How to Research a Keyword Step-by-Step Using Google Keyword Planner

Written by: Ezhil – AI Driven SEO Specialist  

Doing keyword research is the heart of every successful SEO strategy. You may write amazing content, but without choosing the right keywords, your blog will not reach the right audience. In this guide, I’ll walk you through how to research keywords using Google Keyword Planner, explained in a simple and realistic way so anyone can start immediately.

Why Keyword Research Matters

Keyword research helps you understand what people are searching for, what their problems are, and how your website can provide the best solutions. When you choose the right keywords, you get:

·         More targeted traffic

·         Higher chances of ranking on Google

·         Better conversion rates

·         Insights into customer behaviour

Now, let’s dive step-wise into how to do keyword research using Google Keyword Planner.

Step-by-Step Plan to Research Keywords

Step 1: Define your goal

Before searching for keywords, ask yourself:
What do I want to achieve?
Traffic? Leads? Sales? Brand awareness?

Example goal:
“I want to promote Digital Marketing Courses in Chennai.”
This helps us target keywords with learning and enrollment intent.

Step 2: Open Google KeywordPlanner

Go to Google Ads → Sign in → Tools & Settings → Keyword Planner.
Choose Discover New Keywords to start exploring.

Make sure you set:

·         Location: India / Chennai

·         Language: English

·         Search network: Google

This ensures real, relevant search data.

Step 3: Enter seed keywords

Seed keywords are your basic starting ideas.

Example seeds:

·         Digital marketing course

·         SEO course

·         Digital marketing institute

Click Get Results and Google will show hundreds of related keyword ideas.

Step 4: Understand Keyword Metrics

Google provides important performance indicators:

Metric

Meaning

Avg. monthly searches

How many people search that keyword monthly

Competition

How difficult it is to rank or advertise

Bid range

Commercial value (how profitable that keyword is)

Look for:

·         Medium search volume + Low to Medium competition for faster ranking

·         High bid value keywords for strong business intent

Example:
“Digital marketing course in Chennai”
Avg. search volume: 10K – 100K
Competition: High
Top page bid: ₹35 – ₹130
→ Indicates strong commercial money-making keyword

Step 5: Find long-tail keywords

Long-tail keywords are longer and more specific, easier to rank, and highly converting.

Example:

·         Best digital marketing course in Chennai for beginners

·         SEO institute near me with placement

·         How to learn digital marketing step by step

Step 6: Group and organize keywords

Create a spreadsheet with columns:
Keyword | Search Volume | Competition | Intent | Notes

Group based on intent:

·         Informational: How to learn SEO

·         Commercial: Best digital marketing institute Chennai

·         Transactional: Join digital marketing course Chennai

·         Navigational: Digital Scholar Chennai

Step 7: Check real Google search results

Manually search your top keywords and observe:

·         What type of content ranks? (blogs / courses / videos?)

·         What questions people ask?

·         What competitors are doing?

This helps design content strategy.

Step 8: Finalize priority keywords

Choose:

·         1 primary keyword per page

·         3-5 supporting keywords

Example set:
Primary: digital marketing course in Chennai
Supporting: best digital marketing institute Chennai, SEO course Chennai

Step 9: Track performance and update

Use Search Console to monitor ranking changes and rewrite content every 3 months based on performance.

Final Thoughts

Keyword research is not a one-time task. It is a continuous improvement cycle. Google Keyword Planner is a free, powerful tool that gives real search insights. If you follow the above steps consistently, your SEO growth will be unstoppable.

 


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