How to get keyword research data from the Google Ads Keyword Planner
The best way to get data about keywords is from the Google Ads Keyword Planner- if you have access to it.
Why should you get keyword data from the Keyword Planner?
I think one of the most important parts of keyword research is collecting data for keywords. This helps you know what phrases other people are actually searching for vs. what you think they might search for.
Of all the ways to collect data (from free to third-party paid tools) my favorite is the Keyword Planner because:
- The data is straight from Google. Since Google has such a dominant market share, we should pay attention to what its users are searching for.
- There is more than one piece of data to use. Sure, you can get data straight from Google using Google Trends, but that’ only gives you one number. I like seeing multiple pieces of data from Google and comparing them to help me pick the best keywords. The data in the Keyword Planner also hints at what keywords are likely to convert- and not just send more traffic to my site. What good is traffic, after all, if those visitors don’t become customers?
- The Keyword Planner allows me to search for many words at once, making this process faster and easier.
Unfortunately, if you do not have an active Google Ads campaign you might not have access to this tool. Instead, you might need to use the Google Trends tool for collecting keyword data.
What should you expect from the Keyword Planner data?
After using the Keyword Planner to get data for each keyword, you’ll know what phrases you should focus on. From this information you can choose the phrases for which you’ll optimize each page. This allows each page to have a common topical focus that not only helps your SEO- but is clear for users of your site.
That being said, there are some limitations with this data:
- These are estimates, not exact.
- These figures are best used in comparison with other terms rather than predicting results. That’s how we’re going to use them.
To access this process you need to signup for free access.
