Three Simple Tweaks to Instantly Boost Your Google Ad Performance
Google Ads can be a powerful tool for driving traffic, leads, and sales to your business. But if you’ve ever found yourself pouring money into ads only to see lacklustre results, you’re not alone. The good news? There are a few simple changes you can make that can drastically improve your ad performance. Let’s dive into three quick changes that will help you get the most out of your Google Ads budget.
1. Switch All 'Broad Match' to 'Phrase Match'
Let’s start with one of the biggest mistakes advertisers make: relying too heavily on Broad Match keywords. Google’s Broad Match setting might seem like a good idea at first. After all, it promises to get your ads in front of a wide audience by matching your keywords with related searches. Sounds great, right? But here’s the catch: Google’s idea of “related” can be very different from yours, leading to your ads showing up in searches that are barely relevant—or worse, completely off-target.
For example, if you’re using the Broad Match keyword “dog training,” your ad could show up for searches like “dog toys” or “how to become a dog trainer.” Neither of these are likely to convert into the high-quality leads you’re after. This is where Phrase Match comes in.
Phrase Match narrows things down by ensuring your ads only appear when the exact phrase you’ve targeted (with some slight variations) is included in the search query. This means if your keyword is “dog training,” your ad will show up for searches like “best dog training methods” or “dog training tips for beginners”—much more relevant searches that are likely to bring in the right kind of traffic.
How to Make the Switch: Before you dive into switching all your Broad Match keywords to Phrase Match, it’s wise to check how your current Broad Match keywords are performing. This brings us to our next tip...
2. Review Your 'Search Terms' Report and Filter by Cost
If you’re not already familiar with the Search Terms report in Google Ads, it’s time to get acquainted. This report shows you exactly what people are searching for when they click on your ad, giving you valuable insight into which search terms are driving costs and, more importantly, which are driving quality leads.
Here’s a step-by-step guide:
Access the Search Terms report: In your Google Ads dashboard, navigate to the “Keywords” tab and select “Search Terms.”
Filter by cost: Sort the search terms by the amount you’re spending on them. This will help you identify which search terms are eating up most of your budget.
Evaluate relevance: As you go through the list, ask yourself if these search terms are truly relevant to your target audience—especially your highest-value, highest-quality audience. If you’re seeing terms that don’t align with what your ideal customer would search for, it’s time to take action.
By regularly reviewing your Search Terms report, you can quickly spot irrelevant terms that are costing you money and dragging down your campaign’s performance. Once you’ve identified these irrelevant terms, it’s time to take the next step: adding them to your negative keywords list.
3. Add Negative Keywords to Weed Out Low-Quality Traffic
Negative keywords are a powerful, often underutilised tool in Google Ads. Simply put, they prevent your ads from showing up in searches that contain specific words or phrases that you don’t want to target.
For example, if you’re selling premium dog training services, you might want to add negative keywords like “free” or “D.I.Y.” This way, your ads won’t show up for searches like “free dog training tips” or “D.I.Y. dog training.” These searchers are likely looking for something cheap or free and aren’t interested in paying for professional services, making them less likely to convert into paying customers.
Here’s how to add negative keywords to your campaign:
Identify irrelevant terms: Using your Search Terms report (as discussed above), note any terms that aren’t relevant to your business.
Add to your negative keywords list: Navigate to the “Keywords” tab, then select “Negative Keywords.” Here, you can add the terms you’ve identified to ensure your ads don’t show up for these searches.
The result? Your ads will only appear to searchers who are more likely to convert into valuable customers, making your campaign more efficient and cost-effective.
Conclusion
Improving your Google Ads performance doesn’t always require a complete overhaul of your campaigns. Sometimes, a few strategic tweaks are all it takes to turn things around. By switching from Broad Match to Phrase Match, regularly reviewing and refining your Search Terms, and strategically using negative keywords, you can ensure that your ads are reaching the right audience—and delivering the results you’re after.
Remember, the goal isn’t just to get clicks; it’s to get the right clicks. These three changes will help you do just that, ensuring your ads are working as hard as they can to drive high-quality traffic and maximise your return on investment.
Ready to turn your ads into a lead-generating machine? Book a free call with me today, and let’s chat about how we can elevate your ad strategy to attract the high-quality leads you deserve.
