With Google recently releasing the actual search volume numbers for keyword searches on their network, a whole new, and old, ballgame is in play again. For almost two years now, ever since Yahoo shut down their popular keyword tool, there hasn't been exact data on how popular keyword terms are on the main search engines, especially Google!

Now that Google is providing the world with monthly search totals by keywords, search engine marketing will become more exact, much like it use to be when Yahoo's tool was current and active.

In your Google Adwords account, click the Tools link and then select Keyword Tool. You'll now see a box that where you can type in the keywords that you want to research. If you leave the Use Synonyms boxed checked, which I recommend, you'll receive many different keywords variations for your term that also generate traffic.

Type in some of your product keywords and select, Get Keyword Ideas. Google will then return the data for the keywords you inserted. In the past the actual search volume totals were only represented by a hard to follow sideways bar graph, but now there's actual numerical data. It's much easier to determine if the keyword Chevy Trucks get more volume than Chevy Cars and so forth. This is important for those who market online, as you want you marketing dollars to go where the eye balls or internet searchers are going.

This data adds a whole new playing field into the world of SEO, search engine optimization. There are many companies out there who up to now have been able to charge a fee for there third party traffic volume estimates gathered through who knows where. Sorry guys, but it looks like you'll need to offer other services now.

More importantly, knowing that lots of time and effort is dedicated to search engine optimization work these days, and that keyword selection is crucial from the beginning, it will be much, much more easier to get the correct keyword chosen from the start of a SEO campaign. I imagine there's quite a few people right now who are looking at this new Google data and are wanting to shoot themselves for spending so much time and effort on a keyword that doesn't provide that much volume.

Look for many new third party tools to be released now that Google is providing a critical piece of research data for us search engine marketers. I imagine that many are now in the development rooms designing the next software package that will help out many, and make them millions.

Good luck on your online marketing efforts, and be sure to apply Google's newly released search volume data. It will make all the difference in your campaigns.