Introduction
We all fall into the trap of searching for relevant keywords we THINK our customers are searching for and we rarely look beyond that. Information is everything and you don’t want to be the company that is spending thousands on PPC only to miss out on traffic for nearly half of your products! This is why keyword research is so important and a key piece to a great PPC campaign.
No Admiral Ackbar, it is not a trap, you just need a better keyword research process.
1. Google AdWords Reports: Search Terms
The Google AdWords Report: Search Terms is the one tool you should be using first and foremost. Why? Because it will tell you what search terms people are using to get to your ads.
In essence, a search term is what a potential buyer is plugging into Google for your ad to be displayed and eventually for them to click on.
To find these terms, sign into your Google AdWords account, “Campaigns” section and click on the “Keywords” tab.
Now select which keywords you want to learn more about, click on the “Search terms” button to see your search terms.
You should see (hopefully, if you did the above correctly) a list of all the search terms people typed into the Google Search Bar to get your ads to show up and subsequently get them to click on it.
You may or may not find some terms that come from out of nowhere and you’ll think to yourself… “how did my ad show up with that term” those terms you should be adding to your negative keyword list.
The negative keyword list helps to block out any irrelevant search terms that won’t help you attract potential buyers.
The best part about the AdWords Search Terms Report is that it will help you to better understand your customer and how they are reaching your ads. You might also discover phrases you never even thought about bidding on or realize that you need to add better content to your site to help your prospects become leads.
2. Google Keyword Planner
Obviously, the Google’s Keyword Planner is another great tool to use. I say obviously because the Keyword Planner is “A tool that provides keyword ideas and traffic estimates to help you build a Search Network campaign” – coming straight from the mouth of Google!
To find this amazing tool just click the “Tools” tab on the Google AdWords main menu bar and select “Keyword Planner” from the drop-down menu.
The Keyword Planner will help you to find new keywords, help you to generate ad group ideas, get historical statistics, and generate traffic estimates.
To find new keywords, enter a term that pertains to what you are advertising. It’s best to choose a location (if it works for your ad) and your product category.
The tool automatically runs a report that will help plan the best keywords possible. What I love about the tool is that it gives you historical stats, like the number of times people have searched for a keyword or how competitive that keyword is.
I also love the fact that the Google Keyword Planner can also give you traffic estimates, like how many clicks and impressions your keywords might get forgiven bid and budget amounts.
3. Ubersuggest
Ubersuggest is one of the best if not the best tools to build a MASSIVE list of keywords that are relevant to bring potential customers to your ads. Use Ubersuggest to quickly find new keywords not available in the Google Keyword Planner.
The best part: it’s super easy to use. Take a look at their video that is quick and concise on how to use their tool. It is also available right on their home page.
From the homepage, you will notice a box where you can type in a keyword, once you’ve done that hit the red suggest button. A long list of relevant keywords will come up based on your search.
Navigate to the “Wordcloud” tab for an easy way to visualize the most common terms associated with your search.
Now you’re probably feeling overwhelmed with how many keywords this tool generates, do not fear! They have made it extremely easy to filter the keywords.
As you hover over and click on potential keywords a drop down menu will appear, you can click on the google trends button to see the seasonality of certain keywords you can also copy and paste your keywords into a spreadsheet or download them right to a CSV file to make it easier to filter.
Conclusion
Keyword research is extremely important for the success of any AdWords campaign. Understanding how your clients are reaching your site and capturing potential clients at the moment they are searching for your product or service is necessary for your business success in the 21st century. The tools above will help give you more insights and create a better AdWords account that will set you up for success long-term.