Google Keyword Planner: A Comprehensive Guide to Your Perfect Set of Keywords

The performance of your campaigns in Google Ads hinges on the use of suitable keywords. Therefore, the right set of keywords is essential for the success of your campaigns in search engine marketing.

In your keyword research, the Google Keyword Planner is indispensable. This Google tool is extremely powerful and allows you to find relevant keywords for Google Ads and the optimization of your campaigns with relatively little effort.

But does the tool live up to its promises? Or are there competitor tools that are more effective? In this blog post, we would like to take a closer look at Google's tool and provide you with a comprehensive guide for your perfect set of keywords.

Basics and requirements of the Keyword Planner

To effectively exploit the potential of the Google Keyword Planner for your keyword search, it is necessary to understand its basics. The Google Keyword Planner is a tool from Google Ads that can be used in combination with a Google Ads advertising account.

Until 2018, the Google Keyword Planner was freely available under the name AdWords and not tied to the use of a Google Ads account. However, since 2018, Google Adwords has been restructured into the current service Google Ads. With this redesign, new features and tools were introduced to enable advertisers to implement even more targeted and effective advertising.

To use the Keyword Planner, at least one search network campaign must be created in the linked Google Ads account - whether it is activated or paused is irrelevant for its use. Since the Google Keyword Planner is a tool of Google Ads, a valid payment method must also be stored in the account.

The facts at a glance: Why should you use the Keyword Planner?

• Finding new keywords - whether through a group of words or a website

• Identifying trends and search volume over a custom time period

• Creating keyword lists and combining them

• Insights into competition for specific keywords and suggested bids

• Strategic planning of your campaigns and direct integration of keywords into Google Ads campaigns

The 5 steps of effective keyword research

To make the most of the Keyword Planner's potential, we would now like to take a look at the individual steps to your effective set of keywords and record best practices for using the Google Keyword Planner.

You can find the Keyword Planner in your Google Ads account under Tools and Settings. If you don't find it here, you need to change your account in the settings from a Smart Mode account to an Advanced account.

On the home page of the Keyword Planner, you first have the option to either discover new keywords or access search volume and forecasts. In the first option, you can examine the search volume of different terms and be shown additional relevant keywords.

If you have no starting points for your keywords yet, you can alternatively enter the URL of a website for which you need keywords.

1. Analyze target group & search intent

To identify suitable keywords in your search, you should also analyze your target group and cover their needs, interests, and search habits before using the Keyword Planner.
If you find this point difficult, take a look at your website: What sets your website apart? What unique features distinguish you from your competition? What problem does the customer want to solve through your website? What terms would you use yourself to find your content?

2. Enter starting keyword(s) into the Google Keyword Planner

Then use the Google Keyword Planner to expand and refine your search queries from your brainstorming. To better narrow down your results, you should also ensure that you select the appropriate language and location settings here.

Use the displayed information about similar keywords, search volume, and competition to make informed decisions. After entering one or more starting terms, you can now look at further related search queries and save matching searches directly in a list.

3. Find and sort new keyword ideas

When selecting keywords, analyze them in terms of search volume, relevance, and competition. Prioritize relevant and attractive keywords with appropriate search volume and moderate competition. Always make sure that the keyword should reflect the user's search intent, and also consider long-tail keywords for a higher conversion rate.

4. Verify the search intent of keywords with a search engine test

If you're unsure whether your keywords match the user's search intent, you can conduct a simple search engine test: Enter the keyword into a search engine of your choice and check whether the results match the content of your website.

5. Categorize the new keywords

When you have found your new keywords, you can directly integrate them into your campaigns via the Google Keyword Planner. However, to increase the performance of your ads, it is important that you categorize the found keywords and create your ads to match your keywords thematically.

Sort your keywords into categories. Then create an ad group per category, where you store the appropriate keywords. Based on these stored keywords, you can now write your ad titles and texts.

Best practices for your keyword set:

Finding keywords is just the beginning. Let’s take a look at some best practices to continuously optimize your keyword set:

• Keyword Grouping: Group similar keywords within your ad groups thematically to effectively incorporate them into your campaign structure. This will allow you to make your ads more relevant and manage your budgets more efficiently. More tips on creating your ads can be found in our article on Responsive Search Ads.

• Continuous Optimization: Just adding keywords to your ads once isn't enough - monitor the performance of your keywords and regularly adjust your strategy. Use tools like Google Analytics to gain insights into search behavior and conversion rates.

• Testing and Adjustment: Conduct A/B testing to compare the performance of your keywords and make optimizations. Experiment with different bids, ad texts, and landing pages to continuously improve your campaigns.

• Relevant Landing Pages: Ensure that your ad landing pages align with the chosen keywords and user expectations. A good user experience on the landing pages can lead to a higher conversion rate.

• Monitor the Market: Stay up to date with current trends and developments in your industry. Adjust your keyword strategy accordingly to stay competitive and seize new opportunities.

What are the alternatives to the Google Keyword Planner?

The Google Keyword Planner is a powerful tool for keyword research. A major advantage of the tool is that the researched keywords can be seamlessly integrated into Google Ads campaigns.

It is important to note that there are also free alternatives that can be used independently of advertising accounts and assist you in finding keywords as well as developing a successful search engine marketing strategy.

Here are some popular free alternatives:

Google Trends: Google Trends is an online tool from Google that provides insights into the search interest of users for specific keywords and shows trends over time and geographic regions. Google Trends is particularly helpful for identifying seasonal trends.

Ubersuggest: Ubersuggest is a free keyword research tool that provides you with keyword ideas, search volume, difficulty, and suggested keywords similar to the Google Keyword Planner. It also allows checking the competition for specific keywords.

Keyword.io: Keyword.io is an easy-to-use tool that helps you generate keyword ideas. Since Keyword.io uses data from Google, Bing, YouTube, and Amazon among others, this tool is particularly helpful for searching long-tail keywords.

Answer the Public: Answer the Public provides insights into the questions and phrases that users frequently search for on a specific topic. It offers a visual representation of the most common questions users ask, providing inspiration for content and keywords.

Although the functional range of these tools varies in some respects from the Google Keyword Planner, they nevertheless offer valuable insights and are good resources to orient yourself in your keyword research.

The proper use of the Google Keyword Planner is crucial for optimizing your search engine marketing strategy in Google Ads. The tool allows you not only to find and identify interesting keywords but also provides insight into competition and bids. Combined with strategic keyword optimization, it is the key to success in search engine marketing. If you need support in the area of Google Ads, Google Analytics, or the Keyword Planner, contact internetwarriors GmbH. Our certified Google Ads specialists are happy to assist you.