Keyword Planner

The keywords you choose when running ads determine when and where your ads appear. Selecting keywords closely related to your ads helps you reach customers who are actively searching for the products or services your business offers. Building a relevant keyword list ensures your ads can target potential customers effectively. Google Ads Keyword Planner is here to help you tackle this challenge. Let’s join Ad Support to explore this tool and learn how to use it.

Introduction to Google Ads Keyword Planner

This tool allows you to research keywords for your Google Ads Search campaigns. You can use this free tool to discover new keywords related to your products or services. It also provides traffic and search data insights, as well as bid estimates for targeting these keywords.

Google Ads Keyword Planner enables in-depth keyword research. Not only does it help you uncover the most relevant keywords for your products, services, or business, but it also provides valuable insights into how often specific keywords are searched by users and how search trends evolve over time.

With the bid estimates provided for each keyword, you can determine an appropriate advertising budget. Once you’ve identified the desired keywords, you can add them to your advertising plan, save them, or share them with others. After finalizing your optimized keyword list, you’re ready to launch your campaign.

Benefits of Using the Google Ads Keyword Planner

Using this tool provides significant support for businesses running Google ad campaigns, particularly search campaigns, by offering the following benefits:

Discover New Keywords: The tool provides information and suggestions for keywords related to your products, services, or website. This helps businesses create a fresh, high-quality, and highly relevant keyword list.

View Monthly Search Volume: Beyond suggesting keywords related to your offerings, the tool also provides data on the number of monthly searches a specific keyword receives.

Determine Costs: In addition to identifying suitable keywords for your ads, the tool gives insights into the average cost-per-click (CPC) for a keyword when ads appear in search results, helping you budget effectively.

Organize Keywords: You can evaluate how well keywords align with categories relevant to your brand. This allows you to prioritize keywords based on their relevance, enhancing click-through rates (CTR) and conversions.

Create New Campaigns: By leveraging the tool and focusing on in-depth keyword research, you can use your curated keyword list to build new advertising campaigns effectively. 

Instructions for Using the Keyword Planner Tool

If you want to access this tool, you need to complete the account setup process by entering payment and campaign information. After that, follow these steps:

Create a Keyword Plan

Once you’ve accessed the Keyword Planner tool, you can search for new keywords by clicking on Discover New Keywords or upload existing keywords by selecting Get Search Volume and Forecasts. To explore new keywords, follow these instructions:

Find Ideas for New Keywords

In your Google Ads account, select the Tools icon, then click on the drop-down menu under Planning. Next, click on Keyword Planner and select Discover New Keywords. At this point, you will have two ways to explore new keyword ideas: You can enter terms related to your products or services. Multiple terms can be separated using commas or spaces.

Alternatively, you can input any website URL, and Google will identify keywords related to the content of that webpage. However, the content within hyperlinks will not be used to generate keyword ideas. Next, click on Get Results to see a list of keywords relevant to the input. You can now edit this list using filters and categories to find the most appropriate keywords to include in your ad plan. If you encounter an error when entering keywords, try using different keywords or a new URL. 

Edit the Keyword Idea List

Here, edit the list of keyword ideas through filters and categories.

To edit the keyword list by filters, you can base it on the criteria: competitiveness, impression share, and keyword text. Click Add filter, select a filter, and enter the filter value. The list of keyword ideas will now match the filter.

If you want to adjust the list of keyword ideas by category, you can find the Adjust Keywords panel on the Keyword Ideas page. Next, open the category below the panel to see the characteristics related to the keyword idea. Next, check the box next to the category to remove keywords from the list.

Add Keywords to Plan for Performance Forecasts

Once you have a list of keywords, you can add them to a campaign by selecting Saved Keywords to sort and view performance forecasts. You can also add them to ad groups in existing campaigns. 

If you want to add keywords to your ad plan and predict how they will perform, check the box next to the keywords you want to add. Once you have added keywords to Saved Keywords, you can save them to your plan for later sorting. Specify the match type by clicking the Broad Match drop-down menu. 

Next, click Add Keywords to create a new plan or click Add Keywords to add keywords to an existing plan. To get forecasts and search volume, go to your Google Ads account and select the Tools icon. In the Planning drop-down menu, select Keyword Planner.

Next, click Get Search Volume and Forecasts. Then, type or paste your keyword list into the search box or upload your keyword list to a CSV file. By clicking Upload File and then clicking Select a File from Your Computer. Now, review the templates provided to upload your keywords, then click Submit and select Start.

Learn About Keyword Forecast Information

The forecast information provided by the Keyword Planner predicts the number of conversions, clicks, or impressions you can expect for a keyword based on your spending. You can view this forecast data on the Forecast page of your plan. It includes the keywords you uploaded through Get Forecast and Search Volume or those added from the Keyword Ideas page. The forecast information includes the following details:

Predicted Performance Information

This applies to all keywords based on spending levels. To modify this data, click on Conversions or Clicks. You can use this option if you have conversion tracking enabled in your account.

If you want to adjust the average daily budget, click the amount. To change your bidding strategy, click the Maximize Clicks dropdown. To view an estimated performance chart based on your spending, click the drop-down arrow.

Estimates for each individual keyword

Based on the Maximize Clicks bid strategy. You can edit the amount in the Average Daily Budget column to see how the estimate changes.

Add a new keyword

To add a new keyword, click the (+) button and enter a new keyword. Or go back to the Keyword Ideas page to add keywords to the page.

The forecast also includes the ad groups in the new campaign that you’ll add the keywords to if you implement your plan. The date range you want to forecast, and if you want to change the time frame for the forecast, click the date range at the top of the page. Download the forecast by clicking the download button.

Organize Keywords into Ad Groups (for English)

Access your Google Ads account, then click on the Tools icon, followed by the Planning dropdown menu, and select Keyword Planner. Now, click on Organize Keywords into Ad Groups. You can organize your keywords in three ways:

Start with Keywords: Enter keywords related to your product or service, separating multiple terms with commas or spaces. Enter a domain name, and Google will exclude unrelated keywords.

Start with a Website: Enter any website, and Google will find keywords related to the content of that site.

Upload or Paste: Upload a file or input keywords, and the Keyword Planner will attempt to organize the keywords into your campaign. Alternatively, you can manually organize the keywords yourself.

Finally, click on Auto-organize Keywords to view a list of suggested ad groups with keywords. Google’s advertising system will match keyword suggestions to the most relevant ad groups from campaigns that are performing well. Next, review the suggested keywords to ensure their accuracy and make edits as needed.

How to Refine New Keywords in the Keyword Planner

When using this tool, you can discover new keyword ideas to create a keyword list for your search campaign. The next step is to refine the ideas to match your campaign. By selecting Discover New Keywords, you can:

Filter and Refine by Category

You can filter the results to gain a better understanding of the potential success of the keyword ideas. To edit the filters, click the filter icon on the results table and select the filter you want to adjust. You can now filter the results by keyword text, average monthly search volume, top of page bid (low and high range), competition level, organic impression share, and ad impression share. 

You can exclude keywords already in your account or refine the list using categories related to the keyword ideas. The categories are selected by default. If you want to narrow down the search content, uncheck the boxes next to the categories you wish to remove from the keyword idea list. 

Narrow Down by Location

You can narrow your search using settings such as location, language, and display network.

Location Settings

Enter a geographic location such as country, region, area, or city into the search box. Then, click Nearby to get ideas for locations close to the one you entered. If you want to target globally, simply remove any previously entered location. Doing this will automatically set the target range to All locations.

Language Settings

By entering a language in the box or selecting from the language list, you can receive keyword ideas for that specific language.

Network Settings

Select Google to get keyword ideas for Google Search, or choose Google and Search Partners to receive ideas for Google Search, other search websites like Maps, and partner search websites.

Customize by Date Range

If you are running a seasonal campaign or looking for trending keywords on Google Search, pay attention to the calendar. The date range feature allows you to adjust the date range to view search trends over specific periods. Moreover, this feature will suggest relevant keywords for specific times of the year.

Adjust for Seasonal Trends

You can use the date range feature to find other popular keywords in that specific month. Simply click on the date field above the chart. You can also use this feature along with forecast data about traffic volume.

Segment Your Results

To see how keyword ideas impact specific segments, use the Keyword Ideas page menu to break down results by segments such as average monthly search volume on desktop or mobile with a full browser. Alternatively, you can segment by location to view the number of clicks each keyword receives in targeted areas.

How to Organize Keywords in Keyword Planner

Determining where to place new keywords in your account can be a challenge. To simplify the process, organize your keywords to find the right placement for new keywords in related campaigns. Organizing your keywords gives you full control over the keywords for an ad group.

By using the keyword organization feature, you don’t need to download keyword ideas or manually add them to existing campaigns and ad groups. When you have a new keyword group or find new keyword ideas, Keyword Planner will automatically organize and identify new keywords related to the campaign.

How to use sorted keywords to discover new keywords

Go to your Google Ads account, click the Tools icon, select the Planning drop-down menu, and then select Keyword Planner. On the Keyword Planner page, click Discover new keywords. Then add a seed keyword that is relevant to your current account.

Click Download keyword ideas in the upper right corner. Select Preview keyword ideas in ad groups. This will add a group of existing keyword ideas to your plan. The more keyword ideas you have, the better your results will be. We recommend having at least 25 keyword ideas before sorting your keywords.

Select Preview keywords and Keyword Planner will sort your keywords to automatically find matches for new keywords in your top campaigns. On the Sort keywords page, uncheck Use top performing campaigns to customize your campaign. Review the suggested keywords for the active ad groups in your account and click Saved Keywords to find keywords to add to your plan.

On the next screen, select Review Keywords to review your keyword suggestions organized by campaign and ad group. To add a suggestion to an ad group, check the box next to the keyword to accept it and click the Add to an ad group button.

Click View Keywords at the top of the Keyword Plan page to review any keywords that may not have been suggested. Then, add relevant keywords to your ad group yourself by dragging and dropping. Finish assigning your ad groups and select Download Plan.

How to Organize Saved Keywords into a Plan

Click on Keyword Planner in your Google Ads account. On this page, click on View Search Volume and Forecast Information. Here, you can add keywords to your plan from the Keyword Ideas page, or you can type or paste a list of keywords into the search box. You can also upload a list of keywords from a CSV file by clicking on Upload File, then clicking on Select a File from Your Computer. 

Review the available templates to upload the keywords. Next, click Start, then click on Sort Keywords and navigate to the saved plan in the list to review the suggested keywords. If you want to add a suggestion to an ad group, check the box next to the keyword to accept it, then click Add to an Ad Group. When you’re done, click Download Plan. 

Contact Google Ads Experts for Consultation

The Keyword Planner tool plays a crucial role in researching and developing a high-quality keyword set to create effective ad campaigns, particularly search campaigns. However, not everyone knows how to use and fully leverage this tool when implementing Google Ads campaigns. Don’t worry; you can reach out to our Google Ads experts for personalized advice and support. You can familiarize yourself with the latest updates and implement your plan by creating a campaign with that plan. At the same time, you can review forecasting information by selecting the Keyword Planner Tool from the tools menu.

Based on the information shared in this article, you should now have a better understanding of the Keyword Planner tool. By using this tool, you can develop the most suitable and high-quality keyword set for your campaigns!

Frequently Asked Questions