How to Do Keyword Research for Google Ads (Step-by-Step Tutorial)

"If you are running Google Ads and burning through your budget without getting qualified leads or sales, 90% of the time the issue comes down to bad keyword research. Bidding on broad, low-intent search terms will drain your ad spend fast. In this video, I'll walk you through the exact step-by-step framework to find profitable, high-intent keywords using Google Keyword Planner and smart match-type strategies." 2. Introduction & Overview (0:30 - 1:15) "Welcome back to the channel! Today, we're diving deep into Google Ads keyword research. Whether you're setting up your first Search campaign or scaling an existing account, selecting the right search queries determines your Quality Score, Cost-Per-Click, and ultimately your ROI. Let's head over to Google Keyword Planner and set this up properly." 3. Step 1: Navigating Google Keyword Planner (1:15 - 2:45) *"Start by signing into your Google Ads account, navigating to Tools & Settings, and selecting Keyword Planner. You'll see two options: 'Discover new keywords' and 'Get search volume and forecasts'. Choose Discover new keywords. Enter your seed terms or landing page URL. Make sure you set your target location and language correctly—targeting the wrong location at this stage skews all your bid estimates and monthly search volume data."* 4. Step 2: Filtering for Commercial Intent (2:45 - 4:15) "Not all search volume is created equal. You want queries with high commercial intent—terms where users are ready to buy, hire, or request a quote. Look closely at the Top of page bid (low range) and Top of page bid (high range) columns. Higher bid ranges signal that competitors are actively bidding up those search terms because they convert into revenue. Filter out purely informational searches unless you are deliberately running top-of-funnel campaigns." 5. Step 3: Structuring Match Types & Negative Keywords (4:15 - 6:00) *"Once you select your core keyword list, organise them into tight, theme-based ad groups using Phrase Match and Exact Match. Broad Match can work with Smart Bidding, but for controlled budget management, stick to tighter match types initially. Equally important: build your Negative Keyword list immediately. Exclude terms like 'free', 'jobs', 'cheap', or unrelated brand names before launching your campaign so you don't waste a single penny on irrelevant clicks."* 6. Call to Action & Conclusion (6:00 - 6:45) "That is how you execute a high-converting keyword research strategy for Google Ads. Apply these steps before building your next campaign structure. If you found this breakdown actionable, hit the Like button, subscribe for more performance marketing tutorials, and drop your Google Ads questions in the comments