Google’s Wonder Wheel Feature is Gone!?!?!

Google just announced this past weekend, over the 4th of July of all times too, HA, that they would no longer make the Google Wonder Wheel available to the public! Google did not even indicate one way or another as to their future intentions with the Wonder Wheel. There wasn’t even a “slight hint” to the possibility of a “newer more improved” Wonder Wheel, which was really what I was hoping for in all of this… The only thing Google did however was indicate that they may provide some type of “alternative” keyword searching tool/mechanism or “new type of functionality” all together… You can learn more by clicking here.

I know this strikes a serious blow to many people out there, especially me, who use this tool (almost on a daily basis), to help identify Keywords and Phrases that are most commonly used, and suggested by the most powerful and popular search engine on the planet – Google. And for Google to take away the Wonder Wheel from us short tempered, already on edge “SEO” (Search Engine Optimization) and “SEM” (Search Engine Marketing) maniacs, but here we refer to us as NERDS, but regardless… This has definitely struck a serious blow!!

The only good news I can tell you guys is that you are now aware of the fact that it’s not their, so don’t go crazy when you can’t find it! The bad news…. I think all of us designers and programmers have to scramble and find some type of alternatives… But don’t worry – The Nerd Blurb has found some alternatives that may be right up your ally.

Alternatives:

1.) KwMap.net – Most of you might not know this but there was already an “up and coming” keyword/phrase website that had come out on the scene just two years ago called KwMap.net  – On this site, you can simply type in your search term and be given a “diagram” of the most common “related” phrases/terms as well as a keyword list on the right. (Anything you click on, on either the diagram or the keyword list will all act just like the Wonder Wheel and will replace your current search with your newly “select phrase/keyword.”

2.) Google is now using its “Related Searches” tool a bit more than it was before. Fortunately, this tool is working very similarly to the original Google “Wonder Wheel.” All you have to do is select a keyword phrase then simply goto Search Tools at the bottom left (as usual), and select “Related Searches” in the list. Then at the very top of Google’s search results, it should now have a “Related Searches for xxxxxx” (xxxxxx being your search phrase(s) obviously) – From here you can select any of the “Popular Terms” that Google has come up with and it will work almost exactly like the “Wonder Wheel” (but without the “wheel / spider” effect, ha). Results are VERY CLOSE to what I was getting with the Wonder Wheel…

3.) http://correlate.googlelabs.com/ Many of you may or may not know what this is, but I have been using this for a little while now.. (Keep in mind it is still in its “Beta” stage – so occasionally I do run into bugs…), but go ahead and check it out while if can – It’s a VERY cool tool!  http://correlate.googlelabs.com/

4.) WordTracker from WordTracker.com – This is a FABULOUS tool, but unfortunately, it isn’t free… It costs about 70 dollars a month to have access to the “WordTracker.” But I believe that if you don’t want to use the “Related Search” tool from Google, this is your next BEST alternative.

 

*** Don’t forget to check out our “Top 5 Web Hosting Providers of 2011“

 

Cheers!

Jeremiah R.
The Nerd Blurb Inc.
Chief Technology Officer
www.thenerdblurb.com
281-673-6630
support@thenerdblurb.com