Is Google keyword research free?

16 October 2026 · By John Carlsson

Yes. Google describes Keyword Planner as a free resource that gives keyword ideas, monthly search estimates, trend data and bid estimates, but you must finish Google Ads account setup, including billing information, to use it. Google Search Console is also free and shows the real queries that bring clicks and impressions to your site, with click through rate and average position.

What does Google Keyword Planner give you for free?

Keyword Planner sits inside Google Ads, and Google describes it as a free resource for advertisers building keyword lists for search campaigns. There is no separate charge for using the tool itself. According to Google, it provides:

Keyword ideas based on words, phrases or a website you enter.
Estimates of how many searches a keyword gets each month.
Trend data showing how searches for a term change over time.
Suggested bid estimates and the average cost for an ad to show on a keyword.
Forecasts of clicks, impressions or conversions for a plan at a given spend.

Google also notes that keywords with very low search volumes, or sensitive keywords, may not be discoverable or forecastable, so some terms will not show data at all.

What do you need before you can use Keyword Planner?

The tool is free, but it is not open without an account. Google's help page says you need to complete your Google Ads account setup, including entering billing information, to access Keyword Planner and basic features such as keyword suggestions. Google's product page also says you need to finish setup and create a campaign, and that accounts in Smart Mode must switch to Expert Mode. Once that is done, Keyword Planner is under the Tools menu.

If you are researching for organic search rather than ads, this setup can feel like a hurdle. It is still worth knowing that the keyword data comes from the same place advertisers use.

How can Search Console help with keyword research?

Google Search Console is described by Google as a free service, and it covers a different side of keyword research. Instead of suggesting new terms, it shows the searches your site already appears for.

The Performance report lists your queries with four metrics:

Clicks: how often someone clicked a link from Google through to your site.
Impressions: how often a link to your site was seen, or potentially seen, in results.
Click through rate: clicks divided by impressions.
Average position: roughly where your link appeared on the results page, with 1 as the top spot.

You can group the data by queries, pages, countries, devices, search appearance and dates. By default the report shows the past three months. Queries with plenty of impressions but few clicks are often a good place to start, because Google already shows your page for them.

Which free Google tool should you use?

The two tools answer different questions, so many site owners use both.

Use Keyword Planner when you want new ideas and an estimate of how often people search for a term, including terms your site does not rank for yet.
Use Search Console when you want to know which real queries already bring impressions and clicks, and which pages they lead to.

Keep in mind that Keyword Planner figures are estimates built for advertisers, while Search Console reports what actually happened for your own site. When the two disagree, your Search Console data is the more direct record of your own performance. Neither tool requires you to pay Google to see the data, although Keyword Planner does require a fully set up Google Ads account.

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Frequently asked questions

Are Keyword Planner search volumes exact figures?

No. Google describes them as estimates of the number of searches a keyword gets each month. Forecasts are refreshed daily using recent data and adjusted for seasonality, but they remain projections. Google also says keywords with very low search volumes, or sensitive keywords, may not be discoverable or forecastable. For your own site, Search Console shows the actual clicks and impressions recorded for each query.

Do I need a website verified in Search Console to see query data?

Yes. Search Console reports data for properties you own and have added to your account, so you can only see queries for sites you manage. Google says you do not need to sign up to appear in Google Search, but you do need Search Console to see the Performance report. Once your property is set up, the report shows the past three months of data by default.