Bad Keywords, How To Spot Them And Eliminate Them From PPC Campaigns

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Are you new to managing PPC campaigns? Have you recently opened a monster spreadsheet of words, ads, and numbers and said to yourself: "I have no idea what I'm looking at?" That's why it's time to take a step back - and think. Think about exactly what you're doing. The best way to think about PPC is to focus in on each of the keywords you have in front of you.

The keyword is the string of characters the search engine user types into the search box. Keywords can be one word like "hotels". Keywords can also be "longtail" multiple words like "cool hotels in Austin,TX". Long tail keywords are those three and four keyword phrases which are highly specific to whatever you are selling. They convert the most since they are specifically targeting customers who know exactly what they are looking for and are closer to making a purchase. You gain access to keywords in the search engines by 'bidding' on specific keywords.

Keywords: The Most Important Part of PPC

The keyword is, perhaps, the most important component of your PPC account. It would be foolish then to waste your budget bidding on generic single keyword or double keyword phrases since these do not target the customer who is "late" in the buying cycle.

For example if you are a small hotel in Austin, TX it may not be fruitful to just bid on "hotel" because you are going to be going up against the big travel sites like Orbitz or Hotwire. Instead hone in on a smaller niche like your location and a specific amenity that you bring to the table that people will be searching for like "boutique hotel, Austin, Texas" The competition will be much smaller, targeted and the cost per click a lot less.

Getting Rid of Bad Keywords

This problem of non-relevant keywords is rampant in many PPC accounts. Sometimes it's obvious like the "hotel texas"- sometimes it's not. Here's how it happens and how to fix it:

1) Remove Non-Relevant Keywordsfrom Keyword Tools

Keyword tools like Google AdWords Keyword Tool are great starters for PPC accounts. Like thesauruses, they help you think of words that are related to your products or services - a very useful tool.

However, keyword tools should never be trusted implicitly. Keyword tools use computer-generated lists of words and sometimes they make mistakes. Unthinking PPC advertisers often dump these keywords into their account and deservingly receive non-relevant traffic every day, wasting many dollars in the process. The worst part of the problem is that all of that non-relevant (read: worthless) traffic will never convert or turn into new business.

Fix this issue by reviewing your keyword list. These lists can get out of hand in size so its best to focus on a few groups at a time, especially if you have multiple people adding keywords to the account. Here's where the thinking comes in: Go through the words and ask yourself would someone needing your products or services type these words into a search box? If not, get rid of them or at the least pause them in the account. You can always ask someone else who is a fresh set of eyes give you a second opinion later. Your advertising dollars are too precious not to be reviewing those ad groups well.

2) Test Your Keywords

Another, equally important way to sort out keywords in your account is to determine whether they turn into the desired action. Going back to the hotel example, when you bid on "hotel, Austin, TX" does that longtail phrase yield the desired result on your website? Does it turn into online leads or phone calls? Review your web analytics to see which words people are converting on-clicking through to your website on. Though the keyword may seem relevant to you, searchers may disagree.

You can determine the effectiveness of keywords by using good tracking. AdWords Conversion Tracking or call tracking can demonstrate the effectiveness of each keyword in your account.

Proper keyword management is an important part of your PPC account management. To do it effectively, you need to get educated on proper online tracking, or make sure your PPC manager is doing their job ie TRACKING. Just make sure you are aware of the keywords costing you money and why. Wasting PPC budget is no way to run a PPC account - and pursuing keywords that are bad is the way it goes wrong.


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