Google Keyword Planner

Where to Find Google Keyword Planner

Google Keyword Planner lives inside Google Ads. You need a Google Ads account to access it, but you do not have to spend money or create a campaign. The account itself is free.

Navigate to the Tools icon (wrench) in the top right. Under the Planning section, click Keyword Planner. If the menu changes over time, use the search bar in Google Ads to find it quickly.

Some third-party tools claim to offer the same data. Only the official Google Ads tool provides data directly from Google's systems.

To set up a free account, go to ads.google.com and sign up with your Google account. You will be asked for basic billing information, but you can skip entering a payment method if you choose the option to create an account without a campaign. Once inside, the Keyword Planner is immediately available. I have seen users get confused by the dashboard, but the tool is always under the Tools icon regardless of account type.

If you manage multiple accounts, switch to the correct one using the account selector at the top. The Keyword Planner data is specific to each account's settings, so double-check you are in the right place. For agencies, this is a common pitfall when switching between client accounts.

The Two Core Workflows

Once inside, you see two options. The first is Discover new keywords. The second is Get search volume and forecasts. Each serves a different purpose.

Discover new keywords helps you brainstorm. You can enter a word, phrase, or website URL. The tool returns related keyword ideas with average monthly searches and competition levels.

Get search volume and forecasts works with a list you already have. Paste up to 10,000 keywords or upload a CSV. The tool shows historical volume and can predict future performance if you plan to run ads.

The distinction matters for your workflow. If you are starting from scratch, use Discover new keywords to build a list. If you have a list from another source, such as a competitor analysis or a content audit, use Get search volume and forecasts to enrich it with volume data. I often use both in sequence: first discover, then validate.

How to Discover New Keywords

Click Discover new keywords. You see three input methods: keyword, website URL, or both. Most people start with a broad keyword or a topic.

For example, enter 'coffee maker'. The tool suggests hundreds of related terms like 'drip coffee maker' or 'espresso machine'. Each keyword shows average monthly searches, competition, and top of page bid ranges.

You can refine the list by adding negative keywords or filtering by date range. The tool also groups ideas into ad groups based on common themes.

If you enter a website URL, say a competitor's product page, the tool extracts keywords that page ranks for. This is useful for competitive research. For instance, paste a URL from a leading coffee brand and see terms like 'best coffee maker 2025' or 'single serve coffee machine'. Combine this with a keyword seed to narrow results further.

The ad group grouping is helpful for content clusters. The tool might group 'espresso machine', 'espresso maker', and 'espresso coffee machine' under one ad group. You can use these groups to structure your site's topic pillars. I recommend exporting the list to a CSV for deeper analysis, as the on-screen view is limited to a few hundred rows.

• Start typing a keyword related to your product or service.
• Paste your website URL to see keywords used by similar sites.
• Combine both for a more targeted set of suggestions.

How to Get Search Volume and Forecasts

Choose Get search volume and forecasts. You can enter up to 10,000 keywords manually or upload a CSV. The CSV must have a column named 'Keyword' (or use the template provided by Google Ads).

The tool returns average monthly searches, competition, and impression share. For campaigns, forecast tab shows predicted clicks, impressions, cost, and conversion data based on your budget and bid.

Change the location, language, and date range to match your target market. Forecasts update in real time when you adjust settings.

For example, upload a list of 50 keywords related to 'running shoes'. The tool shows that 'trail running shoes' has 10,000 average monthly searches in the US, while 'road running shoes' has 5,000. The competition column indicates how many advertisers bid on each term. If you set a daily budget of £50, the forecast tab predicts 200 clicks and 10,000 impressions for the month. These numbers shift if you change the location to the UK or adjust the bid to £1 per click.

The forecast is particularly useful for budgeting. If you plan an SEO campaign, ignore the forecast tab and focus on the historical volume. For PPC, the forecast helps you estimate cost per click and total spend. I have found that forecasts are optimistic, so I usually add a 20% buffer to the predicted cost.

Filtering and Refining Your Keyword List

Both workflows include filters to narrow down results. Use them to focus on keywords that match your goals.

You can filter by average monthly searches (e.g., only show keywords with 1,000+ searches), competition (low, medium, high), or top of page bid range. Location and language filters are also available right inside the tool.

A common mistake is to skip these filters. Without them, you get a long, noisy list. For local businesses, the Local SEO Keyword filter helps you target town or city searches. For content planning, ignore commercial bid data and focus on volume.

For instance, if you run a bakery in Manchester, set the location to 'Manchester, England' and the language to 'English'. The tool then shows keywords like 'bakery near me' or 'fresh bread Manchester' with local volume estimates. Without location filtering, you would see national data that includes searches from London or Birmingham, which are irrelevant.

Another useful filter is the date range. By default, the tool shows the last 12 months. Change it to the last 3 months to capture recent trends, or to a specific month for seasonal analysis. For example, 'Christmas cake' might show 1,000 searches in December but only 100 in June. The date range filter reveals this seasonality.

• Average monthly searches: show only high-volume or low-volume terms.
• Competition: how many advertisers bid on the keyword (for paid search).
• Top of page bid: low and high cost estimates to secure first-page placement.
• Account status: see if you are already targeting the keyword in a campaign.

Using Keyword Planner for SEO

Although built for Google Ads, Keyword Planner is widely used in SEO. The search volume data helps prioritise topics for organic content. You can validate whether a topic has enough demand to warrant a page.

To use it without running ads, simply create a free Google Ads account and access the tool. You do not need to launch a campaign. This answers the common question: can I use it for free? Yes.

SEO practitioners often pair it with how seo keyword tool works for more granular long-tail data. For seasonal trends, Google Trends shows interest over time. what keywords everywhere means adds volume estimates as you browse.

For example, if you are planning a blog post about 'vegan protein powder', check the volume in Keyword Planner. If it shows 5,000 monthly searches, it is worth writing. If it shows 50, consider a broader topic like 'plant-based protein'. The tool also helps you identify subtopics: 'vegan protein powder for weight loss' might have 500 searches, which is enough for a dedicated section.

I also use it to compare keyword variants. 'Running shoes' vs 'trainers' might have different volumes in different regions. Set the location to the UK to see that 'trainers' has higher volume there, while 'running shoes' dominates in the US. This informs your content's language.

Limitations and Caveats

All data in Keyword Planner is an estimate. Google rounds its numbers to protect user privacy. The same keyword can show different volumes across locations or time. Do not treat monthly searches as exact counts.

Forecast data assumes your campaign settings. Changing the bid, budget, or targeting completely changes the predictions. For Keyword Msv, understand it means 'monthly search volume' and is directional.

Avoid keyword stuffing when you build your content. Keyword Planner is a research tool, not a content template. For local businesses, Local SEO Keyword research helps you find place-specific terms. And what youtube tag generator means might help for video content but is separate.

Another limitation is that the tool does not show organic difficulty or click-through rates. You need to combine it with other tools for a full picture. Also, the competition metric only reflects paid advertisers, not organic competition. A keyword with low paid competition might still be hard to rank for organically if many authoritative sites target it.

Finally, the data is averaged over 12 months, so it smooths out spikes. A keyword that gets 100,000 searches in one month and 0 in others will show as 8,333 monthly searches. This hides seasonality. Always cross-check with Google Trends for seasonal patterns.

• Search volume is an average over 12 months; spikes are hidden.
• Competition data reflects advertisers, not organic difficulty.
• Bid ranges are estimates, not guarantees.