Why You Can't Trust
        Overture's Keyword 
              Selector Tool

We're talking inflated results due to the unbelievable methods that
Overture uses to return the results of your queries.  I say
"unbelievable" because, when you see what they're doing, you'll
say, "I can't believe they do this."

Let's look at why Overture's results are so inflated... 

1. Machine-Generated Searches
 Whenever an automated query goes out for a keyword in
 Overture OR in Overture's partner search engines--like
 AltaVista, MSN, AllTheWeb, etc., including Yahoo, Overture
 tallies a "hit" for that keyword.  Automated page
 popularity analyzers, ranking monitors, bid optimizers,
 position monitors--anything other than a human manually
 doing a search--tallies a "hit." 

 Overture's STST (Search Term Suggestion Tool) cannot
 differentiate between automated and human queries!  Taking
 into consideration all the pay-per-click bid analyzing
 going on 24/7--there are around 20 automated bid-checker
 software programs out there alone--it's truly staggering to
 imagine the effect these automated queries are having on
 your Overture search results.

2. Duplicate Searches
 When someone does a search for a keyword on AltaVista, for
 example, it's counted as at least 2 searches--not one. 
 That's because Overture's Sponsored Matches comes back to
 the human searcher at the same time, and is tallied as 
 another  "hit."

 Also, anytime someone searches for the same keyword on any
 of Overture's partner search engines, it's counted as
 separate searches.  So, even though it's only one person
 searching, it could well be tallied as, say, 5 searches---
 not one.  So 5 people aren't looking for your product or
 service--just one person is.

3. Plurals of Keywords vs. Singular
 Overture counts plurals, singular, upper case, and lower
 case versions of a single keyword as if it was separate
 keywords.

 So here's what you get:  The keyword Boat, boat, boats, and
 BOATS are counted separately---4 searches in this case. 

But you can use Overture to get a general idea of the popularity of
a keyword phrase as compared to another.  But don't make the
mistake of basing ("gambling") your adwords campaign around it's
results.  Or building a webpage based on the results. 

Same goes for building an adsense site.  Because you'll get grossly
over-estimated figures for most keyword phrases.  Remember: 
Overture is in the business of selling keywords.  (Does the keyword
phrase, "conflict of interest" ring any bell?)

             Does this mean you shouldn't use it?

Not at all.  Just that it would be foolhardy to accept at face value
the results of a keyword search query...

Overture's Search Term Selection Tool should always be your
preliminary search method; to get a general idea of the popularity
of a particular keyword phrase.  If you start to plan on it being
accurate, you're setting yourself up for disappointment.

Most of the info that I got for this article was from Robin Nobles'
"Demystifying The Radically Different Keyword Results Provided by
Overture and WordTracker."  I tried to condense the longish article
here, so there's lots of details that I left out in the interest of
brevity.  You may want to check out the article yourself, because
there's lots of good info there for you. 

(Note that while Robin Nobles is on WordTracker's Technical Support
Team, she doesn't work for WordTracker directly.)

Nobles points out that it's the "amateurs that believe optimistically
romanced numbers" on their way to the poorhouse and bankruptcy. 
Professionals, on the other hand, know the value of accurate
information and work diligently to use it.