Google Keyword Planner is advertised as a free service by Google. However, when you try to login to Keyword Planner, it just re-directs you to Google Ads and setting up an Ads Campaign, which you must in turn pay for.
However, Keywords Planner IS free. You just need to navigate through Googles secret passages and find a way through the mist to find where to set up these Keywords.
Upon reading Joshua Hardwicks article at Ahrefs, I could see there was definitely a way around this. Joshua provided a link and a way to navigate around this, but it still was not working.
Cue pulling hair out.
Is Google Keyword Planner really Free?
What I figured out next was Google have again changed the secret passage into their Keyword Planner in recent months.
Here is what you need to do to key Keywords for your website:
First of call, you need a Google Account and you need to login to Google Keyword Planner.
When you get to this screen, click the circled section and switch to Expert Mode.
You then need to click Create an Account without a Campaign at the bottom.
You will then get a Congratulations Screen.
Click “Explore your Account”.
You will not be asked to include any Credit Card details.
You will then be brought to this screen.
Hit the “Explore your account” link.
Next, click the “Tools” link on the menu bar and hit “Switch to expert mode.”
Then hit Tools again and Select Keyword Planner.
In here you can select your Keywords.