Building an effective keyword list for paid searches
For PPC (Pay Per Click) advertising, one of the most important tasks you can do is to build a list of relevant and highly searched keywords. This ensures that you get a head start on your competitors, and means that you know exactly what your audiences are searching for.
Here at Embryo, we offer an award winning Google Ads Agency that can keep pace and ensures that clients are at the forefront of everything we do.
If you’re struggling to build an effective keyword list, then keep reading. We will tell you everything you need to know to get started.
What is a keyword list and what makes a good keyword?
Let’s strip back to basics for a second. If you’re unsure of what a keyword list is, it is essentially a critical tool made up of keywords that relate to the ad you want to present. An effective keyword list will help you to repeatedly rank on the first page of Google and other search engines.
Lets see what the experts say:
“Considering search volume, intent, the forecasted cost-per-click are very important initial steps to curating an effective keyword list. However the website should also be a primary consideration, are the websites most relevant pages conversion focused? does the cost-per-click combined with the landing page quality warrant the investment. The key to success is finding a harmony of both the website quality, keyword search volume and the cost to acquire the traffic”
A keyword list can clearly show you which keywords you should bid on, which determines how many clicks and conversions you get.
Developing a keyword list can take a lot of time and patience, so here are some quick and easy ways to help you build an effective keyword list:
- Realise what makes a good keyword
- Identify your target audience
- Think like a customer
- Research competition
Let’s take a look at some of these in more detail.
Finding the right keywords is essential in coming up with a good keywords list. There’s no point in spending a lot of time on a keyword list, only to notice that none of the keywords are relevant or useful.
Selecting the correct PPC keywords can do a lot for your business. Try to come up with a number of keywords that have different levels of intent:
- Brand keywords – these are keywords that include your own name. They can have low costs and high-quality scores.
- Commercial keywords – these are high-intent keywords that usually include product or service names, as well as general terms like ‘best’ or ‘top’.
- Long-tail keywords – these are longer, highly specific phrases that are generally low-cost and have less keyword competition.
Using different types of keywords gives your list variety and makes it seem less boring.
Identify your target audience and think like a customer
One of the first things you should do when building a keyword list is to identify your target audience. Depending on who they are can determine what sort of keywords you may use.
The typical data that you want to gather could include:
- Age
- Average income
- Location
- Gender
- Interests
Finding out all of this information will help you to discover what sort of audience you are targeting. When it comes to audience targeting, this will help you understand the buyer’s journey and what they are looking for when on the internet.
This will make it easier for you to come up with keywords, as you know exactly who you are targeting. You could also find out the difference between audience targeting and keyword targeting.
A method which can be really beneficial is to put yourself in a consumer’s shoes and think what words and phrases would you use to get to your website? Or, ask friends and family for their ideas and inputs.
A simple word or phrase might help you to look at things differently and could really benefit your keyword list. Thinking about consumer behaviour can give surprising insights on this.
Taking it back to basics is sometimes a good idea – think of the most simple keyword or phrase that your customers may use when searching for products like yours.
Research and analyse your direct competition
Make sure to visit your competitors’ sites. Do things such as reviewing Meta tags, including titles, descriptions, and keyword tags from these websites. If these top-ranked sites have good keywords and they apply to your business, then add them to your list!
Take your keywords and input them into Google and other search engines. Visit the top ranked sites and pay attention to what keywords they use, and again, review Meta Tags. This will give you insight into what keywords are ranking highly and are relevant to your business.
Once these initial steps have been completed, use some commercially available tools to identify other keywords. This can help to validate your current list and ensure that you are on the right track.
Hopefully you now feel more confident in building an effective keyword list. It is an extremely important task, so don’t skip over it.
Keyword research is a critical component of building a successful PPC campaign. With the right keyword techniques, businesses can generate more leads and increase conversions which ultimately drives business growth and success.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know what parts of my business I need to advertise?
There are a few factors that can impact this. This depends on business goals and what you want to focus on improving using your PPC campaigns for example categories which aren’t selling, or certain parts of the business which need more leads. You need to think about if there is enough budget to cover everything.
Can I have two ads targeting the same keyword?
Yes in certain circumstances using performance max. However, you don’t want to be competing against yourself as this would be a waste of ad spend.
Do I first have to have goals for my ads before I choose keywords?
Yes always have a goal in mind of what your business wants to achieve before starting your PPC ads. This helps greatly with knowing where to start with your keyword research.
Is paid keyword research different to organic keyword research?
Not necessarily, but for PPC we would look more at keyword search volume. Paid and organic keyword research is very similar but they are used for different things.
Should I organise my keywords into match types?
There are different practices for keyword organisations. It is sometimes better to group into themes first, and then into match types.
