PPC Keyword Research: The Complete Guide (With the Exact Tools, Clicks, and Steps We Use)

Quick answer: PPC keyword research means building your ad targeting list from 5 tools, not 1. Use Google Keyword Planner for official Google volume and bid data, Ahrefs Keywords Explorer for click and CPC data, Keywords Everywhere for fast in-browser research, SpyFu to see what competitors are bidding on, and Microsoft Advertising’s Keyword Planner for Bing and Edge, which reaches an older, often lower-cost audience that matters heavily for healthcare.

Below is the exact click path for each tool, not just what they do.

Arcane Marketing is a healthcare digital marketing agency based in Idaho Falls, Idaho, a Google Premier Partner managing paid search campaigns for healthcare practices nationwide. Every step below reflects the process our own PPC management team runs on real client accounts.

The 5 PPC Keyword Research Tools at a Glance

Tool	Cost	Best For
Google Keyword Planner	Free	Official Google search volume and bid ranges
Ahrefs Keywords Explorer	Paid	Click data and current CPC
Keywords Everywhere	Low-cost, credit-based	Fast research directly inside Google search
SpyFu	Paid	Seeing what competitors bid on
Microsoft Advertising Keyword Planner	Free	Bing and Edge volume, often cheaper clicks

Each platform provides a different piece of the research process. Google Keyword Planner gives you first-party advertising data, while third-party platforms can reveal additional information about clicks, competitors, related searches, and search behavior.

For healthcare PPC, using multiple sources is especially useful because a high-volume keyword is not automatically a high-value keyword. A term can generate thousands of searches while producing very few qualified patient inquiries.

Step 1: Use Google Keyword Planner for Search Volume and Bid Data

Google Keyword Planner should be the starting point for most Google Ads keyword research because it provides data directly within Google’s advertising ecosystem.

Log into your Google Ads account at ads.google.com. If you don’t have a campaign running yet, you can still reach the planner by starting to create a campaign and stopping before entering payment details.
Click the wrench icon (Tools and Settings) in the top right corner.
Under the “Planning” column, click “Keyword Planner.”
You’ll see 2 options. Click “Discover new keywords.”
Type your seed term into the search bar, for example “dental implants,” and click the blue “Get results” button.
Google returns a results table. The columns that matter most are Avg. Monthly Searches, Competition, and Top of Page Bid (low range) and Top of Page Bid (high range).
Click the “Avg. Monthly Searches” column header to sort the list highest to lowest.

How to Interpret Google Keyword Planner Data

Ignore the temptation to treat the search volume number as an exact count. Google presents search volume in ranges and estimates, so the better use is comparing one keyword against another.

The Top of Page Bid range is particularly useful for PPC planning because it provides an indication of the competitive cost associated with a search term.

For a dental practice, for example, you could compare:

“dentist near me”
“dental implants”
“emergency dentist”
“teeth whitening”
“dental implants cost”

The keyword with the highest search volume is not necessarily the keyword you should prioritize. Patient intent, competition, estimated CPC, and the service’s value to the practice all matter.

Step 2: Use Ahrefs Keywords Explorer for Click and CPC Data

Ahrefs can add another layer to your keyword research by showing metrics that help explain what happens after a search is performed.

Go to ahrefs.com and log in, or start a trial if you don’t have an account yet.
In the left sidebar, click “Keywords Explorer.”
Select Google as the search engine and choose your target country from the dropdown.
Enter your seed keyword and press Enter.
The Overview tab loads showing Volume, Keyword Difficulty, CPC, and a separate Clicks metric.
Check the Clicks number specifically, not just Volume. AI Overviews, featured snippets, and other SERP features can absorb a growing share of searches that never result in an organic click, and Clicks provides additional context that search volume alone does not.
In the left sidebar, click “Having Same Terms” and separately “Also Rank For” to expand your list with related keywords you wouldn’t have thought to search manually.

Why Click Data Matters for Healthcare PPC

Search volume tells you how frequently people search for a topic. It does not necessarily tell you how much search activity turns into website visits.

This distinction matters when researching competitive healthcare terms. A query such as “what are dental implants” may have substantial search volume but different commercial intent from “dental implants near me.”

When reviewing keywords, consider:

Volume: How much demand exists?
Clicks: How much search activity actually leads to clicks?
CPC: How competitive is the paid search market?
Intent: Is the searcher researching or ready to contact a provider?
Service value: Would a conversion from this keyword be valuable to the practice?

Step 3: Use Keywords Everywhere for Fast In-Browser Research

Keywords Everywhere is useful when you want to expand your keyword list while actively searching Google.

Go to the Chrome Web Store (or Firefox Add-ons if using Firefox) and search “Keywords Everywhere.”
Click “Add to Chrome” and pin the extension to your toolbar.
Go to keywordseverywhere.com, create an account, and purchase a small credit pack. Pricing runs on a pay-as-you-go credit system, and a modest pack covers a typical single-campaign research project.
Paste your API key into the extension’s settings panel, found by clicking the extension icon and selecting the gear/settings icon.
Search your seed term directly in Google, the normal way you’d search anything.
A “People Also Search For” panel appears in the sidebar of the results page, with each term listed alongside its search volume, CPC, and competition score.

Use this step mid-research, after your initial Keyword Planner list, to catch related terms the other tools missed.

Use Google Search Results to Validate Keyword Intent

Keyword tools provide numerical data, but the search results themselves provide important context.

Search each important keyword manually and look at the type of pages Google is displaying.

For example, if the results for “dental implants near me” are dominated by:

Local dental practices
Google Maps listings
Dental implant service pages
Appointment-focused landing pages
Paid search ads from competing practices

The SERP is giving you a strong indication of local and commercial intent.

This manual check helps prevent a common PPC mistake: selecting a keyword because the numbers look attractive without confirming what searchers actually expect to see.

Step 4: Use SpyFu for Competitor PPC Research

SpyFu can help you understand which keywords competitors appear to be targeting in paid search.

Go to spyfu.com.
In the search bar on the homepage, enter a competitor’s domain, not your own.
Press Enter to load their dashboard.
Click “PPC Research” in the left navigation.
Click the “Top Keywords” tab to see their estimated paid keyword list, ranked by estimated clicks and cost.
Click the “Ad History” tab to see their historic ad copy variations over time.
Cross-reference this list against what you pulled from Keyword Planner and Ahrefs. Any keyword a competitor has kept paying for consistently over time is a real signal, competitors don’t keep paying for keywords that lose them money.

What Competitor Research Can Tell You

Competitor data should be treated as a research signal rather than a list to copy.

Look for patterns such as:

Services competitors consistently advertise
Commercial keywords appearing across multiple competitors
Recurring themes in their ad copy
Location-specific terms
High-value procedures receiving consistent paid visibility
Keywords that appear repeatedly in historical PPC data

A competitor may be targeting a keyword because it generates qualified patients, because it supports their broader strategy, or simply because they have chosen to test it. Your own conversion data should ultimately determine whether a keyword deserves continued budget.

Step 5: Use Microsoft Advertising Keyword Planner for Bing and Edge

A meaningful share of PPC search traffic online comes from people using Bing and Microsoft-powered search experiences, and there is a real reason to consider this audience beyond curiosity. Bing and Microsoft Edge can skew toward an older demographic, which matters for healthcare specialties such as orthopedics, cardiology, and general practice, where a large share of patients may fall into that age bracket. Cost per click on Microsoft Advertising also tends to run lower than Google Ads for the same keyword because fewer advertisers compete for that traffic.

Go to ads.microsoft.com and create a free account, or log in if you already have one.
If you already run Google Ads, click “Import from Google Ads” during setup. This pulls your existing campaign and keyword list over automatically.
In the left navigation, click “Tools,” then “Keyword Planner.”
Enter the same seed terms you used in Google’s planner.
Compare the volume and suggested bid Microsoft shows against what Google showed you for the same terms.

If Google’s data shows strong volume with high competition, and Microsoft’s data shows solid volume with a noticeably lower suggested bid, that’s a real opportunity to get cheaper qualified clicks on a platform some competitors may be ignoring.

Turn Your Keyword List Into Intent-Based Ad Groups

Once you’ve pulled keywords from all 5 sources, the most common mistake is dumping every keyword into a single ad group.

Group keywords by specific intent instead.

For a dental practice, “dental implants cost,” “dental implants near me,” and “same day dental implants” can belong in a tightly themed ad group. “Teeth whitening,” “professional teeth whitening cost,” and “in office teeth whitening” should belong in a separate group.

The goal is to create a close relationship between the keyword, ad message, landing page, and patient’s search intent.

Tightly themed ad groups can improve ad relevance and contribute to stronger Quality Score signals. Better ad relevance and landing page experience can also support more efficient Google Ads performance.

Match Keyword Themes to the Patient Journey

Healthcare searches often fall into different stages of intent.

Informational intent

Examples:

What are dental implants?
How long do dental implants last?
What causes tooth pain?

These searches can indicate research rather than immediate appointment intent.

Commercial intent

Examples:

Best dental implants
Dental implant cost
Invisalign vs braces
Emergency dentist options

These users are evaluating providers, treatments, or costs.

Transactional or appointment intent

Examples:

Dentist near me
Dental implants near me
Emergency dentist open now
Schedule dental cleaning

These searches often indicate stronger intent to contact a provider.

This distinction helps determine where budget should be concentrated and which searches deserve dedicated landing pages.

Build Your Negative Keyword List Before You Launch

Before launching, build a negative keyword list covering terms like “free,” “jobs,” “DIY,” and “training” if you’re a paying service.

Without this list, your budget can quietly leak toward clicks that were never going to convert.

For healthcare and dental PPC, negative keywords should be developed around the actual services being advertised. Depending on the practice, additional exclusions may include searches for:

Employment
Courses or certifications
Educational assignments
DIY treatment
Free services
Product-only searches
Insurance or benefit information that the practice does not accept
Unrelated procedures or specialties

Do not automatically exclude a keyword simply because it looks informational. Review the actual search term and conversion behavior first.

Review the Search Terms Report Regularly

Keyword research does not end when a campaign launches.

Pull your Search Terms Report inside Google Ads every 2 to 4 weeks. It shows the actual searches that triggered your ads, not just the keywords you targeted.

Use this data to:

Pause searches that consistently spend without producing meaningful results
Add strong search terms as dedicated keywords when appropriate
Expand your negative keyword list
Identify new services or patient needs worth targeting
Separate high-intent searches from low-value traffic
Improve ad group organization
Identify language patients actually use when searching

The Search Terms Report is one of the most useful sources of real-world keyword intelligence because it shows what people actually typed before interacting with your ads.

Evaluate Keywords by Conversion Value, Not Traffic Alone

A healthcare PPC campaign should not be judged by search volume alone.

The ultimate question is whether the keyword helps generate a valuable patient action.

Depending on the practice, meaningful conversions may include:

Appointment requests
Phone calls
Contact form submissions
Consultation requests
Online appointment bookings
New patient inquiries

For example, “dentist near me” may generate fewer searches than a broader dental term, but the searcher’s intent can be much closer to booking an appointment.

That is why PPC keyword selection should connect search demand with business outcomes.

Use Keyword Data to Strengthen Your Landing Pages

Your keyword research can also inform the landing page experience.

If an ad group targets dental implants, the landing page should make it immediately clear that the practice provides dental implant treatment. The page should address the questions that are relevant to the searcher’s intent while making the next action obvious.

The same principle applies to other healthcare services.

A campaign targeting “emergency dentist near me” should not send every visitor to a generic homepage if a dedicated emergency dental page can provide a more relevant experience.

Aligning the following elements creates a stronger path from search to conversion:

Keyword → Ad → Landing Page → Conversion

Account for SERP and AI Search Behavior

Search behavior continues to change as Google introduces AI Overviews and other search features that can answer questions directly within the results page.

This makes it increasingly important to separate search volume from commercial opportunity.

For PPC research, prioritize keywords where paid search can provide a clear path to action, particularly searches involving:

A specific healthcare service
A location
A treatment or procedure
Cost or pricing
Appointment availability
Urgency
Provider selection

AI-generated answers may satisfy some informational searches without a click, but they do not eliminate the value of high-intent searches where patients still need to choose a healthcare provider and take action.

Keyword research should therefore support both the SERP strategy and the conversion strategy, rather than treating search volume as the only measure of opportunity.

The PPC Keyword Research Process in One Workflow

The 5 tools work best when they are used together rather than independently.

A practical workflow looks like this:

RESEARCH	EXPAND	COMPETITOR CHECK	VALIDATE	OPTIMIZE
Google Keyword Planner	Ahrefs Keywords Explorer	SpyFu	Google Search Results	Search Terms Report
Establish search demand and bid ranges	Evaluate clicks, CPC, and related opportunities	Analyze competitor PPC activity	Validate search intent and SERP composition	Refine targeting using real searches
Microsoft Advertising Keyword Planner	Keywords Everywhere			Conversion Data
Identify Bing and Edge opportunities	Expand the list using live Google searches			Identify keywords driving patient acquisition

The result is a keyword strategy based on more than estimated search volume. It considers competition, intent, clicks, platform differences, actual search behavior, and ultimately the actions that matter to the healthcare practice.

Final Thoughts

PPC keyword research for healthcare and dental practices is not about finding the keywords with the highest search volume. It is about identifying the searches that connect patient intent, competition, cost, and conversion potential.

Using multiple research tools gives you a more complete view of the opportunity. Start with Google Keyword Planner, expand your research with Ahrefs and Keywords Everywhere, analyze competitors with SpyFu, and check Microsoft Advertising for additional opportunities. Then validate your choices against actual search results, Search Terms Report data, and conversion performance.

The goal is simple: spend your PPC budget on searches that are most likely to bring qualified patients through the door, not just generate clicks.

Frequently Asked Questions About PPC Keyword Research

What is PPC keyword research?

PPC keyword research is the process of finding and organizing the exact search terms your pay-per-click ads should target, using real search volume, competition, and cost-per-click data from multiple tools instead of guessing which words your customers might use.

How much do PPC keywords cost?

Cost per click varies widely by industry, specialty, and location, sometimes significantly even within the same healthcare vertical. Pull your actual Top of Page Bid range from Google Keyword Planner and cross-check it against current CPC data in Ahrefs for the specific keywords you’re targeting.

Is PPC keyword research different for healthcare practices?

Yes, in 2 specific ways. A meaningful share of healthcare searchers, especially in specialties serving older patients, still use Bing and Microsoft Edge, so skipping Microsoft Advertising research leaves real volume on the table. Healthcare keyword lists also need a heavier negative keyword list from day 1, since terms like “free,” “symptoms,” and “home remedy” attract clicks from people who were never going to book an appointment.

How often should I update my PPC keyword list?

Pull your Search Terms Report every 2 to 4 weeks. Keyword research isn’t finished once before launch, it’s an ongoing process of adding what’s working, cutting what isn’t, and expanding your negative keyword list.

Does Arcane Marketing manage PPC campaigns for healthcare practices?

Yes. Arcane Marketing builds and manages Google Ads and Microsoft Advertising campaigns for healthcare practices nationwide, using the exact keyword research process outlined in this guide on every account.

Stop Guessing. Start Targeting the Right Patients.

Want us to handle the entire PPC keyword research process for your practice? Get a free PPC keyword audit and we’ll show you which keywords we’d target, which we’d eliminate, and where your budget has the best opportunity to generate qualified patients.