What Are Some Limitations Of The Google Keyword Planner When Used For Google Ads Campaign Planning? (2024)

The Google Keyword Planner is one of the most powerful tools available for planning and managing Google Ads campaigns. It provides an easy-to-use interface, and the ability to quickly find the most relevant and targeted keyword phrases for an ad campaign. Despite its vast potential, the Google Keyword Planner has certain drawbacks that can limit the effectiveness of an ad campaign.

When used for Google Ads campaign planning, some of the limitations include its inability to provide keyword suggestions beyond the established maximum search volume limit, its lack of account-level tracking for keyword-level performance, and its lack of granular reporting data. Additionally, the Keyword Planner does not allow granular control over the selection of keywords, nor does it calculate exact monthly search volume.

Furthermore, the Google Keyword Planner is tightly integrated with the AdWords platform, which itself has a learning curve that can be difficult to navigate. Given the more intricate and intricate nature of Google Ads campaigns, the Keyword Planner can be limited to basic research and analysis. To get the most out of an ad campaign, more sophisticated and user-friendly tools may be necessary.

In short, the Google Keyword Planner is a powerful tool with wide-reaching capabilities, but its limitations can render it ineffective for many users. Despite the shortcomings, it can still form an integral part of an effective Google Ads campaign.

Table of Contents

1. Limited Keyword Volume Data
2. Lack of Negative Keyword Options
3. Not Able to Group Keywords
4. Low Quality of Search Volume Data
5. Difficulty Estimating Cost of Ads
6. Incomplete Competitive Landscape Analysis
7. FAQs

Limited Keyword Volume Data

When using the Google Keyword Planner for planning Google Ads campaign, there are several limitations one should be aware of. One of the most significant of these limitations is the limited keyword volume data. This is because the keyword data that Google Keyword Planner provides is based on limited search volumes and cannot provide a comprehensive overview of total search volume for a given keyword. This can be limiting, since it makes it difficult to accurately determine the potential reach and the best keywords to use in a Google Ads campaign for maximum traffic and conversions.

Another limitation of the Google Keyword Planner is the lack of negative keyword options. The Keyword Planner only provides options to search for broad match or exact match keyword data, and does not provide options to search for negative keyword data, making it difficult to precisely determine the exact keywords to include or exclude from an Ads campaign.

Finally, Google Keyword Planner does not enable the user to group keywords together into campaigns or segments, making it difficult to develop cohesive and organized campaigns. This can be a problem since it makes it more difficult to precisely target relevant keywords to a specific Ads campaign.

Overall, the Google Keyword Planner is a helpful tool for identifying potential keywords for an Ads campaign, however, due to its limited keyword volume data, lack of negative keyword options, and inability to group keywords together, it can be difficult to rely solely on its data for determining the success of a Google Ads campaign.

Lack of Negative Keyword Options

Google Keyword Planner does not allow users to add negative keywords to their Google Ads accounts. Negative keywords are essential for preventing ads from showing up on searches with an unrelated or unplanned intention. Without such an option, it can be very hard to refine campaigns and ensure that ads are running on the right terms. Additionally, the lack of negative keyword options also impacts the other features of the Keyword Planner such as volumen estimates and competitive landscape analysis.

When used for running a Google Ads campaign, the lack of negative keywords can be a major limitation as it prevents users from controlling and optimizing their search terms. Without a negative keyword list to help filter out irrelevant search terms, advertisers will not be able to get accurate data and predictions on costs. Additionally, this limitation will make it more difficult for advertisers to accurately narrow down their campaigns to optimize their reach and ad spend.

To make up for the lack of negative keyword options, users can manually build and adjust a list of negative keywords to add into their campaigns. However, this would involve a lot of time and effort and still does not provide the level of control and accuracy that a comprehensive tool should offer. As a result, the Google Keyword Planner can be quite limited in terms of its ability to accurately and effectively help users plan their Google Ads campaigns.

Not Able to Group Keywords

The Google Keyword Planner is unable to group keywords together as part of the ad campaign planning process. As such, it is difficult to take into consideration common questions or related search terms when optimizing a campaign. This often leads to a broad approach to targeting, as it will be difficult to optimize and position an ad for a specific audience without having keywords organized in an appropriate way. Additionally, to fully understand the results of a campaign, segmentation must be conducted, which will be made more difficult without the ability to group related keywords together.

The limitations of the Google Keyword Planner also extend to keyword research. For example, it is difficult to vet the keywords gathered to ensure that they fit within the overarching strategy of the campaign. This requirement must be done manually, which can extend the time spent on the project and lead to potential missed opportunities due to the lack of automation.

Overall, the Google Keyword Planner is a useful tool for keyword research, but has some limitations when it comes to ad campaign planning. The inability to group keywords makes it difficult to identify the proper search terms and hone in on the desired audience and may hinder the effectiveness of a campaign. Additionally, while the keyword research feature may help uncover potential terms and phrases for campaigns, it is limited in its ability to quality assure one’s strategy and messages.

Low Quality of Search Volume Data

Google Keyword Planner is not particularly precise when it comes to giving an exact search volume metrics. Search volume suggests the likelihood of a particular search keyword to be clicked/searched over a predetermined period of time but Google’s keyword planner gives an approximation of the figures which may not be useful in certain situations. As search volume figures give an idea about what people are searching for and as Google Keyword Planner does not give accurate figures, there may be instances of using inefficient terms which brings down the quality score of the ad.

Another limitation of the Google Keyword Planner is that it does not account for the new terms or phrases which may suddenly gain popularity. If the keyword planner fails to keep up with the latest trends, it will continue giving lower than expected search volume for these terms and hence not giving an accurate picture of the market.

In addition, the search volumes given by Google Keyword Planner does not take into account the value of the actual searches. Some searches may bring more effective leads than the others and Google’s keyword planner does not differentiate or focus on these terms. As a result, marketers may involve in targeting low value keywords instead of the ones which can bring better ROI.

In conclusion, when used for Google Ads campaign planning, Google Keyword Planner has some limitations, the most significant of which is the low quality of search volume data. Google’s keyword planner gives an approximation of the figures which may not be useful in certain situations and may continue giving lower than expected search volume for new popular terms. Additionally, the search volumes given by Google Keyword Planner does not take into account the value of the actual searches which can affect the ROI of the ad campaigns.

Difficulty Estimating Cost of Ads

When using the Google Keyword Planner for planning a Google Ads campaign, estimating the cost of ads can be difficult because the keyword planner only provides estimates of what the cost of the ads will be. These estimates may not be accurate or helpful at times since Google’s own search engine algorithm decides how much of a bid needs to be made to ensure their ads are relevant to the search terms used. Additionally, the amount of competition for ads can affect the cost of the bid, so the estimates may not accurately predict the overall cost of the campaign.

Not being able to accurately determine the cost of the ads can be a major issue when it comes to campaign planning since it makes budgeting and allocation of resources more difficult. It can also be difficult to calculate the return on investment (ROI) of the campaign since it is not possible to accurately predict how much the ads will cost. This means that marketers have to rely on other sources for accurate information about estimated costs of ads and use a combination of strategies to ensure their Google Ads campaigns are cost-effective.

In conclusion, the Google Keyword Planner is not a perfect tool for planning a Google Ads campaign and its difficulty in accurately estimating costs of ads can be a major challenge to overcome. However, with the right strategies and a combination of other tools, marketers can still use the planner to make their campaigns successful.

Incomplete Competitive Landscape Analysis

The Google Keyword Planner provides many useful insights into the world of keywords and keyword research for campaigns. However, it has several limitations when it comes to researching the competitive landscape. It does not provide an in-depth analysis of the competition, which makes it difficult to determine the best keywords to use for campaigns. It does not look at the number of competitors who are using those keywords and does not provide insight into how well they are performing on those keywords. This means that marketers have to do their own research to find out what keywords their competitors are targeting and what results they are getting in terms of visibility, engagement, and conversions.

Another limitation of the Google Keyword Planner is that it does not allow marketers to compare their campaigns to those of their competitors. Without knowledge of the competitor’s campaigns, it is hard to determine the best strategy for keyword selection. Additionally, the Google Keyword Planner does not provide any insights into how competitors are bidding on keywords, which makes it difficult to come up with a successful keyword strategy for campaigns.

Finally, the Google Keyword Planner does not provide an easy way to track changes in keyword rankings over time. Without knowing how competitors’ keywords are performing and what strategies they are using, marketers are at a disadvantage when it comes to creating successful campaigns.

These are some of the limitations of the Google Keyword Planner when used for Google Ads campaigns. It does not provide an in-depth analysis of competitor campaigns so it is difficult to determine what keywords to target or how to best bid on them. Additionally, it does not provide an easy way to track changes in keyword rankings over time, which can be beneficial for crafting successful marketing campaigns.

FAQS – What are some limitations of the Google Keyword Planner when used for Google Ads campaign planning?

1. What types of data is available through the Google Keyword Planner?
Answer: The Google Keyword Planner provides keyword search volume estimates, related keywords, keyword trends, competition levels and more.

2. What are the benefits of using the Google Keyword Planner for Google Ads campaign planning?
Answer: The Google Keyword Planner can help you to find relevant keywords and gain an understanding of their search volumes, competition levels, and related keyword phrases. Additionally, it can help you to create ad groups and campaign structure which are organized around relevant keywords.

3. What are the limitations of the Google Keyword Planner?
Answer: The most significant limitation of the Google Keyword Planner is that the data provided can be imprecise and not totally represent the real world. Additionally, the free version of the tool only provides an averaged search volume per month, rather than data for every individual day.

4. Does the Google Keyword Planner provide accurate information?
Answer: While the data provided by the Google Keyword Planner is useful, it is not always 100% accurate. It is best to use other sources of keyword research to gain more accurate insights.

5. Does the Google Keyword Planner include competitive data?
Answer: Yes, the Google Keyword Planner includes competitive data which can help you to understand how competitive the keywords that you are targeting are.

6. Can I use Google Keyword Planner for anything other than Google Ads?
Answer: Yes, the Google Keyword Planner can be used for a variety of purposes beyond Google Ads, and is great for organic SEO optimization tasks as well.

7. What kind of search volumes does the Google Keyword Planner provide?
Answer: The Google Keyword Planner provides estimated search volume data on a monthly averaged basis.

8. Can I segment custom data in the Google Keyword Planner?
Answer: No, the Google Keyword Planner does not allow for custom data segmentation.

9. Can I track changes in absolute search volume over time using the Google Keyword Planner?
Answer: No, the Google Keyword Planner only provides estimated search volumes which are averaged over a monthly period.

10. Does the Google Keyword Planner provide any information about the cost-per-click for keywords?
Answer: No, the Google Keyword Planner does not provide any information about the cost-per-click for keywords.