Using the Keyword Planner Tool

Keyword research remains the backbone of performance marketing. And your best ally for this is Google's Keyword Planner.

Go to Tools → Planning → Keyword Planner.

You'll see two main options:

1. Discover New Keywords: explore new search ideas based on products, services, or websites;
2. Get Search Volume and Forecasts: estimate performance and costs for a keyword list you already have.

Discovering New Keywords

You can:

• Specify language (e.g., English) and location (e.g., United States);
• Exclude competitor domains (optional) — though sometimes analyzing them helps reveal keyword gaps;
• Click Get Results to see hundreds of related keyword ideas.

You'll get a detailed table showing:

• Average monthly searches;
• Search trend changes over time;
• Competition level (Low, Medium, High);
• Suggested bid ranges (CPC).

Analyzing Search Volume and Forecasts

Once you've selected potential keywords, paste them into the Search Volume & Forecast tab. This feature shows you:

• Estimated clicks, impressions, and cost;
• Competition level and average CPC;
• Predicted conversions and CPA (Cost Per Acquisition);
• Breakdown by device (mobile, desktop, tablet) and location.

Keyword Planning Sheet

This turns messy research into a structured, data-driven plan.