Keyword ResearchFree with accountby Google Ads

Google Keyword Planner: Free Keyword Data Straight From Google

Google Keyword Planner is a free keyword research tool inside Google Ads. It suggests keywords and shows search volume ranges, competition levels, and bid estimates. It is free to use but requires a Google Ads account. Its main limitation is that exact search volumes are shown only to accounts with active ad spend; everyone else sees broad ranges.

Provider:: Google Ads
Access:: Free with account
Account:: Required (free)
Best for:: Finding keyword ideas backed by Google's own search data

Visit Google Keyword Planner All free SEO tools

What is Google Keyword Planner?

Google Keyword Planner was built for advertisers, but SEOs have used it for years as a first stop for keyword research. Because the data comes directly from Google, the search volume figures — even as ranges — are grounded in real search activity rather than third-party estimates.

The tool has two entry points: Discover new keywords, which generates ideas from a seed keyword or a URL, and Get search volume and forecasts, which returns volume data for a list you supply. For content planning, the Discover flow is the useful one: enter a topic, and Google returns grouped ideas with average monthly searches, competition, and top-of-page bid ranges.

Main features

Discover new keywords
Enter a word, phrase, or URL to get keyword ideas grouped by theme, each with volume and competition data.
Search volume ranges
See average monthly searches for each keyword, shown as exact figures for advertisers with spend and ranges (e.g. 1K–10K) for everyone else.
Competition indicator
Low / Medium / High competition reflects advertiser competition, which loosely correlates with commercial intent.
Location and language filters
Narrow data to specific countries, regions, or languages so local businesses research the market they actually serve.
Forecasting
Get predicted clicks and impressions for keyword groups, useful when estimating the traffic potential of a content plan.

Is Google Keyword Planner free?

Keyword Planner is completely free — there is no paid tier. The catch is access: you need a Google Ads account, and accounts without active ad spend see search volume as broad ranges instead of precise numbers. For content research, ranges are usually enough to separate big opportunities from tiny ones.

Requires a free Google Ads account. You do not need to run ads or enter billing details to use the Planner.

How to use Google Keyword Planner

Create a Google account and sign up for Google Ads at ads.google.com. You can skip campaign creation — look for the option to switch to expert mode or dismiss the setup wizard without entering billing information.
Open Tools > Planning > Keyword Planner from the top menu.
Choose “Discover new keywords” and enter a seed keyword (e.g. “sourdough starter”) or paste a competitor's page URL.
Set your location, language, and search network (use Google only for organic research). Review the ideas grouped by ad group, and sort by average monthly searches.
Export the promising ideas to CSV or Google Sheets, then group them into topics. Each topic cluster can become one article or one section of a pillar page.

Advantages and limitations

Where it shines

Data comes directly from Google — no estimation model involved.
Free with no usage caps on research queries.
Location targeting down to city level in many countries.
URL-based discovery reveals keywords Google associates with any page.

Where it falls short

Exact volumes hidden without ad spend; ranges can span an order of magnitude.
Competition column measures advertiser bidding, not organic ranking difficulty.
Closely related variants are often grouped, hiding long-tail detail.
No intent labels, SERP analysis, or content-gap views — pair it with Search Console data.

Best use cases

Bloggers
Seed the Planner with a category name, export 50+ ideas, and cluster them into a 3-month editorial calendar.
Local businesses
Filter by your city and find service + location keywords (e.g. “emergency plumber leeds”) worth building pages for.
Ecommerce stores
Compare volume ranges across product synonyms to decide which term belongs in the category-page title.

Alternatives to Google Keyword Planner

Google Trends
Validates whether Planner volume is growing, stable, or seasonal. Official site
Google Search Console
Shows the exact queries your own pages already rank for. Official site
AnswerThePublic
Expands Planner keywords into question-based long-tail ideas. Official site

Google Keyword Planner FAQ

Is Google Keyword Planner really free?

Yes. There is no charge for the tool itself. You only need a free Google Ads account, and you are not required to run ads or add payment details.

Why do I only see ranges like 1K–10K?

Google shows exact average monthly searches only to accounts with active ad spend. Accounts without spend see grouped ranges. The ranges still distinguish high-volume from low-volume keywords reliably.

Does the Competition column show SEO difficulty?

No. It shows how many advertisers bid on the keyword. High advertiser competition often means commercial intent, but a keyword can have low ad competition and still be hard to rank for organically.

Can I use Keyword Planner without creating a campaign?

Yes. During Google Ads signup you can dismiss the campaign wizard (switch to expert mode) and go straight to Tools > Keyword Planner without entering billing information.

Sources and official documentation

Official sources are listed separately from RankMeDaily's commentary above. Product details verified 2026-10-13; confirm current pricing and limits on the provider's site.