Generate a Google Ads keyword plan from seed keywords with Keyword Planner and OpenAI

Who is this template for?

This workflow is built for digital marketers, SEO/PPC specialists, and business owners who run or plan Google Ads campaigns and need a fast, structured way to discover and evaluate keywords. Instead of manually exporting data from Google Keyword Planner and sorting it in spreadsheets, this template automates the entire process — from raw seed keywords to a fully enriched, AI-analyzed keyword plan saved directly in Google Sheets.

What this workflow does

This n8n workflow connects Google Keyword Planner, OpenAI chat model, and Google Sheets to deliver a production-ready keyword research pipeline:

1. User submits a form with their website URL, company name, industry/niche, seed keywords, and products/services
2. Google Keyword Planner API returns keyword ideas with real search volume, competition level, and CPC bid range data
3. OpenAI chat model (e.g, GPT-5.4-mini) analyzes all keyword ideas in business context — scoring relevance, classifying intent (informational, navigational, commercial, transactional), assigning keyword type (branded, competitor, product, application, etc.), and generating additional relevatn high-intent keyword suggestions.
4. Google Sheets receives two outputs: a structured keyword plan sheet (AI-enriched, evaluated, scored, and classified) and a raw keyword ideas sheet (all Keyword Planner results)

The result is a complete, ready-to-use keyword strategy document your team can act on immediately.

How to set up

1. Google Ads API — Create a Google Ads Developer Token and OAuth 2.0 credentials. Add your Google Ads Customer ID to the workflow. Follow the official Google Ads API quickstart.
2. OpenAI — Add your OpenAI API credentials to the OpenAI chat model node.
3. Google Sheets — Connect your Google account via OAuth 2.0. The workflow automatically creates a new spreadsheet for each run — no manual sheet setup required.
4. Configure the HTTP Request node — Update the Customer ID, Developer Token, and geo/language targeting to match your market.
5. Activate the workflow and submit the form to run your first keyword research & planning session.

Requirements

• n8n (cloud or self-hosted)
• Google Ads account with API access and a Developer Token
• OpenAI API key (GPT-4.1-mini or higher recommended)
• Google account with Sheets access

What you get in the output

The workflow automatically creates a new Google Spreadsheet on every run with two sheets:

📊 Keyword Plan

AI-evaluated, scored, and classified keywords ready for Google Ads — filtered to relevance score 5 or higher:

• keyword — the keyword text
• searchIntent — informational, commercial, transactional, or navigational
• keywordType — branded, competitor, product/service, feature/spec, synonym, application, or solution
• source — Keyword Planner or AI
• seedKeyword — which seed keyword this idea originated from
• relevanceScore — AI score (1–10) based on your business context
• avgMonthlySearches — monthly search volume from Google Keyword Planner
• competition — LOW / MEDIUM / HIGH
• recommendedBid — AI-calculated CPC bid recommendation in USD
• recommendedMatchType — recommended Google Ads match type (Broad, Phrase, or Exact)

📋 All Keyword Ideas

Raw, unfiltered output from Google Keyword Planner — useful as a reference or for manual review:

• keyword — the keyword text
• avgMonthlySearches — monthly search volume
• competition — LOW / MEDIUM / HIGH
• competitionIndex — numeric competition score (0–100)
• lowTopOfPageBid — low end of the estimated CPC range in USD
• highTopOfPageBid — high end of the estimated CPC range in USD

How to customize this workflow

• Change the AI model — swap GPT-5.4-mini for Claude, Gemini, or any LLM supported by n8n
• Add geo/language targeting — modify the HTTP request body to filter results by country and language
• Adjust the relevance threshold — edit the AI prompt to change the minimum relevance score for inclusion
• Add Slack or email notifications — append a notification node after the Google Sheets write to alert your team when a new keyword plan is ready
• Connect to a CMS or ad platform — pipe the output directly into your Google Ads campaigns or content calendar