When it comes to Google Ads, finding the right keywords can be tough. You have to find keywords that your customers will search for, and still have enough traffic to make your campaign worthwhile.
But you also have to find low competition keywords that aren’t too expensive, which can be even tougher than finding new customers.
This short guide will teach you how to find keywords that are low competition and lower cost, so you can get more ROI from your PPC campaigns. And hopefully, spend less money on each customer acquisition.
Define Your Audience
If you’re launching a new PPC campaign, it’s important to know who your target audience is. Because if you don’t define them ahead of time, you could end up spending lots of money trying to reach an audience that may not exist (or is too small) in order to get a good return on investment.
To make sure your campaign is a success from day one, start by defining who your target audience is and where they can be found online.
There are several tools available to help with keyword research, but keep in mind that some search engines use different criteria than others when determining relevancy, so do your research before diving into any keyword tools.
Once you have a list of keywords that meet your criteria, prioritize which ones are most relevant and most likely to convert into sales or leads for your business. Determining the intent behind the keywords will help you to determine how much money to put behind a set of terms and where to position them.
It’s also important to note that certain industries require more specific targeting. For example, if you sell shoes online, it makes sense to focus on footwear-related terms rather than clothing-related terms. The same goes for car insurance companies; while car insurance might seem like a high-volume term, auto insurance quotes will lead directly to what people are looking for—and how much they need to spend.
Brainstorm All the Words
As you start thinking about terms that might be relevant and potentially profitable, don’t hesitate to write them all down. While seeing a long list of words or phrases can be overwhelming, it can also be beneficial. The more opportunities you consider up front, even if they are on-the-fence ideas or already overcrowded with competition, will ensure that you don’t miss any opportunities when finalizing your keyword strategy later on. A good rule of thumb is to brainstorm at least 10 keywords per ad group.
Google Ads
Perform a search in Google Ads Keyword Planner: This allows you to see how many people search for keywords related to your business each month. It helps narrow down which keywords you should focus on and rule out those where the keyword competition is too high.
Research Tools
Use a keyword research tool like Ubersuggest or Long Tail Pro too. These tools are great for finding long-tail keywords that you might not have thought of otherwise. The benefit of using these tools is that they’ll also give you an idea of how many people search for those terms each month, what topics they’re interested in, and how difficult it will be to rank in Google’s top 10 results.
Determine the ROI on Each Keyword
To determine the ROI on a specific word or term, you’ll need to dig into keyword analytics. Start by identifying which keyword terms are bringing in conversions and returning relevant traffic, according to Google Analytics.
You can use Google Ads to see how much each keyword is costing you per click (CPC) and determine whether or not that cost is worth it based on conversion rates (CVR). If you have an account manager at your digital marketing agency, ask them for help with these metrics. They will know what they look like and should be able to provide guidance. Once you know where your keywords fall, you can make adjustments accordingly.
Of course, you’ll need to have some analytics history in place and a well-structured data set to make sure that your numbers are correct. Always take the time to test and measure your efforts, no matter how small the changes you make.
Low Competition Keywords Cost Less
One of the benefits of using Google Ads – or any other search engine – to advertise your business is that you can compete with any sized business. The rules are the same across the board, but the results go to those who put in the effort to dig deeper into the data.
Ultimately, if you’re trying to find low competition keywords, consider phrases of four or more words and those with specific intent. There’s no point in throwing money at a particular word or phrase that’s highly competitive – there’s always going to be a bigger dog with deeper pockets to drum you out of the ad auction.
Once you’ve gotten this right, and you’re certain that your landing pages have a great quality score, then you’re on the road to success.
If you’re interested in enhancing the performance of your PPC team, we’d like to encourage you to consider making use of the power of ClickTrain AI.