Google Keyword Planner is a free tool provided by Google for Google Ads advertisers to help them choose the best keywords for their advertising campaigns.
It can also be used by SEOs and content creators to research and plan their content strategy and keyword optimization.
It indicates search volume for keywords, shows estimated clicks and costs for keywords, and provides related keywords to help users find new and more specific keywords for their campaigns.
This guide assumes you already have an active Google Ads account that you can use.
Step 1: Access the Keyword Planner Tool
Once you are signed in, simply click on the Tools icon at the top of the page and select “Keyword Planner”.
Step 2: Choose Your Options
When you launch the Keyword Planner tool you will be presented with two options, “Find new keywords” and “Get search volume and forecasts”.
Select the “Find new keywords” option if you are using the tool for the first time.
Step 3: Enter Your Keywords
Once you have selected the “Find new keywords” option, you will be prompted to enter your existing keywords. Simply type in the keywords you want to explore, separated by a comma. You can also enter a list of websites related to your keywords.
For example: Heat pumps, Heat pumps Hamilton, Heat pump installation, Daikin Heat pumps
Tip: the main keyword for a sector, like “Heat pumps”, will have higher volume, but not necessarily mean people ar looking to purchase. They may be doing research.
It is better to add a location, like “Heat pumps Hamilton,” as this is more likely to mean the consumer is looking for somewhere to purchase a heat pump.
Step 4: Filter for location
If the client mainly works in Hamilton, then select Hamilton rather than New Zealand for more useful results.
Step 5: Get Results
Once you have entered your keywords, the Keyword Planner will generate lists of related keywords, along with their monthly search volume and level of competition.
It is important in the early stages of an SEO campaign, to choose keywords that have the best balance of high search volume and lower competition. As you get ranked for these, you will find it easier top rank for the high-volume, high-competition keywords.