How to Do PPC Keyword Research for Your Ad Campaigns

Pay-per-click (PPC) advertizing connected Google and Bing relies heavy connected PPC keyword research.

In this article, you’ll larn however to prime the close keywords to get your selling campaigns successful beforehand of the highest fig of imaginable customers.

PPC Keyword Research: 3 Key Considerations

The occurrence of a PPC run depends connected respective factors, including the keywords used. To maximize your results, see the pursuing aspects erstwhile doing keyword probe for PPC. 

1. Search Intent

Your people hunt presumption and hunt intent should align with your run goals.

Together, these 2 factors find the fig of impressions and clicks your advertisement mightiness person based connected the hunt advertisement algorithm. 

They besides play a relation successful your cost per click (CPC).

Search intent indicates the benignant of hunt a idiosyncratic is performing. 

It’s mostly grouped into 4 categories:

• Informational: The idiosyncratic wants to larn much astir a taxable oregon product
• Navigational: The idiosyncratic wants to find a circumstantial website, page, oregon location
• Commercial: The idiosyncratic wants to probe circumstantial services, products, oregon brands
• Transactional: The idiosyncratic wants to instrumentality action, similar marque a purchase

Use Semrush’s Keyword Overview to find a keyword’s hunt intent. 

Click “SEO” > Keyword Research” > “Keyword Overview” from the left-hand navigation of your Semrush instrumentality dashboard. 

Then, participate your keyword, prime the people location, and click “Search.”

You’ll spot the hunt intent of your chosen keyword successful the default “Overview” study that appears.

Keywords with much commercialized oregon transactional intent thin to make much conversions. 

The mentation is simple: 

Visitors with transactional intent are person to making a acquisition erstwhile they spot and click connected your ad.

So, if they hunt for “life jackets,” they’re astir apt buying for one. 

Basically, they’re acceptable to buy. You conscionable request to springiness them that last propulsion to instrumentality action. 

On the different hand, those searching for “swimming safety” oregon akin presumption are astir apt looking for information. 

At this point, their intent is informational and not transactional—so they’re little apt to acquisition close away. What you should bash is springiness them the accusation they request to determination further down the sales funnel.

Further reading: ToFu, MoFu, BoFu: A Practical Guide to the Conversion Funnel

Search intent is besides important due to the fact that of Google’s Quality Score guidelines.

According to Google Ads documentation, Quality Score is “a diagnostic instrumentality meant to springiness you a consciousness of however good your advertisement prime compares to different advertisers.”

It’s a people from 1-10 Google assigns to your ads based connected 3 factors:

• Expected click-through rate (CTR): How apt it is that a idiosyncratic volition click connected your advertisement based connected the advertisement transcript and keyword targeting
• Ad relevance: How intimately does your advertisement matches the hunt intent
• Landing leafage experience: Your website layout, performance, and wide experience

A higher Quality Score means your advertisement is much apt to look toward the apical of the hunt motor results leafage (SERP). Your Ad Rank score is mostly determined by your Quality Score and advertisement relevance. 

Which means you’ll wage little for each click.

This is wherefore it’s important to take keywords with hunt intent that aligns with your offer.

2. Search Volume

Select keywords with a precocious search volume and hunt intent that aligns with your run goals and your budget.

This helps to summation your clicks and conversions.

Search measurement is simply a metric that estimates the fig of times users hunt for a fixed keyword (or related keywords) implicit a definite play of clip (usually monthly).

You tin cheque the hunt measurement of a keyword successful the Keyword Overview instrumentality (as good arsenic Google’s Keyword Planner).

For example, successful Keyword Overview, “life jackets” has an estimated monthly hunt measurement of 18,100.

Your advertisement appears erstwhile users hunt 1 of your targeted keywords. The hunt measurement of the keywords you prime determines however often your advertisement tin show to users. 

This is called impressions.

If your PPC advertisement shows up much often, past much users person a accidental to click connected it.

There is, however, an inverse narration betwixt hunt measurement and buying intent. Keywords with higher hunt measurement thin to beryllium much wide and truthful person little conversion rates.

There are 3 categories of keywords:

1. Head terms: Broad lucifer keywords with precocious hunt volumes. They often dwell of 1 oregon 2 words, similar “shoes” oregon “life jackets.”
2. Medium-tail: More circumstantial keywords with bully traffic. These usually dwell of 2 to 3 words, specified arsenic “cheap concern laptops” oregon “yoga wellness benefits,” and are much circumstantial than wide lucifer keywords. 
3. Long-tail: Detailed oregon circumstantial keywords with little hunt volumes. They often dwell of 3 words oregon more, specified arsenic “women's bluish moving shoes” oregon “red beingness jackets for young children.”

Broad lucifer keywords are much generic than medium- and long-tail keywords. For example, hunt presumption similar “men’s shoes” oregon “hatha yoga” are not arsenic circumstantial arsenic “men’s shoes size chart” oregon “hatha yoga classes adjacent me.”

Therefore, they thin to person a higher hunt measurement and are much hard to fertile for. Which drives PPC costs up. 

3. CPC

When it comes to keyword PPC research, you’ll privation to take keywords that align with your selling fund and run goals.

The outgo to tally your PPC run is determined by the fig of clicks your ads person and the CPC.

You tin find the CPC of circumstantial keywords with the Keyword Overview tool. 

For instance, the CPC of “life jackets” is $0.46.

This is the magnitude you get charged each clip a idiosyncratic clicks connected your ad. 

Important: 

Consider the full magnitude you tin spend to spend—including which circumstantial keywords to bid on.

Let’s accidental you person a fund of $100 per period to walk connected ads. You mightiness privation to people keywords with a CPC of $0.50-$1 alternatively than $20 per click.

Google Ads volition find wherever your ads look successful hunt results based connected these factors. But that doesn’t mean you indispensable wage an limb and a limb to get maximum visibility. 

Instead, optimize your transcript and take little competitory keywords. 

Ultimately, the champion keywords for your run volition make a greater instrumentality connected concern (ROI). 

Test higher CPC keywords to spot however their conversion complaint compares to little CPC keywords. 

Why?

Because it’s imaginable that the 5 clicks you person from $20 hunt queries make much conversions oregon gross than 100 clicks connected $1 ads.

PPC vs. SEO Keyword Research

PPC and SEO necessitate keyword probe and the process for some is similar. But the attack to evaluating and choosing keywords is often different. 

What makes a keyword “good”?

SEO and contented selling are utilized to scope buyers passim their acquisition journey. 

So earlier they’re acceptable to buy, informational keywords whitethorn beryllium successful order. 

In enactment with the erstwhile example, deliberation “swimming safety,” “when to bargain a caller beingness jacket,” oregon “life overgarment sizes.”

PPC campaigns, connected the different hand, mostly usage presumption that thrust contiguous income oregon conversions.

But what is PPC keyword probe successful the archetypal place? 

This process is each astir identifying applicable keywords to bid connected erstwhile moving online advertizing campaigns. 

For example, an online store selling h2o sports instrumentality whitethorn people keywords similar “buy beingness jackets online” oregon “life jackets for children.” 

Digital selling strategies usually see some SEO and PPC campaigns. Each 1 requires its ain attack to optimization to guarantee a precocious ROI.

Wondering however to bash keyword probe for PPC connected your own? 

Try this step-by-step approach.

How to Do PPC Keyword Research

Step 1: Brainstorm Keywords

Different keywords volition output antithetic results successful presumption of advertizing costs, run results, and visibility.

With that successful mind, commencement the PPC keyword probe process by looking up applicable keywords. 

First, see what you already know.

What products oregon services bash you sell?

What different words mightiness a searcher usage to picture your products oregon services?

Let’s spell backmost to the “life jackets” example.

You mightiness travel up with a database of keywords like:

• Life jackets
• Life vests
• Life preservers
• Floatation jackets

Don’t interest astir identifying each of the imaginable modifiers astatine this stage. It would beryllium intolerable to brainstorm each keyword that’s applicable to your niche.

These are conscionable a starting constituent arsenic you hole for the adjacent step.

Step 2: Conduct Keyword Research

Use your database of keywords to observe much keywords and behaviour research. 

Head to the Keyword Magic Tool to find caller keyword ideas. 

In the left-hand navigation, click “Advertising” > “Keyword Research” > Keyword Magic Tool.”

Type successful a keyword, participate your domain name, and click “Search.” 

Keyword Magic Tool volition instrumentality keyword suggestions based connected your archetypal keyword. 

Review the database to find the champion keywords that align with your PPC campaign’s goals.

Consider factors specified as:

• Search volume: Choose keywords that users hunt frequently. This ensures your ads person capable imaginable assemblage to warrant your investment.
• Personal Keyword Difficulty (PKD%): Look for keywords wherever your tract tin easy rank, indicated by a little PKD%. This people reflects however pugnacious the keyword contention is for your domain to look successful the apical 10 results of hunt motor results pages (SERP).
• CPC: Assess the disbursal for each click connected your ads. Maximize your fund by opting for keywords that connection a bully equilibrium betwixt outgo and conversion potential.
• Competitive density: Look for keywords with less advertisers bidding. Lower contention tin assistance you unafraid advertisement placements astatine reduced costs.
• Search intent: Prioritize keywords with commercialized (researching products) oregon transactional (ready to purchase) intent. Which are much apt to pb to sales.

Click the checkbox adjacent to each keyword you see utile for your campaign.

When you’re finished browsing done the suggestions, click “Add to keyword list” > “Create caller bare list.” 

In the substance container that appears, benignant a sanction for your database and click the greenish cheque mark.

And that’s however you physique a database of keywords you privation to target. 

Add immoderate further applicable keywords to that list, and aboriginal signifier them by hunt intent, hunt volume, the ads they fit, and different criteria. 

Type the adjacent keyword from your archetypal database (step one) successful the hunt container astatine the apical of Keyword Magic Tool. 

Click “Search” and repetition the process for each of your people keywords.

Now, it’s clip to grow your hunt by analyzing rival keywords.

Step 3: Analyze Competitor Keywords

Learn what keywords different sites successful your niche oregon manufacture are bidding on. These keywords could beryllium invaluable for your business, too.

For this, we’ll usage the Advertising Research tool.

From the left-hand navigation, spell to Advertising” > “Market Analysis” > “Advertising Research.” 

In the substance box, benignant the URL of a rival and click “Search.”

You’ll spot an Advertising Research study for the website you typed in. Which opens the “Positions” tab by default.

Under “Paid Search Positions,” you’ll get a database of the keywords wherever the competing website’s ads appeared implicit a circumstantial clip period—such arsenic 30 days. And each ad’s landing leafage URL.

Review the keywords to spot what mightiness enactment for your campaign. Check immoderate applicable keywords to export them into a abstracted papers oregon spreadsheet. Like this:

Repeat this process for different competing websites successful your niche. 

To find much competitors, caput to the report’s “Competitors” tab. 

Under “Paid Competitors,” you’ll spot a database of websites the analyzed domain competes against successful Google’s paid hunt results.

After you’ve analyzed applicable competitors, adhd their keywords to the database you created successful measurement two. 

Here’s how.

In the left-hand navigation, click “Advertising” > “Keyword Research” > “Keyword Strategy Builder”(previously Keyword Manager).

Then, click connected the sanction of the keyword database you created successful Keyword Magic Tool successful measurement two. 

Click “Add keywords.”

Copy and paste the keywords from your competitory investigation into the box. Then click “Add keywords.”

You should present person a reasonably beardown enactment of applicable keywords to see for your advertisement campaign. 

Step 4: Create a Final Keyword List

Keyword groups signifier related presumption and topics to springiness your PPC run structure.

Now that you person a database of keywords, usage PPC Keyword Tool to analyse your keywords and signifier them into advertisement groups. 

Open “Keyword Strategy Builder.” Find the sanction of the keyword database you created (steps 2 and three) and click connected it.

On the Keyword Strategy Builder page, click “Send keywords.” Select “All” and “PPC Keyword Tool.” Then, click “Apply.” 

If you spot a model prompting you with a “Set up PPC Keyword Tool” button, click it.

In the substance container connected the PPC Keyword Tool page, benignant the URL of your website—this volition beryllium the sanction of your PPC project. Click “Set up.”

You’ll spot the “Add keywords” window. Click “Manually.” 

Now, benignant 1 of your keywords into the substance box—it doesn’t substance which one. Click “Add.”

Click “Location.”

Click the “Country” drop-down paper and prime the country. 

If your ads people a circumstantial portion oregon city, prime them from the applicable drop-down menus. Then click “Start PPC Keyword Tool.”

Now, spell backmost to the “Keyword Strategy Builder” leafage to nonstop your keywords. 

At this point, you’ll get a punctual to “Send To PPC Keyword Tool.” 

From the drop-down menus, prime the website task that you conscionable created. Then, take “Default campaign” and “Default group” nether “Campaign” and “Group.” Click “Send keywords.”

You should spot a connection that says “Successful.” Click “Go to PPC Keyword Tool.”

Finally, click the URL of the website task you conscionable created. 

You’ll spot your afloat keyword database wrong the PPC Keyword Tool.

Step 5: Create Keyword Groups

Organize your keywords into campaigns and advertisement groups to marque it easier to way and negociate your advertisement spend. 

Ad groups let you to operation your PPC campaigns successful a mode that aligns intimately with your selling objectives. Ensuring each radical targets a circumstantial assemblage oregon theme.

This strategical segmentation enhances your advertisement relevance and improves the ratio of your spending.

Use the PPC Keyword Tool to rapidly make and set advertisement groups earlier you upload them into Google Ads.

To adhd keywords to a caller radical from the “PPC keyword tool” page, click “+ Group” from the database connected the left.

In the substance box, benignant the sanction of the caller keyword radical you’re creating, past click the cheque mark.

Select the checkbox adjacent to each keyword you privation to adhd to this group.

Click “Actions” > “Move to group.”

Click the “Group” drop-down paper from the “Move keywords to group” model that appears. Then, click the sanction of the radical wherever you privation to determination the keywords. 

Finally, click “Move to group.”

Organize your keywords into groups that marque it casual for you to way and negociate them. 

For instance, you tin radical keywords by:

• By merchandise oregon service: This makes it easier to tailor your advertisement transcript and landing pages straight to idiosyncratic hunt intents
• By lawsuit intent: Separate keywords by the buying signifier they represent, specified arsenic awareness, consideration, oregon decision. This helps people the close ads to the close assemblage astatine the close time.
• By demographic: If your products entreaty to antithetic demographic groups, see separating keywords by demographic indicators similar age, gender, oregon location

Let’s accidental you privation to people antithetic purchaser personas. You tin signifier your keywords into categories specified arsenic “women’s sports apparel,” “men’s casual wear,” and “children’s acquisition toys.”

Each class should bespeak the circumstantial hunt behaviors and preferences of these groups. Allowing you to tailor your ads for maximum relevance and impact.

Step 6: Adjust Keyword Matching and Negative Keywords

Choose the close keyword matching strategy and adhd antagonistic keywords to your campaigns to assistance support your advertisement budget.

Depending connected the benignant of keyword lucifer you choose, your ads could amusement up for a assortment of keyword searches. Negative keywords archer Google Ads erstwhile not to show your ads.

First, let’s dive into the keyword lucifer types.

There are 3 main lucifer options successful Google Ads:

1. Broad match: Matches immoderate keyword oregon hunt operation that Google considers to beryllium intimately related to the word you’re targeting. For example, “life jackets” mightiness lucifer “life vests” and “water flotation devices.”
2. Phrase match: Matches immoderate hunt query that contains your people phrase, adjacent if it has further words earlier oregon after. It’ll besides lucifer somewhat modified variations of the aforesaid presumption (e.g., “life jackets” mightiness lucifer “children’s beingness jackets” and “red beingness vests”).
3. Exact match: Only matches the nonstop query oregon synonyms arsenic you’ve described them. In this case, you mightiness specify “life jackets” and “life vests.”

Change the lucifer benignant for keywords connected your database utilizing the PPC Keyword Tool. 

In the left-hand navigation, click “Advertising” > “PPC Keyword Tool,” and click connected your task of choice. 

Then, click the drop-down navigation from the “Match type” column. (By default, it volition accidental “Broad match.”) Click connected different lucifer benignant from the list. 

Keywords that we bash not privation to trigger ads successful our campaigns are called antagonistic keywords. 

In the PPC Keyword tool:

Click the “Negatives” toggle. Then click “+ Negatives” > “Manually.”

In the substance box, benignant oregon paste a database of antagonistic keywords. Click “Add.” When you’re done adding keywords, click “Add keywords.”

Consider adding antagonistic keywords for things like:

• Brand names that you don’t merchantability (e.g., “nike”)
• Types oregon options you don’t connection (e.g., “child”)
• People searching for coupons, deals, oregon freebies (e.g., “coupon,” “free tools”)

Use the cross-group negatives diagnostic successful the PPC Keyword Tool to automatically make antagonistic keyword suggestions. This helps you debar overlap betwixt your advertisement groups and campaigns. 

To bash this, click the “Cross-group negatives” button.

When your run is running, you’ll spot a database of hunt presumption successful your Google Ads relationship that triggered your ads. Use the information from the hunt presumption study to adhd antagonistic keywords.

This helps to amended run show by excluding unintentional placements.

Step 7: Export Your PPC Keyword Campaign

Semrush’s PPC Keyword Tool makes it casual to export your keyword lists and import them into Google Ads. 

In the top-right corner, click the “Export data” button. Choose “All.” 

Select the run from the drop-down menu. Then, take “Keywords + Negatives” from the “Report” drop-down menu. Click “Export to CSV.”

Save the record to your section drive.

Now, let’s upload it to Google Ads. 

Open Google Ads Editor. 

Go to “Account” > “Import” > “From file.”

Locate, select, and upload the CSV record you saved earlier. Google Ads Editor volition process the CSV file.

Review imaginable errors and marque the indispensable adjustments. This whitethorn impact mounting the default max. CPC, max. CPM, etc.

Once done, reappraisal the changes and implicit the setup.

This volition integrate your recently refined keywords into your Google Ads campaigns.

Step 8: Monitor Your Campaigns and Update Your Keyword Lists

Keyword probe doesn’t halt erstwhile you motorboat your Google Ads campaign.

Because you wage for each click you receive, you privation to continuously show the keywords that trigger your ads. 

Here are immoderate cardinal metrics and aspects you should absorption on:

• Conversion rate: Measure however often a click connected your advertisement leads to a conversion
• CPC: Monitor however overmuch you are paying for each click. An expanding CPC could bespeak accrued contention oregon changes successful bidding strategy.
• Wasted spend: Check for keywords that outgo wealth but bash not pb to conversions. Adding these arsenic antagonistic keywords tin trim waste.
• Quality Score: Google rates the prime and relevance of your keywords and ads. It affects your CPC and advertisement position. A precocious Quality Score means your advertisement meets your audience’s needs much effectively, perchance lowering your costs.

Monitoring the supra volition assistance you marque informed decisions to refine your PPC strategy and amended run performance.

Generally, you should look astatine the hunt presumption that trigger your ads successful Google Ads. This volition assistance you spot what existent queries bring up your ads.

Then, adhd caller high-performing keywords based connected your learnings. Or intermission low-performing ones to optimize your advertisement spend.

Use the Semrush PPC Keyword Tool, Google Ads Editor, oregon Google Keyword Planner to update your campaign.

PPC Keyword Research FAQs

Does PPC Affect SEO?

No. Running PPC campaigns does not straight interaction your site’s integrated rankings and SEO. But galore companies usage some strategies for a broad attack to integer marketing.

Is PPC Cheaper Than SEO?

There are excessively galore factors to accidental for definite which strategy is cheaper.

For PPC campaigns, you indispensable see the outgo to behaviour research, make a strategy, and tally the ads. Then adhd successful what you wage for each click.

With SEO, determination are costs for experts to make and execute a semipermanent strategy. Plus things similar contented writing, design, and website UX.

Is PPC Easier Than SEO?

PPC outcomes are often much predictable than SEO. But that doesn’t ever marque it easier.

While the basal process of mounting up and moving campaigns whitethorn look simple, contention tin beryllium fierce. And determination are algorithms and Ad Rank calculations to recognize successful bid to optimize your run performance. 

How Do I Find Good PPC Keywords?

Similar to SEO keyword research, PPC keyword probe requires immoderate method know-how and the close tools. 

For starters, usage a instrumentality similar Google Keyword Planner oregon Semrush’s Keyword Magic Tool to bash keyword probe for PPC campaigns. 

After that, travel the steps outlined successful our PPC keyword probe usher to get your strategy right.

Which Tool Is Used for PPC Keywords?

Semrush offers a suite of PPC keyword probe tools. Keyword Overview, the Keyword Magic Tool, and the PPC Keyword Tool assistance you uncover and analyse high-performing keywords. 

These broad PPC keyword probe tools let you to research imaginable keywords, recognize competitory metrics, and refine your advertisement campaigns for amended results.

Sign up for a escaped Semrush relationship to rise your PPC campaigns’ occurrence rate.