Keywords are crucial to the success of both Google advertising and search engine optimization or SEO. In Google advertising, keywords need to be specific, relevant, and able to target the right audience to generate successful campaigns. When it comes to SEO, good keywords should be relevant, have a high search volume, align with user intent, be specific, and target lower competition. In this article, we’ll explore what makes a good keyword for both Google advertising and SEO.
What Makes a Good Keyword on Google Advertising?
When it comes to Google Advertising, keywords are one of the most critical components of a successful campaign. The right keywords can help your ads reach the right audience and generate more conversions, while the wrong keywords can drain your budget and produce little to no results.
1. Relevance
The first and most important factor to consider when choosing keywords for your Google Advertising campaign is relevance. Your keywords should be highly relevant to your product or service, as well as to the search terms your potential customers are using. To ensure relevance, think about the specific phrases and terms that your target audience might use when searching for products or services like yours.
2. Search Volume
While relevance is essential, you also want to choose keywords that have a high search volume. Search volume refers to the number of searches per month for a particular keyword or phrase. A keyword with a high search volume is more likely to generate clicks and conversions than one with a low search volume. However, be careful not to choose keywords with too much competition, as this can make it difficult for your ads to appear.
3. Intent
The intent behind a search query is another crucial factor to consider when choosing keywords for your Google Advertising campaign. Understanding the intent behind a keyword helps you determine whether the searcher is looking to buy, learn more about a product, or simply seek information. By targeting keywords with the right intent, you can ensure that your ads are reaching the right audience at the right stage of the customer journey.
4. Specificity
Specificity refers to the level of detail for a keyword. Broad keywords can generate a lot of impressions, but they may not be as effective as more specific keywords that target a specific niche or audience. For example, a keyword like “shoes” is broad and may generate a lot of impressions, but a keyword like “running shoes for women” is more specific and may generate higher-quality clicks and conversions. That being said, it is always good to create campaigns that include both broad and specific keywords.
5. Cost-per-click
The cost-per-click (CPC) is the amount you pay each time someone clicks on your ad. CPC can vary depending on the competitiveness of the keyword, with more competitive keywords typically having a higher CPC. When choosing keywords, it’s important to consider the CPC and factor it into your budget to ensure that your campaigns are cost-effective.
6. Negative keywords
Negative keywords are keywords that you don’t want to target with your ads. By adding negative keywords, you can avoid showing your ads to people who are unlikely to convert or who are searching for something unrelated to your product or service. For example, if you sell running shoes, you may want to add negative keywords like “basketball shoes” or “dress shoes” to avoid wasting ad spend on irrelevant clicks.
Choosing the right keywords for your Google Advertising campaign is essential to its success. By considering the items listed above, you can create a highly targeted campaign that reaches the right audience at the right time. Remember to monitor your campaigns regularly and adjust your keywords as needed to ensure that you’re getting the best results for your budget.
What Makes a Good Keyword for Search Engine Optimization (SEO)?
When it comes to SEO, keywords play a crucial role in helping your website rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). However, choosing the right keywords can be challenging, as search engines are becoming more sophisticated in their understanding of search intent.
1. Relevance
The first and most important factor to consider when choosing keywords for SEO is relevance. Your keywords should be highly relevant to your content and the search terms your potential customers are using. To ensure relevance, think about the specific phrases and terms that your target audience might use when searching for products or services like yours.
2. Search volume
While relevance is essential, you also want to choose keywords that have a high search volume. Search volume refers to the number of searches per month for a particular keyword or phrase. A keyword with a high search volume is more likely to generate traffic to your website. However, be careful not to choose keywords with too much competition, as this can make it difficult for your website to rank.
3. User intent
User intent is the reason behind a search query. Understanding the intent behind a keyword helps you determine whether the searcher is looking to buy, learn more about a product, or simply seeking information. By targeting keywords with the right intent, you can ensure that your website is ranking for the right audience at the right stage of the customer journey.
4. Specificity
Specificity refers to the level of detail or specificity of a keyword. Broad keywords can generate a lot of traffic, but they may not be as effective as more specific keywords that target a specific niche or audience. For example, a keyword like “shoes” is broad and may generate a lot of traffic, but a keyword like “women’s running shoes with arch support” is more specific and may generate higher-quality traffic and conversions.
5. Competition
The competition for a keyword refers to the number of websites that are already ranking for that keyword. Highly competitive keywords can be challenging to rank for, especially for new or small websites. Choosing keywords with lower competition can help you rank more quickly and efficiently.
Selecting the right keywords for SEO is essential to improving your website’s visibility and traffic. By considering factors like relevance, search volume, user intent, specificity, and competition, you can create a targeted keyword strategy that helps your website rank higher on the search engine results page. Remember to monitor your rankings regularly and adjust your keywords as needed to ensure that you’re getting the best results for your website.
Ensuring you have the right keywords for SEO and Google advertising is critical to the success of your marketing efforts. By taking into account the factors explained in this article, you can create a targeted keyword strategy that helps your website rank higher in search engine results pages and generates successful Google ad campaigns.
Have additional questions? Contact a member of our team to see how Google Advertising and SEO can help your business grow.
Juliana Pereira
Raised in the suburbs of Los Angeles, California, Juliana left the golden state to attend Utah Valley University and completed a bachelor’s of science in psychology. After graduating, she began pursuing a career in digital marketing and client relations, which led her to Set Fire Creative. Juliana has a knack for all things creative, in and out of the office. In her free time, you can find her working out, traveling, studying interior design, or hosting dinner parties (of course, with charcuterie.)
