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No keyword clusters found

The keyword step came back empty, or with too few clusters to work with. This is almost always a seed keyword problem, sometimes a product context problem, and rarely a Google Ads data problem. Work through these in order. The first one fixes most cases.

The campaign wizard shows at most 3 keyword clusters, with up to 10 keywords in each. The wizard calls them keyword groups. The seed keyword is the search term that you type on the Choose what to target step. When the keyword research finds nothing to use, the wizard shows one of these messages:

  • No keyword groups match your product and search term. Try a broader search term.
  • Google Ads found no keyword ideas for that search term. Try a different or broader one.
  • No keyword for that search term gets 30 or more searches a month. Try a different or broader one.
  • We couldn't read the keyword groups. Try again.

Google Ads found no keyword ideas shows only when Google returns no ideas at all for the search term. When Google finds ideas but none gets 30 searches a month, the wizard shows the 30 or more searches message. When the AI answer that groups the keywords is not readable, the wizard shows We couldn't read the keyword groups. Try again. Click Find keywords again. The search term is not the cause of this message.

An empty keyword step says Nothing here yet. Go back and try a different search term. The keyword step needs a balance of at least 1 credit. With less, a credits dialog opens instead of the clusters.

In Hero AI, the Keyword research card can say No keyword clusters found. Then it gives one of two reasons. Google Ads returned no keywords with at least 30 monthly searches, or none of the keywords fit the product and your request. Try a broader seed keyword or a different country. If your request has many limits, ask with fewer limits. The Left out list below the message shows which keywords Hero AI removed, and why.

Try a different seed keyword​

The most common cause is a seed that is too narrow, too brand specific, or not a phrase a customer actually types. Refine it:

  • Go broader. "Custom CRM for SaaS sales teams" is too specific. "CRM for SaaS sales" or "B2B sales CRM" returns more.
  • Use customer language, not internal language. Swap "sales engagement platform" for "outbound sales tool" if that is what customers search.
  • Avoid brand names. "Outreach alternative" works. Your own product name will not, because customers do not search for you unless they already know you.
  • Add the job, not just the category. "Project management" is broad. "project management for engineering teams" gives Google more to work with.

A good seed reads like a phrase a customer types into Google before they know your brand exists.

Few keywords in a Competitor search campaign​

In a Competitor search campaign, Hero Marketer keeps the name of a competitor only in a keyword with a buying word. Examples are pricing, alternative, vs, and free trial. It leaves out the bare name, for example "[competitor]" or "[competitor] login". For a small competitor, few keywords with a buying word get 30 or more searches a month, so the keyword step can show few clusters or none. Then try another competitor, or a Category search campaign. See Competitor names in the keywords.

Check several seeds at once​

The wizard uses one seed keyword at a time. It does not combine several seeds. If one seed returns too little, go back to Choose what to target and type a different search term.

To check the search volume of many candidate seeds at once, paste them into Hero AI. For example, ask: "Get search volume for these keywords in Germany." Hero AI returns Google's monthly searches for up to 1,000 keywords. This is a Hero AI question, so it uses credits.

Make the problem your product solves specific​

The keyword step uses the product name and the first point of What problem does your product solve? to judge which keywords are relevant. It does not read the other sections of your product context. If that first point is vague, even good seeds may not produce well differentiated clusters. To fix it:

  1. Open Settings > Products. To open Settings, click your profile picture at the bottom of the sidebar, then click Settings.
  2. Click the product, then click Edit.
  3. Under Product analysis, rewrite the first point of What problem does your product solve? as a concrete result for a specific buyer. "Cut the time engineers spend on status updates" works. "Improve productivity" does not.
  4. Click Save changes.
  5. In the campaign wizard, click Find keywords again.

See Update a product for the other fields.

Check the seed is not a long tail variant​

Long tail keywords are very specific queries with low search volume. They do not have much data behind them. "Project management for fully remote design teams of 8 to 12 people" might describe your customer perfectly, but few people search that exact phrase. Use shorter, more general seeds for the wizard. In the wizard, you can archive keywords, and you can move a keyword to a different cluster through the Archive. You cannot add a keyword that Hero Marketer did not find. After the campaign is live, ask Hero AI to add specific long tail keywords to the ad group. You approve each change.

Check your country is not too small​

The wizard works with one country. It has no option for a city or a region. A small country can have thin Keyword Planner volume. Try a larger country. The campaign targets the same country that you pick for keyword research.

Check Google Ads keyword data is available​

Hero Marketer queries Google's Keyword Planner, which needs:

  • Your Google Ads account active and not suspended.
  • Some traffic history. Google sometimes restricts data for brand new accounts.
  • Geographic and language settings Google supports.

If your account is brand new and has never run a campaign, keyword data can be sparse until it has some history.

Still no clusters​

If you have tried several seeds, made the problem your product solves specific, and your country is not unusually small, email support@heromarketer.io. A brand new Google Ads account with no history is the most common remaining cause, and we can check it.

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