With Google handling around 14 billion searches per day, understanding what people are looking for is critical for any business. Using the Google Keyword Planner for keyword research is an essential skill for tapping into this demand. The process is straightforward: you access the free tool within a Google Ads account, use the “Discover new keywords” feature to generate ideas from a seed keyword or URL, and then use “Get search volume and forecasts” to analyze the data for your chosen terms.
This guide will walk you through everything you need to know, from these basics to advanced tricks, so you can navigate the tool like a pro and build effective SEO and PPC strategies.
What is Google Keyword Planner?
Google Keyword Planner is a free tool inside the Google Ads platform designed to help you research keywords. Launched in 2013, it combined Google’s old Keyword Tool and Traffic Estimator into a single resource. The tool provides data on how often words and phrases are searched, how those searches change over time, and what level of competition exists for them.
Because it uses Google’s own search data, it’s considered one of the most authoritative sources for keyword insights. While you need a Google Ads account to use it, you don’t actually have to spend money on ads to access its core features. For accounts without active ad campaigns, Google often shows search volume in ranges (like 100–1K searches per month) instead of exact numbers. Despite this, it remains a fundamental tool for anyone serious about search engine optimization.
How to Access Google Keyword Planner
Getting into the Keyword Planner is simple and free. Here’s how:
- First, you need to sign in to or create a Google Ads account.
- Once you are logged in, look for the tools icon (a wrench 🔧) in the top menu.
- Under the “Planning” section, select “Keyword Planner.”
If you are a new user, Google might prompt you to set up an advertising campaign. You can skip this. Look for a small link or button that says “Switch to Expert Mode” or an option to proceed without a campaign. This gives you full access to use the Google Keyword Planner for keyword research without entering payment information or running ads.
Discover New Keywords
One of the two main functions of the planner is “Discover New Keywords.” This feature is your brainstorming partner. You can enter up to ten seed keywords, phrases, or even a website URL related to your business, and Google will generate a list of relevant keyword ideas.
For example, entering “organic coffee” might give you hundreds of related suggestions like “organic coffee beans,” “fair trade coffee suppliers,” and “best organic coffee brand.” Each idea comes with valuable metrics like average monthly searches, competition level, and year over year change. This feature is fantastic for uncovering long tail keywords and unexpected search phrases you might not have considered. You can also mine Google’s related searches for even more ideas.
Use a Website URL to Find Keywords
A particularly powerful feature within “Discover New Keywords” is the ability to use a website URL for inspiration. Instead of starting with a phrase, you can input a URL from your own site or, more strategically, a competitor’s site. The tool will analyze the content on that page and suggest keywords Google associates with its themes.
This is an excellent way to perform competitive analysis. By entering a competitor’s product page, you can reveal some of the keywords they are likely targeting. This process, often called a competitive gap analysis, helps you find high value content opportunities you may have missed. At Rankai, we frequently use this technique to uncover keyword gaps for our clients, then organize them into keyword clusters to guide content planning.
Get Search Volume and Forecasts
The second primary tool is “Get Search Volume & Forecasts.” This is for when you already have a list of keywords and want to analyze them. You can paste your list directly or upload a file, and the tool will provide two key things:
- Historical Search Volume: It shows the average monthly searches for your exact keywords over the last 12 months.
- Future Forecasts: It predicts potential performance if you were to run Google Ads for these terms, estimating metrics like clicks, impressions, and average cost per click (CPC).
For SEO, the historical search volume is the most critical piece of information here. It helps you prioritize your list by showing which terms have the highest demand. While the forecast is built for advertisers, it still offers clues for SEOs. For instance, a high estimated CPC often signals a keyword with strong commercial intent, making it a valuable term to rank for organically.
How to Edit and Refine Keyword Ideas
You cannot directly edit the keyword suggestions Google provides. However, you can refine the list it generates in several powerful ways. The most effective method is to use filters. You can filter the suggestion list to only include or exclude keywords containing specific words. For example, you could filter to only show keywords that contain “2026” or exclude any terms containing the word “free.”
Additionally, when you add keywords to your plan, you can adjust their match types (Broad, Phrase, Exact). While this is mainly for PPC forecasting, changing the match type to “Exact” can help you simulate interest for a very specific term, which is useful for the forecasting trick we will cover later. Refining your results is an iterative process of adjusting inputs and applying filters until you have a polished list of high impact targets.
Filter Keyword Results by Attribute
Filtering is essential for managing the potentially huge lists of keyword ideas. Google Keyword Planner provides several useful filters to narrow your focus:
- Keyword Text: Include or exclude phrases that contain certain words.
- Average Monthly Searches: Set a minimum or maximum search volume to find keywords with sufficient demand.
- Competition: Filter by Low, Medium, or High advertiser competition. While this is for paid ads, low PPC competition can sometimes correlate with lower SEO difficulty.
- Top of Page Bid: Filter by the estimated cost for an ad to appear at the top of the search results. High bid keywords are often commercially valuable.
Using these filters, an ecommerce store could, for example, look for keywords with low competition, at least 1,000 monthly searches, and containing the word “best” to find high intent product comparison topics for their blog.
Refine Keyword Ideas by Category
To make analysis even easier, Keyword Planner automatically groups suggestions into relevant categories. After generating ideas, you may see a “Refine by Category” sidebar with options based on brand, product type, or other attributes Google identifies.
For a search like “running shoes,” the tool might offer refinement categories like Gender (men’s, women’s), Use Case (trail running, marathon), and Brand (Nike, Adidas). Clicking a category like “Adidas” instantly filters the list to show only Adidas related keywords. This is a quick way to explore subtopics and is particularly useful for separating branded queries from non‑branded queries and classic navigational keywords, which often have very different search intents.
Add Keywords to Your Plan
As you find promising keywords, you can add them to your “Keyword Plan.” Think of this as a shopping cart where you collect terms you want to analyze further. Adding keywords to a plan allows you to see their combined search volume and get aggregate forecasts.
From an SEO perspective, this is a great way to estimate the total potential traffic for a topic cluster. For instance, you could add 20 keywords related to a single topic to your plan to see the total estimated impressions (search volume) for that entire content silo. Once your plan is ready, you can download it to a CSV or Google Sheets file to use in your content strategy.
Understand Keyword Forecast Metrics
The forecast metrics in Keyword Planner are designed for advertisers, but they provide valuable signals for SEO professionals.
- Impressions: This is the estimated number of times an ad could be shown for a keyword. For an exact match keyword, this number is a close proxy for its monthly search volume.
- Clicks and CTR (Click-Through Rate): These metrics predict ad clicks. For SEO, remember that the top organic result gets a much higher click share, often around 31% on average, and Google SERP features can shift click distribution.
- Average CPC (Cost Per Click): This shows how much advertisers are willing to pay for a click. A high CPC suggests the keyword drives valuable traffic that converts well. Keywords in some industries can have CPCs exceeding $50.
- Cost: The total projected ad spend. For SEOs, this represents the value of the organic traffic you could capture. Ranking for keywords that would cost $5,000 in ads is like generating $5,000 of value each month.
Target Local Search Volume by Location
A key strength of using the Google Keyword Planner for keyword research is its ability to target specific geographic locations. You can set your target to a country, state, city, or even a metro area to see local search volumes.
This is essential for local SEO. A term like “plumber” might have massive national search volume, but what really matters for a local business is how many people are searching for it in their service area. Search behavior varies greatly by region, so always adjust the location setting to get data that is relevant to your target market.
Find Low Competition Long Tail Keywords
Long tail keywords are longer, more specific search phrases. While they have lower search volume individually, they often have less competition and higher conversion intent. A great example is “best noise cancelling headphones under $100” versus the broad term “headphones.”
Interestingly, long tail keywords make up the vast majority of all searches. One analysis found that 92% of all queries get 10 or fewer searches per month. These keywords are often marked as “Low” competition in the planner, making them easier to rank for. Building a strategy around many low competition long tail keywords is a proven way to gain traction and drive highly relevant traffic, especially when paired with programmatic SEO to publish at scale.
Identify Trending Keywords (YoY Change)
Keyword Planner includes a “Year over Year change” (YoY) metric, which shows how a keyword’s search volume has changed compared to the previous year. A large positive percentage indicates a trending keyword with growing interest.
Spotting these trends early is a huge opportunity. For example, keywords related to “NFTs” saw explosive YoY growth in 2021, and sites that created content on the topic early captured a massive wave of traffic. When you perform Google Keyword Planner for keyword research, pay close attention to this column to find topics where demand is on the rise.
Spot Seasonal Keywords (3 Month Change)
The “3 month change” metric highlights short term trends and is perfect for identifying seasonal keywords. Terms like “Halloween costumes” will show a huge positive change in the months leading up to October and a sharp decline afterward.
This data helps you time your content publication and inform your content mapping. If you know that searches for “graduation gifts” start to climb in March and peak in May, you can ensure your content is live and optimized well before the peak. Monitoring 3 month changes provides a roadmap for your content calendar, allowing you to align your SEO efforts with the natural demand cycle of your audience.
Find Lucrative Keywords via Top of Page Bid
The “Top of Page Bid” columns show a low and high range of what advertisers pay per click to appear in top ad positions. This is a powerful proxy for a keyword’s commercial value. If advertisers are willing to pay $20 for a single click, that keyword is likely very lucrative.
You can sort your keyword list by this metric to quickly identify the “money keywords” in your niche, often high-intent transactional keywords that convert. While these high value terms are often very competitive in SEO, ranking for them organically can be incredibly profitable. You get to capture high intent traffic for free that your competitors are paying a premium for.
Unlock Exact Search Volume with This Forecast Trick
For users seeing search volume ranges, there is a popular trick to get more precise numbers using the forecast feature.
- Add a keyword to your plan.
- Set its match type to [Exact Match]. You can do this by putting square brackets around the keyword.
- Go to the forecast view. Set a very high maximum bid (e.g., $100) and an uncapped budget.
- The number shown for Impressions in the forecast will now be a very close estimate of the actual monthly search volume for that exact keyword.
This “hack” works because by setting a high bid, you are telling Google you would win nearly every ad auction, meaning the number of potential impressions equals the total number of searches. This is a go to method for conducting Google Keyword Planner for keyword research without an active ad spend.
How to Export Your Keyword Data
Once your research is complete, you can easily export the data. Look for a download icon on the keyword ideas page or in your plan overview. You can export your list as a CSV or Google Sheets file.
Exporting is useful for a few reasons. It allows you to sort, filter, and analyze the data in a spreadsheet, merge it with data from other tools (like Google Search Console), and share it with your team or clients. When you export a plan, you can even include a breakdown of historical monthly search volume for the past year, which is great for analyzing seasonality.
Why Use Google Keyword Planner for SEO?
With many third party tools available, why stick with this one? The main reason to use Google Keyword Planner for keyword research is that the data comes directly from Google. It is one of the most reliable sources for understanding search demand.
Key benefits include:
- Authoritative Data: The search volumes are based on actual Google searches, not estimates.
- Idea Generation: It’s an endless source of new content ideas and related topics.
- Trend Insights: The YoY and 3 month change metrics help you capitalize on rising trends and seasonality.
- It’s Free: It offers a wealth of valuable data at no cost, making it accessible for any business.
While paid SEO tools offer more advanced features like backlink analysis and SEO difficulty scores, the Keyword Planner remains an essential starting point and a reliable source for validating search volume.
Building a Keyword Strategy From Planner Data
A list of keywords is just the start. The real value comes from turning that data into a coherent SEO strategy.
- Prioritize and Group: Start by targeting low competition, long tail keywords for quick wins while simultaneously working on high volume, high value terms as long term goals. Group related keywords into content clusters to build topical authority.
- Match Intent: Analyze your keywords to understand user intent. Is the user asking a question, comparing products, or looking to buy? Create content that directly matches that intent.
- Leverage Trends: Build a content calendar that anticipates seasonal peaks and allows you to jump on emerging trends quickly.
- Monitor and Refine: SEO is not set and forget. Use Google Search Console to track your performance for targeted keywords. Continuously update and improve your content to climb the rankings. An effective strategy often involves rewriting content that isn’t performing, ensuring your efforts lead to real results.
Turning keyword data into a high velocity content machine that drives traffic can be challenging. That’s where an expert approach can make all the difference. At Rankai, we use data from the Google Keyword Planner for keyword research to build and execute a content plan that delivers over 20 pages a month, with a unique process to rewrite pages until they rank. If you’re ready to see how a data driven strategy can transform your organic growth, book a demo with Rankai.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Google Keyword Planner completely free to use?
Yes, the core features of Google Keyword Planner are free. You need a Google account to access it through the Google Ads platform, but you do not need to run or pay for any ad campaigns to use it for keyword research.
How accurate is the data in Google Keyword Planner?
The data comes directly from Google, making it one of the most reliable sources for search volume and trends. However, for users without an active ad campaign, search volume is often presented in broad ranges. The forecast hack mentioned above can help you get more precise numbers.
Can Google Keyword Planner replace paid SEO tools?
It depends on your needs. For core keyword research, volume estimation, and idea generation, the planner is excellent. However, paid SEO tools like Ahrefs or Semrush offer additional features like detailed competitor analysis, backlink data, and more precise SEO difficulty metrics that Keyword Planner does not provide. Many professionals use both.
What is a good average monthly search volume to target?
This depends entirely on your niche and goals. A niche B2B keyword with 50 monthly searches could be extremely valuable if the intent is right. An ecommerce store might target keywords with thousands of searches. A good strategy includes a mix of low volume, high intent long tail keywords and higher volume head terms.
How often should I do keyword research?
Keyword research should be an ongoing process. Search trends change, new topics emerge, and your business goals may evolve. It’s a good practice to review your main keywords and look for new opportunities at least quarterly, and to conduct fresh Google Keyword Planner for keyword research for every new piece of content you create.
What’s the difference between Competition and Top of Page Bid?
“Competition” (Low, Medium, High) is a relative measure of how many advertisers are bidding on a keyword. “Top of Page Bid” (shown as a dollar range) is the actual estimated cost per click that advertisers are paying. Both are indicators of a keyword’s commercial value.
Can I use Google Keyword Planner for YouTube keyword research?
While the tool is designed for Google Search, you can get some directional insights. The planner has an option to see trends on “Google and search partners,” which includes YouTube. However, for dedicated YouTube SEO, tools designed specifically for that platform will provide more accurate data.
