In this episode of the Pest Control Internet Marketing Podcast, Andy Patel talks about the Google search terms. He identifies the difference between search terms and keywords, the purpose they serve, and why you need to analyze them. This episode’s main purpose is finding out where your search terms are located and the best way of analyzing them.
What is a search term?
A search term is the user’s actual search as it is related to your keyword or the actual search query that the user typed into the Google search bar. It is important to understand that keywords and search terms are not the same thing.
How to access your search terms?
When on the Google Ads platform, you can access search terms under the Google Ads search logo on the top left. Click on “search campaigns”, which is the first navigation– with a dark background. On the second navigation– with a lighter background– click on “keywords” and then click on “search terms” on the dropdown window.
How to analyze search terms?
Andy advises analyzing search terms daily if you’re just starting and have the time to do so. And then you can get to weekly and monthly analyzing as it gets better. It is important to look at the right data when analyzing search terms, and make sure that the keyword is appearing right next to the search term. Look at the statistics such as the views and the clicks. Also, look at the average cost per click to determine if it was a bad search term or a good one.
How to identify a bad search term?
“Identifying a bad search term is an art with no science behind it”, says Andy. He explains how they have been doing it for the last 15 years for their clients in the pest control leads business. He also explains the difference between a good and bad search term. Why you should consider the amount of money you’re spending on a search term per click.
How to fix a bad search term?
There two ways in which a bad search term can be fixed:
- By adjusting the keyword match type, if it’s a common issue from the keyword angle. If not;
- Then add a negative keyword, which is a word or a phrase that tells Google to never show the ad if that certain word is typed in.
Listen to the latest PCIM podcast episode on how to to analyze search terms in Google Ads campaigns here.