Go back

The Daily Carnage

march 15, 2023

Repeat After Me

Keyword lists and beer popsicles.

5 PPC Keyword Challenges

Optimizing keywords for paid search campaigns can be difficult to get right. Here’s how to approach 5 common challenges.

Challenge #1: How many keywords should you have in your account?

The answer is simple: as many as necessary. By using keyword planning and competitor keyword tools, you can build a large list of potential keywords to narrow down and ultimately integrate into your account structure.

Challenge #2: Variants, variability & redundant keywords

Keyword phrases can be quite similar, with only slight variance in the order of words. Google has recently moved to flagging keywords for redundancy, but the fact is that even similar keywords can perform very differently. Consider testing both, so long as they have estimated search volume.

Challenge #3: Head terms vs long tail variants

Start by adding long tail keywords (4+ words), which are more specific and less costly than broader head terms (3 words or fewer).

Challenge #4: Match type myopia

These days, broad match can be too broad, targeting search terms that are not relevant to your business. Instead, try phrase and exact match terms first. After sustained success over time, you can expand into broad match.

Challenge #5: Keyword list maintenance

It’s not a crockpot—you can’t set up your account and forget it. Your keyword list needs regular maintenance to optimize performance. Make sure your keywords are still relevant, identify new versions to test, and analyze your best and worst performers to improve.

Check out WordStream’s guide for a deep dive into PPC.

Read moreSign up

Smash or Pass 👍/ 👎

How do you like Coors Light’s March Madness novelty “Coors-icles” campaign?

Psst! You need to be a Daily Carnage subscriber to participate in this poll.

Enter your email below to subscribe or verify your existing subscription

Subscribe to The Daily Carnage

Get a daily curation of marketing news, insights, tools, and culture—delivered straight to your inbox.

What The Cluck

Honest Eggs Co

Australia-based Honest Eggs Co has invented Fitchix, an ergonomic step-counter designed to track the activity of free-range chickens. The chickens’ step count is then printed on your Honest Eggs before packaging. Why? Well… why not?

WatchSign up
Ads From the Past

Ads from the Past

Holiday Inn 1971

Holiday Inn, 1971

Read more

Get the best daily marketing newsletter in your inbox