Cost-per-click (CPC) is an important metric for understanding how much advertisers pay for a single click on an ad that targets a specific keyword. Knowing the CPC for keywords can help you make informed decisions about your SEO and paid advertising campaigns, especially if you’re planning to run PPC (pay-per-click) campaigns like Google Ads.
Here’s how to find the CPC for keywords:
1. Using Google Keyword Planner
Google Keyword Planner is a free tool by Google Ads, primarily designed for advertisers to plan their campaigns. It provides data about keywords, including CPC estimates based on your location, industry, and targeting settings.
Steps to Find CPC with Google Keyword Planner:
- Step 1: Sign in to your Google Ads account.
- Step 2: Go to Tools & Settings and click on Keyword Planner under the Planning section.
- Step 3: Click on Discover New Keywords.
- Step 4: Enter your seed keywords or website, and Google will generate a list of related keywords.
- Step 5: For each keyword, you’ll see a column titled Top of Page Bid (Low Range) and Top of Page Bid (High Range), which represent the estimated CPC for the keyword based on Google Ads data.
Note: To access the full data, including the CPC, you need to have an active Google Ads campaign. However, you can still get a rough idea of CPC for each keyword even without an active campaign.
2. Using SEMrush
SEMrush is a comprehensive SEO and PPC tool that provides keyword data, including CPC estimates for each keyword. It helps you identify how much you can expect to pay for a click when bidding on specific keywords in PPC campaigns.
Steps to Find CPC with SEMrush:
- Step 1: Sign in to your SEMrush account. If you don’t have one, you can use their free trial.
- Step 2: Go to Keyword Overview and enter your seed keyword.
- Step 3: SEMrush will show you keyword statistics, including CPC along with other valuable metrics like search volume and competition level.
- Step 4: Analyze the CPC data and compare it with other keywords to make informed decisions for your PPC strategy.
3. Using Ahrefs Keywords Explorer
Ahrefs provides another great tool for finding CPC information, especially if you’re researching keywords for both SEO and paid advertising. Ahrefs Keywords Explorer gives you a broad range of metrics, including CPC.
Steps to Find CPC with Ahrefs:
- Step 1: Log in to your Ahrefs account. It’s a paid tool but offers a limited free trial.
- Step 2: Go to Keywords Explorer and type in your target keyword.
- Step 3: Ahrefs will generate a list of related keywords and display the CPC data alongside search volume, keyword difficulty, and other metrics.
- Step 4: Use the CPC data to assess which keywords might be more expensive for PPC campaigns and whether they fit your budget.
4. Using Ubersuggest
Ubersuggest is another user-friendly SEO tool by Neil Patel that provides keyword data, including CPC, for each keyword. It’s a good option for those who are just starting out with keyword research.
Steps to Find CPC with Ubersuggest:
- Step 1: Visit Ubersuggest.
- Step 2: Enter your seed keyword into the search bar and click Search.
- Step 3: Ubersuggest will show you keyword data, including CPC, alongside other metrics such as search volume and SEO difficulty.
- Step 4: Review the CPC data to help you select keywords for your paid campaigns.
5. Using SpyFu
SpyFu is a competitor analysis tool that allows you to see the keywords your competitors are targeting, including their CPC values. This can be helpful for understanding the cost associated with various keywords within your industry.
Steps to Find CPC with SpyFu:
- Step 1: Go to SpyFu and create an account.
- Step 2: Enter the domain or keyword you’re interested in.
- Step 3: SpyFu will show you the keywords your competitors are bidding on, along with their CPC.
- Step 4: Use this information to determine the CPC for your own campaigns.
6. Using Keyword Tool.io
Keyword Tool.io is another popular SEO tool that provides keyword suggestions along with CPC data, particularly helpful for Google Ads and other paid search platforms.
Steps to Find CPC with Keyword Tool.io:
- Step 1: Go to Keyword Tool.io.
- Step 2: Choose a platform (e.g., Google, YouTube, Amazon) and enter your seed keyword.
- Step 3: The tool will show keyword suggestions and provide estimated CPC data, helping you assess which keywords might be the most profitable for paid campaigns.
Why CPC Matters for SEO?
While CPC is primarily relevant for paid advertising, it can also be useful for SEO in several ways:
- Identifying Commercial Intent: Keywords with high CPC usually indicate commercial intent, meaning people searching for these keywords are more likely to make purchases or convert.
- Content Strategy: Knowing which keywords are expensive for advertisers can help you focus on those keywords for your SEO content, as they are typically valuable in terms of conversion.
- Budgeting for Paid Campaigns: If you are running paid ads, CPC data helps you plan your budget effectively to avoid overspending.
Conclusion
Finding the CPC for keywords is an essential part of both SEO and PPC strategies. Tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, Ahrefs, Ubersuggest, and SpyFu offer CPC estimates that help you choose the best keywords for your campaigns. By leveraging these tools, you can make data-driven decisions on which keywords to target, how much to bid for paid campaigns, and how to optimize your content for both organic and paid search traffic.
Remember, CPC is a dynamic metric that can vary depending on competition, location, and seasonality, so it’s important to keep refining your keyword strategy over time.