Ever wondered:
- Which keywords to target
- Which tools to use
- When to use exact, phrase, broad match
- How to organize them inside campaigns
Let's see how to actually do that.
1. The Fundamentals
First, understand that not all searches are created equal.
There are four distinct types of keywords, each with different conversion potential:
| Intent Type | Description | Example Search | Conversion Likelihood |
|---|---|---|---|
| Informational | User wants to learn or understand something | how EV batteries work | Low |
| Navigational | User wants to go to a specific site or brand | Tesla official website | Low-Medium |
| Commercial | User is researching before buying, comparing options | best EV under 20 lakh India | Medium-High |
| Transactional | User is ready to take action | buy Tata Nexon EV online | Very High |
Begin by targeting commercial and transactional keywords. They indicate commercial intent and are typically the most profitable. As you grow, expand into informational keywords. They let you engage cold prospects and guide them into your funnel.
2. Match Types
Google drastically redefined match types. Previously, an exact match for "car showroom" would only trigger for that precise query. Now it covers close variations and related searches, so be strategic.
- Exact Match: for precise, high-intent searches. Target 5-10 per ad group.
- Skip Phrase Match for new campaigns. It has largely lost its unique utility.
- Broad Match: for discovering related queries and conversational searches. Use 1-2 phrases, each at least 3-5 words. Never single words.
3. Discover High-Value Keywords
- Go to Tools, then Keyword Planner, then Discover new keywords.
- Input your primary seed term and include your website URL for context.
- Filter results by average monthly searches greater than 30 so you can ignore low-volume noise.
- Focus on high-volume variations. Your match types will capture long-tail queries anyway.
- Use the Refine Keywords feature to find emerging categories like use, brand and category, then turn those themes into ad groups.
4. Validate Keywords
- Watch the Competition Level for each term to understand advertiser demand.
- Check Top of page bid estimates to understand possible CPC ranges for positions 1-4.
- Use Google's Forecast Tool as a validation layer. It will not predict precisely, but it will tell you what scale might look like.
5. Organize Keywords
- One theme per ad group.
- Maximum of 20 keywords per ad group.
- Roughly 70% exact match, 30% broad match.
6. Optimization Roadmap
- Week 1-2: Launch campaigns, gather data and add negative keywords.
- Week 3-4: Review search term reports and add the top performers as exact match keywords.
- Month 2: Refine negative keywords and adjust match types.
- Month 3+: Create new ad groups for emerging themes.
Keyword research is not a one-off task. Ongoing optimization is what separates profitable campaigns from wasted spend.