Choosing The Right Keywords For Google Ads In 2023

Are you still dedicating countless hours to the search for the perfect keywords for your Google Ads campaign?

And once you've painstakingly assembled this list of keywords, do you find yourself investing even more time in meticulously categorizing them into various ad groups, and perhaps even diving into Single Keyword Ad Groups (SKAGs)?

If this sounds like you, the unfortunate reality is that you might be wasting your valuable time.

This is because Google has altered the way keyword targeting functions, necessitating a shift in our approach to keyword research in 2023.

Let me clarify that conducting keyword research remains a critical step in ensuring the success of your Google Ads campaigns, but it has evolved somewhat.

In this article, I’m going to walk you through how I currently conduct my keyword research.

The process I'm about to describe is significantly quicker and more efficient than my pre-2021 approach, when Google Ads altered its keyword targeting methodology.

First and foremost, you should primarily focus on core trends:

• Review the monthly search trend graph: Is it trending upwards or downwards?
• Evaluate the competition: Are there high-volume keywords with low competition?
• Examine the Cost Per Click (CPC): Use this as a guideline for your budget (aim for at least 10 clicks per day).

Once you've selected your keywords, it's advisable to download them into a Google Sheet or CSV file and promptly organize them into ad groups.

When configuring these ad groups, bear in mind that keyword targeting, even for exact match keywords, has become somewhat broader. Thus, it's acceptable to begin with 2-3 broad match keywords, each consisting of 4 or 5 words in the phrase.

There's nothing wrong with adding additional exact match keywords, but for new accounts, I prefer to commence with some broad match keywords and subsequently introduce new exact match keywords once the campaign is live.

I decide whether to include a new keyword based on the following criteria:

• Whether the keyword is generating a substantial number of conversions.
• Whether it's a highly specific keyword phrase pertinent to your business and something you should or want to convert on.

Now, the big reason to keep at least one broad match keyword is that 15% of all Google searches are totally new, stuff nobody ever searched for before. This percentage is expected to surge in the coming months, as Google is planning to introduce Google Ads in chat-based searches.

Consequently, this 15% will grow rapidly, providing your ads with an opportunity to be triggered when someone conducts a chat-based search.

That's why longer-tail broad match keywords are poised to grow in importance in the future. These keywords, in tandem with your landing page, will provide Google with the best context to understand the kinds of searches you aim to target and convert.