How to Use Google Ads to Find SEO Keywords

In today's digital age, where businesses constantly vie for online visibility, a robust SEO strategy is paramount. While various tools and techniques contribute to successful SEO, keyword research remains a cornerstone. It's the compass guiding your content creation, ensuring your website appears in search results when potential customers seek information related to your products or services.

While dedicated SEO tools offer valuable keyword data, a surprising yet powerful resource often gets overlooked: Google Ads. Yes, the platform primarily known for paid advertising can be a goldmine for uncovering valuable SEO keywords. This article delves into how businesses can leverage Google Ads data to enhance their keyword research and ultimately boost their organic search rankings.

Why Use Google Ads for SEO Keyword Research?

Google Ads, at its core, revolves around keywords. Advertisers bid on keywords to trigger their ads when users search for those terms. This inherent focus on keywords makes Google Ads an unexpected but potent tool for SEO keyword research. Here's why:

• Uncover High-Intent Keywords: Google Ads provides data on keywords that drive actual clicks and conversions. This information reveals what people are genuinely interested in and what prompts them to take action, offering invaluable insights for your SEO strategy¹.
• Gain Competitive Intelligence: By analyzing your competitors' Google Ads campaigns, you can identify the keywords they're targeting and how they structure their campaigns. This intelligence can inform your own keyword strategy and help you identify opportunities to outrank them². For example, SpyFu allows you to download your competitors' keywords and see how many clicks they get and how much they pay for each keyword².
• Understand Search Intent: Google Ads data helps you understand the intent behind users' searches. Are they looking for information, to make a purchase, or to visit a specific website? This understanding allows you to tailor your content to match user intent and improve your chances of ranking higher³.
• Access Powerful Keyword Research Tools: Google Ads offers built-in keyword research tools like Keyword Planner, which provides data on search volume, competition, and suggested bids. These tools can be invaluable for identifying relevant keywords and understanding their potential⁴.
• Test and Refine Your Keyword Strategy: With Google Ads, you can test different keywords and ad copy to see what resonates best with your target audience. This testing can help you refine your keyword strategy and identify the most effective terms to target for your SEO efforts¹.
• Improve Brand Recall: Running Google Ads can indirectly benefit SEO by improving brand recall and increasing direct searches to your domain. When people see your ads prominently in search results, they become more familiar with your brand. This can lead to them explicitly searching for your business name later on, which can boost your organic rankings⁵.
• Enhance Ad Copy: Keyword research in Google Ads can help improve the quality and content of ad copy in terms of visibility. By understanding the keywords that users are searching for, you can create more relevant and targeted ad copy that is more likely to be clicked on. This, in turn, can improve your ad's quality score and visibility in search results⁶. An important aspect of this is understanding and utilizing negative keywords, which are terms you don't want to rank for⁷. Google rewards ads with a lower cost-per-click (CPC) when they have a good click-through rate (CTR), highlighting the importance of ad relevance and quality score. This can indirectly inform SEO efforts by emphasizing the need for high-quality, user-centric content⁸.

How to Use Google Ads for SEO Keyword Research

Now that we've established the benefits, let's explore how to effectively use Google Ads for SEO keyword research:

Step 1: Set Up Your Google Ads Account

If you don't already have one, you'll need to create a Google Ads account to access the Keyword Planner tool.

Step 2: Access Google Ads Keyword Planner

The Keyword Planner is a free tool within Google Ads that provides valuable keyword data. To access it:

• Sign in to your Google Ads account.
• Go to "Tools & settings" and select "Planning" > "Keyword Planner." ⁹

Step 3: Discover New Keywords

Keyword Planner offers two primary ways to discover new keywords:

• Start with keywords: Enter a few seed keywords related to your business, and the tool will generate a list of related keyword ideas⁴.
• Start with a website: Enter your website URL (or a competitor's), and the tool will analyze the content to suggest relevant keywords⁴.

Step 4: Analyze Keyword Data

Once you have gathered a comprehensive list of keyword ideas using the Google Ads Keyword Planner, the next crucial step is to thoroughly analyze the keyword data to inform your SEO strategy. This involves examining several key metrics that can provide insights into the potential effectiveness of each keyword. Start by looking at the search volume, which indicates how often a keyword is searched for within a given timeframe. High search volume suggests a popular keyword, but it also often means higher competition. Next, assess the level of competition for each keyword. This metric helps you understand how many advertisers are bidding on that keyword, which can give you an idea of how challenging it might be to rank for it organically. Additionally, consider the suggested bid, which reflects the average amount advertisers are willing to pay for a click on their ad for that keyword. This can serve as an indicator of the keyword's commercial value and relevance to your business goals. By carefully analyzing these metrics, you can prioritize keywords that offer a balance of high search volume, manageable competition, and strong commercial intent, ultimately enhancing your SEO efforts and improving your website's visibility in search engine results.

Works cited

1. Why Invest in Google Ads Before SEO - JD Stride, accessed January 23, 2025, https://www.jdstride.com.au/insights/use-google-ads-to-fuel-your-seo-strategy/
2. SpyFu - Competitor Keyword Research Tools for Google Ads PPC & SEO, accessed January 23, 2025, https://www.spyfu.com/
3. An In-Depth Guide To Google Ads - Search Engine Journal, accessed January 23, 2025, https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-ads/496262/
4. Use Keyword Planner - Google Ads Help, accessed January 23, 2025, https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/7337243?hl=en
5. Does Running Google Ads Affect My SEO? - Claire Jarrett, accessed January 23, 2025, https://www.clairejarrett.com/does-running-google-ads-affect-my-seo/
6. The Importance of Keyword Research in Google Ads Campaigns | Media Challengers, accessed January 23, 2025, https://www.mediachallengers.com/the-importance-of-keyword-research-in-google-ads-campaigns/
7. About the search terms report - Google Ads Help, accessed January 23, 2025, https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/2472708?hl=en
8. Google Ads Case Study - BoxCrush Web Design, accessed January 23, 2025, https://www.boxcrush.com/success-stories/google-ads/adwords-case-study
9. How to Use Google Keyword Planner - Semrush, accessed January 23, 2025, https://www.semrush.com/blog/google-keyword-planner/