PPC Keywords - What They Are & How To Master Them

Google Ads is more powerful than every other advertising platform for one reason - The power of keywords 🔑

It’s why advertisers spend around $200 billion dollars per year on Google ads.

For the simple fact that they can target customers exactly where they are searching - It’s literally like magic for any marketer! 

What are PPC Keywords?

Simply put, PPC keywords are the search keywords that advertisers select within their pay-per-click advertising campaigns. 

These are the searches that people are inputting to a search engine. 

Selecting PPC keywords carefully is an important step in finding customers that are searching for solutions related to your business.

Why Do Advertisers Love Keywords?

Advertising based on keywords presents a very unique opportunity for advertisers that almost no other advertising channel can match.

Think about it…

Keyword selection allows advertisers to hone in on an incredibly specific audience that are pre-qualified to show interest in your product or service.

So that’s essentially why keyword-based advertising on search engines like Google ads is so popular - Because targeting by keyword searches is so incredibly powerful for advertisers.

Keyword Types

These are keywords like “buy running shoes online” where the search clearly implies that the person searching is prepared to make a transaction, because they’ve added the word “buy” to their search. 

Examples:

• Buy Nike Shoes
• Buy Running Shoes 
• Fast Shipping Running Shoes 

Transactional Intent Keywords

These are keywords like “buy running shoes online” where the search clearly implies that the person searching is prepared to make a transaction, because they’ve added the word “buy” to their search. 

Examples:

• Buy Nike Shoes
• Buy Running Shoes 
• Fast Shipping Running Shoes 

Commercial Intent Keywords

These are keywords like “Adidas running shoe alternatives” - They indicate that the person searching is actively looking for a solution to their query - They want to find a new brand of running shoes that aren’t Adidas. 

Another example would be “Running shoes” where the searcher hasn’t yet narrowed down what brand or model they want, but it’s a fair assumption to make that most of the time when someone is making this search, they’re on a buying journey. 

Examples:

• What are the best running shoes 
• Nike vs adidas 
• How much do the new Nike vaporfly's cost?
• Adidas running shoe alternatives 
• Best running shoes
• Adidas running shoes (bidding on competitor keywords)
• Running shoes prices (showing they're considering purchase)

Informational Intent Keywords

These are keywords that indicate a desire to gain a better understanding of any subject.

One example would be “How deep should a heel drop be on running shoes?”. 

Of course, it’s still very much possible to convert people searching for informational keywords, but these searchers usually still won’t be at a stage where they are ready to make a purchase. They are very early in their journey.

Certain advertisers may still bid on these keywords with a very creative approach and the good news is that it’s significantly cheaper to bid on informational-intent keywords because the competition just isn’t high. 

Examples

• How deep should heel drop be on running shoes? 
• Benefits of the new Nike running shoes? 
• How do the new Nike vaporfly make you run faster? 
• Where are running shoes made? 

Google Keyword Match Types

OK so now we understand the difference between transactional vs. informational type keywords, let's dive into the Google platform itself.

When you're bidding on keywords via Google ads, you must select one of the following match-types:

1. Broad Match
2. Phrase Match
3. Exact Match

Check out our guide on broad match vs. exact match keywords.

Below, we're going to go into more detail on each to show you what we mean.

Broad Match Keywords

Broad match keywords are essentially any keyword that's somewhat related to the keyword you input.

For example, if your target keyword is "Running shoes" then Google might also display your advert to people who type in the following searches:

• "Thinking about running a marathon"
• "Trainers that I can use for walking and running"
• "Jogging tips" 
• "Running store" 
• "Jogging with wide feet"

So basically, your ads might show up for ANY keyword that Google deems relevant, if it thinks that searcher may be interested in your product.

Broad match keywords are the default match type set within Google ads, so if you take no action, you'll be bidding on broad match.

Phrase Match

The final and most granular level down is exact match keywords.

This is where we typically always start with a PPC campaign before expanding into the other keyword types once we have achieved success.

Exact match gives you the most control, and means that our advert will only be shown to searchers who are looking for the exact meaning (or very close variations) of their search.

For example, if our target keyword is "Running shoes for men" then our advert will only be shown to people who type in searches such as:

• "Running shoes for men"
• "Mens running shoes"
• "Male running shoes"
• "Buy running shoes for men" 

Exact Match

The final and most granular level down is exact match keywords.

This is where we typically always start with a PPC campaign before expanding into the other keyword types once we have achieved success.

Exact match gives you the most control, and means that our advert will only be shown to searchers who are looking for the exact meaning (or very close variations) of their search.

For example, if our target keyword is "Running shoes for men" then our advert will only be shown to people who type in searches such as:

• "Running shoes for men"
• "Mens running shoes"
• "Male running shoes"
• "Buy running shoes for men" 

Keyword Research

Now that we have a strong understanding of the different types of keywords, you can start researching keywords for your product or service.

You should first identify the core keywords that are strongly related to your business by looking at keyword research tools & competitor analysis tools.

Ask Yourself - What are my customers searching for?

Keyword Research Tools

Honestly, by far the most powerful PPC keyword research tool that you can use initially is Google's own free keyword planner. 

It's an incredibly powerful tool that will show you extremely accurate data on exactly what people are searching for related to any keyword you input.

It allows you to:

• Discover keywords: Enter a seed keyword like "running shoes" and it'll give you a huge number of suggestions related to your product. You can also enter your website which Google's AI will scan to make sure it delivers relevant ideas 💡
• See monthly search volume: You can see approximately how many people are searching for a particular query each month, based on a certain country. 
• Cost: You can see what the average cost is whenever someone clicks on that keyword.
• Organization: You can directly organize keywords into different categories from the keyword planner tool, which you can then throw over into Google ads later on. 

See an image below of the Google keyword research tool in action.

At PPC.io, we use other tools as well like Ahrefs and SEMRush which are expensive, but help us to uncover even more keyword ideas and opportunities that Google Keyword planner won't display. 

These tools also allow us to perform detailed competitor analysis, which is a huge part of keyword research.

If we can find a brand that we suspect is running an incredibly successful PPC advertising campaign, then of course it's valuable for us to look behind the scenes and discover exactly what keywords they're bidding on.

It's a strategy we use at our agency to get ahead of the competition and learn fast.

Refining with Negative Keywords

It's incredibly important that you refine your keyword research strategy by adding negative keywords.

Negative keywords are search terms that Google will blacklist against your ad, meaning that people who search for those keywords will not see your advert.

For example, if someone were to search "Size 14 running shoes" there's a chance that Google might show an advert to your store, thinking that it's possible you have the product to suit them.

However, it may be that you strictly don't stock any shoes above size 13! In this case, it's obvious that you'll want to ensure that any search term featuring the words "Size 14" is listed as a negative keyword.

Negative keywords allow us to block Google from showing our adverts to users in situations like this where we know the click will be wasteful.

Check out our detailed guide & examples of negative keywords. 

Top Of Funnel vs. Bottom Of Funnel Keywords

Now it's time to consider some more advanced PPC keyword considerations. 

Some of the best PPC marketers in the World like to segment their PPC campaigns depending on which stage in the marketing funnel the customer is in.

Here's a nice graphic from SEMrush (the tool I mentioned previously) which illustrates the funnel:

Top Of Funnel Keywords

🤔 Top of Funnel = Running shoes (thinking more broadly about a topic)

Think of 'Top of Funnel(ToF)' as the discovery phase in PPC.

💡 It's where our customers first gain awareness of our product.

Imagine we’re Nike, showcasing our “running shoes”

• Top of funnel searches could include “running shoes” or “performance sneakers” - capturing the broad category
• For Google Shopping, our goal is to reach individuals searching for running shoes without prior knowledge or consideration of the Nike brand.
• They’ve already explored YouTube videos and forums - understanding they need and desire running shoes
• Now we have the opportunity to introduce the Nike brand to that user for a $2 CPC

👉 It's crucial to remember that top of funnel campaigns might not yield high ROAS initially.

Breaking even is perfectly acceptable here!

This sets the stage for other campaigns lower down the funnel (which we'll see next) to come in and scoop up the customers who were introduced to our brand via our discovery (top of funnel) campaign, but who didn't yet make a purchase.

See where this is going?

Middle Of Funnel Keywords

👩‍💻 Middle Of Funnel = Best running shoes for marathons (diving deeper towards a purchase, more specific searches now!)

For the Nike example, let's delve into MoF keywords.

At this stage, users are diving deeper, seeking specific information. See some examples below.

• Product Comparisons: Keywords such as "best running shoes for marathons" or "Nike vs. competitor running shoes comparison" target users who are comparing different products and inching closer to a purchase decision.
• Brand-Specific Searches: Searches incorporating the Nike brand with general terms, like "Nike running shoes reviews" or "Nike sneakers durability," indicate a user's strong consideration of Nike's offerings.
• Benefit-Oriented Searches: Keywords focusing on specific advantages, like "lightweight running shoes" or "running sneakers for flat feet," suggest users are seeking products that fulfill particular needs.

These keywords are more precise than top-of-funnel terms, targeting users who are further along in their decision-making process and have a more clear idea of which product they want. 

Bottom Of Funnel Keywords

🤑 Bottom = Buy Nike running shoes (ready to purchase!)

This is the moment when consumers are fully informed and ready to make a purchase.

Examples below.

• Brand and Product-Specific Searches: Keywords showing strong intent to purchase, such as "buy Nike running shoes," "Nike sneakers sale," or "Nike online store."
• Promotion and Deal-Oriented Searches: Searches for special offers, like "Nike discount code," "Nike running shoes deals," or "best price on Nike sneakers."
• Geo-Specific Searches: For businesses with physical stores or specific shipping areas, keywords like "Nike store near me" or "Nike free shipping to [location]" can attract users poised to buy.

By aligning the marketing strategy with these keyword insights, Nike can effectively engage customers at each stage of their journey, from initial awareness to final purchase, maximizing both reach and conversion rates in the dynamic and competitive athletic footwear market.

Look at the Bigger Picture

When selecting keywords and placing them into campaigns based on their various types, it's incredibly important that we always look at the bigger picture.

• Top line MRR (monthly recurring revenue)
• CAC (cost to acquire customer) across all campaigns

These are far more important metrics than ROAS alone!

Because of data-driven attribution, certain campaign types like branded search campaigns will always claim greater attribution vs. the first click campaigns that allowed a customer to discover your brand in the first place. 

But that’s fine! We don’t care so long as our blended cost to acquire a customer is good, and our ad campaigns are ultimately wildly profitable as a whole! 

Wrapping Up on Keywords

Keywords are the cornerstone of a successful PPC campaign, and it's imperative that you run extensive keyword research before launching any campaigns. 

Honestly, if you can achieve a strong understand of search intent and start to visualize how customers begin and end their search journey with different keywords, then you're going to be ahead of 95% of the competition. 

My final advice - Start slow and steady with exact-match keywords that are more "safe", and then start to expand from there after you've achieved some initial success from your PPC campaigns.