How to Conduct Keyword Research For Google Ads

It’s no secret–effective keyword research is the foundation of a successful Google Ads campaign. 

The right keywords ensure your ads appear in front of the right audience, drive clicks, and generate conversions. Whether you're a seasoned marketer or just starting with Google Ads, mastering keyword research can significantly improve your campaign's performance. Here’s a step-by-step guide to conducting keyword research for Google Ads.

Step 1: Understand Your Target Audience

Before diving into keyword tools, take time to understand your audience. Ask yourself:

• Who is your ideal customer?
• What problems are they trying to solve?
• What language do they use when searching for solutions?

Creating buyer personas can help you align your keywords with your audience's needs and search intent.

Step 2: Define Your Campaign Goals

Identify the objectives of your Google Ads campaign. Are you aiming to:

• Drive website traffic?
• Generate leads?
• Increase online sales?

Your goals will influence the types of keywords you target. For instance, high-intent keywords like “buy,” “hire,” or “get quote” might work well for sales-focused campaigns.

Step 3: Brainstorm Seed Keywords

Seed keywords are the foundation of your research. These are basic terms related to your product, service, or industry. For example:

• If you sell coffee machines, seed keywords might include “coffee maker,” “espresso machine,” or “home coffee brewing.”

List down as many relevant terms as possible. You’ll expand and refine this list in later steps.

Step 4: Use Keyword Research Tools

Leverage keyword research tools to discover additional keyword ideas, search volumes, and competition levels. Some popular tools include:

• Google Keyword Planner: Ideal for finding keywords and assessing their potential performance in your campaigns.
• SEMrush or Ahrefs: Provide in-depth insights, including competitor keyword analysis.
• Ubersuggest: Useful for finding related keywords and long-tail keyword ideas.

Focus on keywords with high relevance, manageable competition, and good search volume.

Step 5: Analyze Search Intent

Understanding the intent behind a search query is crucial. Keywords typically fall into one of three categories:

1. Informational: Users seek knowledge (e.g., "how to clean a coffee maker").
2. Navigational: Users want to visit a specific website or page (e.g., "Nespresso official site").
3. Transactional: Users intend to make a purchase or take an action (e.g., "buy coffee maker online").

For Google Ads, transactional and high-intent keywords often deliver the best ROI.

Step 6: Consider Long-Tail Keywords

Long-tail keywords are longer, more specific phrases (e.g., “best coffee machine for small kitchens”). While they typically have lower search volumes, they often come with less competition and higher conversion rates. They’re especially useful for targeting niche audiences.

Step 7: Analyze Competitor Keywords

Studying your competitors can provide valuable insights. Tools like SEMrush and SpyFu allow you to see which keywords your competitors are bidding on and how their ads are performing. This can help you identify opportunities or gaps in your own keyword strategy.

Step 8: Group Keywords into Ad Groups

Organize your keywords into tightly themed ad groups based on relevance. For example:

• Ad Group 1: "Espresso machines," "best espresso machine," "buy espresso maker."
• Ad Group 2: "Coffee grinders," "best coffee grinder," "manual coffee grinder."

Grouping keywords ensures your ads are more targeted, improving your quality score and click-through rates.

Step 9: Use Negative Keywords

Negative keywords prevent your ads from showing up for irrelevant searches, saving your ad budget. For example, if you sell premium coffee machines, you might use "cheap" or "free" as negative keywords.

Step 10: Continuously Monitor and Refine

Keyword research is not a one-time task. Regularly analyze your campaign performance using Google Ads reports and adjust your keywords based on:

• Click-through rates (CTR)
• Conversion rates
• Cost-per-click (CPC)

Refine your keyword list by pausing underperforming keywords and testing new ones.

Conducting keyword research for Google Ads is an iterative yet intricate process that combines creativity, analytics, and strategy. When you’re ready to bring in some outside expertise and take your research to the next level, trust Fable Heart Media to help your team understand your audience with detailed profiles, leverage this era's most cutting-edge tools, and focus on intent. This cocktail of successful strategizing will help you craft a keyword strategy that maximizes ROI and helps you not just meet your campaign goals, but exceed them.

Start your keyword research journey today and watch your Google Ads campaign thrive! Book a complimentary consultation with our award-winning team today. Not ready to commit but ready to learn more? Check out our blog page.