Choose the right keyword strategy for a successful campaign

In our previous blog, we’ve introduced to you keyword matching options in Google Ads. This is the setting in which you define what search queries will make your ad run. Now, we will focus on the strategies you can use with this setting to get the most out of it.Correct use of keyword matches affects your ad performance, but also how much you want to invest in it. And because no one wants to invest more on advertising than they get back, it is necessary to display it at the appropriate places to reach the customers who buy your product. Now let’s take a closer look at how keyword matching affects your ad behavior.If you don’t know what each keyword match type means, read our introductory blog 

How do different types of matches affect your ads?

Coverage of search queries

Keyword matching primarily affects how extensive queries your ad can cover. By setting this, you define whether your ad will appear only when searching for a particular form of your keyword, or even for different variations. Basically, you are choosing a space where your ad delivery should be most effective.

Return on investment

By coverage of search queries, you determine what the return on investment for the keyword is. If you are displaying your ad for broader audiences, you don’t always have to hit those who already know what to buy. That is why the ad will have more impressions, but it is less likely for your visitors to buy your product. Conversely, the exact match is where the number of impressions is smaller, but more likely that users will complete the conversion.

Bidding

Match types also affect the bids you have to set for a particular keyword. Based on different practices, your match settings should be considered when investing in keywords. For example because of how they affect the targeting of audiences with different probabilities for conversion.

Ad copy

Appropriate ad text has a large share in the ad success. In addition to the goods or services offered, its wording must also take into account the audience to which the ad is addressed. There is also a big deal about matching. Thanks to match settings, you can predict whether the people to whom your ad appears are more or less decided to buy your product, just as we wrote in the part about returns on investment.

Advantages and disadvantages of different types of matches

Broad match

As described in the previous blog, this is the default setting that will trigger your ad in a match as broad as possible between the keyword and search query.Broad match is beneficial for beginner advertisers looking for the appropriate keywords to target. You can observe the behavior of users based on what search queries led them to your e-shop. From those, you can then formulate (negative) keywords you will use in the campaign to target more precisely. It can also be useful if your goal is to drive more traffic to your site (even without converting).A major disadvantage of the key match is that not all search queries that trigger your ad are prerequisite for conversion. Many users will see the ad, but there is less chance that there will be a specific person interested in your product or service. This disadvantage can be at least partially reduced through the definition of negative keywords.

Broad match modifier

The advantage of the broad match modifier is that it allows a narrower audience targeting. By defining the exact words and phrases that search queries must contain, you’ll make sure that ads will appear on more appropriate searches.The risk of irrelevant search queries is still a disadvantage – we are still speaking about free match. This risk, however, is noticeably lower compared to “classic” broad match.

Phrase match

The advantage of this type of match is that it eliminates the risk that persists in the previous two types – displaying ads for irrelevant search queries. This means that your finances spend on a much more relevant audience that is more likely to bring conversions.

Exact match

The advantage of exact match is that only a few people visit your site, but are more likely to complete the conversion and order your product or service. Even small traffic can boost sales.Negative, respectively the risk of exact matching is the possibility of omitting search queries that could lead to conversions. Also, you do not cover long-tail search queries.

Which setting is best to use?

As you can see, each setting has its own advantages and disadvantages and serves to achieve a certain goal – broad match for higher traffic, exact match for higher conversions… You need to define yourself the goal of your campaign and based on it you must choose the right match type for the keywords you are targeting. In this blog, we have introduced to you the areas that should be taken into account when setting up the strategy and we strongly believe that they will help you make your settings as effective as possible.