Google Ads Keyword Planner brings Google's keyword research data - monthly search volumes, competition, and top-of-page bid estimates - into Whatagraph. Instead of connecting an ad account to report on spend, you define a list of keywords to track, and Whatagraph pulls Google's historical metrics for them, broken down by location. Use it for keyword research, demand tracking, and cross-country comparison inside the same reports as your paid and organic data.
Note: This is a separate integration from Google Ads and is currently in beta. Your existing Google Ads connection is unaffected - this adds keyword research as its own source type.
How to connect
Authentication uses Google OAuth. Because Keyword Planner runs on the Google Ads API, you sign in with a Google account that can access a Google Ads account.
Step 1. In the left navigation, open Data sources and click "Connect new source".
Step 2. Search for Google Ads Keyword Planner and select it.
Step 3. Sign in with Google and authorize access. Whatagraph lists the Google Ads accounts you can reach, directly or through a manager (MCC) account.
Step 4. Pick an account. The keyword tracker configuration opens so you can set it up.
Configuring a keyword tracker
Each source is a "tracker." When you pick an account, configure it with these fields:
Source name - a label for the tracker, e.g. "Nothing brand terms - US".
Keywords - the terms to track, one per line or comma-separated. Up to 10,000 per source.
Geo Target IDs - one or more Google geo target IDs, comma-separated (e.g.
2840for the United States, or2840,2826,2392for US + UK + JP). Data is returned per country.Language - the language for search volume data. Defaults to English.
Network - Google Search, or Google Search and Partners.
Manager Customer ID (optional) - if the account is accessed through a manager (MCC), enter the manager's customer ID, digits only, no dashes. For MCC-routed accounts this is pre-filled with the parent account's ID; leave it blank for direct accounts.
— Source name — a label, e.g. "Nothing brand terms — US".
— Keywords — the terms to track, one per line or comma-separated. Up to 10,000 per source.
— Geo target IDs — one or more Google geo target IDs (e.g. 2840 for the United States; 2840,2826,2392 for US + UK + JP). Data is returned per country.
— Language — the language for search volume data (defaults to English).
— Network — Google Search, or Google Search and Partners.
— Manager Customer ID (optional) — if the account is accessed through a manager (MCC), enter the manager's customer ID (digits only).
What you can report on
There are two report types. Both return the same metrics - Keyword Ideas adds related suggestions and a concept group label.
Report type | What it returns |
Historical Metrics | Search volume, competition and bid data for the exact keywords in your tracker |
Keyword Ideas | Related keyword suggestions based on your seed keywords, with the same metrics plus a concept group label |
Metrics: Monthly searches, Avg. monthly searches, Competition index (0–100), Low top of page bid, High top of page bid, Average CPC. Bid and CPC values are in the account's currency.
Dimensions: Keyword, Date, Competition level, Geo target ID, Geo target name, Country code, Language, and Network — plus Concept group in the Keyword Ideas report type only.
Data freshness & granularity
Google refreshes Keyword Planner metrics monthly, so data is at monthly granularity, not daily. Whatagraph caches each tracker's results for about three days to stay within Google Ads API quotas. Editing a tracker's keywords, geos, language, network, or the report date range fetches fresh data on the next refresh.
Note: Keyword Planner shares your Google Ads API daily quota, and each fetch makes one call per configured geo. Large keyword lists spread across many geos may be rate-limited during heavy use.
Limitations
Requires Google Ads API access. The connected Google account must be linked to a Google Ads account that is enabled for API access. Accounts with no Google Ads access can't be used.
Estimates, not exact counts. Search volumes and bids are Google's estimates and match what you'd see inside Keyword Planner itself, including its rounding.
Concept group is Keyword Ideas only. The Concept group dimension is populated only in the Keyword Ideas report type.
Keyword ceiling. Up to 10,000 keywords per source. Larger lists are rejected when you save the tracker.
FAQ
Do I need to spend on Google Ads to use this?
No. You need a Google Ads account with API access, but not active campaigns or spend to pull keyword volumes.
Where do I find geo target IDs?
Google publishes the full list in its Google Ads API geo targets reference. The United States (2840) is pre-filled by default.
Why is my data monthly instead of daily?
Keyword Planner only provides monthly search-volume data. That's a Google limitation, not a Whatagraph one.