💡 Summary Picking the wrong keywords in Google Ads means paying for clicks that never convert. In this guide, I’ll show you exactly how to find the best keywords for your Google Ads campaigns — using free and paid tools, proven research methods, and a simple framework to separate high-intent keywords from budget-wasting ones.
Most people set up their first Google Ads campaign, type in a few keywords that seem right, and wonder why they’re spending money without getting results.
The problem usually isn’t the ad. It isn’t the landing page. It’s the keywords.
Knowing how to find keywords for Google Ads — the right ones, not just any ones — is the single skill that separates campaigns that break even from campaigns that consistently generate leads and sales.
In this guide, we’ll walk through the exact process: how to think about keyword intent, which tools to use, how to build a keyword list that actually works, and the mistakes that kill most beginners’ budgets before they’ve even got started.
Let’s go. 👇
Why Keyword Research for Google Ads Is Different from SEO
If you’ve done SEO keyword research before, Google Ads keyword research will feel familiar — but there are important differences you need to understand first.
In SEO, you’re looking for keywords you can rank for organically over time. Volume and difficulty are the main filters.
In Google Ads, you’re paying for every click. That changes everything.
For Google Ads, you need to think about:
- Intent — Is the person searching ready to buy, or just browsing?
- Commercial value — Is this search likely to lead to a conversion?
- Competition and cost — How much are other advertisers bidding? Can you compete profitably?
- Relevance to your offer — Will someone clicking this keyword actually want what you’re selling?
A keyword with 50,000 monthly searches might be terrible for Google Ads if the intent is purely informational. A keyword with 200 monthly searches might be gold if every searcher is ready to buy.
This is why search intent is the most important filter in Google Ads keyword research — more important than search volume.
Step 1: Start with Your Customer, Not a Tool
Before you open any keyword tool, spend 10 minutes thinking like your customer.
Ask yourself these questions:
- What problem does my product or service solve?
- What words would someone type into Google when they’re ready to buy what I offer?
- What are they searching for right before they make a decision?
- What location, industry, or situation qualifiers might they add? (e.g. “near me”, “for small businesses”, “in Dubai”)
Write down 10–20 seed phrases. These are your starting points — not your final keyword list.
Example — a freelance web designer: Seed phrases might include: “web designer for hire”, “build a website for my business”, “small business website design”, “ecommerce website designer”, “website redesign service”
These seed phrases become the inputs for your keyword research tools.
Step 2: Use Google Keyword Planner (Free)
Google Keyword Planner is the most important free tool for Google Ads keyword research — and it’s built directly into your Google Ads account.
How to Access It
- Log into your Google Ads account
- Click Tools & Settings (the wrench icon)
- Select Keyword Planner under “Planning”
- Choose “Discover new keywords”
How to Use It Effectively
Enter your seed phrases from Step 1 — you can add up to 10 at a time. Google will return:
- Keyword ideas related to your seeds
- Average monthly searches (shown as a range)
- Competition level (Low / Medium / High)
- Top of page bid (low and high range) — this tells you what advertisers are currently paying per click
What to look for:
- Keywords with Medium to High competition and a reasonable bid range — these signal commercial intent (advertisers are paying, which means they’re converting)
- Long-tail keywords (3–5 words) — typically cheaper per click and higher intent than short broad terms
- Keywords that match your offer exactly — don’t stretch to keywords that are only loosely related
What to ignore:
- Keywords with very low bids and low competition — often means low commercial value
- Extremely broad, high-volume keywords (e.g. “shoes”) — they’re expensive and attract every stage of the funnel
- Keywords that only partially relate to your product or service
Export your shortlist from Keyword Planner into a spreadsheet and note the estimated CPC range for each keyword.
Step 3: Spy on Your Competitors’ Keywords
One of the fastest shortcuts in Google Ads keyword research is finding out which keywords your competitors are already bidding on. If they’re spending money on a keyword consistently, it’s probably converting for them.
Method 1: Google Search
Search for your main product or service on Google and look at which ads appear. The headlines and descriptions often contain the exact keywords those advertisers are targeting. Note down recurring themes and phrases.
Method 2: Google Ads Transparency Centre
Google’s Ads Transparency Centre (ads.google.com/transparency) lets you search any brand and see their recent ads. This gives you insight into their messaging and the keywords they’re likely targeting.
Method 3: Paid Tools (SEMrush, Ahrefs, SpyFu)
If you have access to a paid tool, SpyFu is particularly good for Google Ads research. You can type in a competitor’s domain and see:
- Which keywords they’re bidding on
- How long they’ve been running those ads
- Estimated spend
This isn’t about copying competitors — it’s about validating which keywords are commercially proven in your market.
Step 4: Use Google’s Own Search Suggestions
Google itself is one of the best keyword research tools available — and it’s completely free.
Google Autocomplete
Start typing your seed phrases into Google’s search bar and watch the autocomplete suggestions. These are based on real searches people are making. They’re pure gold for discovering how your audience actually phrases their queries.
People Also Ask
When you search on Google, scroll down to the “People Also Ask” section. These questions reveal the exact language and concerns your potential customers have. Many of these phrases make excellent long-tail keywords.
Related Searches
At the bottom of every Google search results page, you’ll find “Related searches” — 8 additional queries people commonly search after the one you just typed. These often surface keyword variations you wouldn’t have thought of.
Build the habit of doing this for every seed phrase you identified in Step 1. Spend 20–30 minutes here and you’ll uncover dozens of keyword ideas.
Step 5: Filter by Intent — The Most Important Step
By now you’ll have a long list of keyword ideas. The next step is filtering them by search intent — because not all keywords are worth bidding on.
There are four types of search intent:
| Intent Type | What It Means | Example | Good for Google Ads? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Informational | Looking for information | “what is Google Ads” | ❌ Usually not |
| Navigational | Looking for a specific site | “Google Ads login” | ❌ No |
| Commercial | Researching before buying | “best Google Ads agency” | ✅ Sometimes |
| Transactional | Ready to act now | “hire Google Ads consultant” | ✅ Yes — prioritise these |
For most Google Ads campaigns, you want to prioritise transactional and commercial intent keywords. These are the people closest to making a decision.
How to spot transactional keywords:
- They often include words like: buy, hire, get, book, order, quote, price, cost, near me, service, agency, consultant
- They’re specific — they describe exactly what someone wants
- They have a clear next action implied in the search
How to spot informational keywords to avoid:
- They often include words like: what is, how does, why, explained, guide, tutorial, definition
- They suggest the person is learning, not buying
Go through your list and tag every keyword with its likely intent. Remove or deprioritise informational and navigational keywords for your paid campaigns.
Step 6: Organise Keywords into Ad Groups
Once you’ve filtered your list, organise keywords into tightly themed ad groups. Each ad group should contain keywords that share the same intent and can all be served by the same ad.
Why this matters: Google rewards relevance. When your keyword, your ad copy, and your landing page all align tightly, your Quality Score improves — which means you pay less per click and rank higher. (We cover this in detail in our Google Ads Quality Score guide.)
Example ad group structure for a web design business:
- Ad Group 1 — Web Design Services: “web designer for hire”, “professional web design service”, “web design company”
- Ad Group 2 — eCommerce Websites: “ecommerce website designer”, “online store website design”, “build ecommerce website”
- Ad Group 3 — Website Redesign: “website redesign service”, “redesign my website”, “update my business website”
Each group gets its own tailored ad copy and ideally its own dedicated landing page.
Step 7: Build Your Negative Keyword List in Parallel
As you build your keyword list, simultaneously build a list of negative keywords — terms you want to exclude from triggering your ads.
For every keyword on your list, ask: “What searches might this accidentally trigger that I don’t want to pay for?”
Common negative keywords to add from day one:
- free, cheap, DIY (if you sell premium services)
- jobs, careers, salary (people looking for employment, not services)
- tutorial, how to, course (informational intent, not buying intent)
- reddit, review, forum (research phase, not purchase phase)
- Your competitor brand names (unless you’re running a competitor campaign intentionally)
Adding negative keywords before your campaign goes live saves you money from day one. You can always refine the list as you review your Search Terms report after launch.
The Best Free and Paid Keyword Research Tools for Google Ads
Here’s a quick reference of the tools worth using:
Free Tools:
- Google Keyword Planner — best for volume and CPC data, integrated with Google Ads
- Google Search (Autocomplete + Related Searches) — great for discovering real search language
- Google Trends — useful for understanding seasonality and trending keywords
- Ubersuggest (free tier) — good for keyword ideas and basic competitor data
Paid Tools:
- SEMrush — comprehensive competitor keyword data and PPC analysis
- Ahrefs — strong keyword explorer with intent filtering
- SpyFu — specifically built for PPC competitor research, excellent for Google Ads
You don’t need all of these. For most small businesses starting out, Google Keyword Planner + Google Search suggestions will give you everything you need to build a solid initial keyword list.
Common Keyword Research Mistakes That Waste Budget ❌
1. Targeting keywords that are too broad “marketing”, “software”, “services” — these sound relevant but attract everyone from students to researchers to competitors. You’ll spend a fortune and convert almost nobody.
2. Ignoring search volume ranges Keywords with fewer than 10 monthly searches might never trigger your ad enough to be worth the effort of setting up. Look for a healthy balance between volume and specificity.
3. Skipping the negative keyword list Running a campaign without negative keywords is like leaving your wallet open on a busy street. Even “good” keywords can trigger irrelevant searches — your negative list is your first line of defence.
4. Using only one match type Your keyword list should include a mix of [Exact Match] and “Phrase Match” keywords. Using only Broad Match without Smart Bidding will rapidly exhaust your budget on low-quality traffic. Check out our full guide on Google Ads keyword match types for the complete breakdown.
5. Never revisiting the keyword list Your initial keyword list is a hypothesis, not a finished product. Check your Search Terms report weekly for the first month and refine based on what’s actually converting.
Your Google Ads Keyword Research Checklist ✅
Before you launch any campaign, run through this checklist:
- Identified 10–20 seed phrases based on customer intent
- Researched keywords using Google Keyword Planner
- Cross-referenced competitor keywords via Google Search or a paid tool
- Used Google Autocomplete and Related Searches for additional ideas
- Filtered all keywords by search intent — transactional and commercial prioritised
- Organised keywords into tightly themed ad groups
- Assigned appropriate match types (Exact and Phrase to start)
- Built an initial negative keyword list
- Set a reminder to review the Search Terms report after week one
Final Thoughts
Learning how to find keywords for Google Ads is one of those skills that pays dividends every single time you run a campaign. The 60–90 minutes you spend on keyword research upfront can save hundreds — or thousands — in wasted ad spend.
Start with your customer’s language, use Google Keyword Planner to validate volume and cost, filter ruthlessly for intent, and organise everything into tight, relevant ad groups.
Once your campaign is live, the work isn’t done — review your Search Terms report weekly and keep refining.
Want to go deeper? Read our guide on Google Ads Keyword Match Types to make sure you’re setting up each keyword the right way in your campaign. 🎯
