Delve into dynamic keyword insertion (DKI)
If you’re looking to enhance and personalise your ad content for more specific target audiences – and save yourself time in the process – then keep reading for the down low on dynamic keyword insertion, otherwise known in the marketing world as DKI.
What is dynamic keyword insertion? (DKI)
As one of Google’s cleverest advanced search ad features, DKI automatically updates your ad content to include keywords generated from individual searcher’s query terms. Once it has identified which keyword has triggered your ad’s impressions, it then inserts them into your landing page in order to increase conversions using a simple tag (a chunk of code).
For example, if you search “lattes near me” but your friend searches “iced lattes near me”, you might get an advert for the same coffee shop but with slight variation in the ad copy. This creates a more personal browsing experience which makes the coffee-hunter more likely to act on the compelling impression your ad has already made.
The best part about DKI is that these specific terms are incorporated in real-time, meaning that your ad content remains relevant and up-to-date with the ever changing needs and wants of your target market.
Our award-winning PPC team uses innovative strategies to obtain the best results for clients. Why not let us give you a helping hand? Feel free to get in touch with our helpful team who understand just how far DKI can take you.
But how does Google know which keywords to use?
So that Google knows which keywords users are likely to search for, you need to have keyword research already implemented into your PPC strategy. This is the process you undergo in order to identify the most profitable keywords to bid on so that you can target them in your ad campaign to increase ROI.
Once you’ve done your research, you can effectively hand this list of keywords over to Google Ads in an ad group so that it can work out which ones to insert into your ad copy and when based on user search data and ad optimisation. Ad groups are particularly useful if an area of your content has the same goal or purpose, such as advertising the same product, as they help Google select from a limited number of search terms in order to create a more specifically targeted ad campaign.
How your business can benefit from DKI
When it comes to PPC goals and strategies, it’s always useful to remember that businessman Michael LeBeouf said “every company’s greatest assets are its customers, because without customers there is no company”. When it comes to advertising, no statement has ever rang more true.
That’s why DKI is such a great Google feature that will transform your impressions into conversions thanks to your ads’ personal touch. If you don’t know what it is users are searching for, then you need to make it your business to know so that you can tailor your paid content accordingly. In other words, DKI enables better ad targeting so that you’re not spending your PPC budget on customers who have no interest in your product.
Be bold with your PPC
DKI is great for identifying and incorporating the keywords that are likely to drive the highest CTR (click-through rate) to your website (and all of the conversions that will follow once browsers see your optimised landing page and compelling web content). However, not only does this feature dynamically insert keywords into your ad copy to make your outreach individually appealing, but these terms actually appear in bold.
At first you might be thinking, “So what? That doesn’t even seem worth mentioning.”
But the thing about our brains and punctuation, like emphasis, is that they tend to follow the rules of punctuation, like words in bold, even if they don’t necessarily make grammatical sense. So for example, if you’re advertising your product or services and want to appeal to certain key terms, it actually makes more of a difference than you’d think if words about your service, or your brand name stand out more than others.
Put all of your keywords in one basket
Ad Groups are really useful for PPC in general as they help you target search queries rather than a specific audience. When it comes to DKI, this makes Google’s job of crawling through the list of keywords you’ve researched even easier, and therefore more time-efficient.
By creating dynamic keywords within one Ad Group, you save yourself the time it would take to make a new ad with new copy and headlines every time the market changed – which, if you’re familiar with marketing or have ever seen an advert, won’t come as a surprise to you.
DKI disadvantages
However, as with all automated PPC tools or strategies, you’re always more likely to get the best results out of your ad enhancements if you have a reputable and credible working knowledge of PPC in the first place. Above all, you need to remember that you’re a person, creating ads for other people. While DKI can keep up with trends and quickly analyse data to produce (probably) the most profitable results, in order to truly understand what it is that will appeal to people, you need to make sure that you’re creating ad copy from a human perspective.
Grammar giveaway
When it comes to the human behind the advertising, incorrect grammar or incorrect word usage can sometimes be one of the biggest giveaways that your ad copy is automatically generated. In order to avoid this, you should regularly review your ads and your PPC strategy to ensure that your personal touch isn’t ruined by impersonally generated content.
Landing page logistics
If you submit 5 keywords to a specific Ad Group, either each keyword needs its own landing page (a laborious process as it is), or you can create a generalised landing page for all 5 keywords. While this saves you a lot of time, it’s not as effective as individual keywords. It’s up to you whether you’re willing to risk a reduced ROI while you get the landing pages up and running or if you’re happy to make the most of a generalised page.
Use dynamic keyword insertion…dynamically
When it comes to time-efficient PPC and rapid generation of ROI, dynamic keyword insertion is an incredibly useful tool for advertisers. It allows you to keep up with fast-paced consumer trends and evolutions in the digital market by making interchangeable and audience-appropriate use of your keyword selection.
However, in order to keep that personal touch on your personalised ads, make sure to monitor your PPC performance and ad content so that you don’t get lost in the dynamic automation of it all.
At Embryo, we understand how great a feature DKI is whilst navigating its benefits and drawbacks efficiently. If you need help with DKI or with PPC in general, why not get in touch with us? Our expert PPC team would be happy to help with any questions you may have.
FAQs
Answered by Chelsea Powell
Should only specific ads use dynamic keyword insertion?
Yes, dynamic keyword insertion shouldn’t be used for every ad and is best practice to use with phrases or exact match terms.
Is there a limit on how many keywords are in each ad group?
Technically you can have up to 20,000 keywords within an ad group, however, we’d recommend 10-15 keywords per ad group for best practice.
Should I create ads based on which keywords are inserted the most?
Ads should be created around themes & this should then apply to ad groups to help improve quality scores.
Does DKI impact the overall quality of my ad?
If used incorrectly it can impact quality, however, if used correctly it can improve ad quality.
