Google Ads Keyword Research: How to Use Keyword Planner Right

Google Ads keyword research means finding the searches your buyers type, checking what they cost, and choosing the ones that can turn a profit. The free tool for it is Google's own Keyword Planner, inside every Google Ads account under Tools.

The tool is easy. Reading it right is not. Keyword Planner tells you how often something is searched and roughly what a top spot costs. It does not tell you whether those searchers buy. That part is your job, and it is where most keyword lists go wrong.

Where is Keyword Planner in Google Ads?

Sign in to Google Ads, open the Tools menu, and select Keyword planner. You get two starting options:

• Discover new keywords - find ideas from words or a website.
• Get search volume and forecasts - paste or upload a list you already have.

Keyword Planner is free. Google says one thing has to happen first: "You must complete your account setup by entering your billing information to access basic features like 'Get ideas for new keywords'." You do not have to run ads to use it.

Step by step: keyword research with Keyword Planner

1. Start with words, a website, or both

Under Discover new keywords, pick one:

• Start with keywords. Type words that describe what you sell, separated by commas. Add your domain and Google "will try to exclude keywords not related to what you offer."
• Start with a website. Enter any site, yours or a competitor's, and Google "will look for keywords related to the content on that site."

Google's tip: a keyword plus a URL gives more ideas than a URL alone.

Google's own advice on good seed keywords, from its best practices page:

• Describe how your customers think of the product. "Hiking boots", then "best hiking boots".
• Name popular brands you sell, not a brand nobody knows yet.
• Do not start with an adjective.
• Do not be too general or too specific.
• Leave out the location if you will use location targeting instead.

2. Filter and refine

You will get far more ideas than you need. Cut them down with:

• Filters for competition, impression share and keyword text. Google's example: show ideas where bids under $1 may be enough for the top of the page.
• The Refine keywords panel. Google groups ideas by theme, brand or category. Untick whole groups at once, like colors or brands you do not sell.

3. Save and forecast

Tick the keywords you want, choose a match type, and add them to a plan. The Forecasts page then shows estimated clicks, cost, impressions and, if you track them, conversions, for the budget and bid strategy you set. Google says forecasts refresh daily, are based on the last 7 to 10 days, and adjust for seasonality.

4. Move them into your account

From Keyword ideas, select keywords, open the three-dot menu above the table, choose Add to account, then pick the ad group and match type. Our Google Ads setup guide covers building the campaign around them.

How to read Keyword Planner's numbers

Three things Google warns about:

1. Search volumes are rounded, so totals across locations may not add up.
2. Search volume is exact match only. Forecasts use your chosen match types. The two will not line up, and that is expected.
3. Bid ranges come from the last 30 days, and you may not see them for keywords with little history.

To turn a bid range into a budget, run it through our CPC calculator. For what drives the price itself, read our guide to CPC for Google Ads.

How to pick keywords that sell

Volume is not value. Sort every idea by intent before you look at volume:

Then check the price. If the high range top of page bid means one sale would cost more than it earns, skip it or bid lower and accept fewer clicks.

Keyword match types and negative keywords

Match type decides how far each keyword reaches. Google's advice: "Starting with exact match keywords gives you the most control over who views your ad. You can then reach a wider variety of searches by adding phrase match and broad match options for keywords that are performing well."

Google also notes that broad match captures all the searches of narrower match types, plus more. More reach, less control. Our match types guide shows exactly what each one matches.

Every keyword list needs a negative list. Google's example: a store that sells only men's shoes might add "women" and "girls" as negatives. Read what a negative keyword is for how they work.

How many keywords should you use in Google Ads?

Google does not set a number. It sets a principle: "Group similar keywords into ad groups to show more relevant ads." Its example: if "formal shoes" and "running shoes" share one ad group, a person searching for formal shoes may see your running shoe ad.

Our starting rule for a new campaign:

• A few tight ad groups, each about one product or one theme.
• A small set of close keywords per ad group, all things one ad can answer well.
• More keywords only when the search terms report shows real demand you are missing.

Hundreds of loose keywords spread data thin and make the search terms report unreadable. Relevance between keyword, ad and landing page also feeds your Quality Score.

Two hard limits from Google: each keyword can be at most 80 characters and at most 10 words.

Google Shopping keywords

Shopping campaigns have no keywords. Google says Shopping ads use "your existing Merchant Center product data (not keywords) to decide how and where to show your ads."

So keyword research for Shopping goes into your feed:

1. Find the words buyers use in Keyword Planner, exactly as for Search.
2. Put the most important ones early in your product titles: product type, brand, key attribute.
3. Use the rest in descriptions and product types.
4. Read the Shopping search terms report and add negatives for searches that do not fit.

PPC keyword research tools

To research a rival's keywords specifically, see our Google Ads competitor analysis guide.

Keep the list alive

Keyword research is not a one-time job. The search terms report keeps telling you which keywords bring buyers and which bring browsers. Scaley Media Buyer connects to Google Ads read-only and answers questions like "which keywords spent money with no sales this month" from your live data. It cannot change a setting. Start the free trial. Disclosure: Christopher Krassnig, who founded Scaley, also runs ZenoX Media, a Google Ads agency.

Where these facts come from

Checked on 2026-10-08:

• Use Keyword Planner, Google Ads Help - where it is, billing needed, both starting options, filters and refine panel, forecasts, Add to account, and the 80 character and 10 word limits.
• About Keyword Planner forecasts, Google Ads Help - every column definition, exact match volume, rounding and bid range notes.
• Best practices for finding new keywords, Google Ads Help - Google's seed keyword advice.
• Build effective keyword lists, Google Ads Help - match type order, broad match coverage, negatives and ad group grouping.
• About Shopping ads, Google Ads Help - Shopping ads use product data, not keywords.