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The Ins and Outs of Google Keyword Planner

By Ted Tengan on Mar 31, 2023

Everybody wants to be at the top of Google search results to increase web traffic from interested customers. And everybody wants their ideal customers to see their digital ads and be interested enough to click. For both of these, it’s critical that you use effective keywords. There are many keyword tools, but if your business has an online presence, you really need to understand how to use Google Keyword Planner.

What Is a Keyword?

In the context of search engines, a keyword is a term or phrase that a user enters into to retrieve relevant results. Keywords are crucial in search engine optimization (SEO) because they help search engines understand the content of web pages and rank them.

In online advertising, keywords are also important as they help advertisers target audiences who are searching for particular products or services. By bidding on specific keywords, advertisers can increase the visibility of their ads and reach potential customers.

What are the Benefits of Using Keywords?

Before we get into how to use Google Keyword Planner, let’s talk about the benefits of using keywords. Using keywords can provide several benefits when used search engine optimization, online advertising, and content creation. Here are some of the key benefits:

  • Improved search engine rankings: By using relevant keywords in web page content, meta tags and other SEO elements, you can improve your website’s search engine rankings. Search engines use keywords to understand the content of a web page and determine its relevance to a user’s search query.
  • Increased traffic and clicks: When your website ranks higher in search engine results pages (SERPs), it is more likely to be clicked on by users. By targeting high-traffic keywords in your SEO and advertising efforts, you can attract more traffic to your website and increase clicks on your ads.
  • Better targeting of audiences: Keywords can help you target specific audiences who are searching for products or services related to your business. By selecting relevant keywords, you can reach potential customers who are interested in what you have to offer.
  • Improved ad relevance and performance: In online advertising, using targeted keywords in your ad copy and bidding on specific keywords can improve the relevance of your ads to users’ search queries. This can result in higher click-through rates (CTR) and improved ad performance.
  • Enhanced content quality: Using relevant keywords in your content can improve its quality by making it more focused and informative. By including keywords that are relevant to your topic, you can provide valuable information to your readers and help them find what they are looking for.

Using keywords can help you improve your website’s search engine rankings, attract more traffic and clicks, target specific audiences, improve ad relevance and performance, and enhance the quality of your content.

How Do I Use Google Keyword Planner?

Google Keyword Planner is a tool that helps you research and analyze keywords for your online advertising campaigns. Here are the steps to using it.

  1. Sign in to your Google Ads account: If you don’t have one already, you can create a free account.
  2. Access the Keyword Planner: Once you’re signed in, click on the Tools & Settings icon (the wrench) in the top right corner, and select “Keyword Planner” from the drop-down menu.
  3. Choose a keyword research option: You can choose between two options: “Discover new keywords” or “Get search volume and forecasts.” The first option is best if you’re starting from scratch and need ideas for new keywords. The second option is best if you already have a list of keywords and want to see how they perform.
  4. Enter your keywords: Depending on the option you choose, you’ll be prompted to enter a list of seed keywords or a website URL. This will help Google generate a list of related keywords.
  5. Refine your search: You can filter your results by location, language, search network, and other options. You can also add negative keywords to exclude certain terms from your search.
  6. Analyze the results: Once you’ve generated a list of keywords, you can analyze their search volume, competition, and other metrics. This will help you determine which keywords are most relevant and effective for your campaign. You can set up filters to be sure you get the parameters on which you want to focus.
  7. Select your keywords: Based on your analysis, select the keywords that are most relevant to your campaign and add them to your ad groups.

Google Keyword Planner is a powerful tool that can help you research and analyze keywords for your online advertising campaigns. By following these steps, you can generate a list of relevant keywords and improve the performance of your ads.

How Can I Use Google Keyword Planner to Generate Negative Keywords for Ads?

Google Keyword Planner is not only useful for generating keywords for your advertising campaigns and content, but it can also help you identify negative keywords. Negative keywords are search terms that are irrelevant or unwanted for your campaign, and including them in your keyword list can help you avoid showing your ads to irrelevant audiences. Here are the steps to use Google Keyword Planner to generate negative keywords:

  1. Sign in to your Google Ads account and access the Keyword Planner.
  2. Click on “Discover new keywords” and enter your seed keywords or website URL.
  3. Select the targeting options that are relevant to your campaign, such as location, language, and search network.
  4. Scroll down to the “Keyword options” section and select the “Exclude keywords” checkbox.
  5. Enter the keywords that you want to exclude from your campaign. These can be terms that are too broad, too specific, or irrelevant to your product or service.
  6. Analyze the results and refine your list of negative keywords as needed.
  7. Export your negative keyword list and add it to your campaign’s negative keyword list.

By using Google Keyword Planner to generate negative keywords, you can ensure that your ads are shown to the most relevant audiences and avoid wasting your advertising budget on irrelevant clicks. Remember to regularly review and update your negative keyword list to improve the performance of your campaigns.

Contact Umbrella Local for Your SEO and Advertising Needs

You are busy running your business. If you would prefer to hire experts to run your digital advertising campaigns and SEO, contact Umbrella Local to set up a free consultation. Contact us here or call us at (646) 440-1426.

 

 

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