Keyword Optimisation | Google Ads Keyword Management

Keyword optimisation in Google Ads runs in two directions: finding the right keywords, and cutting the budget flowing to the wrong ones. The second usually delivers faster gains but gets done less often, because it does not visibly add anything.

A keyword list is not a search term

This distinction gets blurred in most accounts. Your keyword list shows what you targeted; the search terms report shows what people actually typed. With broad match the gap between the two widens fast, and ads start appearing on searches you never considered.

That is why the centre of optimisation is not the keyword list but the search terms report. Adding keywords is easy; the real work is seeing which searches actually spend money and acting on it.

Using match types correctly

Exact match gives the most control: only that search and close variants trigger it. Phrase match is the middle ground; broad match brings the most traffic and the least control.

Broad match is not bad, but unprotected it is expensive. Combined with smart bidding and a solid negative list it serves to discover new keywords. Turning on broad match while measurement is weak, however, scatters budget quickly.

Negative keyword discipline

Negative keywords are the list that determines the long-term health of the account. Three main groups emerge: entirely irrelevant searches, searches with no commercial intent such as free or job-seeking queries, and people looking for a product or service you do not offer.

Keeping this list shared at account level is more sustainable than managing it separately in every campaign. I run search term scanning with AI agents: suspicious terms are surfaced automatically and I decide what goes on the negative list. The more frequent the scan, the smaller the loss.

Intent in keyword choice

Two people searching for the same product can be at different stages. An informational query and a purchase-intent query should not sit in the same campaign at the same bid. Concentrating budget on high-intent keywords and leaving informational queries to content works better in most accounts.

Quality Score also affects selection: if your ad copy and landing page genuinely match the keyword, you pay less for the same position. That is why narrow, consistent ad groups run cheaper than broad, mixed ones.

How do we start? First I scan your search terms report and lay out concretely where the budget goes. I send the terms to cut and the keywords to add in priority order. You can reach me from the contact page.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many keywords should I start with?

Few, with clear intent. In accounts that start with hundreds of keywords, budget scatters and no keyword gathers enough data to learn from. The list should grow as data arrives.

How often should I update the negative list?

Almost daily in a new account, weekly may be enough in a settled one. The measure is how fast new irrelevant terms appear in the search terms report.

Should I bid on competitor brand names?

Targeting the keyword is legally possible, but using the brand in ad copy creates problems. These searches also tend to convert poorly at high cost; if budget is tight, this is not where to spend it first.