Keywords: how search ads find the right people
What keywords and negative keywords are, which platforms use them, and how Snifferdog builds your keyword list from your brief.
Keywords are the words and phrases you want your ads to appear for when someone searches. If you run a bike shop in Leeds, "bike repairs leeds" is a keyword. When someone searches for something that matches it, your ad can enter the auction to appear.
Which platforms use keywords
- Google Ads: Search campaigns use keywords. Performance Max does not; it works from your assets and audience signals instead. See Search vs Performance Max.
- Microsoft Advertising: Search campaigns use keywords in the same way as Google, across Bing, Yahoo and partner sites.
- Meta, TikTok and LinkedIn: these don't use keywords. They show ads to people based on who they are and what they do on the platform. See Audiences.
Match types
Each keyword has a match type, which controls how closely a search has to match it before your ad can show.
- Broad match: searches related to your keyword. The widest reach, and the least control.
- Phrase match: searches that include the meaning of your keyword.
- Exact match: searches with the same meaning as your keyword. The most control.
For examples, see Google Ads: campaigns, ad groups, ads and keywords.
Negative keywords
Negative keywords stop your ads showing for searches you don't want to pay for. The bike shop might add "jobs", "free" and "second hand", so it doesn't pay for clicks from people looking for work, freebies or used bikes.
Negative keywords behave differently from normal keywords:
- They don't match close variants. If you exclude "bike", Google can still show your ad for "bikes", so add the plural and common misspellings too.
- A broad match negative blocks searches that contain all of its words, in any order.
- A phrase match negative blocks searches that contain its words in the same order.
- An exact match negative blocks only that exact search, with no extra words.
- Too many negatives can shrink your reach. Add them where you have a clear reason.
How Snifferdog handles keywords
When you run a Search campaign, Snifferdog builds a keyword list and a set of negative keywords from your brief. You'll see them under Keywords in your brief analysis, with the reasoning behind them, before anything goes live.
Tips for a better keyword list
- Think like your customer. Use the words they would type, not your internal product names.
- Be specific. "Emergency plumber Sutton" brings better leads than "plumber".
- Put the details in your brief. Your services, your area and who you don't serve all help Snifferdog choose keywords and negatives.
- Expect some learning time. New keywords need time and data before you judge them. See The learning phase explained.
Read more: Google's guides, About keyword matching options and About negative keywords.