# How to Use Google Keyword Planner: A Step-by-Step Guide > Learn how to use google keyword planner in 5 steps, from opening Google Ads to reviewing ideas and choosing terms for your content or campaign. Source: https://anthonyhayes.io/how-to-use-google-keyword-planner/ Updated: 2026-10-14 --- [Keyword Research](https://anthonyhayes.io/hub/keyword-research/) › [Keyword Research Tools](https://anthonyhayes.io/hub/keyword-research/keyword-research-tools/) Keyword Planner Guide Learn how to use Google Keyword Planner to find keyword ideas, review search volume and compare forecasts. The tool gives you 2 ways to begin: discover new ideas or check terms you already have. **Google Keyword Planner gives you 2 ways to begin: discover new keyword ideas, or check search volume and forecasts for terms you already have.** That choice sets up the rest of your research. Start with the right option, then sort through the ideas with a clear purpose. **I’ll walk you through each step, from opening Keyword Planner to choosing terms for a page or campaign.** I’m Tony Hayes. I’ve been building marketing software since 2011, and today I build everything with AI, without writing code myself. We’ll open Keyword Planner in Google Ads, choose how to find terms, then review and filter the ideas it shows you. After that, we’ll compare existing terms and forecasts, and choose the right terms for a page or campaign. **The steps at a glance:** - Open Keyword Planner in Google Ads - Choose how to find keywords - Review and filter keyword ideas - Compare existing terms and forecasts - Choose the right terms for a page or campaign ## Step 1: Open Keyword Planner in Google Ads Sign in to your Google account and open Google Ads. You’ll need Google Ads access to use Keyword Planner. Once you’re in, open the tools menu and look for **Keyword Planner**. Google sometimes changes screen labels and menu layouts, so the exact spot may look a little different from the steps here. **You can use Keyword Planner for research without launching an ad.** If Google Ads prompts you to set up a campaign, look for an option to switch to Expert Mode or continue without creating a campaign. The wording can change, but you’re looking for a route into the account that skips campaign creation. You don’t need to publish an ad to research keywords. Keyword Planner gives you a place to find search terms and review keyword ideas before you decide what belongs on a page or in your content. Once Keyword Planner opens, you’re ready to start exploring keywords. The next steps will walk through the research inside the tool. ## Step 2: Choose how to find keywords Once you’re in Google Keyword Planner, choose the research path that fits the job. The tool gives you 2 options: **Discover new keywords** and **Get search volume and forecasts**. Choose **Discover new keywords** when you want Google Ads to generate related ideas. Enter a focused seed phrase tied to the page or offer you’re working on. You can also enter a website, or use both a phrase and a website to shape the suggestions. Keep the phrase close to the content you plan to create. A broad term can pull in ideas for several different topics, while a specific phrase gives your keyword research a clearer starting point. **Start with the page you want to build.** Choose **Get search volume and forecasts** when you already have a list of keywords to review. Paste in the terms you’ve collected, and Google Keyword Planner will show search volume information and forecasts for that list. This option is useful when your research has already produced a set of terms and you want to examine them inside the planner. Use Discover new keywords to expand your list; use forecasts to review it. Before you run either search, set the location and language for the audience you want to reach. Those settings shape the results, so match them to the people your page or campaign is meant to serve. The right starting point depends on what you have in front of you: a page idea, or a list of keywords. Pick the matching option, set the audience, and you’re ready to look at the results. ### Choose the right research path Option | Use it to | What to enter | Discover new keywords | Generate related ideas | A seed phrase, website, or both | Get search volume and forecasts | Review existing terms | A list of keywords | ## Step 3: Review and filter keyword ideas Now you have a list of suggestions. Review each keyword’s average monthly searches, competition, and top-of-page bid estimates in Google Keyword Planner. Average monthly searches give you a sense of how often people search for a term. Competition shows how many advertisers are bidding on it in Google Ads, while top-of-page bids estimate what advertisers have paid to show near the top of search results. These figures offer clues, but they don't tell you whether a keyword will bring the right visitor or suit your page. **Search volume is only one part of the decision.** Use the filters to narrow the list by terms, location, language, and search network. Then sort the table by a metric such as average monthly searches or competition. That makes patterns easier to spot and gives you a clearer view of the keywords that match your research. *The right location and language depend on who your content is for.* Check each suggestion against the topic and purpose of the page. A keyword can have plenty of searches and still be a poor fit if the searcher's goal doesn't match what your page offers. Read the terms as a visitor would, then keep the ones that make sense for the content you plan to publish. **Build a shortlist you can actually review.** Save or copy a manageable set of keywords before moving on. Keep the terms that fit the page, along with their search and bid estimates, so you can compare them during the next review. ## Step 4: Compare existing terms and forecasts Now take the terms you’ve selected and enter them in **Get search volume and forecasts**. The Google Keyword Planner tool puts their estimates in one place, so you can compare them side by side. Look at the search volume and the forecast figures for each term. This gives you a clearer view of how the terms compare before you decide which ones belong in your research or content plan. **Keep the forecast in its lane.** Forecasts in Google Ads relate to running ads. The estimates depend on campaign settings such as location, bid, and budget, so changing those settings can change the figures you see. They’re estimates for ads and don’t predict how much organic search traffic your page will attract or where it will rank in Google. For SEO research, use search volume as a guide. Google Keyword Planner may show a range instead of a precise figure, so treat that range as directional rather than an exact count of searches. I use the numbers to compare terms and spot differences in demand. Then I look at the wording and decide whether a term fits the page I’m planning to create. The goal here is to understand what the estimates can tell you, and where their limits are. Keep the ad settings in mind, and use search volume as one input in your keyword research. ## Step 5: Choose the right terms for a page or campaign Your shortlist is ready. Now give it a job. Group closely related ideas by the searcher's intent, then choose 1 main topic for each page. A page about one clear topic gives your content a focus, while related keywords help you understand the terms people use when they search for it. **One page should have one main topic.** For content, carry the chosen keywords into your page plan. Use them to shape the subject and the questions the page needs to answer. For the deeper SEO workflow, see my guide on [how to use Google Keyword Planner for SEO]. For a paid campaign, select the relevant terms in Google Keyword Planner and review the forecast. Check that the estimates and settings fit your plan before you create a campaign in Google Ads. The forecast is a planning input, so make sure you’re looking at the right account, targeting, and budget settings for the campaign you intend to run. *The best term is the one that fits the job you need it to do.* I created NicheBlasta, JV Swaps, and the Aha Studio AI workers. That work has shaped how I use research: the keyword needs to connect to a real page or campaign, so the decision stays clear. ## Frequently asked questions ### How do I see how many times a phrase is searched on Google? Open Google Keyword Planner in Google Ads and choose Discover new keywords to find ideas, or Get search volume and forecasts to review a phrase you already have. Set the location and language for your audience, then check the average monthly searches column. Google may show a range, so use it as a guide. ### Which Keyword Planner option should I choose? Choose Discover new keywords when you have a page idea or seed phrase and want related suggestions. Choose Get search volume and forecasts when you already have a list to review. The first option expands your research; the second puts estimates for your existing terms in one place. ### Can I use Google Keyword Planner for SEO research? Yes. Use its keyword ideas and average monthly searches to compare terms for a page. Treat search volume as directional, since the planner may show a range. Its forecasts relate to running ads, so they don’t predict organic traffic or tell you where a page will rank. ### How do I choose the right keywords for a page? Group closely related ideas by search intent, then choose 1 main topic for the page. Check that each term fits what the page will cover and what a searcher wants. Search volume is one input in that decision; a high-volume term can still be a poor fit. **My Take:** I’ve been building marketing software since 2011, and keyword research has to connect to a real piece of marketing work. The search volume gives me a way to compare terms. Then I read the wording and check whether it fits the content I’m planning. That keeps the research grounded in a clear task. I use Google Keyword Planner to find and review ideas, while keeping its ad forecasts in their proper place. The figures can guide a decision, and the page still needs a clear topic and purpose. Aha Studio ## Get the next playbook first New playbooks and LaunchWatch reports land in Growth Signals, the free newsletter, along with the case studies and how-tos I find worth stealing. [Watch the AI workers build →](https://anthonyhayes.io/aha-studio) ## More in Keyword Research Tools - [Keyword Research and Tools: How to Choose the Right One](https://anthonyhayes.io/keyword-research-and/) - [Google Keyword Planner: A Practical Guide to Finding and Reading Keywords](https://anthonyhayes.io/google-keyword-planner/) - [How to Use Google Keyword Planner for SEO to Choose the Right Keywords](https://anthonyhayes.io/google-keyword-planner-for-seo/) [Explore the full Keyword Research hub](https://anthonyhayes.io/hub/keyword-research/)