Changes to Google AdWords: Keyword Tool VS. Keyword Planner

By constantly optimizing its products, Google proves to stay up-to-date on tech trends. The most recent update? Google AdWords’ new Keyword Planner.

Here at Atilus (and specifically throughout the rest of the blog!), you’ll find us talking about AdWords a lot. We recommend AdWords to most of our clients looking to market online, are part of the Google Engage program, and are an AdWords Certified Partner Agency.

What is Google AdWords?

Before I get into what’s different about AdWords, I’ll give a quick breakdown of what it is AdWords does. If you’re looking for something online, chances are you’re choosing Google as your search engine. When you search for a particular good or service, then results appear that are relevant to your search.

The 2 results inside the red boxes represent AdWords ads, meaning these companies are bidding on the keywords “Flights to San Francisco” to have their ads showing. With AdWords, a company can reach a potential customer at the MOMENT they are looking to fulfill a specific need (in this case: a flight to San Francisco).

How to Pick Keywords in AdWords

When we create campaigns for our clients, we use the Keyword Tool. To use the tool, you simply type in some keyword ideas, and Google gives some data and statistics relating to that keyword.

The Keyword Tool has provided fantastic data for our clients and for our own purposes in the past. However, Google has announced a newer, enhanced version of the Keyword Tool: the Keyword Planner.

What’s Different About Keyword Planner?

After being an avid user of the Keyword Tool for so long, I was anxious to see what kinds of changes Google’s with the Keyword Planner. After taking a look, I can already tell it’s going to be even better for our clients.

With the Keyword Planner, we’re now able to filter keywords and keyword ideas by landing page, product category, location (city-level search will be exceptionally helpful for our local clients!), language, average monthly searches, average CPC and more. These additional features alone have already made Keyword Planner 10x more helpful than the Keyword Tool.

So Long, Keyword Tool

While the Keyword Tool provided us (and thousands of other agencies) with amazing data and keyword ideas, I strongly believe the new and improved Keyword Planner will prove to be extremely beneficial. With advertising, much of it comes down to targeting the right people at the right time with the right message, and Google’s new Keyword Planner will definitely make AdWords an increasingly attractive option for those looking to advertise online.