Keyword database size

This figure states how many keywords the tool has data for. Vendors usually quote a total, such as hundreds of millions or billions of keywords, and sometimes break it down by country. A larger database means a better chance that your niche or local terms are included. It is a measure of coverage, not of quality. A smaller database can have fresher and more accurate figures.

Specialist, local or non-English terms are often missing from smaller databases, which leaves you with blank results for exactly the topics you care about. For a business in a broad market with popular terms, any large tool will have enough. The number matters most for niche sectors, non-English markets and agencies serving many clients. It tells you little by itself, because vendors count keywords in different ways, so compare it with a test on your own topics.

• Does the quoted number apply to your country and language.
• Is the figure the whole database or the number you can track in your account.
• Search for ten niche terms from your own market and see how many return data.
• How often is the data refreshed.