Google Drops Keyword Forecasting - What It Means For You

Google recently announced that they are removing the forecasting section from Keyword Planner. This feature allowed users to see predicted search volume and other keyword metrics.

According to Google, the forecasting capability was not widely used. So, they decided to discontinue it in an effort to focus resources on more valuable tools.

What does this mean for you?

While forecast data was useful for research, it was never fully accurate. Keyword volumes naturally fluctuate over time anyway. So losing this prediction data may not impact your strategy significantly.

You will still be able to leverage Keyword Planner for researching and grouping keywords. The planning tool just won't provide future estimated volumes anymore.

Alternatives like Google Trends can help you analyse keyword history. This gives you insight into seasonality and previous trends.

Overall, this change simplifies Keyword Planner but removes potentially useful forecasting. It streamlines Google's offering but provides less data to users.

Did you utilise the forecasting capabilities before? Will you miss having this predictive data available? Or do you think Keyword Planner will still be valuable without it?

Let me know your thoughts in the comments!