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Understanding What PPC Keywords To Choose

Learn how to choose the best PPC keywords for your Google Ads campaign

Are you tired of your Google Ads campaigns falling short of your expectations? Do you feel like you're pouring money down the drain without getting the desired results? Well, my friend, it's time to look closely at your PPC keywords.

Choosing the best keywords can make or break your ad campaign; without proper research and planning, you might be throwing darts at a board blindfolded. But don't worry, I'm here to help you navigate the often-confusing world of keywords and set you up for success.

This blog post will cover everything you need to know to choose the right keywords for your campaign. We'll start by exploring the importance of understanding your audience and how to conduct proper research to uncover the keywords they're searching for. From there, we'll dive into the differences between long-tail and short-tail keywords and how to choose the right match type for your campaign.

We'll also talk about the often-overlooked importance of negative keywords and how to use them to your advantage. Finally, we'll touch on the critical factors of quality score and ad rank and how your keyword selection can impact them.

So sit back, grab a cup of coffee, and let's get ready to ensure you're not wasting your budget on the wrong words.

Have a read about the SpeedPPC keyword tools that will save you time and money over on our Community pages.

Understanding your audience

If you're thinking of running a Google Ads campaign without understanding your audience, then you might as well be trying to sell ice to the Eskimos. Knowing your target audience is crucial to the success of your campaign, and the good news is that there are plenty of ways to research and understand their needs and interests.

First, you need to put yourself in your audience's shoes. Think about who they are, what they need, and what problems they're trying to solve. Are they young, old, tech-savvy, or traditional? What do they do for work? What are their hobbies and interests? What do they struggle with? By getting inside your audience's head, you'll better understand the keywords they're using to search for products or services like yours.

Once you have a clear picture of your target audience, it's time to research. Start by using online tools like Google Analytics, Facebook Insights, and Twitter Analytics to gather demographic and behavioral data. These platforms can provide information on your audience's age, gender, location, interests, and online behaviors.

You can also use keyword research tools like Google's Keyword Planner, SpeedPPC, or SEMrush to discover the exact phrases and keywords your audience is searching for. These tools will help you find your business's most popular and relevant keywords, their search volume, competition, and cost per click.

So, don't let your lack of knowledge about your audience hold you back. Invest the time and effort to understand their needs and interests, and use keyword research tools to find the keywords that will help your ads reach the right people. With a little research, you'll be well on your way to running a successful Google Ads campaign.

Long-tail vs. Short-tail Keywords

Now that we've discussed the importance of understanding your audience, it's time to dive into the different keywords you can use in your campaign. The two main types of keywords are short-tail and long-tail, and each has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Short-tail keywords are short and general search phrases that are typically only one or two words long. For example, "shoes" or "laptops" would be short-tail keywords. These keywords have a high search volume and are often highly competitive, making it difficult to compete for them.

On the other hand, long-tail keywords are more specific and often longer phrases that include more detail. For example, "women's running shoes for flat feet" or "best laptop for graphic design" would be long-tail keywords. These keywords have lower search volume but are typically less competitive.

The advantage of short-tail keywords is that they have high search volume, which means that you can reach many people with your ads. However, they also tend to be highly competitive, making achieving a high ad rank difficult. On the other hand, long-tail keywords have lower search volume, but they are often more targeted and specific. This means that the people searching for these keywords are more likely to be interested in what you offer.

So, how do you choose the best keyword for your campaign? It all comes down to your goals and your budget. Short-tail keywords may be a good choice if you have a large budget and want to maximize your exposure. However, long-tail keywords may be better if you have a specific niche product or service or a limited budget.

Ultimately, the key is to balance search volume and relevance. Don't be afraid to experiment with short and long-tail keywords to see what works best for your campaign. And don't forget to track your results and adjust your strategy to optimize your ad performance.

Make sure you check out the SpeedPPC keyword tools in our Community pages here.

Keyword Match Types

Now that we've covered long-tail vs. short-tail keywords, let's talk about the different types of keyword match types that you can use in your Google Ads campaign. There are three main keyword match types: broad match, phrase match, and exact match.

Broad match keywords are the most general type of keyword match. When you use a broad match keyword, your ad may appear for searches loosely related to your keyword. For example, if you use the broad match keyword "shoes," your ad may show up for searches like "running shoes," "casual shoes," or "dress shoes." This can be advantageous because it allows you to reach a wider audience, but it can also be disadvantageous because your ad may appear for irrelevant searches.

Phrase match keywords are a more specific type of keyword match. When you use a phrase match keyword, your ad will only appear for searches that include the exact phrase you've specified and any additional words before or after the phrase. For example, if you use the phrase match keyword "women's running shoes," your ad will show up for searches like "best women's running shoes" or "buy women's running shoes," but not for searches like "women's dress shoes."

Exact match keywords are the most specific type of keyword match. When you use an exact match keyword, your ad will only appear for searches that match the specified keyword. For example, if you use the exact match keyword "[women's running shoes]," your ad will only show up for searches that include the exact phrase "women's running shoes."

So, how do you choose the right match type for your campaign? Again, it comes down to your goals and your budget. Broad match keywords can be a good choice if you want to reach a wider audience, but you must be careful that your ad doesn't appear for irrelevant searches.

Phrase match keywords can be a good compromise between broad and exact match keywords, as they allow flexibility while ensuring that your ad is relevant to the search query. Exact match keywords are a good choice if you have a specific product or service that you want to promote and you don't want to waste your budget on irrelevant searches.

As with all aspects of your Google Ads campaign, it's important to experiment with different match types and track your results. You can always adjust your strategy as needed to optimize your ad performance and ensure you're getting the most bang for your buck.

Source: https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/7478529?hl=en-AU

Using negative keywords

Now that we've had a look at keyword match types, let's talk about another important aspect of choosing the keywords: negative ones.

Negative keywords are the opposite of regular keywords. While regular keywords help your ad appear in relevant search results, negative ones prevent your ad from appearing for irrelevant searches. For example, if you're advertising running shoes, you might want to add keywords like "high heels" or "dress shoes" to your campaign to ensure that your ad doesn't appear for searches that are completely unrelated to your product.

So, why are negative keywords important for your campaign? Well, first of all, they can help you save money on your ad spend. By preventing your ad from showing up for irrelevant searches, you can ensure that you're only paying for clicks from people who are actually interested in your product or service. Additionally, they can help improve your ad's click-through rate (CTR) and conversion rate, since your ad will only be shown to people more likely to be interested in your offer.

But how do you identify and add negative keywords to your campaign? One way is to review your search term reports regularly. These reports show you exactly what search terms people are using to trigger your ads, and can help you identify any irrelevant searches that you want to add. For example, if your ad is showing up for searches like "free running shoes," you might want to add "free" as a negative keyword to your campaign.

You can also use keyword research tools to help identify negative keywords. For example, if you're advertising running shoes, you might use a keyword research tool to search for related keywords, and then look for any keywords that are irrelevant to your product (like "high heels" or "formal shoes") and add them as negative keywords.

In conclusion, adding these to your campaign is important in choosing the right keywords. By preventing your ad from showing up for irrelevant searches, you can save money, improve your ad's performance, and ensure that you're only targeting people who are likely to be interested in what you offer.

Quality Score and Ad Rank

Now let's discuss how your keyword selection can impact your quality score and ad rank.

First of all, what are Quality Score and Ad Rank? The Quality Score is a metric used by Google to measure the relevance and quality of your ads and keywords. It's based on factors like click-through rate (CTR), ad relevance, and landing page experience. Ad Rank, on the other hand, is the position of your ad on the search results page and is determined by your quality score and your bid.

So, why is it important to have a high Quality Score and Ad Rank? First of all, a higher Quality Score can help you achieve a higher Ad Rank, which means your ad will be more likely to be seen by potential customers. Additionally, having a high Quality Score can help you save money on your ad spend, since Google rewards advertisers with higher Quality Scores by giving them a lower cost per click (CPC).

So, how can you improve your Quality Score and Ad Rank through keyword selection? One way is to focus on selecting relevant and specific keywords that match the intent of your target audience. By using long-tail keywords and avoiding broad match keywords, you can improve your ad relevance and CTR, which can help boost your Quality Score.

Another way to improve your Quality Score and Ad Rank is to ensure that your landing page is relevant and provides a good user experience. Make sure your landing page matches the intent of the user's search, and that it's easy to navigate and provides valuable information or a clear call to action.

In conclusion, having a high Quality Score and Ad Rank is essential for the success of your PPC campaign. By focusing on selecting relevant and specific keywords, and ensuring a high-quality landing page experience, you can improve your ad relevance, CTR, and overall performance. So, take the time to choose the right keywords, and watch your Ad Rank and conversions soar!

Get the scoop on everything ads here in our SpeedPPC Community.

Happy Hunting!

And there you have it - our guide to help you understand what keywords to choose!

We've covered everything from understanding your target audience, to long-tail vs short-tail keywords, keyword match types, and the importance of Quality Score and Ad Rank.

While selecting the right keywords may seem daunting initially, remember that it's a crucial step toward running a successful PPC campaign. By understanding your target audience, researching keywords, and optimizing your campaign for ad relevance and quality score, you can attract more clicks, generate more conversions, and achieve a higher return on investment.

So, take the time to choose your keywords wisely, and always remember to monitor and adjust your campaign as needed. And don't forget to have fun with it - after all, PPC advertising can be an exciting and rewarding way to grow your business online!

We hope this guide has helped give you a better understanding of what PPC keywords to choose, and we wish you the best of luck in your advertising efforts. Happy keyword hunting!