Google recently made a change to its AdWords Keyword Planner tool, which now delivers ranges of data based on how much you spend on ads and how frequently you use the tool. This means that advertisers with low monthly spend are getting ranges of data instead of exact numbers. For example, if you have been affected by this change, a keyword with 590 searches per month will now display as ‘100–1K’.
This change was made to prevent bots from abusing the tool, not to frustrate advertisers. However, that’s exactly what it has done. Being met with ranges of data makes it difficult for advertisers to accurately determine which keyword to target or how much to bid on them. Google’s suggested solution to this? Try using the forecasting feature that’s built-in to Keyword Planner.
“While search volume gives you a sense of the market size, other settings such as bid, budget, device, and more, affect how much of this search volume a single advertiser can receive. Forecasts, on the other hand, let you customize these settings for a more comprehensive view of how keywords might perform.”
How to Use Forecasting in Google Keyword Planner
The forecasting feature in Keyword Planner can assist with determining a budget and selecting keywords by following these steps:
- Navigate to Keyword Planner and sign in.
- Select the option to search for new keywords using a phrase, website or category.
- Enter the keywords you want to look up, and click get ideas.
- Scroll through the suggested keywords returned by the tool, clicking add to plan on keywords you may want to target.
- Enter forecasting mode by clicking review plan on the right-hand side of the screen.
- Once in the forecasting screen, you can glean more keyword data in the following ways:
- Enter bids and budgets for a detailed forecast of the keywords added to your plan.
- View forecasts based on location, device, or expected conversion rate.
- If you’re not satisfied with your forecasts, go back to the drawing board. Click back to search on the top right and look for new keywords to add to your plan.
- Once satisfied, either download the forecasts or save the plan to your account.
- Once in the forecasting screen, you can glean more keyword data in the following ways:
