The New Google Keyword Tool and AdWords Traffic Estimator:  Google AdWords Keyword Planner

Google AdWords has created a new tool combining their two most popular AdWords tools: The AdWords Traffic Estimator and the Google Keyword Tool.  Combined, they work to guide users through the creation of new Ad groups and/or campaigns by finding keywords.

It’s commonly believed that the AdWords Keyword Planner will replace both the AdWords Traffic Estimator and the Google Keyword Tool, although they’ve been used reliably for over ten years and work for both PPC (pay per click) and SEO (search engine optimization).

How to Get Started with AdWords Keyword Planner
The new AdWords Keyword Planner Tool supports three key uses:

• Uploads keywords to get estimates
• Searches for keywords or ad group ideas
• Multiplies lists of keywords to get estimates

Using Keyword Planner to Search For Keywords and Ad Group Ideas

The primary use of Keyword Planner is to add keywords to your account.  Keyword Planner provides a robust keyword workbench for picking and researching keywords to add to your personal AdWords account.

The following are some things you can do with Google’s Keyword Planner Tool:

• Filter Keywords: Narrowing your keyword list is easier than ever because now it can be done based on different criteria, such as average monthly search volume or average CPC (cost per click).  You can also include or exclude keywords that are already in your account or keywords that contain specific terms.
• View performance estimates and keyword statistics: You can specify your target options such as language, country and search network to inform your keyword estimates.
• Look for ad group ideas and/or keywords: It’s easier to invent new keywords based on individual ideas, a product category, your landing page or all of the above.

“You’re Keyword Plan:” List View vs. Grouped View

The Keyword Planner will show you keywords in grouped view or list view, which corresponds to the concept of keyword lists and niches that have always been supported in WordStream’s own keyword tools. You can also add these keywords or keyword groupings to “Your Plan,” a temporary storage area used to save any keywords and/or keyword groupings you find interesting; any keywords added to this are saved while you’re looking for other keywords.

Now Get Estimates and Review Your Keyword Plan

Setting a daily budget and keyword bid for your portfolio is the next step in the Keyword-Plan process. It’s important to provide Google with some information to modify your estimates, because CPC bid estimates and keyword volume vary greatly based on your location, bid, budget and many other factors. For example, entering a bid of $40 and a daily budget of $1,000, the Keyword Planner will generate daily estimates for impressions, costs, clicks and average ad position, which is demonstrated below:

Uploading Your Own Keyword List

If you have your own analytics data such as a list of top keywords that produce conversions for your website (which is lucky to have in search marketing) it would make a lot of sense to use these keywords instead of the generic keyword suggestions you’ll be getting from The Keyword Suggestion Tool. Pressing the “Get Estimates” button will bring you to the same keyword workbench area, with the only difference being that you’ll be seeing your own list of keywords instead of suggested generic keywords.

Using Keyword Planner to Multiply Keyword Lists

The ability to combine and multiply keyword lists is an entirely new feature that has never been available in any existing Google AdWords Tools, but is featured in The Keyword Planner. Now you can multiply many names of cities or towns with different action words, to create all sorts of keyword alterations.

To Summarize The AdWords Keyword Planner

The Keyword Planner will be available to an extended audience in the future, currently it’s only available to a small number of AdWords accounts. The Keyword Planner Tool will support various workflows to build ad campaigns or groups from scratch, or you can build from your existing lists. The tool will provide an easier experience for users by accommodating the keyword selection, keyword analysis, keyword grouping and filtering.

Ulistic provides full consulting services on Google Adwords for a monthly fixed fee.  We manage all your Google Adwords campaigns, make the required adjustments, modify ads and all of this for a small monthly retainer.  Stop paying $7500 for Adwords training so you can look like every other MSP out there.  Get Ulistic’s help today.

Learn how to use Google Adwords in your MSP for free at one of Ulistic’s upcoming MSP workshops in San Francisco, Calgary and New York City.