Google Keyword Planner: A Comprehensive Guide for Marketers

If you are looking for a tool to help you find the right keywords for your Google Ads campaigns, you might want to check out Google Keyword Planner. 

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This free tool can help you discover new keywords related to your products or services, see estimates of the searches they receive and the cost to target them, and create Search campaigns based on in-depth keyword research. 

In this blog post, we will show you how to use Google Keyword Planner effectively and share some tips and best practices for keyword planning.


What is Google Keyword Planner?


Google Keyword Planner is a feature within Google Ads that helps you research keywords for your Search campaigns. You can access it from the Tools menu in your Google Ads account, or from this link: https://ads.google.com/intl/en_us/home/tools/keyword-planner/.

Google Keyword Planner has two main functions: Discover new keywords and Get search volume and forecasts. Let's take a look at each of them in more detail.


Discover new keywords

This function allows you to find new keywords related to your products or services, or based on your website or landing page content. You can enter up to 10 words or phrases, separated by commas, or a URL of a webpage that's relevant to your business. 

Google Keyword Planner will then generate a list of keyword ideas, along with their average monthly searches, competition level, and suggested bid.

You can use the filters on the left side of the page to refine your keyword list by language, location, search network, date range, and other criteria. You can also use the keyword text filter to include or exclude keywords that contain certain words.

You can sort the keyword list by any of the columns, such as average monthly searches or competition level. You can also click on any keyword to see more details, such as its search volume trend over time, its breakdown by device or location, and its top competitors.

You can select the keywords that you want to add to your plan by checking the boxes next to them. You can also create ad groups based on your keywords by clicking on the Organize keywords into ad groups button. This will help you group similar keywords together and create relevant ads for each group.

Once you have selected your keywords and ad groups, you can click on the Add keywords button at the bottom of the page to add them to your plan. You can then review your plan and see its performance estimates in the next function.


Get search volume and forecasts


This function allows you to see how many clicks and impressions you can expect from your keywords over a certain period of time and budget. You can enter your own keywords manually, or upload a CSV file with up to 10,000 keywords. You can also use the keywords that you have added to your plan from the previous function.

Google Keyword Planner will then show you a graph with the forecasted performance of your keywords, such as clicks, impressions, cost, click-through rate (CTR), average cost-per-click (CPC), and average position. You can adjust the date range, budget, location, language, and search network settings to see how they affect your forecast.

You can also see a table with the detailed performance estimates for each keyword or ad group. You can sort the table by any of the columns, such as clicks or impressions. You can also click on any keyword or ad group to see more details, such as its search volume trend over time, its breakdown by device or location, and its top competitors.

You can edit or remove any keyword or ad group from your plan by clicking on the pencil icon or the trash icon next to them. You can also add more keywords or ad groups by clicking on the Add more keywords button at the bottom of the page.

Once you are satisfied with your plan, you can download it as a CSV file or create a campaign based on it by clicking on the Create campaign button at the top right corner of the page.


Tips and best practices for using Google Keyword Planner


Here are some tips and best practices for using Google Keyword Planner effectively:

1. Use a mix of broad and specific keywords.
Broad keywords are more general and have higher search volume, but they are also more competitive and less relevant. Specific keywords are more targeted and have lower search volume, but they are also less competitive and more relevant. A good balance of both types of keywords can help you reach more potential customers at different stages of their purchase journey.

2. Use negative keywords.
Negative keywords are words or phrases that you don't want your ads to show up for. For example, if you sell shoes online, you might want to exclude keywords like "free", "repair", or "donate". This way, you can avoid wasting money on clicks from people who are not interested in your products or services.

3. Use keyword match types.
Keyword match types determine how closely your keywords match the search terms that trigger your ads. There are four main match types: broad match, broad match modifier, phrase match, and exact match. 

Each match type has its own advantages and disadvantages, depending on your goals and budget. For example, broad match can help you reach a wide audience, but it can also generate irrelevant clicks. 

Exact match can help you target specific queries, but it can also limit your reach. You can use different match types for different keywords to optimize your campaign performance.

4. Use keyword grouping.
Keyword grouping is the process of organizing your keywords into relevant groups or themes. This can help you create more focused and relevant ads and landing pages for each group. 

For example, if you sell shoes online, you might group your keywords by product type (e.g., sneakers, boots, sandals), by brand (e.g., Nike, Adidas, Converse), or by occasion (e.g., casual, formal, sports). Keyword grouping can also help you analyze your campaign performance by group and identify areas for improvement.

5. Use keyword research tools.
Keyword research tools can help you find new keyword ideas, analyze the competition level and search volume of your keywords, and get suggestions for improving your keyword strategy. 

Google Keyword Planner is one of the most popular keyword research tools, but there are also other tools that you can use, such as Moz Keyword Explorer, SEMrush Keyword Magic Tool, or Ahrefs Keywords Explorer. 

These tools can provide you with valuable insights and data that can help you optimize your keyword selection and bidding.

In conclusion, Google Keyword Planner is a powerful tool for marketers to conduct keyword research for their Google Ads campaigns. With its two main functions, Discover new keywords and Get search volume and forecasts, users can easily find new keywords related to their products or services, view their search volume and competition level, and create ad groups based on in-depth keyword research. 

By following some best practices such as using a mix of broad and specific keywords, negative keywords, keyword match types, and keyword grouping, marketers can optimize their campaigns and reach potential customers at different stages of their purchase journey.


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