Google Keyword Planner Keyword Research 2021: Mastering SEO Techniques

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Google Keyword Planner is a powerful tool that helps you find the perfect keywords for your SEO strategy. It's free to use and offers a wealth of information to help you get started.

To get the most out of Google Keyword Planner, it's essential to understand how to use it effectively. This means learning how to identify relevant keywords, filter out irrelevant data, and use the tool's advanced features.

Keyword research is a crucial step in the SEO process, and Google Keyword Planner makes it easier than ever to find the right keywords for your content. With the right keywords, you can improve your website's visibility, drive more traffic, and increase conversions.

Getting Started

Start your keyword research by typing in the most relevant keyword to your business in an incognito tab in Google.

You'll find many suggestions on the page, including Google predictive text, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), and Related terms.

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Begin by creating a list of 10 or 20 keywords if you're new to SEO keyword research, or 1000 or 10,000 words if you're an advanced practitioner.

To identify keywords through the domain/website method, enter the domain or link to a particular page in Google Keyword Planner.

You can choose to analyze the entire site or a single page, and add filters for the country and language.

Once you've selected the configuration, click on "Get Results" to get new keyword ideas and start creating content around them.

Here are the different types of suggestions you'll find on the page:

  • Google predictive text – the search terms that pop up as suggestions while you're typing
  • Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) – find these below the snippet but above the search results
  • Related terms – at the very bottom of your SERP, below the results

Keyword Research Fundamentals

Keyword research is a crucial part of any digital marketing strategy. It's used for two main marketing techniques: search engine optimisation (SEO) and search engine marketing (SEM).

SEO is the cornerstone of your inbound digital marketing strategy, and it can be cost-effective if done correctly. It helps you achieve the most relevant traffic to your website.

Credit: youtube.com, 6 Ways to Use Google Keyword Planner for Keyword Research

Keyword research identifies the queries that your target audience is actually searching on Google. It determines who your competitors are and which area of the search landscape you can rank for.

To do keyword research like a pro, you need to start by understanding your purpose. You should be targeting those searches with content that features those keywords in a meaningful way.

Inbound methodology focuses less on creating content around what we want to tell people. Instead, we should be creating content around what people want to discover. Our audience is coming to us for helpful content that provides the answers they're looking for.

Keyword research is the process of finding and analyzing search terms that people enter into search engines with the goal of using that data for a specific purpose, often for SEO or general marketing.

Here are some key benefits of keyword research:

  • Helps you find your SEO sweet spot – the overlap of keywords that aren’t too hard to rank for and keywords that you can confidently produce excellent content on.
  • Identifies the queries that your target audience is actually searching on Google.
  • Determines who your competitors are and which area of the search landscape you can rank for.

By understanding your target audience's search queries, you can create content that provides the answers they're looking for and attract more traffic to your website.

Understanding Your Audience

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To understand your audience, it's essential to consider your ideal customer. This involves thinking about your target audience's search terms and intentions, just like the infographic suggests.

Your content should match your ideal audience's search terms and intentions to get more organic traffic to your site. This means you need to think as your ideal customer would.

Understanding your ideal customer is crucial for effective keyword research. It's likely you've already created audience personas to help you understand your ideal customer, but if not, now's the time to do so.

Know Your Ideal Customer

To get more organic traffic to your site, your content should match your ideal audience's search terms and intentions. This means understanding who your ideal customer is and what they're looking for.

Your ideal customer is likely someone you've already thought about using audience personas. If you haven't, now's the time to do so. With your ideal audience in mind, you can start thinking like they do.

This will help you begin keyword research by considering what your customer would search for. It's essential to put yourself in their shoes and think about what they need or want.

Desired Target

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To identify your ideal audience, you need to choose the right targeted keyword. This is where the Google Keyword Planner comes in, helping you make informed decisions based on trends and search volume.

You can enter your desired keyword or phrase into the planner, and it will provide you with the necessary data to evaluate performance metrics and refine your list.

To start developing your keyword list, begin by doing some DIY research. Open an incognito tab in Google and type in the keyword most relevant to your business. You'll find many suggestions on the page, including Google predictive text, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), and Related terms.

Creating a list of 10 or 20 keywords is a good starting point for new SEO practitioners, while advanced practitioners may create lists of 1000 or 10,000 words.

Here are some ways to identify your desired target:

  • Google predictive text: the search terms that pop up as suggestions while you're typing
  • Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): find these below the snippet but above the search results
  • Related terms: at the very bottom of your SERP, below the results

Understanding user intent is crucial in keyword research. It's not just about including the keyword the searcher used, but also about addressing the problem they want to solve.

Intent

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Intent is a crucial factor in understanding your audience's needs and preferences. It's the idea behind their search query, and if there's a mismatch between the search intent and your content, it's likely that your content won't rank well.

Google ranks content for relevance, which is closely tied to intent. Your content will only rank for a keyword if it meets the searchers' needs. If you're starting an SEO business specializing in small businesses, for example, you might assume that "SEO tips for small businesses" would be the most relevant keyword. However, its parent topic, "small business SEO", has a much higher monthly search volume and keyword difficulty.

User intent is now one of the most pivotal factors in your ability to rank well on search engines like Google. You need to be extra careful about how you interpret the keywords you target, as they can have many different meanings. For instance, the keyword "how to start a blog" can mean either learning how to start an individual blog post or launching a website domain for a new blog.

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To verify a user's intent, it's a good idea to simply enter the keyword into a search engine yourself and see what types of results come up. This will give you a better understanding of what your audience is looking for.

You can broadly divide keyword intent into four categories:

  • Navigational: The intent behind these types of keywords is to locate a store or a website on the internet.
  • Informational: These keywords are used to acquire information about a topic, product, business, etc.
  • Commercial: The intent behind these keywords is to find the best products, services, or brands.
  • Transactional: These are high-purchase-intent keywords that are used when a person is ready to buy something.

Consider a mix of all four types of keywords to ensure that you have traffic for all sections of your sales funnel.

Keyword Research Techniques

Google Keyword Planner is a must-use tool for keyword research, and it's entirely free. Use it to brainstorm keywords, but be sure to analyze your choices to make sure they're relevant.

With Keyword Planner, you can discover variants on your keyword and related search terms, including alphabeticals and comparisons. Alphabeticals are your keyword as searched with another word or phrase added on, with results arranged in alphabetical order.

To select the right keywords, consider the following factors. Here are the things to keep in mind:

  • Use Google Keyword Planner to cut down your keyword list.
  • Prioritize low-hanging fruit.
  • Check the monthly search volume (MSV) for keywords you’ve chosen.
  • Factor in SERP features as you choose keywords.
  • Check for a mix of head terms and long-tail keywords in each bucket.
  • See how competitors are ranking for these keywords.

Access

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To access Google Keyword Planner, you need to have a Google Ads account. You can set one up in a few minutes by following the prompts and entering some information about you and your business.

You don't need to run an active campaign to use the Keyword Planner, but you do need to at least set up a Google Ads campaign.

To log in to your Google Ads account, click on the "Tools" menu item to the left of your screen and choose "Keyword Planner." This will give you access to two different tools: "Discover New Keywords" and "Get search volume and forecasts."

If you don't have a Google Ads account, you can create one by clicking here.

Keyword Research Techniques" would most likely fall under the subheading "Brainstorm

Brainstorming is a crucial step in keyword research, and Google Keyword Planner is a must-use tool for this process. You can use it to brainstorm keywords, but be sure to analyze your choices to make sure they're relevant.

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Google Keyword Planner can help you discover variants on your keyword and related search terms, including alphabeticals and comparisons. For example, if you're searching for "SEO keyword strategy", you can find related terms like "SEO keyword research" or "SEO keyword optimization."

To brainstorm, start by opening an incognito tab in Google and typing in the keyword most relevant to your business. You'll find many suggestions on the page, including Google predictive text, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), and related terms.

Here are some clever ways to brainstorm keywords:

  • Use Google Keyword Planner to help you brainstorm keywords.
  • Analyze your choices to make sure they're relevant.
  • Start by creating a list of 10 or 20 keywords.
  • Use Google Trends to fill in some blanks and determine which terms are trending upward.
  • Check the trend history and projections in Google Trends to see whether you should invest in some low-volume terms now.

Limitations

One of the biggest limitations of keyword research is that it can be time-consuming and overwhelming. Google Keyword Planner, a popular tool, has its own set of limitations.

You need a Google Ads account to use Google Keyword Planner, which can be a barrier for some users. The tool's filter option has been simplified, which makes it harder to find specific and relevant keywords.

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Google Keyword Planner averages 12 months of search volume to provide monthly search data, but this can be a problem if you're trying to evaluate short-term trends. It's like trying to predict a stormy weather with a 12-month forecast.

The tool has fewer filters than other keyword research tools, making it difficult to drill down to the most relevant and useful keywords for your audience. This can lead to a lot of irrelevant results and wasted time.

Google Keyword Planner no longer shows monthly searches for keywords, instead giving you an average search volume per month, which is often cloudy and hard to interpret. This can make it tough to get a clear picture of your target audience's search habits.

Prioritize Low-Hanging Fruit

As you're browsing through the Keyword Results Page, you'll notice that it can get overwhelming with all the data in front of you. The top-most section shows you the information you've already entered in the search bar, which you can further modify from here.

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Google Keyword Planner suggests some related keywords here that you can add to your search to broaden the number of results. This can be a great way to discover new keywords and expand your search.

The center of the page is dedicated to the list of relevant target keywords and their metrics. This list shows the average monthly searches, competition level, and top of the page bid for each keyword.

The competition level is divided into Low, Medium, and High, making it easier to rank for keywords with lower competition. The average monthly searches metric gives the average search volume for each keyword, helping you figure out which keywords to target.

The list also shows the top of the page bid (high range) and top of the page bid (low range) for each keyword, giving you an idea of the cost per click (CPC) for each keyword.

To prioritize low-hanging fruit, focus on keywords with lower competition and a higher average monthly searches. Here's a table to help you filter your keyword list:

By applying these filters, you can quickly identify keywords that are less competitive and have a higher search volume, making it easier to rank and drive traffic to your website.

SEO Tools and Strategies

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To kick off your keyword research, think about the topics you want to rank for in terms of generic buckets. These are probably the topics you blog about most frequently or come up in sales conversations. To identify these topic buckets, consider the types of topics your target audience would search for that you'd want your business to get found for.

You can use a keyword research template to help you organize your data. A template might include columns for Search Volume, CPC, Ranking, and Keyword Difficulty. For example, the template might look like this:

To discover your ranking keywords, use tools like the Yoast plugin or Google Keyword Planner. Compare your list of ranking keywords to the keywords you want to rank for to reveal your plan of action.

Your Tool

You have a few options for tools to help you with keyword research, including Google Keyword Planner and Rank Tracker by SEO PowerSuite.

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Google Keyword Planner is a free tool that allows you to discover new keywords and get search volume and forecasts.

Rank Tracker is a solid tool for monitoring SERP data and doing keyword research, and it integrates with Google Search Console and Keyword Planner, providing a free version for unlimited testing.

Here are some features to consider when choosing a tool:

Discover new keywords

Get search volume and forecasts

Monitor SERP data

Identify keyword gaps

Autocomplete phrases on different search engine tools

BiQ Intelligence

BiQ Intelligence is a powerful tool for robust SEO performance and explosive keyword research. It's highly recommended for those looking to boost their online presence and social media presence.

It provides comprehensive data about CPC and search volume, giving you a clear understanding of your target audience. This data can be used to optimize your content and ads for better results.

BiQ Intelligence also gives you exact keyword recommendations that are similar to your target keyword. This can help you attract more relevant traffic to your website.

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The "Trending Searches" tab is a useful feature that shows you the latest keywords and topics related to your searched keyword. This can help you stay on top of the latest trends and interests in your industry.

By using BiQ Intelligence to identify keywords with high commercial value, you can meet the users' search intent and rank higher in search engine results.

5. Bid Price

The bid price is a crucial factor to consider when choosing keywords for your website. It's a reflection of how much advertisers are willing to pay for each click, and it can greatly impact your earnings.

Keywords with higher bid prices tend to have more commercial intent, which means they can drive more traffic from people who are interested in buying from you.

A high CPC (cost-per-click) keyword can directly boost your bottom line, but it also means that you'll need to pay more for each ad click.

Analyzing Your Data

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To narrow down your results, use the filter to eliminate irrelevant keyword ideas. You can add filters like "keyword contains" to include specific words, such as "rewards", "snacks", or "treat." This will show you only the keywords related to your products or services.

The Keyword Results Page provides a wealth of data, including related keywords, filters, and metrics. The center of the page lists relevant target keywords, showing average monthly searches, competition, top of the page bid (high and low range), and more. You can also apply filters to refine your keyword search, such as excluding keywords already in your plan or filtering by level of competition.

Here's a breakdown of the metrics you'll see on the Keyword Results Page:

  • Keywords: These are the keywords related to your search terms, sorted by relevance.
  • Average monthly searches: This metric shows the average search volume for each keyword, but with a range like 10K-100K.
  • Competition: This shows the level of competition for each keyword, divided into Low, Medium, and High.
  • Top of the page bid (high and low range): These figures show the cost per click (CPC) to rank at the top or bottom of paid search results.

Results Page

The Results Page is where the magic happens. This is where you'll get a list of related keywords, their metrics, and filters to refine your search.

You'll see the keywords that are related to your search terms, sorted by relevance. Each keyword has its own metrics, including Average monthly searches, Competition, Top of the page bid (high range), and Top of the page bid (low range).

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The Average monthly searches metric gives you a range of search volume, not an exact number. For example, you might see 10K-100K searches per month. This can be misleading, especially for seasonal keywords like "Halloween costumes", which can get 50,000 searches in October and 100 searches in May.

Competition shows you the level of competition for a particular keyword, divided into Low, Medium, and High. It's easier to rank for keywords with lower competition.

Here's a breakdown of the metrics you'll see on the Results Page:

You can use the filters on the Results Page to refine your keyword list. Some of the filters include Excluding keywords already in your plan, Level of competition, Bid ranges, Organic impression share, and Organic average position. Pro Tip: This method works as an excellent way to identify the keywords that your competitors are ranking for.

Traffic Growth

Analyzing your website's traffic growth is crucial to understanding your online presence.

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Identifying the best-fitting keywords for your content is key to ranking higher in search engine results, which in turn attracts more traffic to your website.

Higher search engine rankings can lead to increased website traffic, and by optimizing your content with relevant keywords, you can achieve this.

By analyzing your traffic growth, you can refine your content strategy to better meet the needs of your target audience.

Organizing Your Content

To effectively use Google Keyword Planner for keyword research, you need to organize your content in a way that makes sense for your business or brand.

Google Keyword Planner allows you to create ad groups, which are essentially folders that hold related keywords. Ad groups help you to stay organized and focused on specific topics.

In the "Ad groups" section of Google Keyword Planner, you can see all the ad groups you've created and the keywords they contain. This makes it easy to manage and edit your ad groups as needed.

By organizing your content in a logical and structured way, you can streamline your keyword research process and get more out of Google Keyword Planner.

Organizing Your Space

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Organizing your space is a crucial step in managing your content, and it's amazing how a little bit of planning can make a big difference. You can organize your keywords in Google Keyword Planner itself, which is a huge time-saver.

There are two ways to organize your keywords: by including them in a master list or by adding them to a custom group. This helps you keep track of everything and avoid having keywords scattered all over the place.

Build Out Your Content

As you start building out your content, keep in mind that it's essential to re-evaluate your keywords every few months, with once a quarter being a good benchmark.

You can expect to add more keywords to your list as you gain authority in the search engine results pages (SERPs).

It takes time to see results when you're first building your SEO strategy, so be patient and understand that it's a long-term process.

Building a strong SEO strategy requires ongoing effort and regular evaluation of your keyword list.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there any SEO tool as good as Google Keyword Planner?

While there isn't a direct replacement for Google Keyword Planner, tools like Ubersuggest, Semrush, and Ahrefs offer robust keyword research capabilities. Explore these alternatives to discover new keywords and optimize your SEO strategy.

How much does it cost to use Google Keyword Planner?

Google Keyword Planner is free to use, requiring only a Google Ads account to access its features. No additional costs or subscriptions are needed to get started.

Calvin Connelly

Senior Writer

Calvin Connelly is a seasoned writer with a passion for crafting engaging content on a wide range of topics. With a keen eye for detail and a knack for storytelling, Calvin has established himself as a versatile and reliable voice in the world of writing. In addition to his general writing expertise, Calvin has developed a particular interest in covering important and timely subjects that impact society.

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