How to Use Keyword Planner | Check Search Volume for Free

Google Keyword Planner is an indispensable tool for SEO and paid search campaigns. This article walks you through the basics of Keyword Planner, how to check search volume for free, and tips for choosing the right keywords for your SEO strategy.

What Is Keyword Planner?

Keyword Planner is a free keyword research tool provided by Google. Originally built for Google Ads advertisers, it is widely used for SEO keyword research as well.

Key capabilities include: checking monthly search volume for specific keywords, discovering related keyword ideas, assessing keyword competition levels, and estimating bid prices for ad campaigns.

Getting Started with Keyword Planner

To use Keyword Planner, you need a Google Ads account. You do not need to run any ads—simply creating the account is enough to access the tool for free.

How to Create a Google Ads Account

1. Go to Google Ads (ads.google.com) and click "Start now"
2. When the campaign creation screen appears, select "Switch to Expert Mode"
3. Click "Create an account without a campaign"
4. Set your business information (country, time zone, currency) and submit
5. Once the account is created, go to "Tools & Settings" in the top menu and select "Keyword Planner"

Following these steps, you can start using Keyword Planner without spending anything on ads.

How to Use Keyword Planner

Keyword Planner has two main features: "Discover new keywords" and "Get search volume and forecasts." Let’s look at how to use each one.

Discover New Keywords

Enter a seed keyword or a website URL to see a list of related keyword suggestions. For example, entering "SEO strategy" might surface ideas like "SEO strategy cost," "SEO strategy for beginners," and "how to do SEO"—all based on real user searches.

Each keyword shows average monthly search volume, competition level (low, medium, high), and estimated bid prices. For SEO purposes, focus primarily on search volume and competition.

Get Search Volume and Forecasts

If you already have a list of keywords to research, this feature is more convenient. Enter multiple keywords at once (separated by commas or line breaks) to check their search volumes in bulk.

Understanding Search Volume on the Free Plan

While Keyword Planner is free to use, accounts without active ad spend will only see search volume in broad ranges (e.g., "1K–10K" or "10K–100K"). To view exact numbers, you need to run at least a small Google Ads campaign.

That said, the free version is still highly useful for SEO. Range-based data is perfectly adequate for comparing relative keyword volumes and assessing competition. If you need precise figures, consider pairing Keyword Planner with tools like Ubersuggest or Ahrefs.

Keyword Selection Tips for SEO

Once you’ve generated keyword ideas in Keyword Planner, the next step is selecting which ones to target. Keep these principles in mind.

Understand Search Intent

Consider the intent behind each keyword. "Keyword Planner how to use" signals someone looking for instructions, while "Keyword Planner free" indicates someone checking whether the tool is available at no cost. Creating content that matches search intent is the fastest path to higher rankings.

Target Long-Tail Keywords

Single-word keywords like "Keyword Planner" tend to be highly competitive and difficult to rank for. By targeting three-or-more-word combinations (long-tail keywords) such as "Keyword Planner tutorial for beginners," you can reach users with specific needs while facing less competition.

Factor in Competition and Your Site’s Authority

The "competition" metric in Keyword Planner reflects ad auction competitiveness, but it also serves as a rough proxy for SEO difficulty. Newer sites should start with low-competition keywords and gradually move to more competitive ones as domain authority grows.

Complementary Tools to Use with Keyword Planner

To fill gaps that Keyword Planner cannot cover on its own, consider using these complementary tools.

Google Search Console lets you see which keywords are actually driving traffic to your site, helping you refine existing content. Google Trends provides a timeline view of search demand, useful for identifying seasonal keywords. AnswerThePublic visualizes question-based queries, making it easy to build comprehensive keyword lists when combined with Keyword Planner. Ubersuggest offers precise search volume figures and SEO difficulty scores even on its free tier, complementing Keyword Planner’s limitations.

Practical Steps for Using Keyword Planner

Here is a step-by-step workflow for SEO keyword selection using Keyword Planner.

1. Brainstorm 3–5 seed keywords related to your business or topic
2. Enter them into "Discover new keywords" in Keyword Planner to generate suggestions
3. Review search volume and competition to select target keywords
4. Analyze the search intent and study top-ranking pages for your chosen keywords
5. Create and publish high-quality content that addresses the search intent
6. Monitor rankings and traffic in Google Search Console and iterate

Conclusion

Keyword Planner is an essential free tool for the keyword research that underpins any SEO strategy. Simply creating a Google Ads account gives you access to search volume data and related keyword discovery. While the free version shows volume in ranges rather than exact numbers, it is more than sufficient for relative comparisons and trend analysis. Pair it with tools like AnswerThePublic or Ubersuggest for a more precise keyword strategy. Start by opening Keyword Planner and researching keywords relevant to your business today.