If you sell or advertise online you have, at the very least, one product or service you wish to sell or have people contact you about. If you have more than one product or service, you might be tempted to lump all of your keywords together in to one ad group or a few ad groups covering a broad range of topics.
Stop right there.
So maybe it's not always as simple as following three basic steps. But for the AdWords beginner, following these Google-recommended steps can help your ad groups and your AdWords campaign build better Quality Scores, rank higher in search results, and attract more clicks. Here are 3 easy steps to building your keyword lists.
1. Review Products One At A Time
The first thing to do is develop a list of products and services you offer with your web site. Take each one and develop relevant ad groups for each. Ask yourself, "what words or phrases would customers use?" Be sure to include brand names, as well as variations of each word, like plurals, synonyms, and spelling variations.
2. Develop New Keyword Lists As They Happen
If each keyword list strays too far from the initial word or phrase your started with, consider starting another list related to the words that have deviated. This keeps each keyword list focused on a particular product, brand name, service, or product type.
Keeping each keyword list focused on a specific word or phrase also allows you to write more focused ad copy. By using the keyword as the focus, the web user is drawn to your ad because you present them with exactly what they are looking for. They are not greeted by a generic ad, a general company ad, or a slogan.
3. Scrub Your Keyword Lists
Remove any words from your list that, upon further review, are irrelevant, extremely broad, or poor matches for your product or service. Even if you follow the steps in point 2, you can always find words or phrases that are poor choices for your advertising campaigns with some sober second thought. This could include brand name you don't sell, no longer sell or are yet to sell, colours you don't offer, or styles you don't, won't or will never offer. Basic descriptive words can make all the difference when it comes to converting a potential customer.
Keep your budget in mind when you develop keyword lists, as you might not have enough money to spend if you create too many keyword lists. Focus on the most important words and phrases, especially common words and phrases that will ensure your site receives qualified visitors.
These three steps will start you on your way to a better, more focused pay per click campaign. Simply populating one ad group with a list of words and leaving it on "auto-drive" will do more to ensure your failure online than anything. It will also likely lead you to believe that PPC doesn't work. We hill that all the time.
Take the time to think about your words. Don't throw words in to a list willy-nilly or leave it up to a machine. You'll be glad you put the effort in.
