There is a lot of confusion out there about the use of keywords for pay-per-click marketing. Many people struggle to understand how to identify the correct phrases they need to target. That often means they waste a lot of money through a process of trial and error that doesn’t produce good results.
Considering that, the information on this page will help to set the record straight once and for all. Bidding for the wrong keywords could mean you never manage to attract relevant traffic to your website or blog. Sadly, that means it’s almost impossible to boost conversions and see a healthy return on any investment made.
WHAT ARE KEYWORDS FOR PPC?
Whenever an internet user visits a search engine like Google, they type keywords into the engine to find information. When they get it right, a list of relevant websites appears on their screen. At the top of that list, users will find sponsored links from advertisers who targeted the same search terms. The search engine will display both paid and organic listings to give the user as much choice as possible. However, they will filter out any websites or advertisers who didn’t use that particular keyword. That is the case, even if their website seems relevant upon closer inspection. If you want ads to appear for certain words and phrases, you have to place bids and beat the competition.
So, marketers have to make sure they’re bidding on the best keywords if they want to succeed. It’s a simple process, and one that we’ll outline for you:
STEP 1: KEYWORD RESEARCH
There are many different keyword research tools promoters can use to determine which they’d like to target. Most of them are free to use, and so it’s not a lengthy task. Users can also make use of their website analytics when it comes to creating their lists. The idea is to ensure your site always displays when people search for products or services that your company supplies.
STEP 2: KEYWORD GROUPING
Next, you’ll need to organise your chosen keywords into small lists to improve your chances of getting a low click-through rate. Keep as many similar and related keywords together as possible for the best outcomes.
STEP 3: SELECTING NEGATIVE KEYWORDS
It’s possible that you might encounter some keywords that seem fruitful, but that aren’t suitable. When that happens, you need to add them to your list of negative search terms. You’re just letting the search engine know that you don’t want your ads to display when people type those phrases or words.
STEP 4: BID OPTIMISATION
The final step of the process is often the most important because it determines how much you spend. Many online advertisers are on a tight budget, and so they need to optimise their bids correctly. By assessing your progress and focusing on the most profitable keywords, you can often reduce your expenditure. At the end of the day, there is no point pushing a keyword with a 1% conversion rate when you have others that run at 5%. You get the idea, right?
WHAT IS KEYWORD GROUPING?
Grouping is the process of keeping all relevant in the same place for the same campaign. When you do that correctly, it’s possible to improve the PPC strategy and create more relevant ads and landing pages. One of the best way to achieve that goal is to break keyword groups down into a flowchart. For example, let’s take a look at how you might structure the assortment if you were selling footballs.
You could start with the word “footballs”. Then you would group other related terms like “sport”, “soccer”, “World Cup”, etc. From those words, you might add others that relate to the same subject. So, you might like to insert the names of famous sports people or teams from around the world.
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN KEYWORDS AND SEARCH QUERIES?
Most people will use the terms “keyword” and “search query” to mean the same thing these days. However, their definitions highlight that there are some differences. So, we just wanted to set the record straight to avoid any confusion and make sure you don’t waste any money.
Keyword Definition:
A word that you focus on based on many relevant search queries made by Internet users.
Search Query Definition:
The original string of words that internet users type into search engines when looking for information.
So, as you can see, there are some significant variations between the two terms. For example, a marketer might like to focus on the keyword “footballs.” Search queries that bring his ads to the top of pages could include: “buy footballs” or “where to buy footballs”. Does that make sense now?
WHAT ABOUT KEYWORD MATCH TYPES?
When it comes to bidding on different keywords, you can let Google know how broadly you’d like your ads to appear. That means you keep better control over the relevancy of your marketing campaign. Your ads will display less often if only accept an exact match. However, it means they should only show to the right people. There are four different options from which you must select.
They include:
- Exact Match
Selecting that option will mean your ads only display when someone types the exact keyword or search term into Google.
- Phrase Match
Choosing that option will mean ads only appear when people type a full phrase into their browsers.
- Modified Broad Match
Google will present you adverts a little more often with this solution. It should mean they appear whenever someone types at least one of your keywords as part of their search query.
- Broad Match
Broad match is what Google AdWords uses if you don’t change the option. It ensures your ads display whenever someone types your keywords. It doesn’t matter which words they type around them - your text advert should still appear.
HOW DO KEYWORDS WORK IN ADVERTS?
All text ads have to use relevant keywords to achieve a reasonable Quality Score. That’s the way in which Google determines which adverts will appear at the top of their pages. Marketers with a high-Quality Score will always appear more often and pay less for their clicks. The keywords you want to target should feature in the ad for the best results. It should appear in bold to show the internet user that the link could provide suitable information. It helps to set the best ads apart from the others by lighting them up.
You can get better outcomes from your use of keywords in text ads by following these simple tips:
-
Make use of the keyword in the headline of the advert.
-
Use it again in the description.
-
Focus on the keywords you discover have less competition.
-
Try dynamic keyword insertion to add the exact term into your ads and increase clicks.
WHAT’S THE FASTEST WAY TO FIND THE BEST KEYWORDS?
As we mentioned a while ago, there are some excellent free tools for identifying the most suitable keywords. Advertisers just need to search online and read some reviews to find the best solutions around today. However, the fastest way to get the results you desire involves asking the professionals. People who work in this industry offer many different marketing services to business owners all over the world. They know how to find profitable keywords and get the best outcomes for their clients. So, you’re always better to outsource the task if you want a quick turnaround. It saves you from making mistakes and wasting any of your investment. Experts in the field know how to design a campaign that works.
NOW READ GOOGLE ADWORDS KEYWORD RESEARCH