Dig deeper: Top 7 Google Ads and SEO synergies you should act upon
Structuring your keywords
Once you have your list of keywords, the next step is to structure them into groupings based on themes.
There are a couple of options for structuring your keywords, and which is most logical will depend on your business and the objectives you identified earlier.
Keywords will typically be grouped by one of the following:
Overarching theme.
Product categories.
Service categories.
Search intent.
Ad group structure is important because this is where your ad copy will be set.
Google ranks your ads based on quality scores to determine whether they show up in a user’s search, so you must build well-structured ad groups.
One factor of the quality score is ad relevance, so you need to ensure that your keywords align with your ad. This is only possible when keywords are grouped logically together based on shared themes.
Refining your keywords
One key change in Google’s new approach to match types is the increase in redundant keywords.
This happens because both phrase and exact match go beyond just the keywords you input to find searches of the same meaning.
This change in search term matching means that, instead of needing both variations and a large keyword list, you only need a smaller set of keywords that cover all angles.
When deciding which keywords are redundant, you should consider:
Is the keyword intent the same as another keyword in your list? If it is, which keyword reads the most naturally?
Would the keyword benefit from having a unique ad? For example, while garden furniture may also trigger rattan furniture, this particular search may benefit from having a unique ad and landing page specifically around rattan furniture rather than garden furniture in general.
If you remove a keyword, will other keywords you have likely trigger an ad?
Does the keyword have a reasonable search volume? Keywords with 10 searches a month are likely to sit in the account as low-search volume keywords.
In addition to removing redundant keywords, you will also want to refine your keyword selection based on:
Keyword relevancy.
Budget availability. Prioritize high-intent keywords.
Organize your keywords into relevant groups based on the keyword theme.
Best practices for PPC keyword research
Follow these best practices to streamline your process, target the right audience and reduce ad spend inefficiencies.
Focus on long-tail keywords: This helps to improve your targeting and ad relevance and lower your CPCs.
Use negative keywords: A good practice is to build themed negative keyword lists and apply these across multiple campaigns.
Select keywords based on metrics: Balance having enough search volume within your keywords with the level of competition, always ensuring relevancy. I avoid keywords with less than 50 monthly searches unless they are in niche categories.
Review keywords regularly: Check and update your keyword list based on performance and upcoming trends.
Common mistakes to avoid
To ensure your keyword research delivers the best results, steer clear of the following pitfalls.
Overreliance on broad match: Avoid relying too much on broad match terms. While they can help find keyword growth opportunities, they don’t let you customize ads as much as phrase and exact match terms do.
Lack of negatives: Negatives are there to block irrelevant searches, but they can also be used to guide Google to show a specific ad, particularly if you have broad match keywords in use as well.
Not expanding after launch: While you will get a good base set of keywords at launch, there is continued room for expansion.
Large ad groups: If an ad group contains 15+ keywords, it’s often a good indication that either the ad group theme is not tight enough or you have a high volume of redundant keywords.
Build a strong foundation for your PPC efforts
Keyword research is a crucial part of any successful PPC campaign.
By following best practices, avoiding common mistakes and refining your keyword strategy, you can improve ad targeting, reduce wasted spend and maximize ROI.
Effective keyword research enhances your search campaigns and strengthens your overall advertising efforts.
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