Researching keywords is one of the most crucial first steps in Search Engine Optimization (SEO). No matter how well-written or well-designed your website is, it may never reach your target audience if you don’t use the right keywords. Google Keyword Planner (GKP) is unique among keyword research tools because it is dependable, free, and uses Google’s own search data.
We’ll go over how to use Google Keyword Planner for SEO keyword research in this guide. To make sure your keyword research generates actual traffic and growth, we’ll also go over best practices, advice, and tactics.
Google Keyword Planner: What is it?
Google Ads comes with a free tool called Google Keyword Planner. Although its main purpose was to assist advertisers in selecting the best keywords for sponsored campaigns, SEO experts and digital marketers also utilize it to:
- Search for potential keywords.
- Analyze trends in search volume.
- Think about the degree of competition.
- Think about the future.
- Create content strategies.
Keyword Planner offers one of the most precise insights into how people search online since it makes use of Google’s own database.
Why Use Google Keyword Planner for Search Engine Optimization?
Even though there are a number of paid tools available, such as Ahrefs, SEMrush, and Ubersuggest, Google Keyword Planner is still the preferred choice for both novices and SEO specialists. This is the reason:
- It’s Free to Use: All you need is a Google Ads account; an active campaign is not necessary.
- Actual Google Data: The data comes straight from Google search queries, as opposed to estimates derived from external sources.
- Finding related keywords that you might not have thought of is made simpler by keyword expansion.
- You can view a keyword’s monthly and seasonal performance with Search Volume Trends.
- Competition Insights: This tool, which is primarily used for PPC, shows the level of competition for a specific keyword and is helpful for SEO planning.
A Comprehensive Guide to SEO with Google Keyword Planner
Let’s review how to conduct keyword research using GKP:
Step 1: Visit Google Keyword Planner.
- Go to Google Ads. Log in with an existing Google account or create a new one.
- After logging in, select the Tools & Settings icon (wrench icon).
- From the “Planning” section, select Keyword Planner.
👉 You can use this tool for SEO even if you are not running advertisements.
Step 2: Select a Research Subject
Keyword Planner provides two primary choices:
- Learn New Words
To get related ideas, type in a URL or a seed keyword (such as “digital marketing”).
Excellent for identifying keyword opportunities you might not have considered. - Obtain Forecasts and Search Volume
To view a list of monthly search volumes, trends, and projections for a particular keyword, enter it.
beneficial if you already have a list of keywords to examine.
Use Discover New Keywords to begin your SEO keyword research.
Step 3: Type in your first list of keywords.
Enter a domain, word, or phrase here. For instance:
- “SEO tools” is the seed keyword.
- GKP might recommend “free SEO audit tools,” “best SEO tools,” and “SEO tools for beginners.”
You can use this to generate a lengthy list of relevant keywords for your content strategy.
Step 4: Search for Potential Keywords
The keyword results will display the following crucial metrics:
- Average Monthly Searches: Indicates the frequency of a keyword’s searches.
- Competition: Shows the level of competition (low, medium, or high) of the keyword’s advertising.
- Advertisers’ willingness to pay for that keyword is indicated by the Top of Page Bid (Low & High Range).
- Trends: Assists in determining periods of increased interest.
Pay more attention to search volume and competition for SEO.
Step 5: Organize and Improve Your Keywords
To narrow down your keyword research, use filters:
- Location: Look for keywords unique to a nation, state, or city.
- Language: Helpful for SEO tactics that use multiple languages.
- Search Network: For natural SEO research, keep it set to Google.
- Date Range: To identify trends, examine keywords from the previous 12 months or more.
This ensures that the keywords you choose are relevant to the intended audience.
Step 6: Pay Attention to Long-Tail Keywords
Long-tail keywords are less competitive, longer, and more focused phrases. Because they target specific user intent, they frequently convert better even though their search volumes may be lower.
For instance:
- Short-tail: “SEO tools” (high volume, fiercely competitive)
- Long-tail: “best free SEO tools for bloggers” (more targeted, but with less volume)
You can locate these worthwhile long-tail opportunities with the aid of Google Keyword Planner.
Step 7: Evaluate the Keyword’s Relevance
Targeting every high-volume keyword is not worthwhile. Ask:
- Does this keyword fit my business goals or content?
- Will it attract the right people?
- Can I rank for this keyword given the authority of my website?
Put relevance and reachable competition ahead of volume.
Step 8: Make a Keyword List
Use GKP’s “Add to Plan” feature or export keywords to Excel or Google Sheets. Arrange them in the following order:
- Primary Keywords (the main topics of your pages)
- Secondary Keywords (variants and synonyms)
- Long-tail keywords are supporting words for blog posts or frequently asked questions.
This structure can help you produce content that ranks for multiple terms.
Step 9: Connect Keywords to Content
Connect specific websites to the keywords you have gathered.
- Homepage → Brand-related keywords
- Transactional keywords on pages for goods and services
- Blog entries → educational and long-tail keywords
- FAQ Pages → Question-based keywords
This prevents a phenomenon known as keyword cannibalization, in which several pages vie for the same term.
Step 10: Keep an eye and adjust
After your content has been optimized with the selected keywords:
- Use Google Search Console to track impressions, clicks, and CTR.
- To monitor rankings, use tools such as Ahrefs or SEMrush.
- Visit Keyword Planner often to stay up to date on trends.
Because SEO is an ongoing process, your strategy should adapt to your keywords’ changing performance.
Professional Tips for Getting the Most Out of Google Keyword Planner
- Start with a general overview before delving into specifics.
Start with general terms to generate keyword ideas, then focus on niches. - Analyze rival websites.
To find out what keywords a competitor is aiming for, enter their website in GKP. - Combine with Other Instruments
Combine data from Google Trends, AnswerThePublic, or SEMrush with Keyword Planner data for more thorough keyword strategies. - Pay Attention to the Search’s Goal
- Educative: “What is SEO? → Blog post
- “Moz SEO tool” → Product page for navigation
- Transactional: “Get SEO software” → Landing page
- Take Note of Low-Volume Keywords
Low-volume keywords can produce niche, high-converting traffic.
Typical Mistakes to Avoid
- concentrating only on high-volume keywords → Usually too competitive.
- Ignoring user intent → Misalignment leads to high bounce rates.
- Using the same keyword on multiple pages is known as keyword cannibalization.
- Ignoring trends in keywords → It is important to regularly update research.
Using Keyword Research as an Example
Let’s say you want to write for your fitness blog about “at-home workouts.”
- Put “workout at home” in as the seed keyword.
- Concepts:
- “greatest at-home exercise for novices” (8,100 searches, moderate competition)
- “at-home exercise without equipment” (12,000 searches, medium)
- “30-minute at-home workout” (2,400 searches, low)
Make a content strategy:
- The blog post is titled “30-Minute Home Workout Without Equipment for Beginners.”
- The supporting article is titled “Top 10 Benefits of Home Workouts.”
- One of the most common questions is, “Is working out at home as effective as going to the gym?”
This makes matching your intent with long-tail and high-volume keywords simple.
Final thoughts
Even though Google Keyword Planner was designed with advertisers in mind, it still provides SEO professionals with helpful data regarding search volume, competition, and keyword trends. The foundation of SEO is keyword research.
This painstaking process involves identifying new keywords, mapping them to content, and tracking the results to develop a keyword strategy that improves your online visibility, attracts targeted traffic, and establishes your authority.
Remember that choosing keywords that are pertinent to your audience’s intent is more important than figuring out which keywords are most popular.
