PPC Keyword Research for Google Ads with Claude AI (Google Keyword Planner MCP)

Suggested category: APIs for Marketers, or Model Context Protocol (MCP) Meta description: How to run PPC keyword research for Google Ads directly inside Claude, using the Google Keyword Planner MCP connector instead of switching between tabs and spreadsheets.

Keyword research for a new Google Ads campaign usually means the same routine: open Keyword Planner, enter seed terms, export the results, paste them into a sheet, and repeat for every ad group. The Smacient connector lets Claude do this inside the conversation, so the research and the campaign planning happen in the same place.

What the Keyword Planner MCP tool does

Once connected, Claude can pull keyword suggestions from seed terms, search volume, competition level, historical trends, and bid range estimates, the same data Google's own Keyword Planner returns, without leaving the chat.

How to run it

Connect the Smacient MCP connector in Claude's settings, then describe what you're researching in plain language. For example: "Find keyword ideas for a DTC skincare brand selling vitamin C serum in the US, and show me search volume and competition for each." Claude calls the Keyword Planner tool, returns the suggestions with their metrics, and you can immediately ask follow-up questions, like narrowing to low-competition terms or grouping results into ad groups, without re-running the search manually.

Why this is different from the manual workflow

The advantage isn't the data itself, Keyword Planner already has it. It's that the research, the filtering, and the campaign structuring can happen in one continuous conversation instead of a spreadsheet you build by hand. Asking "which of these have the best volume-to-competition ratio" gets an answer immediately, instead of a new pivot table.

Getting started

The Google Keyword Planner MCP connector is part of Smacient's Claude connector, live in Anthropic's Claude Connectors Directory. Connect it once and it's available in every relevant conversation going forward.