Search Engine Optimization

Is Keyword Suggestion Tool Overture dead?

Because I have to work on many SEO projects right now and desperately in need of a new keyword tool since Overture broke up with me, I did some research and here is what I found. Thanks to SEOmoz.

KeyCompete.com is a tool designed by Tiger Technologies (www.w5.com)

“KeyCompete is an online keyword research tool that identifies the keywords your competitors are using in their pay-per-click campaigns. KeyCompete also identifies the competition that is bidding on your keywords.”

I searched for a couple of popular keyphrases and the results are interesting. In many cases, you will get an average of the amount of searches per month (like Overture) and a list of 5 competitors that are currently doing a Pay-per-click campaign. It’s a very useful tool to check what some of your competitors are doing and what keywords they are using. You can then adjust your own keyword targeting strategy depending on the results you’re getting from the KewCompete tool, your own competitive analysis and personal observations.

It seems lately that every organization, wither big or small, is becoming obsessed about anchoring its roots online. I was totally fine with this huge shift of brick and mortar toward the World Wide Web, UNTILL: Companies started making me work hard to retrieve my contest prizes.

Not long time ago pop drinks such as Cola and Pepsi, revealed their prizes under the cap, and cereal boxes packed all their gifts safely inside the box. Back then consumers did not have to go far in order to feel the joy of winning.

Now a days, these same companies are providing their customers with a pin number of some sort, that the consumer has to enter, on the website, in order to know if he/she won the prize! 

Consumers Now a days, have to locate the pin number (under caps, inside wraps, imbedded in carton boxes), find an internet  connection , go online to the website, through many gimmecks and garbage,  browse through endless products/services, reach the desired contest web page, enter the pin and then wait for the resultes. ( A tiring and annoying process!) 

Such examples are Coke, Nestle, and even old Betty!  

My question here is, are these gaints  making their customers work harder for their prizes, Or are they just simply generating traffic? Moreover, is it worth it, and how much profit could they be generating from it ?