How to choose the right keywords for your PPC campaigns

July 6, 2023

Keywords play a crucial role in the success of PPC campaigns. 

Chooisng the right keywords can significantly impact your campaign’s performance, click-through rates, and return on investment (ROI). 

But how do you choose the right keywords for PPC campaigns? In this blog post, we’ll discuss the important factors to consider, helping you optimise your targeting and maximise your budget. 

Set goals

Before diving into keyword research, it’s essential to have a clear understanding of your business goals. Define your campaign objectives – do you want to drive sales? Increase brand visibility? Generate leads? Or promote specific products or services? Understanding your goals will guide your keyword selection process and ensure alignment between your keywords and desired outcomes.

Define your target audience

To select the most relevant keywords, you need to understand your target audience. Consider their demographics, interests, needs, and search behaviors. Develop buyer personas and conduct market research to gain insights into the language, phrases, and terms your audience uses when searching for products or services similar to yours. This knowledge will help you craft a comprehensive list of keywords that resonate with your target audience.

Do the research

Keyword research is the foundation of a successful PPC campaign. Start by brainstorming a list of relevant terms and phrases related to your business, products, or services. Use tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or Moz Keyword Explorer to expand your list and uncover additional keyword opportunities. Focus on long-tail keywords (more specific and longer phrases) as they often have lower competition and higher conversion rates.

Prioritise relevance and intent

While it’s tempting to target high-volume keywords, it’s crucial to prioritize relevance and user intent. Choose keywords that closely align with your offerings and cater to the intent behind users’ searches. For instance, if you offer eco-friendly household products, target keywords like “sustainable cleaning supplies” or “organic home essentials” rather than generic terms like “cleaning products.”

Evaluate keyword metrics

Once you have a list of potential keywords, evaluate their metrics to identify the most promising ones. Look for metrics such as search volume, competition level, cost per click (CPC), and keyword difficulty. Strike a balance between high-volume keywords that drive traffic and more specific, lower-volume keywords that attract highly targeted audiences. Keep an eye on the competition level and CPC to gauge the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of targeting certain keywords.

Leverage negative keywords

Negative keywords are an often-overlooked aspect of keyword selection, but they are equally important. Negative keywords prevent your ads from being triggered by irrelevant searches, helping you improve campaign efficiency and reduce wasted ad spend. For example, if you sell premium luxury watches, you could include “cheap” or “affordable” as negative keywords to exclude users looking for budget-friendly options.

Refine and expand your keyword list

Keyword optimisation is an ongoing process. Continuously monitor and analyse the performance of your chosen keywords, adjusting and refining your list as needed. Identify high-performing keywords that drive conversions and consider expanding your campaigns to include related keywords, ad groups, or even new campaigns targeting specific niches within your audience.

Remember – selecting the right keywords is a continuous process, requiring attention and adaptation to the ever-changing PPC landscape. 

Having an experienced PPC agency that can dedicate time to managing and optimising your campaigns can really help – get in touch to find out more.