Finding the right keywords is the foundation of every successful Google Ads campaign. In this chapter, you'll learn how to use the Keyword Planner tool to discover, evaluate, and organize search terms with real commercial intent — so you're not just getting traffic, but getting the right traffic.

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.