Using Google Keyword Planner For SEO Keyword Research

Login to Google Keyword Planner: will need an AdWords account to sign up, but just create a dummy campaign then cancel it when you're done.

Start with a broad phrase which will generate a larger number of keyword suggestions. Click "Get Ideas" then click the "keyword ideas" tab. Now scroll through keyword suggestions to find phrases you want to rank for.

A few basic tips:

-average monthly searches is estimated and only shows numbers for that EXACT keyword (not all it's variations)

-competition is for AdWords, not SEO

-best practice is to select long-tail (very specific phrases) because there is less competition and it's more specific, so higher conversion rates

-use the filters to narrow down your keyword suggestions (location and the "include" option are most helpful in my opinion)

-"chicago wedding photographer" and "wedding photogapher in chicago" are essentially the same keyword, so no need to select both

-write down all the different photography services (in this case) in a keyword list so you can create a new landing page for each service

I like to use Google Autcomplete AND Google Keyword Planner to make sure I don't miss any keywords. You will likely find opportunities in both tools. Find Google Autocomplete tricks here: article:

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