10K, 10K – 100K) for search volumes rather than exact figures. However, Google are yet to specify any spend or query frequency thresholds for what constitutes as ‘low’ or ‘excessive’.

A Google representative on the AdWords Community forum confirmed: “This change was made so that we can consistently give advertisers the data they need to optimize their accounts, while preventing ‘bots’ and other services from abusing the intended use of Keyword Planner. The search volume estimates still provide an accurate and helpful view of how many clicks and impressions keywords may receive.”

How will this affect my business?

These changes could heavily influence the way advertisers use keyword data going forward.  Many small businesses in particular may not be in a position to pay upwards of $100 per month for keyword research, prohibiting them from competing with larger companies.

Originally, users with legacy AdWord accounts were still able to access the Keyword Planner Tool without restriction, regardless of whether or not they were running an active ad campaign,  but it seems even older accounts have now been affected.

The restrictions follow a period of limited access to the Keyword Data Tool in June this year, which Google later put down to a technical fault. Google have also made recent changes to prevent users viewing individual keywords, instead using grouped variant terms in their place. This could further damage SEO businesses searching for detailed specs in addition to those using the tool solely for research purposes.