Google Keyword Planner

What is Google Keyword Planner?

Google Keyword Planner is a free tool provided by Google Ads that helps marketers and SEO professionals discover new keyword ideas, analyze monthly search volumes, and estimate competition levels. Although originally designed for planning paid ad campaigns, it has become a go-to tool for SEO research as well.

Whether you’re crafting PPC campaigns or developing content strategies, this tool gives you the data needed to target the right keywords.

Key Features of Google Keyword Planner

1. Discover New Keyword Ideas

You can enter seed terms (like your business or product) and the tool will generate hundreds of keyword suggestions.

Great for brainstorming and expanding your content coverage.

2. Monthly Search Volume Estimates

For each keyword, you’ll see an estimated monthly search volume range (e.g., 1K–10K), which helps gauge popularity.

This is crucial for identifying high-demand topics that can bring in more traffic.

3. Competition Level

Keywords are labeled with low, medium, or high competition. While this is based on Google Ads data, it gives SEO practitioners insight into how tough it might be to rank organically.

Targeting low-competition keywords often yields quicker SEO wins.

4. Cost-Per-Click (CPC) Estimates

The tool shows the average CPC for each keyword in Google Ads—useful for understanding commercial intent.

Higher CPC keywords often indicate buyer-ready search terms that are also great for SEO.

5. Historical & Forecast Data

Google Keyword Planner provides historical trends (past 12 months) and forecasted performance, which helps in planning seasonal content.

Predict content needs ahead of time to stay ahead of competitors.

6. Location & Language Filters

Users can filter keywords based on geography and language, making the tool effective for local SEO or multilingual content strategies.

You can tailor your keyword targeting to match your actual audience location.

Importance of Google Keyword Planner in SEO

Google Keyword Planner isn’t just for advertisers—it’s a valuable asset for any SEO content strategy. Here’s how it supports your efforts:

1. Identify Relevant Keywords

You can find high-traffic, relevant terms that people are actively searching for in your niche.

Example:

If you’re writing for a fitness blog, you may find “best running shoes” or “home workout routines” as high-potential keywords.

2. Prioritize Based on Volume & Trends

Use search volume data to choose keywords that are not just relevant, but also popular.

Example:

“Home workout routines” has more monthly searches than “indoor exercise tips,” making it a better primary keyword.

3. Choose Keywords Based on Competition

Knowing which keywords are less competitive helps you focus on terms you can realistically rank for.

Example:

Choose “beginner yoga poses” over “yoga for weight loss” if your domain has low authority.

4. Analyze Commercial Intent via CPC

Keywords with high CPC values often indicate purchase-ready users. This helps in targeting content that converts.

Example:

Use CPC data to prioritize terms like “affordable web hosting” over purely informational ones.

5. Align Content with Seasonality

You can publish content when search demand peaks, by reviewing seasonal fluctuations.

Example:

Write and publish your “holiday gift ideas” blog post in November, based on trend data.

Example: Using Google Keyword Planner for a Fitness Blog

Let’s say you run a fitness website and want to target “home workouts.”

Step-by-Step:

1. Login to your Google Ads account and open Keyword Planner.

2. Enter “home workouts” into the keyword input.

3. The tool shows related terms like:

   • “home workout routines”

   • “home workout plans”

   • “home workout for beginners”

4. It shows data like:

   • “home workout routines” → 10,000 monthly searches

   • “home workout equipment” → High competition

   • “home workout for beginners” → Low CPC = $0.50

Based on this, you may choose to target “home workout for beginners” with a high-quality blog post, and optimize your content to rank effectively.

Final Thoughts

Google Keyword Planner is more than just an ad campaign tool — it’s a powerful SEO research platform. You can build a smarter, data-driven content strategy, by using it to uncover high-volume, low-competition keywords, and aligning those with user intent and seasonal trends.

Use this tool consistently to keep your keyword strategy sharp, your content relevant, and your rankings growing.