How to Use Google Ads Keyword Planner

Finding the right keywords is the foundation of any successful digital marketing strategy. Whether you’re running a local plumbing business in Brisbane or a national e-commerce store, knowing exactly what your customers are typing into Google allows you to stop guessing and start targeting the phrases that actually drive sales.

Google Ads Keyword Planner is the gold standard for this research. It provides direct data from Google’s search engine, showing you how many people are searching for specific terms and, crucially, how much it will cost you to show up in front of them.

Prerequisites: What You’ll Need

Before we dive in, ensure you have the following:

• A Google Account: Your standard Gmail or Google Workspace login.
• A Google Ads Account: You don’t need to be running active ads, but you must have an account set up.
• Expert Mode: If you are using a new account, ensure you aren't stuck in 'Smart Mode' (Google’s simplified version), as it limits access to the full Keyword Planner features.

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Step 1: Access the Keyword Planner

Log in to your Google Ads account. Once you are on the main dashboard, look at the top menu bar.

• What you’ll see: Click on the 'Tools and Settings' icon (it looks like a spanner).
• A dropdown menu will appear. Under the 'Planning' column on the far left, select 'Keyword Planner'.

Step 2: Choose Your Path

You will be presented with two main options:

• Discover new keywords: Best for finding new ideas and expanding your reach.
• Get search volume and forecasts: Best if you already have a list of keywords and want to see their historical performance and future potential.

For this guide, we will focus on 'Discover new keywords' as this is the most common starting point for Australian small businesses.

Step 3: Define Your Search Parameters

You can start by entering products or services closely related to your business (e.g., "emergency electrician Brisbane" or "organic dog treats").

• Pro Tip: You can also enter your website URL to have Google scan your pages and suggest keywords based on your existing content.
• Important: Ensure the language is set to English and the location is set to Australia. If you are a local business, you can narrow this down further to specific cities like Brisbane, Sydney, or even specific postcodes.

Step 4: Filter by Location (Crucial for Local SEO)

By default, Google might set the location to 'Worldwide' or 'Australia'. If you only serve a specific region, click the location icon next to the search bar.

• What you’ll see: A map pop-up. Type in your service area (e.g., "South East Queensland"). This ensures the search volume data you see is relevant to your actual customers, not someone searching from Perth or London.

Step 5: Review the Keyword Results Page

Once you click 'Get Results', you’ll see a table filled with data. This can look overwhelming at first, but here are the columns you need to focus on:

• Keyword (by relevance): The phrases Google suggests.
• Avg. monthly searches: The average number of times people search for this exact term each month.
• Competition: How many other advertisers are bidding on this term (Low, Medium, or High).
• Top of page bid (low range): The lower end of what advertisers have historically paid for a top position.
• Top of page bid (high range): The higher end of what you might expect to pay per click.

Step 6: Use Filters to Refine Your List

Not every keyword Google suggests will be a winner. Use the 'Add Filter' button at the top of the table to narrow things down.

• Filter by Keyword Text: Exclude terms that aren't relevant (e.g., if you only sell premium products, exclude the word "cheap").
• Filter by Competition: If you have a small budget, you might want to look for 'Low' or 'Medium' competition keywords where your dollar goes further.

Step 7: Grouping Your Keywords

Google allows you to select keywords using the checkboxes on the left and add them to a 'Plan' or an 'Ad Group'.

• Why this matters: Instead of having one giant list, group your keywords by intent. For example, group all "Emergency Plumbing" terms together and all "Hot Water System Repair" terms in another group. This makes your future ads much more relevant.

Step 8: Analyse Seasonal Trends

Look at the bar chart at the top of the results page. This shows you the total search volume over the last 12 months.

• Australian Context: Many businesses in Australia are highly seasonal. A pool cleaning business in Brisbane will see a massive spike in September/October, while a fireplace installer will peak in May. Use this data to plan when to spend more on your marketing.

Step 9: Export Your Data

Once you’ve refined your list, you’ll want to save it. Look for the 'Download Keyword Ideas' button in the top right corner. You can export this as a .csv file or directly into a Google Sheet.

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Pro Tips for Success

• Look for 'Long-Tail' Keywords: Don't just target broad terms like "Shoes". Target "Handmade leather boots Brisbane". These usually have lower search volume but much higher conversion rates because the searcher knows exactly what they want.
• Check the 'Negative' Keywords: While researching, if you see terms that are totally irrelevant (e.g., people searching for "jobs" or "free"), make a list of these. You can add them as Negative Keywords in your actual campaigns to avoid wasting money.
• Don't ignore the 'Low' volume terms: If a keyword has only 10-50 searches a month but is perfectly aligned with a high-profit service you offer, it is often worth targeting.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Ignoring Location Settings: If you forget to set your location to Australia (or your specific city), the search volumes will be wildly inflated and irrelevant.
• Chasing High Volume Only: Just because a keyword has 10,000 searches doesn't mean it's good. It might be too broad or too expensive to be profitable for a small business.
• Not Checking the Bid Price: Ensure you can actually afford the 'Top of page bid'. If a click costs $20 and your product only costs $40, you’ll likely lose money on ads.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

• "I see ranges (100-1k) instead of exact numbers": This happens if you aren't spending enough on an active Google Ads campaign. Google restricts exact data for "free" users. To get around this, you can look at the 'Forecast' section or start a small campaign with a $1/day budget.
• "No results found": Your search terms might be too specific. Try broader terms or use your website URL to help Google understand your niche.
• "The tool is asking for my credit card": Google requires billing info to set up an account, even if you don't run ads. As long as you don't 'Enable' a campaign, you won't be charged.

Next Steps

Now that you have your list of high-performing keywords, it’s time to put them to work! You can use these keywords to:

• Write blog posts that answer specific customer questions.
• Optimise your website's meta titles and descriptions.
• Create your first Google Search Ads campaign.

If you find the technical side of Google Ads a bit daunting, the team at Local Marketing Group is here to help. We specialise in helping Australian businesses dominate their local search results.