Are you looking to improve your online advertising strategy and boost your business’s visibility? Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising can be a game-changer, and Google Ads is one of the most powerful platforms to achieve your goals. As experts in PPC services at Get Digital, we understand the importance of mastering the terminology surrounding Google Ads keywords. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through the essential terminology, strategies for improving keyword relevancy, different match types, and how to keep up with match-type changes. Let’s dive in!

Paid Search Terminology Defined:

To navigate the world of Google Ads effectively, it’s crucial to understand the following key terms:

• Keywords: Keywords are the foundation of Google Ads. They are the words or phrases that advertisers target to trigger their ads when users perform relevant searches. For example, if you own a bakery, you may target keywords like “freshly baked bread” or “birthday cake delivery.
• Search Query: A search query refers to the actual word or phrase entered by users into the search engine. It’s the user’s intent expressed in the form of a search. Understanding search queries helps you align your keywords with what your potential customers are searching for.
• Ad Rank: The position of an advertisement on the search engine results page (SERP) is decided by its Ad Rank. It’s calculated based on factors like your bid, quality score, and ad extension impact. The higher your ad rank, the more visible your ad will be.
• Quality Score: Google rates the quality and relevancy of your keywords, advertising, and landing pages using a system called Quality Score. It impacts your ad’s visibility and cost-per-click. A higher quality score can lower your cost-per-click and improve your ad’s position.
• Ad Extensions: Ad extensions are extra bits of data that may improve your adverts and provide users more value. They can include phone numbers, site links, location details, or additional text. Ad extensions make your ads more compelling and increase the chances of users engaging with them.

Improving Your Search Keyword to Search Query Relevancy:

To make your Google Ads campaigns as effective as possible, it’s essential to improve the relevancy between your keywords and users’ search queries. Here are some strategies to achieve this:

• Conduct Thorough Keyword Research: Start by using tools like Google Keyword Planner or SEMrush to identify relevant keywords with sufficient search volume. Consider the intent behind each keyword and align it with your campaign goals. 
• Use Negative Keywords: Negative keywords are the ones you want to exclude from triggering your ads. By utilizing negative keywords, you can filter out irrelevant search terms and improve the overall relevancy of your ads. 
• Leverage Ad Groups: Group related keywords into specific ad groups. You may design highly relevant advertising and landing pages and increase the chance of conversions by grouping your keywords into meaningful groupings. For example, if you’re a travel agency, you can create separate ad groups for “beach destinations” and “adventure travel,” each with its own set of targeted keywords and ad copy.

Match Types:

Google Ads offers different match types to control how closely the user’s search query must match your targeted keywords. Understanding these match types will help you refine your targeting. The four primary match types are:

• Broad Match: The default match type is broad match. With this match type, your ads may appear for search queries that include similar terms, synonyms, or other related variations. For example, if your keyword is “running shoes,” your ad might also show up for searches like “best athletic shoes” or “sneakers for jogging.”
• Modified Broad Match: With modified wide match, you can select which terms must appear in the search query in order for your ad to appear. By adding a “+” symbol before selecting keywords, you can ensure they are present in the search query. For instance, “+running +shoes” ensures that the search query contains both “running” and “shoes.”
• Phrase Match: Phrase match allows you to target keywords as a phrase or with additional words before or after the phrase. By enclosing your keywords in quotation marks, you ensure that your ad is triggered when the search query includes the exact phrase or a close variation. For example, “running shoes” as a phrase match would trigger your ad for searches like “buy running shoes” or “running shoes for beginners.”
• Exact Match: Exact match ensures that your ad is shown only when the search query matches the exact term or a close variant. Enclose your keywords in square brackets to specify the exact match.