Most marketers have probably already noticed the disappearance of one of the most stalwart SEO tools: the Google Adwords Keyword Tool. It has been replaced by the Keyword Planner which adds some new functionality and requires an Adwords account.

How Is the Keyword Planner Different?

The most immediate change Google has made is restricting access to the planner. The old Keyword Tool was public, which meant anyone could access it, regardless of whether they had an Adwords account.

Keyword Planner combines the functionality of the Keyword Tool and Traffic Estimator into a smooth, integrated workflow. You can use Keyword Planner to find new keyword and ad group ideas, get performance estimates for them to find the bid and budget that are right for you, and then add them to your campaigns.

The Keyword Planner is an improvement for beginners and inexperienced users due to the minimized data possibilities. For professionals with more differentiated requirements, hopefully the planner will continue to be refined separately from the regional filters.

To learn more on how to use keyword planner visit http://KeywordPlanner.net However, this is a good opportunity to check out some of the other keyword tools that are available.