You may have noticed something different when you’ve gone to use Google’s keyword tool. The familiar external keyword tool has been replaced with their new beta version.

Google launched their beta version back in the fall, but started diverting traffic to it this spring. Both required you to pass a security check to use the tool (a basic character CAPTCHA) but the new version projects the CAPTCHA before you can access the page.

As a refresher, here’s what the old tool interface looked like:

And here’s what the new tool looks like:

Doesn’t seem too different, right?

Now let’s see the tools in action. Here’s what a keyword search for ‘cats’ looks like,

Old version:

New version:

Here’s where the versions differ:

1. The beta version returns only 100 results, while the old version gives you 150, plus a list of 50 keywords to consider that don’t use your suggested word.
2. While both tools offer keyword match types for Broad, Exact and Phrase, only the old version offers negative, which as Internet marketers know, can be just as important as Broad match.
3. You can display all the search columns in the old version, while the new version offers to sort the results by Estimated Ad Position, Estimated Avg. CPC, or Search Trends.

Now some Google critics are grumbling about the beta version’s interface, and it’s true it’s a little less user-friendly, since it made ‘Match Type’ a sidebar element instead of a column, and the sorting element is now a drop-down box instead of just clicking on a heading.

But while you adjust to the new tool (and make sure you explore all the sidebar elements and test out sorting suggestions) you can still access the old. Even though all links lead to the beta version, in the top right-hand corner of the screen is a ‘previous interface’ hyperlink that takes you to the old version.

Google hasn’t said when they will phase out the old tool, but has confirmed that it will happen. So what do you think, is beta better?