Is there a tool that measures what keyword searches actually bring in clients?

[ydop]

Is there a tool to measure what keywords are bringing in clients?  For instance, there is a keyword phrase with a high volume of searches so naturally I am inclined to include this phrase in my title tag.  However, it does not seem like a search phrase that a potential client would use.  Is there a tool to see what phrases actual clients are using?

[Benj25]

We use Google Analytics for this:

Set up GA and navigate to My Site > Traffic Sources > Search > Organic

Here you can see the keywords that brought people to your site, how long they stayed, the bounce rate and so forth. You can also then click onto the keyword and see a graph of change over time.

http://www.google.com/analytics/

[MarcLevy]

The first answer above should be stage 1 for you. Install Google Analytics and view which keywords are bringing traffic to you site.

However you question sounds like it is geared towards something different, like knowing which keywords clients are using for search before attempting to rank for that term. This is completely legitimate, after all why would you spends lots of time, effort and maybe $ on ranking for keywords that are not searched by the right people and do not convert!?

There is no tool out there that will gaurantee whether your specific user base is searching for a specific keyword or not or which keywords will convert users into paying customers. It sounds like you need to do some proper keyword research. I am not going to write that all out here, but I remember a good piece being here on SEOmoz that maybe worth reading (i think article 2 of 8 is about keyword research, but worth reading all parts):

http://www.seomoz.org/blog/the-8step-seo-strategy-step-1-define-your-target-audience-and-their-needs

Also always remember, you should know your business better than anyone else. If you don't think your clients will be searching for that kind of term then they are probably not.You maybe drawn to that term because of the large search volume being displayed to you. Be aware that depending on your niche, just sticking that large volume keyword in your title tag does not mean you will rank for it (it may require a lot of additional effort).

However there are ways of checking before optimising..

1. Do some research in your specific niche - ask past or active clients what they would search for! Nothing better than seeing what comes direct from the horses mouth! (you can then expand on their answers via further keyword research)

2. Test keywords via adwords or other ppc options. If you have the budget this can be worthwhile as you can get instant traffic for the trial keyword without having to waste time, effort or money on optimising your website for it.

[ydop]

Thank you.  Marc is correct in his assessment of my question.  I have a client that I am optimizing for and I want to include the correct Kws in the title tags.  I just think the most obvious Kws are not want their ultimate paying customers will be using to search for the company.  The campaign is a good idea.