What Are Google Ads Keywords?
- 6 days ago
- 12 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
Google Ads keywords are words or phrases that help match your ads with what potential customers are actively searching for online.
By choosing the right keywords, your business can appear at the exact moment people are looking for services like yours.
For example, if you own a hair salon and want to attract more clients, you would target keywords such as “haircut near me,” “best hair salon,” or “hair stylist.”
These keywords help connect your ads with people who are already searching for your services.
These searches don’t match your services and don’t reflect what the user is actually looking for — this is known as search intent.
Keywords are one of the main ways you control who sees your ads and when they appear.
How Google Ads Keywords Work
When someone types a search like “haircut near me” into Google, a real-time auction happens instantly behind the scenes.
This auction decides which ads appear and their position on the page, using a system called Ad Rank.
Ad Rank is calculated using several factors, including:
Bid amount – how much you’re willing to pay for a click
Quality and relevance – expected click-through rate, how relevant your ad is, and the quality of your landing page
Ad Rank thresholds – the minimum requirements your ad must meet to show
Competition – how many other advertisers are bidding on the same keywords
Search context – the user’s location, device, time of search, other results on the page, and additional user signals
This system is designed to show the most useful and relevant ad for each search. Because searches change constantly, ad rankings can shift every time your ad becomes eligible to appear.
Using the earlier example, even if you bid less than your competitors on the keyword “best hair salon,” you could still rank in a higher position.
If your ad is higher quality. And more relevant to the search.
Understanding Key Google Ads Keywords Metrics
Click-through rates (CTR) and quality scores are important metrics in evaluating keyword performance.
CTR is the percentage of people who click on an ad compared to the total number of people who see it (aka impressions).
Use this metric to determine if you’re targeting the right searchers with the right keywords.
Quality Scores are used to gauge ad quality compared to other advertisers. Or competitors. Each ad is scored on a scale from one to 10.
Google uses three factors to calculate quality score:
Expected click-through rate: Estimates how often people who search your keyword will click on your ad
Ad relevance: How closely your ad’s target keyword and content align with what users are searching for
Landing page experience: The quality of the page users land on after clicking your ad.
Your ad is then rated by comparing it to other ads bidding on the same keyword. Using "below average," "average," or "above average" across each of the three quality factors.
Higher Quality Scores usually indicate that your ad is relevant, useful, and closely aligned with what the user is searching for.
However, what counts as a “good” Quality Score depends on the type of keyword you’re targeting:
Branded keywords (your business name or product names) should typically aim for a score of 9 or higher
Commercial-intent keywords (searches that suggest the user is ready to buy or convert) should target a score of 8 or higher
Low-intent or informational keywords (where users are researching rather than taking action) often perform well with scores of 6 or higher
What Makes a Good Google Ads Keyword?
A strong Google Ads keyword connects what you offer with what your ideal customer is actively searching for.
It considers:
search intent
user behaviour
the likelihood of conversion
Returning to our earlier example:
Keywords like “haircuts” or “hair salon near me” are simple and relevant. They clearly match your services and business offering.
However, these terms are broad and highly competitive. They may not always reach your specific target audience or niche.
More precise keywords such as “haircuts for curly hair” or “best hair salon for textured hair” attract users with clearer intent and a higher chance of converting.
These are known as long-tail keywords.
Why Long-Tail Keywords Matter
Long-tail keywords usually have:
lower search volume
less competition
lower cost-per-click (CPC)
Because they target users with specific needs, they often deliver better conversion rates and help maximise the return on investment (ROI) of your ad campaigns.
Why Google Ads Keywords Are Important
Google Ads keywords are the bridge between your ads and your potential customers.
Choosing the right keywords allows you to:
Reach the right audience based on what they’re actively searching for
Improve ad relevance by aligning keywords with your ad copy and landing pages
Control ad spend by focusing on users more likely to click and convert
Enhance user experience by delivering exactly what the searcher expects
When keywords are selected correctly, businesses benefit from:
stronger ad positions
higher engagement and conversion rates
lower cost-per-click (CPC)
improved overall ROI
How to Research and Choose the Right Google Ads Keywords
Effective keyword selection starts by thinking like your customer.
Ask yourself:
What problem are they trying to solve?
What words would they type into Google?
For example, if you run a landscaping business, your initial keyword list might include:
landscaping
yard work
lawn care
yard maintenance services
landscaping services in [your location]
This list is only a starting point. To build a high-performing Google Ads campaign, deeper research is essential.
Conduct Keyword Research
Using keyword research tools helps you understand:
what customers are actually searching for
how competitive each keyword is
which terms offer the best balance between cost and performance
Proper keyword research removes guesswork and allows you to make data-driven decisions that support long-term campaign success.
Google Keyword Planner
Google Keyword Planner is a free tool designed to help you research and plan keywords for your Google Ads campaigns.
It allows you to:
discover new keyword ideas
explore variations of existing keywords
add or refine keywords within your ad campaigns
Since Keyword Planner is part of Google Ads, you’ll need a free Google Ads account to access it.
To get started, visit Google Ads and click “Start now.” Sign in using your Google account.
When prompted, select “Skip campaign creation.” This lets you set up your account without launching an ad right away.
Finally, confirm your basic account settings — such as country, time zone, and currency — and click “Submit.”
Once your account is set up, you’ll have full access to Google Keyword Planner and can begin researching keywords with confidence.
nce you reach the confirmation page, click "Explore your account."
Your Google Ads setup is now complete.
From the menu bar on the left, click "Tools." Then, click "Keyword Planner” under “Planning.”
This is where you'll find potential keywords for your Google ads.
For example, let’s say you’re running a “New Customer” campaign for your landscaping business.
The “Discover new keywords” option in Google Keyword Planner can help you build on your keyword list.
Start by selecting "Discover new keywords."
You'll see three options for keyword discovery:
Start with keywords: Enter a phrase or keyword. Like “lawn maintenance in [location].”
Start with a website: Enter your website or a competitor's site to generate a list of keywords relevant to the domain
Start with both: Enter keywords and a website's URL to generate a list of relevant keywords.
We’ll focus on “Start with keywords” for now.
Enter your selected keywords. Like:
”Lawn maintenance”
“Yard care”
“Landscaping”
“Yard maintenance”
Enter your selected keyword in the search bar. And click "Get results."
Pro tip
Entering your site's URL in the "filter unrelated keywords" box will help Google remove any services, products, or brands you don't offer.
The resulting page will display words and phrases related to "landscaping service." With details on search volume (the average amount of monthly searches). And competitor bids.
Types of Keywords in Google Ads
To connect ads with the searches people are making, Google Ads uses keyword match types.
Match types tell Google how closely a search query needs to match your keyword in order for your ad to appear.
The match type you select affects:
how widely your ad is shown
who sees it
how relevant the traffic is
Choosing the right match type helps balance reach and precision in your campaigns.
Google Ads offers three main keyword match types:Broad Match, Phrase Match, and Exact Match.
Each serves a different purpose and plays an important role in keyword strategy.
What Are Broad Match Keywords?
Broad match keywords allow your ads to appear for searches that include your keyword, related terms, synonyms, and similar phrases. Google’s AI determines which searches are relevant based on user intent and context.
This match type provides the widest reach, showing your ads across a broad range of search queries connected to your keyword.
When you use broad match, your ad may appear even if the search doesn’t contain your exact keyword, as long as the topic is closely related.
Important note:Broad match is the default keyword match type in Google Ads.
Example
If your keyword is women’s hats, your ad could show for searches such as:
women’s accessories
women’s fashion trends
These searches are topically related and fall under broad match behavior.
Your ad might also appear for queries like:
women’s clothing
women’s scarves
While these searches are related, they may not always be relevant to your specific offering.
Your ad should not appear for clearly unrelated searches, such as men’s clothing store.
When Broad Match Works Best
Broad match is especially useful in the early stages of advertising. It helps you:
increase brand visibility
reach a wider audience
collect valuable data on how people search
However, broader reach comes with risk.
If your ads attract clicks from loosely related searches — such as women’s scarves when you don’t sell scarves — your return on ad spend (ROAS) may decline due to irrelevant traffic.
This is why broad match should be closely monitored and supported by negative keywords.
What Are Phrase Match Keywords?
Phrase match keywords trigger your ads when a user searches for your exact phrase or a close variation of it. Additional words may appear before or after the phrase, but the intent must remain the same.
Phrase match keywords are created by placing the keyword inside quotation marks in Google Ads.
Example
If you bid on "women’s hats", your ad may show for searches like:
cheap women’s hats
where to buy women’s hats
In each case, the core phrase and meaning are preserved.
Why Use Phrase Match?
Compared to broad match, phrase match:
reaches fewer searches
delivers more relevant traffic
improves conversion potential
Because ads appear on searches more closely aligned with your product or service, phrase match often results in:
better ROAS
lower cost per conversion
stronger intent alignment
Phrase match is ideal when you want control without sacrificing too much reach.
What Are Exact Match Keywords?
Exact match keywords trigger your ads only when a user’s search has the same intent or meaning as your chosen keyword. Unlike broad match, they offer the highest level of precision and control.
In Google Ads, exact match keywords are written using square brackets.
Example
If you bid on [women’s hats], your ad may appear for searches such as:
women’s hat
hats for a woman
These searches closely match the original keyword and reflect the same intent.
However, your ad should not appear for searches that change the meaning, such as:
derby hats for ladies
buy men’s hats
Although these searches are related, they target a different audience or intent and are therefore excluded.
Why Use Exact Match Keywords?
Exact match keywords are ideal when:
you want maximum relevance
your audience is clearly defined
your budget is limited
Because your ads only appear for highly targeted searches, exact match often leads to:
higher conversion rates
less wasted ad spend
stronger return on investment (ROI)
This match type is especially effective for high-intent campaigns, where each click matters and every visitor is more likely to take action.
Pro Tip
Explore keyword match types in more depth for both Google Ads and SEO to better understand how search intent impacts visibility and performance.
What Are Negative Keywords in Google Ads?
Negative keywords are used in Google Ads to stop your ads from appearing for certain search terms.
They help you exclude searches that are not relevant to your business, giving you greater control over who sees your ads. By filtering out the wrong audience, negative keywords often reduce wasted ad spend and improve overall campaign efficiency.
Although negative keywords use the same match types as regular keywords, they function in the opposite way—blocking ad visibility instead of triggering it.
Types of Negative Keywords
Negative broad matchPrevents your ad from showing when a search includes your negative term in any form.For example, adding casual will block searches such as “casual accessories” or “casual headwear.”
Negative phrase matchStops ads from appearing when the search contains your exact phrase in the same order.For instance, using “cheap women’s hats” will block searches like “buy cheap women’s hats” or “cheap women’s hats online.”
Negative exact matchBlocks ads only when the search query exactly matches your negative keyword.If cowboy hats is added as a negative exact match, your ad won’t appear for “cowboy hats,” but it may still show for “women’s cowboy hats.”
Google Ads Keyword Optimization Strategies
Keyword optimization means using real performance data to refine, remove, or improve the keywords in your ad campaigns over time.
Imagine you launched a Google Ads campaign for women’s hats using a mix of keywords and negative keywords.
During the first one or two months, everything worked well. The ads generated clicks, traffic, and even sales.
But by the third month, you notice something changing:
cost per click is increasing
the budget is being spent faster
results are no longer improving
This is the moment to review, optimize, and adjust.
Balance Keyword Relevance and Competition
The keywords you choose can bring significant traffic to your business. However, many of these keywords are also targeted by competitors.
Highly competitive keywords often come with:
higher cost per click (CPC)
stronger competition in the ad auction
increased spending with lower efficiency
Even if your ad is relevant, you may still pay more than necessary to reach the same audience.
Focusing only on popular, high-volume keywords can limit your reach and reduce conversions. A balanced strategy combines:
competitive keywords for visibility
more specific, lower-competition keywords for efficiency
Organize Keywords into Ad Groups
Ad groups contain ads that share a similar set of keywords and target the same type of user.
By grouping related keywords together:
ads become more relevant to searches
messaging feels more targeted
users are more likely to click and convert
Well-structured ad groups make it easier to deliver the right message to the right audience at the right time.
One of the simplest ways to structure ad groups is to mirror the layout of your website.
For example, if your site has categories such as “Skin Care” and “Makeup,” you can build separate ad groups for each category. A Skin Care ad group might include ads focused on products like moisturizers, serums, and cleansers.
When ads and keywords are closely related, Google can show your ads to users searching for very similar products or services. This improves relevance and overall performance.
Google doesn’t set an exact rule for how many keywords should be included in each ad group. However, a widely accepted best practice is to limit ad groups to 20–30 closely related keywords. This helps keep your ads focused and easier to optimize.
Pro tip:Tools like Semrush’s PPC Keyword Tool can simplify this process. After uploading your keyword list, the tool suggests improvements and can automatically group related keywords to help boost campaign efficiency.
Avoid Keyword Stuffing
Adding too many keywords—or keywords that aren’t relevant—can hurt your ad results.
Google’s priority is to show users the most useful and relevant ad for their search. Keywords play a major role in determining which ads are shown.
Keyword stuffing can:
lower ad quality
reduce your Ad Rank
violate Google’s advertising policies
Any short-term increase in visibility is usually outweighed by long-term performance issues.
Imagine a user searching for “women’s hats” and seeing an ad that repeats the phrase unnaturally. Instead of attracting clicks, it often pushes users away.
Clear, natural, and focused messaging always performs better.
The overuse of the "women's hats" is unnatural. And would likely discourage users from clicking.
Avoid this by using AI Ad Copy Generator. Our tool can help you generate engaging headlines and descriptions for your ads. Simply enter your URL to start.
Then, enter your keyword list for your ad group. These should be keywords related to your theme. Like “women’s hats.” Click “Generate ads.”
The app will then generate ad copy you can easily export and integrate with your ads account.
A more engaging, quality ad for “women’s hats” would look something like this:
Using the right Google Ads keywords is not just about filling your ad with phrases—it’s about connecting with the right audience at the right time.
When you carefully select, organize, and optimize your keywords:
Your ads appear to people who are actively searching for your products or services.
Your budget is spent efficiently, avoiding clicks from users who aren’t likely to convert.
Your ad relevance and quality score improve, which can lead to better positions at lower costs.
Remember, keyword strategy is ongoing. Monitor performance, test new terms, remove underperforming keywords, and adjust bids regularly. Tools like Google Keyword Planner and Semrush PPC Keyword Tool make this process faster and smarter.
At the end of the day, your keywords are the bridge between your business and potential customers. The more precise, targeted, and well-structured they are, the more successful your Google Ads campaigns will be.
In short: choose keywords thoughtfully, organize them clearly, avoid stuffing, and always optimize. This is how you turn clicks into real customers and maximize your return on every advertising dollar.
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