A Pay-Per-Click (PPC) campaign drives quality traffic and leads to your website when done right. This online tactic is cost-efficient, too. After all, you only need to pay every time a user clicks on your PPC ads. You can also get a higher return for each dollar you spent on ads if that click converts into sales.

But of course, the operative phrase here is “when done right.” PPC campaigns can drain your marketing budget if you fail to make your ads visible to your target audience. It’s like placing a huge, expensive ad for men’s shoes in a women’s magazine. So, to make sure your PPC ads reach the right market online, you have to complete the first crucial step of your campaign — finding the right keywords to target.

We agree that keyword research is part science and part art. While it is important to use keyword research tools, it is also vital to get to know your potential customers better. You need to predict their online behavior and the terms they would likely type in the search box when looking for products or services similar to what you offer.

If you want to get your PPC campaign off to a good start, here’s a step-by-step guide to looking for the right keywords:

1. Come Up With a Tentative Keyword List

Before doing anything, decide which pages of your website will be the landing pages for your PPC ads. Assuming the copies of these pages are well-written, scan them for keywords that are directly related to your products or services. List these words down and then organize them into the following categories:

• Brand keywords – words that contain your brand name and trademarked terms
• Generic keywords – terms related to your products or services
• Related keywords – words in your landing pages that don’t directly relate to what you offer but your target users may be searching for them

Once you have organized your tentative keywords, add another category wherein you’ll put variations and synonyms of these keywords. Search engines like Google can sometimes make connections between related terms (such as high heels may refer to stilettos or pumps), so it is best to include them.

Also, come up with another category in your list wherein you will write long-tail keyword phrases based on your tentative keywords. For instance, you can stretch the keyword “stilettos” into a long-tail phrase such as “red stiletto heels for women.” Long-tail keywords might only get a few searches per month, but it is important to target them as they drive high-quality leads to your website.

Users who type long-tail keywords and see your ads will likely purchase your product as you offer the exact products or services they are looking for. Don’t worry about the cost of targeting long-tail keyword phrases as they are less expensive than competitive keywords. 

2. Refine Your Keyword List Using Keyword Research Tools

Now that you have a decent list of terms to bid on, the next step is to use keyword research tools to determine which keywords to keep. Here are some of the tools you can use:

• Google Trends
  

Google Trends is a public platform you can use to see how often a particular keyword is used on Google. To use this platform for your keyword research, enter one of your tentative keywords in the search bar of Google Trends and then scroll to the last section of the report labeled Related Searches. This section features a list of the top queries that are closely related to your keyword. Use this list to check whether your keyword will perform well in the search, as well as get additional good keywords. 

• Google Analytics

Google Analytics can show you what people search for when they land on your website. It’s no wonder that many advertisers think that this tool is a goldmine for worth-bidding keywords. But for this tactic to work, your site must have a search bar.

Once you have the implemented a search bar, go to the Admin section in your Google Analytics and select View settings. Scroll down to Site Search Settings to set your query parameters and turn on your tracking code. This maneuver will help you pick up every search that occurs within your site.

When refining your PPC keyword list, head to the Behavior Segment of the Reporting Section of Google Analytics. You will be directed to a list of search queries that occurred on your site from the moment you turned on your tracking code. This list will help you understand the volume or frequency of a search term, as well as how long did the users stay on your website after landing on it using that keyword. Include those terms with high search volume and low bounce rate in your PPC keyword list.

• Google Suggest

While it is not exactly a tool, Google’s autocomplete functionality helps you discover lengthier terms with significant search volume. This feature provides a list of relevant search terms when you start typing on Google search box. It was introduced years ago to help connect searchers with content that are even more relevant to what they search for.

We know that long-tail keywords are less expensive than shorter search terms. Look at your PPC keyword list, and if you still don’t have enough long-tail keywords, go to Google search bar. Type one of your brand or generic keywords and take note of the additional terms that appear. If any are good fits for your business, then add them to your PPC keyword list. Just a bit of a reminder, though: do this tactic in an incognito window to make sure your search history doesn’t affect your results.

3. Add Negative Keywords to Your List

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Before finalizing your PPC keyword list, make sure to add negative keywords. These are the search terms for which you don’t want your PPC ads to show up. Including them in your campaign helps you control costs and keep your ad as targeted as possible. 

For instance, if you sell high-end home security systems, you need to add terms like “cheap” and “free” to the negative keyword list on your campaign to prevent your ads appearing alongside those keywords. More importantly, this helps your ads reach affluent customers who use terms like “high-quality” or “high-end” when searching for a new home security system.

Once you have your refined list (with negative keywords) of keywords for your PPC campaign, proceed to create ads and bid on them on AdWords and other online advertising platforms. But remember, keep on doing your keyword research. After all, you’re not going to discover every keyword to bid on (or exclude) on the first go. We recommend you do a bit of keyword research every week and tweak your campaign accordingly. Over time, your campaign will get stronger and drive more qualified leads to your website.

Want to know more about PPC advertising? Feel free to contact us today.