Using Google Ads Keyword Planner - Google Ads

 Google Keyword Planner: What Is It?


Using Google Ads Keyword Planner Without Creating an Ad 2023
Using Google Ads Keyword Planner Without Creating an Ad 2023



A free keyword research tool is Google Keyword Planner. It may be used to find new keywords, estimate their search volumes, and figure out how much it will cost to target them. 


You may use Google Keyword Planner to identify keywords for your SEO (search engine optimization) plan even though it's really a PPC (pay-per-click) advertising tool.


You may learn how to set up and utilize Keyword Planner for SEO and PPC in the sections below. in stages.



Steps for Configuring Google Keyword Planner


You must first register for a Google Ads account in order to use Google Keyword Planner. 


Not to worry. It is quick and totally free.


1- Open Google Ads, choose "Start now," and log in using your Google account. 


2- Next, click the "Switch to Expert Mode" blue link so that you may establish an account without first launching an ad campaign.


3- Select the little "Create an account without a campaign" option on the next screen. 


4- Next, choose the currency, time zone, and billing nation. then press "Submit." 


5- After arriving at the confirmation screen, choose "Explore your account." 



The setup of your Google Ads account is now complete. 



Choose "Tools and settings" from the menu bar, then choose "Planning" and then "Keyword Planner" from the list. The keywords are located here.


Google Keyword Planner: How to Use It



Currently, the Google keyword tool provides two choices: 


"Discover new keywords" to locate keyword suggestions


To get search volumes and metrics for a current selection of terms, choose "Get search volume and forecasts".



Find fresh keyword ideas


If you wish to carry out keyword research to come up with fresh keyword suggestions, use this option. Two tabs will appear: 


Enter up to 10 keywords linked to your company to start.


A website is a good place to start. Enter a URL to view keyword recommendations for that page.



begin by using keywords



If you want a list of concepts that are connected to a term (or numerous phrases), use this technique. 


Enter the keyword "local SEO" into the search field if you wish to see keywords associated with that term. Next, choose "Get results."


To assist Google eliminate services, goods, or companies you don't provide, enter the URL of your website. 


The results show 577 potential keywords associated with "local SEO." 


Additionally, data on their typical monthly searches, biggest and lowest bid amounts, and other details. 



Create a website first


Input the URL of a website or particular page to obtain keyword suggestions for that location. Google will search for keywords associated with the content of that page (or site).


To begin, enter the URL, choose whether to include the full site or only the selected page, then click "Get results." 


Using Google Ads Keyword Planner Without Creating an Ad 2023
Using Google Ads Keyword Planner Without Creating an Ad 2023


Get Forecasts for Search Volume


Use this option if you already have a list of keywords. It allows you to see search volumes—the average number of times per month that keywords are searched—and other information for a number of keywords simultaneously. 


Start by typing your search terms into the form. They may be added by copying and pasting, one keyword per line, or all on one line and separated by commas. 


You will then see the identical keywords results page as when you used "Discover new keywords," with the exception that you will only see information on the keywords you entered. Click "Get started." No connected thoughts. 


You can view Google's forecast of the clicks and impressions you'll get from the keywords you entered if you click "Forecast" on the left-hand side. If you run advertisements, this report is helpful. 


Each keyword's clicks, impressions, cost, click-through rate, and average cost per click (CPC) will be predicted by Keyword Planner. 


SEO Use Cases for Google Keyword Planner



Despite being mainly a tool for advertising, Keyword Planner is nevertheless useful for SEO. 


Here's how to make the most of the tool to generate keyword suggestions for your SEO campaign.


Discover Useful Keywords



In order to meet the search intent of your ideal audience—the reason why a user does a search—you should target highly relevant keywords. This may raise your ranking. 


So, begin by modifying your list of suggestions. Remove any meaningless keywords. 


Consider that you manage an internet business and are looking for keyword suggestions for running shoes. 


You'll find a ton of brand-related keywords if you choose "running shoes" as your primary keyword. 



akin to this



brand-related search terms for running shoes


However, you shouldn't target these keywords if you don't offer these brands in your business. 


To exclude them, use the "Refine keywords" column in the right-hand column.


By doing so, you may filter out (or include) terms depending on factors such as brand, shoe type, gender, sport, and others. 


Column of keywords, refined


If you exclusively sell Nike shoes, for example, you may restrict the list to only show keyword suggestions that include "nike."

Only show keyword suggestions that include the word "nike" by filtering the list.


Click "Add filter," and a drop-down option will appear for you to further narrow your list.



highlighted Add filter button


To view just shoes appropriate for trail running, for instance, click "Keyword," choose "contains," and enter "trail." 


Next, choose "Apply." 


use a filter


You now have a myriad of suggestions for the term "nike trail running shoes."


This strategy may be used with a variety of keywords. And apply as much or as little filtering as you choose. 


Look for Keywords with Lots of Searches



An indicator of how often people search for a certain term over time is called keyword search volume. often once a month. 


It's crucial to evaluate this indicator since a keyword's search volume affects how much traffic it might bring to your website.


To identify terms with high search volume, use Keyword Planner. 


Click "Get results" after entering your seed term in the "Discover new keywords" box. 


(A seed term is a very general phrase that represents your business or the subject you want to rank for. For instance, if you sell running shoes and want to locate related keywords, your seed keyword may be "running shoes.")


page for new keywords


The number of searches for the term is shown in the "Avg. monthly searches.


Avg. column of monthly searches is highlighted


Toggle between "Avg. To filter by terms with the most frequent searches, use the "monthly searches" column.


Avg. recurring searches


There is a ton of useful information here. But there are primarily two problems with Keyword Planner's stats. 


One is that the range of monthly average search volumes is enormous. And there is a lot of overlap among distinct terms. 


For instance, both of these terms have a "100K - 1M" search volume, which is a wide range.


Two keywords with between 100K and 1M searches


The two search volumes for these two terms, however, are considerably different when we use Semrush's Keyword Overview tool. 


For the same terms, the Keyword Overview tool displays various search volumes.


One receives around 36,000 more monthly searches than the other. And none has anywhere close to a million searches. 


The second problem is that Keyword Planner doesn't provide precise keyword competition information. 


As an example, both keywords have "High" competition.




high-stakes column


However, it speaks to how competitive a term is for advertisements. not natural search. 


If we look at both keywords in the Keyword Overview, we see a column with the designation "KD%." 


By measuring keyword difficulty (KD%), one may determine how challenging it would be to rank organically within Google's top 10 results for a given phrase. 


The greater the proportion, the more challenging it will be to rank on page one.




Column KD%


The last word? 


To come up with keyword and subject suggestions, utilize the Keyword Planner. But to get the complete picture, you may need a different tool with a more precise organic search database. 



Search Volumes for a Specific Location



You may also discover keyword search volumes for certain states or towns using Google Keyword Planner. not just nations. 


This may be useful if you're engaged in local SEO. 


For instance, it is anticipated that between 10 and 100 thousand searches per month in the United States are made for "running shoe store". 


In the US, a "running shoe store"


Change the location to "Miami, Florida" and see how the average number of searches each month changes. 


The "location" symbol is located at the top of the page. A window must appear: 


To change the location, click the symbol.


Go to the new spot. Additionally, click the "X" next to the spot you wish to delete. 


Next, choose "Save."


Save new address


You can now discover how popular "running shoe store" is locally in Miami. There are typically 100 to 1000 searches every month. considerably different from the previous figure. 


"Running shoe store" search volume in Miami


You can go down much more. 


This time, choose the "Get search volume and forecasts" option to run your term through the system. after which choose "Forecast."




Option to Predict is highlighted


You'll notice a box with the label "Locations" if you scroll down. 


places section


To add or delete any places from which you desire information, click the "location" button at the top. 


Let's assume, for example, that you choose "United States."


You'll get a more thorough analysis of the top states right away. 


The top states in the United States are broken out in detail.


There are more detailed choices available if you choose that drop-down. You may choose the best counties, cities, towns, and even postal codes. 


drop-down menus for filtering the results


Utilize this strategy to direct your local SEO work. 


You can discover, for instance, whether individual shops have strong search traffic for various keywords if you have many locations. Which will make it easier for you to decide which place-specific pages to publish.


Look for long-tail keywords.


Long-tail keywords are lengthier, more precise search terms that often have low competition and low search traffic. 


But don't be deceived by the low search traffic. 


Long-tail keywords can attract highly focused traffic since they are so specialized. 


For instance, someone looking for "nike air zoom pegasus 37 flyease"—a term with a small number of searches—is probably just about to make a purchase. 


Low volume and KD in the tool for keyword overview


In contrast, someone looking for "running shoes"—a term with a large search volume—is usually not yet committed to a certain brand or pair of shoes.


High volume and KD in the tool for keyword overview


By arranging the average monthly searches in Keyword Planner from low to high, you may find long-tail keywords. 


Sort the Keyword Planner's average monthly searches.


In this instance, there are several long-tail keywords that are related to the seed term "running shoes." 


Term extensions for the seed term "running shoes"


Again, the problem is that you can't tell how popular (or not) these terms are. 


And it may change. A lot. 


For instance, we can examine how competitive the term "best running trainers for women" is by entering it into the Keyword Overview tool. 


top women's running shoes in Keyword Overview


The keyword difficulty for "nike zoom gravity 2" is really low in contrast. 


nike zoom gravity 2 in Overview of Keywords


Once again, be sure to examine crucial factors like keyword difficulty using a third-party keyword research tool. 




Uses for Google Keyword Planner in PPC


Are you going to run your PPC advertising with Google Ads? Use these more targeted PPC strategies in addition to the ones listed above for SEO.


Locate Keywords with Little Competition


Recall how the "competition" number in Keyword Planner isn't very helpful for SEO?


This is crucial for PPC keyword research. It demonstrates how difficult it is to run advertising for a certain term. Additionally, it is particular to the area you choose. 

Columns for location and competition are highlighted

The number of bidders on each keyword compared to all other terms on Google determines the degree of competition (low, medium, or high). 

If Google doesn't have enough information, you'll see a dash (-). 

akin to this

Example of dash (-) outcomes

Consider that you are searching for low-competition keywords for a campaign you are conducting. You are given two choices. 

To sort the list, click the "Competition" column. 

column about contests

Or you may filter the list so that it only displays entries with the desired level of competitiveness. 

In order to achieve this, click "Add filter" and choose "Competition."


include a competition filter


Next, decide on the degree of competitiveness you want. 

Click "Apply" after selecting "Low" and "Medium" in this instance. 

Remove low- and medium-level competitors

You may now arrange your list by average monthly searches and focus on low-competition keywords. 

Your list should be sorted by average monthly searches and low competition terms.



Discover Hot Topics


Google provides two helpful change indicators in Keyword Planner: "YoY" (year over year) and "Three month change." 


Both may be used to identify hot subjects and demonstrate changes in search patterns. Simply order these columns from highest to lowest to achieve this. 


In Keyword Planner, there are columns for YoY and 3-month change.


We can observe that "hoka half marathon" has increased by +900% YoY and three months ago when we input "marathon running shoes." 


For marathon running shoes, YoY and three-month changes


A purchase of this product may be wise given the significant rise. 


For instance, you might set up a product review website for the "hoka half marathon" shoes or conduct a specialized PPC campaign for them. 


Bonus advice: You may use these stats to determine which keywords are no longer worthwhile investing in. 


The term "eliud kipchoge nike shoes" has a YoY and Three month change of -90%, continuing with the same example. 


which implies:


It could be wise to spend more on a term with a greater search trend and less on this one. 


Analyze the Keywords of Your Competitors


Use Keyword Planner to research what your rivals are doing. What already works may be seen. and expand on their achievements.


It's simple.


 Select "Start with a website" under "Discover new keywords" from the menu.


Enter a URL from one of your key rivals after that. 


enter the website address of a rival.


For instance, we may utilize the Nike Air Force category page on Asos instead of the phrase "nike air force". 


Nike Air Force category page on Asos


This time, a list of several keyword suggestions will be shown. 


These are the keywords that this particular page is aiming for. Additionally, it might aid in structuring your PPC plan. 


Keywords that Asos's Nike Air Force category page is focusing on are shown in the results.


Use any page type for this strategy. For illustration, consider press announcements, product websites, blog entries, and news articles.


With Semrush's Advertising Research tool, you can also examine the keywords that competitors are bidding on and their actual advertisements.


Enter their URL, then click the "Positions" tab to access the keywords.




The Advertising Research tool's Positions tab


Additionally, you'll see the terms for which your rival is running advertising. 


Results display terms for which your rival is running advertising.


To see the advertisements they are now displaying, choose the "Ads Copies" tab. Including titles, summaries, URLs, and other information. 


Copies of Ads


ad campaign performance forecast


Insights about the possible performance of your advertising campaign are also provided by Keyword Planner. 


Start by selecting "Get search volume and forecasts" and entering the campaign's keywords there. 


For the sake of this example, "running shoes" will be our sole keyword. 


You may manually input keywords or upload a.csv file. 


Next, choose "Get started." 


Access the box for search volume projections.


Next, choose "Forecast" from the list on the left. 



On the left is a forecast.


A dashboard with your anticipated campaign performance will be shown. 


akin to this


Expected campaign performance dashboard


Try experimenting with these figures to get forecasts for traffic, impressions, cost, etc.


Let's start by altering your bid technique, for instance. Between automated (letting Google establish your maximum cost per click) and manual (you setting your bids). 


Select "Manual CPC" by clicking the top-level "Bid Strategy" button, then click "Apply."


Choose Manual CPC from the menu.


Click on the number to modify your maximum CPC offer at this point. Observe any adjustments to the performance projection for your strategy. 


The number may be changed by clicking it.


Use your data to get an understanding of the potential click-through and impression rates for your campaign over a 30-day period. 


Perform Detailed Keyword Research


Using Google Keyword Planner is effective. Finding keyword prospects for SEO and PPC is made easy with this tool.


But there are also significant drawbacks. 


It doesn't provide accurate information about search volume, keyword complexity, or search intent, for instance. one of several metrics. 


A more thorough tool, like Semrush's Keyword Magic Tool, is your best choice if you're searching for more in-depth data. 


Overview of Keyword Magic Tool


10 daily searches are free when you sign up for a Semrush account. Additionally, each keyword's:


Organic search engine difficulties


a search query


Price range for sponsored search advertisements 


Search engine results pages (SERPs) include


Relevant inquiries 


annual trend in search


and more. The biggest keyword research database on the market, with over 20 billion terms. 

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