The Importance in Re-evaluating Keyword Research

Trends, technological innovation, and shifts in an industry impact how people search. As a result of these changes, the re-evaluation of keyword research should be made on a regular basis.

While most search engine marketers take industry seasonality in consideration when evaluating keyword trends, it is important to realize that the evolution of an industry and/or growth and developments can impact search estimates as well.

Here is a quick example.

A client we re-engaged with this summer asked us to review keyword research that was delivered about a year ago.

Here is the snapshot of search estimates from the Google Keyword Tool at that time (specific keywords withheld of course):

And here is a snapshot of the same keyword estimates last week:

Both global and local search estimates increased significantly since last year. The growth in potential search volume for this keyword set will ultimately help the product marketing team advocate a shift in the prioritization of content marketing strategies moving forward.

How often should an organization re-evaluate their keyword research?

While a couple of our clients like to review keyword strategy quarterly, it seems that most prefer doing so on a semi-annual or annual basis.

For companies that rely in part on analysts coverage (such as a B2B technology company), it might make sense to look back at keyword research estimates more often. An example would be when it is known that a specific piece of analyst research or information is about to be distributed.

What are your thoughts? Do you reassess keyword research on a semi-regular basis? I’d love to read your thoughts and perspectives via the comments below.