SEO keyword research asks "what can we rank for?". Google Ads keyword research asks a harder question: "which searches can we pay for and still make money?". Every click costs something, so search volume on its own means little. What matters is intent, cost per click, how often that traffic converts and what each conversion is worth to you. A keyword with 90 searches a month that converts at 6% can beat one with 9,000 searches that never buys.
Keywords still decide where your Search ads can appear, even in an era of broad match and AI-driven matching. They tell Google what you want to be found for, they shape ad relevance and Quality Score, and they are the main lever you have to control spend.
Before you open any tool, decide which kinds of searches you want. Most accounts work with five groups:
| Intent type | Example | How to treat it |
|---|---|---|
| Transactional / commercial | buy trail running shoes, best trail running shoes for women | Core budget. Highest conversion rates, often the highest CPCs. |
| Problem / solution | shoes for plantar fasciitis | Strong for growth. Searchers know the problem, not the brand. |
| Branded | your brand name, brand + product | Cheap, high-converting. Run separately so it doesn't flatter other campaigns. |
| Competitor | competitor brand, competitor alternative | Selective tests only. Never use their trademark in your ad text. |
| Informational | how to clean suede shoes | Usually low purchase intent. Better for content or remarketing pools. |
Competitor terms have specific rules around trademarks; read our trademark and competitor bidding guide before you build that campaign.
Tools only expand what you give them, so start with good seeds. Pull them from:
Keyword Planner is free inside Google Ads, under Tools in the Planning section. It has two modes:
Set the location and language to where you actually sell before reading any number. The columns worth using:
Use filters to remove irrelevant ideas, brand names you don't sell and terms below a minimum volume, then use the grouped ideas view to see natural ad group themes. Treat all of these figures as estimates. Your own click and conversion data will replace them within weeks.
For a deeper method, see our Google Ads competitor analysis guide.
A useful filter for every candidate keyword is the highest CPC you can pay and still break even:
Break-even CPC = profit per conversion × conversion rate. If an order brings $60 of gross profit and the keyword converts at 2.5%, you can pay up to $1.50 per click before you lose money. If the planner shows top-of-page bids of $4, that term only works if it converts much better than average or the order value is higher.
Score your list on intent, estimated CPC against break-even CPC, and relevance to a specific landing page. Start with the terms that clear all three and park the rest for later testing. The CPC and CPA calculator helps you run these numbers, and our benchmarks by industry give directional CPC ranges we see by vertical.
Match types decide how closely a search must relate to your keyword. There are three (broad match modifier was retired in 2021):
Google's optional AI Max for Search setting goes a step further, matching ads to relevant searches beyond your keyword list and adapting ad text and landing pages. Treat it like broad match: test it in a controlled way, watch the search terms it brings in and keep brand and URL exclusions in place.
A practical pattern: exact and phrase match on your proven, high-value terms, broad match in a separate test with conversion-based bidding, and budget moved toward whatever produces profitable conversions.
Negatives stop your ads from showing on searches you don't want. Build a starting list before launch (jobs, free, DIY, repair, used, wholesale and similar, depending on your business), then grow it from the search terms report every week. Two details people miss: negative keywords don't automatically cover close variants such as plurals and misspellings, so add those yourself; and shared negative lists let you apply the same exclusions across many campaigns at once. Add your brand name as a negative to non-brand campaigns so branded clicks are counted where they belong.
If you want this built and managed for you, see our Search ads management service.
Keyword research doesn't end at launch. Each week, review search terms, add negatives and promote converting queries to their own exact or phrase keywords. Each month, pause keywords that have spent well past your target CPA without converting, test long-tail variations of your winners, and check Trends for seasonal terms coming up. Revisit the whole list each quarter; customer language, competitors and Google's matching all change.
Key takeaways
Adapted from Bony Ghadiya's Google Ads keyword research playbooks. Read the full guide on Notion.
Which bid strategy to pair with your keywords and match types.
Read it →Check what you can afford per click before you bid.
Use the tool →See how we build and manage Search campaigns.
See the service →Are you paying for the right searches?
Get a free audit: a senior strategist reviews your keywords, search terms and match types on a recorded video.
Get a Free Audit →Quick answers to the questions we hear most.
More Than Scaling is a Google Ads Agency. We help drive e-commerce brand’s traffic with an expert team of Google Ads specialists. Let’s outplay your competitors!
Don’t miss our future updates! Get Subscribed Today!
© 2026 More Than Scaling. All Rights Reserved!
