How to Do Keyword Research for Google Ads on a Small Budget
Start with what customers say on the phone, check volume in Keyword Planner, then filter for buying intent. Why ten keywords beat two hundred on a small budget.
A practical keyword research method for a small Google Ads budget, focused on intent rather than volume.
TL;DR: Quick Answer
Start with what customers say on the phone, check volume in Keyword Planner, then filter for buying intent. Why ten keywords beat two hundred on a small budget.
Key takeaways
- Very cheap quotes (under R5,000) almost always exclude copywriting, SEO, custom design and post-launch support
- Professional copywriting can represent 20-35% of a total website project cost, and is worth it for search visibility
- On-page SEO built into the website at launch costs a fraction of what it costs to retrofit after the site is live
- Hosting, SSL, domain and maintenance add R3,000-R10,000 per year on top of build cost
- E-commerce adds significant cost due to payment gateway integrations, product data, security requirements and checkout UX
- Timeline and client responsiveness directly affect cost: slow feedback rounds extend agency hours
On a small budget, keyword research is mostly an exercise in exclusion. The goal is not to find every term you could bid on. It is to find the ten to twenty that produce customers and ignore everything else.
Step 1: start with the phone, not a tool
Write down the exact words customers use when they call you. Not your industry terms, theirs.
A plumber's customers say "my geyser is leaking", not "domestic hot water system remediation". A bookkeeper's say "help with SARS", not "statutory compliance services".
This is the best keyword research available and nobody charges for it. Ask whoever answers the phone; they will have a list in their head.
Step 2: check volume in Keyword Planner
Google Ads includes Keyword Planner under Tools. Enter your terms with South Africa as the location.
Two cautions. The volumes are broad ranges rather than exact figures, and they are less granular for South Africa than for larger markets. Use them to rank terms against each other rather than to forecast how many leads you will get.
Also look at the suggested terms it returns. Those are real searches and they often include phrasings you would not have thought of.
Step 3: filter hard for intent
This is where small budgets are won or lost.
| Signals buying | Signals research |
|---|---|
| repair, replacement, installation | how to, DIY, guide, tutorial |
| near me, plus a suburb or city | what is, why does |
| cost, price, quote | salary, jobs, course |
| emergency, same day, 24 hour | second hand, used, cheap |
| best, top rated | free, template |
"How to fix a leaking geyser" is a person about to do it themselves. "Geyser repair Centurion" is a customer. On a large budget the first might be worth capturing for later. On R5,000 a month it is money gone.
Step 4: prefer specific over popular
The instinct is to bid on the term with the most searches. On a small budget that is backwards.
"Plumber" has enormous volume, severe competition and terrible intent; it includes people looking for jobs, courses and DIY advice. "Emergency geyser repair Centurion" has a fraction of the volume, light competition and unmistakable intent.
Ten specific terms at low volume each will out-perform one broad term, at a lower cost per lead, and you can afford to compete for them.
Step 5: group them properly
One ad group per thing, with keywords that all mean the same thing.
"Geyser repair", "geyser fix", "leaking geyser" belong together, because one ad and one landing page serve all three. "Geyser installation" is a different job and needs its own ad group and its own page.
Groups where the keywords mean different things force you to write a vague ad that matches none of them well, which lowers quality score and raises what you pay.
Step 6: write the negative list before you launch
Keyword research is not finished until you have listed what to exclude. Start with: free, DIY, jobs, vacancies, salary, course, training, how to, second hand, used, wholesale, and any city or suburb you do not serve.
Then keep adding weekly from the search terms report, which shows what people actually typed. That report is where the real keyword research happens after launch, and it is free.
Free sources worth using
Google autocomplete, the People Also Ask box, and the related searches at the bottom of the results page. All three show real phrasing.
And your own Google Search Console, which shows the queries already bringing people to your site. Terms with impressions and conversions there are proven, and they are the safest place for a small budget to start.
Juicy Designs builds keyword and negative lists as part of setup. See Google Ads management. Related: match types on a small budget and negative keywords.
Frequently asked questions
How do I do keyword research for Google Ads on a small budget?
Start with the words customers actually use on the phone, check them in Google's Keyword Planner for volume, then narrow to the terms that show buying intent. Ten to twenty tightly related keywords beats a list of two hundred.
Is Keyword Planner accurate for South Africa?
The volumes are broad ranges rather than precise figures, and South African data is less granular than United States data. Use it to compare terms against each other rather than to forecast traffic.
Should I bid on high-volume keywords?
Usually not on a small budget. High-volume terms are broad, expensive and contested. Specific terms with lower volume convert far better and cost far less.
How do I tell which keywords show buying intent?
Look for words that imply action or purchase: repair, replacement, near me, cost, price, quote, emergency, plus a location. Words like what, how, why and DIY usually signal research rather than buying.
How many keywords should a small campaign have?
Ten to twenty per ad group, all meaning roughly the same thing. If a keyword needs a different landing page or a different ad, it belongs in a different ad group.