Google Ads makes it easy to reach the right people at moments that matter most. You can tailor your ads to show up for those interested in your products or services based on keywords, demographics, locations and even devices.
Plus, you have full control over your budget. You decide how much to spend and only pay when someone clicks your ad. Google Ads also offers detailed analytics, so you can see which ads are performing best and understand your customers’ habits.
But without the right approach to keywords, your Google ads campaigns are bound to give you results far less than what you hoped for.
To help you, we unpack the top Google Ads mistakes, especially those concerning keywords, in this blog. We also give you tips on how to fix them.
| 1. Neglecting Keyword Research 2. Not Using Keyword Match Types 3. Overlooking Negative Keywords 4. Relying Only on Broad Match 5. Not Targeting Branded Keywords 6. Keyword Stuffing 7. Ignoring Search Term Reports |
Google Ads is an online advertising platform that allows businesses to promote their products or services on Google’s search engine and other websites. In 2018, Google rebranded AdWords to Google Ads.
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Top Google Ads Mistakes Involving Keywords
Google Ads is the most popular search engine marketing (SEM) platform. Here are the top Google Ads keyword mistakes you want to avoid. You’ll also find tips to help you improve your Quality Score.
Google Quality Score is a number between 1-10 that reflects how relevant and useful your ad is to the user. A higher score means better ad position and lower cost per click. It’s basically Google’s way of measuring how good your ads are.
Neglecting Keyword Research
Keyword research is the process of identifying and analyzing the terms that people use in search engines. Without proper keyword research, your ads may miss the mark. You could be targeting the wrong audience, resulting in low click-through rates and wasted ad spend.
You’ll also struggle to compete for the keywords that really matter to your business. You’d lose ground to competitors who have done their homework.
In your research, pay attention to long-tail keywords. These are more specific and usually longer than head terms.
For example, instead of targeting the head term “shoes,” you might use the long-tail keyword “running shoes for women.” While long-tail keywords generally have lower search volumes, they often attract more qualified leads, as the search intent is clearer and more specific.
You don’t need a big budget to start with keyword research. Many Google Ads agencies use tools like Google Keyword Planner and Semrush to offer free options to help you discover and analyze relevant keywords. These tools can provide data on search volume and competition and even suggest related keywords you might not have considered.
You also want to identify which keywords your competitors are targeting to identify gaps in your own strategy.
Not Using Keyword Match Types
Keyword match types in Google Ads determine how closely a user’s search query must match your keyword for your ad to be considered for the auction. Using different match types allows you to control who sees your ads and helps improve the relevance and performance of your campaigns.
Here are keyword match types in Google Ads:
Broad match is the default keyword match type in Google Ads. It allows your ads to surface for searches containing any word in your key phrase, related searches and even synonyms. This option casts the widest net, making it ideal for capturing a large audience.
However, the wide reach of broad match can sometimes lead to irrelevant clicks if not managed carefully with negative keywords.
Exact match offers the tightest control over your ads. Your ads will only appear when the search query exactly matches your keyword, with some allowances for minor variations like misspellings or plural forms.
Used for precision, this match type is perfect for ensuring that your ads are shown only to users who are searching for your specific terms, which can lead to higher conversion rates.
Phrase match is a middle ground between broad and exact match. Your ad will show for searches that include your exact keyword phrase, but it can include additional words before or after.
Google Ads / Keyword Match Types
This means that your ad can appear for searches related to your keyword, even if the exact phrase isn’t used. Google’s system interprets the search intent and matches it to your keyword’s meaning.
Previously, the broad match modifier allowed advertisers to specify certain words that must be included in the search query by adding a plus sign (+) before keywords. However, Google has since retired the broad match modifier and merged its functionality with phrase match.
In the next sections, we’ll look into how some of these match types work and how to use them to your advantage, like a Google Ads advertising agency or expert.
Overlooking Negative Keywords
Negative keywords are terms you specify in Google Ads to prevent your ads from showing up for certain searches. When you add negative keywords to your campaigns, you help ensure your ads reach the right audience and avoid irrelevant clicks.
For example, if you sell fresh flowers, you can use negative keywords like “dried flowers” and “fake flowers” to prevent your ads from showing to people searching for those products.
Negative keywords function differently across various campaign types:
• Search Campaigns: Here, you can go with broad match, exact match or phrase match for negative keywords. Unlike positive keywords, you need to manually add close variations like synonyms, singular/plural forms and misspellings if you want to exclude them.
• Display and Video Campaigns: In these campaigns, your negative keywords will be excluded based on the overall topic of the content, not just specific words. Your ads won’t appear on pages that are related to the negative keywords, even if those exact keywords aren’t explicitly mentioned.
Using negative keywords helps you improve your Quality Score and avoid wasting your ad spend. So, regularly review your search terms report in your Google Ads management software or platform to identify irrelevant terms and update negative keyword lists.
Relying Only on Broad Match
Again, by default, Google sets your keywords to broad match, meaning your ads can appear for searches that include misspellings, synonyms, related searches and other relevant variations. This assisted targeting is great for reaching a large audience, but make sure to pair it with a lot of negative keywords.
Broad match is a double-edged sword. The expansive reach can result in higher cost-per-click (CPC), lower conversion rates and a decreased return on investment (ROI). Essentially, broad match can attract a lot of clicks, but many of those clicks might not convert into sales.
Let’s say a Google Ads advertising agency is promoting tea cups. Using only the broad match keyword “tea cups” might lead the ad to show up for searches like “tea party decorations” or “tea-making equipment,” which aren’t directly related to what’s being sold. So again, the solution would be adding those irrelevant terms to your negative keywords list.
Plus, relying solely on broad match and not tweaking other match types causes you to miss out on potential customers who are searching for more specific terms like “porcelain tea cups” or “vintage tea cups.”
Not Targeting Branded Keywords
Branded keywords are search terms that include your company’s name or product names. These keywords are typically cheaper than generic ones because they have lower competition. For example, if you have a bakeshop called “Butter Together,” branded keywords would include “Butter Together cookies” or “Butter Together cakes.”
Using branded keywords helps ensure that people searching specifically for your brand find you easily. For many Google Ads companies, capturing high-intent users, especially those who are already familiar with one’s brand, leads to better conversion rates.
You can also target competitor-branded keywords to lure some of their traffic. While it might sound a bit sneaky, it’s perfectly legal and a common practice in digital marketing. For instance, if your competitor is “KookieMonster,” you could target a search term like “KookieMonster alternatives.”
Keyword Stuffing
Keyword stuffing involves cramming as many keywords as possible into your ad descriptions. While it might seem like a good idea to include lots of keywords, this practice can actually harm your campaign. Google penalizes ads that appear spammy and prioritizes quality content that provides real value to users.
Your ad description should showcase your value proposition to your target audience, not just appeal to Google’s search algorithms. Highlight what makes your product or service unique and why potential customers should choose you over the competition.
Semrush / Example of Google Ads keyword stuffing
Here are a few ad copywriting tips:
• Keep your message straightforward. Explain what you offer and why it matters to your audience in as few words as possible.
• Focus on the benefits and features that set your product or service apart. Use compelling language that speaks to the needs and desires of your target market.
• Include a strong call to action (CTA) to encourage users to take the next step. Whether it’s clicking on your ad, signing up or making a purchase, make your CTA clear and compelling.
• Incorporate your keywords naturally. Your primary goal should be readability and relevance, ensuring your ad makes sense to human readers.
Remember, an ad packed with keywords but lacking information won’t attract clicks or conversions. Likewise, you also want to stay away from Google Ads agencies that practice black-hat tactics like keyword stuffing.
Ignoring Search Term Reports
Search term reports show the actual terms people used to find your ads. Unlike search term insights, which provide broader trends and patterns, these reports give you the specific queries that triggered your ads. It helps you understand exactly what potential customers are searching for and how well your keywords match those searches.
You can access search term reports directly in your Google Ads account. Navigate to the “Keywords” tab, and within it, you’ll find the “Search terms” option. The report gives you a
The “Keyword” column shows which of your keywords matched a search term and triggered your ad, helping you see how your keywords perform in real searches. The “Match type” column indicates how closely these search terms relate to your keywords. By reviewing this,
Using search term report, you can apply these actionable tips:
• Add negative keywords for search terms that don’t align with your products or services.
• Evaluate the match types (broad, phrase, exact or negative) of your existing keywords. Then, adjust accordingly to improve your targeting accuracy.
• Consider using Smart Bidding, which uses a variety of contextual signals to set optimal bids for each auction. This can help maximize your performance by automatically adjusting bids based on real-time data.
Using the Google Ads management software or platform, you can follow these tips to help you to refine match types for a better ad performance.
In paid advertising, having an effective landing page is also key to drive conversions. Read our guide: How To Write Landing Page Copy That Converts
📗Further reading: Introduction To Programmatic Advertising: What Is It and How Does It Work?
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