How to choose the right keywords for Google Ads?

Keywords in Google Ads are the foundation of how ads work. The selection of your keywords

will determine the success of your campaign. Of course, various other factors impact the overall performance, but keywords are integral.

But selecting the right keywords isn’t an easy task. There are many factors you need to look into when selecting keywords for Google Ads, such as CPC, budget, location, knowing your audience, and more.

Right targeting reduces costs

Choosing the right keywords is important because it ensures your Ads get the most relevant traffic which will result in better performance and reduction in cost.

Google Ads runs on a PPC model, which means you’ll be charged each time a user clicks on your Ad. So, the right keywords can help you avoid unnecessary clicks resulting in budget saving and utilising towards better campaign performance.

In this blog, we’ll look into some proven ways to choose the right keywords for Google Ads to improve your ROI.

Table of contents:

1. List primary & secondary products/services
2. Use the keyword planner tool
3. Select conversion-driven keywords
4. Think like a user
5. Don’t be too narrow
6. Avoid generic keywords on a tight budget
7. Don’t be fooled by search volume
8. Use keywords match type effectively
9. Use negative keywords & save cost
10. Location consideration with keyword selection
11. Include brand keywords & misspellings
12. Using keywords effectively
    1. Feature main keywords Ad Copy & Landing Pages
    2. Boost quality score
    3. Use dynamic keyword insertion
13. FAQs

List primary & secondary products/services

The first step you need to do before choosing the right keywords for Google Ads is to list out your primary and secondary categories. This is important so that the process of selecting the right keywords will become easier, especially if you have many offerings on your website.

• Primary products/services are the ones that are your main offering which the users actively search for and where you’ll likely see more conversions and revenue.
• Secondary products/services are your secondary focus, where you’ll see less demand and need less focus.

Example: 

Let’s say you have a running gear online store, your primary product range may be “running shoes, runners tops and shorts”. This is your main product line and would be categorised under primary products. 

However, your store may also sell “running socks, water bottles and sports gel”, which are your secondary products and may attract less traffic compared to your main offerings. This falls under the secondary product category. 

Easy budget allocation

The process helps you to allocate budget easily, for example:

1. 80% towards the primary campaigns
2. 20% towards secondary campaigns

Campaign design and keyword selection become easier with primary and secondary categorisation.

Example:

Use the keyword planner tool

Next on the list comes the keyword planner tool. You can use Google’s Keyword Planner tool or third-party similar tools, some are listed below.

• Google Keyword Planner
• Ahref Keyword Generator
• keywordtool.io

Based on your campaign and ad group structure, you can search for specific category keywords and choose the best keywords relevant to your business.

Things to consider while selecting the right keywords for your business.

1. Users: Think like a user while choosing the keywords, don’t be too restrictive. Example: “running shoes” vs “best running shoes for men with high cushion”.
2. Broadness: Avoid generic keywords if you are limited by budget.
3. Location: Understand if your business is impacted by location or not, if yes then include locations.

Don’t use everything

While using the keywords planning tool, don’t use everything as suggested by the tool. This would lead to targeting too broad and may drain your budget with limited conversions.

The best way to use the keyword planning tool is to generate some ideas and use them to understand the buyer’s intent. You should apply a manual scanning process to choose the right keywords.

You can filter out keywords with relevance, search intent, broadness and importantly cost per click(CPC).

Select conversion-driven keywords

Focus on conversion over clicks.

When it comes to choosing the right keywords for Google Ads, not all lead to healthy conversions. It’s important to pay attention to keywords that have a high conversion intent. After all, the point of running Google Ads is to drive traffic and increase conversions, so you must choose keywords that have a high conversion rate and can get you leads.

Think about it this way: if you’re selling professional-grade running shoes, you’ll want to choose keywords that signal high purchase intent. Here are some examples:

• “Running shoes” – This is a broad and generic keyword. While it captures a large volume of traffic, users searching this term could have any number of intentions. They might be looking for general information, kids’ shoes, or even sports advice, rather than ready-to-buy customers. So while it’s relevant, it may not bring in targeted buyers.
• “Men’s running shoes” and “women’s running shoes” – These keywords are more focused and specific, catering to users who likely know what they’re looking for. You’re more likely to attract visitors with the intent to buy and increase the likelihood of conversions with these specific keywords.
• “Choosing the best running shoes” – This phrase sounds like information-seeking, it’s better suited as a topic for a blog or informational content rather than immediate buying intent. While it is still relevant it’s more suited for organic traffic and not for ads.

Choosing the right conversion-driven keywords will help you narrow down the buyer intent and focus your budget more on the stages where the buyer is about to make a decision.

Related: Visit how to increase Google Ads conversions to learn about ways to boost leads and sales.

Think like a user

Now this might sound straightforward but it’s important that you put yourself in the customer’s shoes. After all, you are running Google Ads to target the right customers, so think about what is the intent of your target audience and what would they search for in Google to display your Ads effectively.

Think of questions like:

• “[product/service] near me”
• “best [product/service] for [specific need or condition]” (e.g., “best shoes for hiking,” “best massage therapist for back pain”)
• “affordable [product/service] options” (e.g., “affordable wedding photographers” or “cheap moving services near me”)

You don’t need to think about hard jargon here, just look into it directly and simply. Think of phrases a normal customer might look for. They might not know the technical details, so look for simple phrases.

You can still include some technical keywords that align with your product/service but targeting for these customer-specific keywords can also help.

Examples:

• mens running shoes
• massage therapist near me
• cheap car rentals <location>

Don’t be too narrow

We have previously mentioned that you should narrow your keywords for better targeting. But narrowing your results too much can also backfire.

Going for only exact match keywords or phrase matches might limit your Google Ads to those keywords and limit your audience. Abrupt changes to make it too narrow may lead to a drop in Google Ads conversions.

Examples of good keywords vs too narrow

The first column keyword is relevant but is neither too broad nor too narrow. It will fetch ads not only for this keyword but also for words in different order and synonyms.

The 2nd column keywords are long tail and on top, they are an exact match so unless the user types the exact same keywords, ads will not trigger. 

Avoid generic keywords on a tight budget

If you are on a tight budget, it’s best to avoid generic keywords. Generic keywords might sound compelling to choose because of their high search volume, but that also comes with high competition and CPC. If you bid on these keywords, there’s a risk that your ad would be displayed to a wider audience and end up taking a huge part of your budget without any real results.

So if you are choosing keywords for Google Ads on a tight budget, look for specific keywords that are based on your primary product offering and location. This way, you’ll not drain your budget and focus on only real customers who are willing to pay.

Example:

The generic keywords might reach a larger audience but will drain your budget and give you fewer conversions if the users aren’t interested in buying your product. The better-targeted keywords, like “seafood restaurant Melbourne CBD” or “seafood restaurant Chadstone” can give you a more targeted approach and get you the right conversions.

In both these cases, the difference lies in targeting more location-specific keywords and avoiding generic ones at all costs. This way even if you are on a tight budget, you can get the right conversions you are looking for without worrying about costs. 

Don’t be fooled by search volume

As mentioned before, don’t be fooled by the search volume when choosing keywords for Google Ads. The idea is to not get over-excited by seeing a large search volume, as this is often associated with generic keywords.

It’s OK to use some generic keywords but it may consume a significant portion of your budget and return fewer conversions.

Example with yearly search volume:

In this case, the keyword “running shoes” might sound more appealing since it has a large search volume. But this keyword is broad and generic and doesn’t provide enough value for your business altogether. 

The keyword “mens running shoes” has less search volume but is more targeted towards men so there will be more chances for conversion and reaching the right audience. 

Use keywords match type effectively

An important thing to look for when choosing keywords for Google Ads is to use the keyword match type effectively. The type of match you choose determines how many impressions you make and how costly your campaign might be.

While it’s almost becoming a norm to use broad match keywords with higher effectiveness of AI and machine learning use but it is still wise to know and consider other match types to ensure you use them effectively to achieve the best outcome possible.

There are three different keyword matches you can go for in Google Ads:

• Broad Match: This match type captures a wide range of related searches. For example, if you use affordable SEO services as a broad match keyword, your ad could show up for variations like cheap SEO, cheap SEO services, and affordable web marketing. This approach works well when you want to maximise exposure but might bring in some unrelated clicks, which can quickly eat into a budget.
• Phrase Match: With phrase match, your ad will appear when the exact phrase appears within the search query, in the same order. For instance, “affordable SEO services” as a phrase match could trigger “best affordable SEO services” or “affordable SEO services in London”. It allows a moderate reach while keeping closer to the original intent.
• Exact Match: This match type is the most restrictive and triggers only when someone searches for that exact phrase. “[Affordable SEO services]” in exact match means your ad will appear only for that precise term, with no variations. This is highly targeted and ideal for specific, high-intent keywords, but limits your reach.

Use negative keywords & save cost

Apart from choosing the right keywords for Google Ads, you should also consider negative keywords to block possible unrelated search phrases. These are called negative keywords.

Negative keywords are like a barrier or boundary for your ad campaign by blocking your ads from showing in search results that are irrelevant.

Example:

As you can see in this example, the business is selling luxury ladies bags and search phrases with cheap or bargain may not be suitable.

By adding these negative keywords, it will cut down on irrelevant impressions and clicks resulting in saving budget that can be applied elsewhere.

For more information regarding the use of negative keywords, check out our blog on how to use negative keywords to save costs.

Location consideration with keyword selection

Now when you are creating a targeted Ad campaign, you need to understand the audience’s search intent with location if applicable.

If applicable then know whether it’s local, national, or international audience and keywords should be chosen accordingly.

Example:

In the above table, you can see the first column keywords are with local search intent and location inclusion is very important.

Similarly the keyword “australian web hosting” has national search intent.

The 3rd column keyword has no impact of location.

Include brand keywords & misspellings

Brand matters in many ways. While Google is good at headline misspellings for top brands, it may not do a good job for small or new brands and hence it’s worth considering your brand keywords along with misspellings.

Example:

Google is relatively smart to know misspellings of popular brands but it may not do great for for standard brands or new brands and hence if you are creating brand-related campaigns then it is worth considering common misspellings of the brand name.

In the above example, Google may already know common misspellings of Nike and it can still fetch ads for misspellings without adding explicitly. For example, Google can still show ads for search phrases like: 

• nike runing shoes
• nikke running shoes
• nikee running shos

In the example in the 2nd column, Google may or may not fetch ads for brands with misspellings and hence it’s worth adding them explicitly.

Using keywords effectively

Now choosing the right keywords for Google Ads is just half of the story; you need to know how to use them effectively. You should know how to place them correctly and how to use them for maximum clicks and conversions.

Feature main keywords Ad Copy & Landing Pages

First things first, you need to make sure that you add your main keywords to your ad copy and landing pages.

To boost keyword relevance you should consider adding main keywords in your ad copy, they will also help to boost the click-through rate (CTR). Learn how to write compelling ad headlines.

Landing page relevance

For a seamless experience and better outcomes, it’s best to include keywords on the landing page too.

By adding your main keywords in ad copy and landing page you not only increase the relevance but also help to improve the quality scores.

Boost quality score

Quality Score is a metric on how well your ad and landing page align with user expectations. It’s Google’s way of rewarding ads that match search intent and provide a good user experience, influencing both ad placement and cost-per-click (CPC).

Quality Score is calculated based on three main factors:

• Expected Clickthrough Rate (CTR): The likelihood that users will click on your ad when it appears.
• Ad Relevance: How closely your ad matches the user’s search intent.
• Landing Page Experience: How relevant, useful, and easy to navigate your landing page is for users.

Visit our detailed blog on how to boost keyword quality scores in Google Ads.

Use dynamic keyword insertion

Dynamic keyword insertion (DKI) is a powerful tool that allows Google to automatically insert a searcher’s keyword into your ad text, making your ad feel highly relevant to users. DKI works well for businesses targeting a variety of specific terms, as it adjusts the ad text to match user searches closely.

Example:

Headline: Buy {KeyWord:Chocolate}

Notice how the Ad changes the keywords based on the search query. This will ensure that you don’t need to create the same Ads for each keyword. Instead, you can just activate DKI and let Google Ads automate the process for you.

Visit our detailed guide on how dynamic keyword works with examples.

Get expert help to choose the right keywords

Let us help you choose the best-performing keywords for your business.

We are a Google Ads agency in Melbourne and we provide Google Ads services in Melbourne across Australia.

Also, check our other location services:

• AdWords Geelong
• Google Ads agency Adelaide
• Google Ads Newcastle

FAQs

How do I find popular keywords on Google Ads?

To find popular keywords on Google Ads, use the keyword planner tool. Just enter a few core terms, and the tool will suggest popular, high-traffic options. It’s a great starting point for choosing the right keywords for Google Ads and spotting trends that could boost your reach.

How do I target Google Ads for keywords?

To target Google Ads for keywords, start by defining your audience and goals. Then, find the best keyword match types – like broad, phrase, or exact – to control how specific or wide you want your reach. You can also add negative keywords to avoid unwanted clicks and save costs.

How many keywords are best for Google Ads?

Using 10-20 keywords per ad group is best for choosing the right keywords for Google Ads. This range provides a balanced mix of reach and focus without draining your budget. Too many keywords can dilute your message, so keep it focused on the most relevant options.

Which keyword match is best for Google Ads?

The best keyword match type for Google Ads depends on your goal. Exact match works if you need ultra-specific targeting, while phrase match balances reach and relevancy. For finding the best keyword strategy, a broad match is great for visibility but can sometimes result in less precise clicks.

Are too many keywords bad for Google Ads?

Yes, too many keywords can dilute your campaign’s focus, increasing the chances of irrelevant clicks. When choosing the right keywords for Google Ads, aim for a precise list of high-intent keywords.

How do I optimise Google Ads for keywords?

To optimise Google Ads for keywords, continuously review performance, add negative keywords, and adjust bids based on conversion data. Regular keyword checks ensure you’re always using the best options. Finding the best keyword combo can improve your quality score, which ultimately saves costs.