How to Do Keyword Research for PPC Campaigns

By understanding the keywords that people type into search engines to find the things they want, you can craft the most effective campaigns possible. 

by NAV43

Published On: June 1, 20225 min readCategories: Blog, SEM

Keyword research is one of the most important steps in crafting a successful PPC campaign. Without a solid grasp of the keywords that users commonly search for, it’s almost impossible to drive success with a PPC campaign. 

If you choose the wrong keywords lots of people will still see your ads, but definitely not the target audience that will deliver the best results. You’ll end up asking yourself: Are Google Ads even worth it?

Keyword research in a nutshell is the process of researching the keywords that are most relevant to your target audience. By understanding the keywords that people type into search engines to find the things they want, you can craft the most effective campaigns possible. 

This guide will help you understand what keyword research is, the different methods of keyword research, and the most common mistakes to avoid while keyword researching your pay-per-click campaigns. We will look at the importance of keyword research when starting with Google Ads.

What is Keyword Research?

A keyword is a search term that people use when performing a Google or Bing search. These terms are the keywords that people type into search engines to find the things they want, which is why it’s so important to understand their intentions. 

Keyword research is the process of finding and understanding relevant keywords that people might search for. The goal of keyword research is to find the right combination of words that people type into search engines to find your products or services. 

Before you get started with your keyword research ask yourself the following questions:

  • When searching for a product or service yourself, what keywords do you type in?
  •  Why do you choose one of these keywords over the others?
  • What is your intent when typing in those keywords?
  • What kind of content are you expecting to find?

By researching the keywords that people typically use to search for your products or services, you can learn what they might search for in the future. By finding the most common keywords, you can try to bid for those keywords to ensure the success of your campaign. This enhances your bidding strategy.

What To Look For In Keyword Research

Competitiveness Of Keywords 

By looking at how competitive a keyword is you can uncover opportunities that other competitors have found in the past that drive higher value traffic. The research will also uncover how much you would have to bid to show up for a keyword to allow you to determine if the cost will be worth it.

Search Volume

The number of times someone is searching for a keyword will let you know if there are opportunities within the keyword you are targeting. That is not to say that low volume indicates that it isn’t worth your time, some longer tail keywords can be hidden gems that can bring big profits for your business. Making sure that you have a large volume of traffic can also help build lists to market too in the future.

Is the keyword growing in interest (opportunity) or shrinking. This knowledge will let you know where you should be bidding when you begin your campaign and if you should add them or not.

How to Do Keyword Research for PPC Campaigns

Brainstorming Keywords

This is where you think about keyword ideas or questions a user could type in to search for your business. 

A good starting point is to create a list of keywords that you think people may search for related to your products or services. Brainstorming is best done in a group setting as it allows you to bounce ideas off each other to get a more holistic perspective.  

Surveying Your Customers

What do your customers search for when they find your products or services useful? By surveying your customers, you can find out their search trends and discover the keywords they typically use. Asking customers what they search for when they find your products useful helps you better understand what their intentions are.  

Keyword Research Software

Using a keyword research tool like Google Ads Keyword Planner or SEMRush allows you to easily find relevant keywords for your products or services, including synonyms and variations of your keywords. These tools can also help with making sure your keyword research is accurate.

The Most Common Mistakes When Doing Keyword Research

Not Looking For Negative Keywords

Not researching keywords you don’t want to show up for is a huge mistake. Depending on the keyword match type you use, you could show up for some irrelevant or low-quality keywords and not even know it. Making sure you have a strong negative keyword examples list is crucial for a strong paid search campaign.

Wrong Audience Type

If you’re not targeting the right audience with your keyword research, you might be wasting your time and money. By making sure you’re targeting the audience that is likely to click on your ads, you ensure that your ads are relevant to their interests.  

Not Using Keyword Research Tools

Making use of a wide variety of keyword research tools allows you to see the whole landscape and ensure you implement a winning strategy.

Final Words: Strategies for Success

Keyword research is a crucial step in crafting a successful PPC campaign. Doing keyword research correctly will help you reach more people with your ads, and ensure the overall success of your campaign. Through keyword research, you’ll be able to find the right combination of keywords that people commonly search for related to your products or services.

If you need help or guidance with this you can outreach out to NAV43 and we can help you out.