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All lessons in Google Ads for Beginners Lesson 1.3 of 24

Module 0: Introduction to PPC

  1. 0.1What is PPC?
  2. 0.2PPC vs SEO vs SEM
  3. 0.3How the Google Ads auction works
  4. 0.4PPC platforms compared

Module 1: Planning Your First Campaign

  1. 1.1Setting PPC goals
  2. 1.2Setting a Google Ads budget
  3. 1.3PPC keyword research
  4. 1.4Google Ads keyword match types
  5. 1.5Negative keywords

Module 2: Building the Campaign

  1. 2.1How to create a Google Ads account
  2. 2.2Campaign and ad group structure
  3. 2.3Location, language, and schedule
  4. 2.4Google Ads bidding strategies

Module 3: Writing Ads That Get Clicks

  1. 3.1How to write responsive search ads
  2. 3.2PPC ad copy formulas
  3. 3.3Google Ads assets
  4. 3.4PPC landing page best practices

Module 4: Tracking Results

  1. 4.1Google Ads conversion tracking
  2. 4.2What is Quality Score?
  3. 4.3PPC metrics that matter
  4. 4.4Google Ads search terms report

Module 5: Optimizing and Scaling

  1. 5.1Your first 30 days
  2. 5.2Common Google Ads mistakes
  3. 5.3Your PPC action plan

PPC keyword research

Your roadmap for this lesson

  • How to spot buyer intent in a keyword
  • How to use Google Keyword Planner for PPC
  • How to read CPC estimates and build a short starting list

Short answer

PPC keyword research means finding searches that lead to sales, not just traffic. Look for commercial keywords with buyer intent, like “price,” “near me,” or “book.” Use Google Keyword Planner to see search volume and top of page bid ranges. Start with 10 to 20 tight, high-intent keywords.

New to keywords? Learn the basics first in our SEO lesson on how to find keywords. This lesson focuses on what changes when every click costs money.

Buyer intent: the key idea

Buyer intent means how ready a person is to buy. In PPC, you pay for each click, so you want the ready ones.

Buyer intent ladder: learning, comparing, buying searchesLearning“how to clean aircon”SkipComparing“best aircon cleaning service”MaybeBuying“aircon cleaning price Makati”Bid hereReady
In PPC every click costs money, so start with searches that show buyer intent.
SearchIntentGood for ads?
how to clean airconLearningNo
best aircon cleaning serviceComparingMaybe
aircon cleaning price MakatiBuyingYes
aircon cleaning near meBuyingYes

Words that signal buying: price, cost, magkano, near me, book, order, delivery, hire, service, and your city name.

Using Keyword Planner

Keyword Planner is a free tool inside Google Ads. You need a Google Ads account to use it.

  1. In Google Ads, open Tools, then Keyword Planner.
  2. Choose Discover new keywords.
  3. Type 2 to 3 words that describe your service, like “aircon cleaning.”
  4. Set location to your target city. Set language to English, and include Filipino if your customers search that way.
  5. Review the results.

Reading the numbers

Focus on three columns:

  • Avg. monthly searches: a range of how often people search it.
  • Competition: how many advertisers bid on it. Low, medium, or high.
  • Top of page bid (low and high range): what advertisers have paid to appear at the top. Use the middle as your CPC estimate.

New accounts with little spending may see wide ranges instead of exact numbers. That is normal.

Try it: keyword list worksheet

Quick quiz

1. Which keyword shows the strongest buyer intent?
2. Where do you find top of page bid estimates?
3. Why avoid one-word keywords like “aircon”?

Common mistakes

  • Chasing high-volume keywords. Big volume often means low intent and high cost.
  • Using one-word keywords. “Aircon” is too broad and expensive.
  • Forgetting local terms. Include city names and Taglish searches like “magkano.”
  • Copying your SEO keyword list. Informational keywords waste ad money.

Your action

Open Keyword Planner and find 10 buyer intent keywords for one service. Write the top of page bid range next to each.

Key terms

Buyer intent
How ready a searcher is to buy.
Commercial keyword
A search linked to buying or hiring.
Keyword Planner
Google's free keyword tool inside Google Ads.
Top of page bid
The range advertisers have paid to show at the top.

Questions beginners ask

Is Keyword Planner free?

Yes, but you need a Google Ads account to use it.

How many keywords should I start with?

About 10 to 20 tightly related ones.

Related lessons

Want someone to run your Google Ads while you learn? The team at Remar Digital can help.