A1 Keyword Research for Windows

Web sites incorporate keywords to get search engine hits and attract visitors. A1 Keyword Research from Micro-Sys makes it easy to find the right keywords and phrases to optimize your content and attract Web traffic. It builds a wide variety of keyword lists for nearly any Web site. It even checks all spelling and grammatical variations, displays ranking graphically, and handles multiple Web sites and search engines.

The developer's experience shows in a blistering fast installer and an attractive, efficient interface. The title bar tracks the trial period, an unobtrusive placement we'd like to see more often. Optional tool tips make A1 Keyword Research a quick starter, but there's also a prominent Easy Mode button that simplifies the functions until you're confident. Tabs access settings and controls for the four main functions, Scan website, Analyze website, Research keywords, and Online tools. We tried both Easy and Advanced modes; their chief difference is in options, not functionality. For example, Advanced Mode adds fields for Root path aliases and for initiating outside scanning paths to the Web site directory root path tab. We liked the keyword researcher's time saving capability to analyze both live Web addresses and raw text inputs. The Quick Presets button on the Scan website tab reduced the complexity of an impressive array of filters.

The fully functional download of A1 Keyword Research is free to try for 30 days. We tested it in both Vista and Windows 7. It installs desktop icons without asking and leaves program folders behind when it's uninstalled, but it's otherwise a solid, stable, trouble-free performer.