Google AdWords is Google’s own advertising system, allowing advertisers to “create your own ads, choose keywords to tell us where to show your ads and pay only when someone clicks on them,” boasts its site. It is basically a way to purchase Google’s search engine keywords.
In order to get users to see your Google ad placement, you must first determine what keywords you will apply in relevance to your ad. Google has four different keyword matching options, each with their own stipulations as to how you can target different sets of users. General keywords generate the most impressions but often result in fewer clicks. On the other hand, by changing your matching options you can better target your ads.
Small changes to the way that your Google AdWords ads are matched to keyword search queries can have a large outcome on the effectiveness of your Google AdWords Advertising campaign.
The options are as follows:
Broad Match: The most basic and common option, you include your keyword/keyword phrase (usually best to go with a phrase because users generally search for 2-3 words) in your keyword list. Say you list tennis shoes…your ads will appear when a user searches for the words tennis and shoes in any order. Furthermore, your ad will appear when a user searches for plural terms or similar variations.
Phrase Match: When you enter a keyword in quotation marks like “shower curtains” your ad will show when a user looks for this exact term in this order. It can also be viewed when someone does a search for green shower curtains, but not for curtains for shower. Phrase matching is obviously more targeted than broad match and is more flexible than exact match, the next option.
Exact Match: This is the most targeted option of the four. You surround your keyword in brackets-[jewelry cleaner]-and subsequently your ad will only show when a user searches for jewelry cleaner, in this order and without any other terms. Undoubtedly, this is extremely targeted. You are likely to receive more clicks than impressions.
Negative Keyword: Perhaps you sell dog collars of all colors–except green. You can set your keyword for dog collars but add the word green as your negative keyword. In other words, simply type in -green. If someone wants a green dog collar, he/she will not see your ad.
Determining what keywords you will use is an extremely difficult task. Both Google and Overture have keyword tools to assist you, but it still takes time, strategy, and good ole’ playing around to figure out what words are the most effective.
WebAdvantage.net´s Hollis Thomases contributed to this piece. WebAdvantage.net is a full service Internet Marketing and Search Engine Advertising firm.
