Topic: SEA basics, Google Ads targeting, keyword research, Google Ads keyword options, lead qualification
In my article on audience settings, I’ve already given an in-depth look at the options Google offers advertisers to reach the right users with (search) ads. But: these settings alone are rarely enough.
Let’s say we actually manage, via audience options, to reach wedding planners for our event location. That doesn’t help much if this wedding planner only organizes outdoor weddings while we operate an indoor event hall. And even with a perfectly fitting audience, users might not yet be far enough along in their decision-making process to actually convert.
We all want our search ads to generate as many conversions and/or leads as possible at the lowest possible cost. That’s why it’s so important not to stop when it comes to fine-tuning. With ads, that fine-tuning happens via keywords, ad copy, and landing page.
Finding the right keywords
In keyword research (here’s a short introduction), the focus is often on metrics like search volume, average CPC, and competition level. But even keywords with high search volume and low CPC can be wasted money if they trigger the wrong search intent.
Own screenshot
And that’s often exactly what happens. There is almost always a reason why competitors ignore a keyword: the search intent doesn’t fit.
Search intent: the most important factor for conversion-strong keywords
Search intent – or user intent – describes what a user wants to achieve with their search query. Do they just want information? Are they looking for something specific? Or are they ready to buy or submit an inquiry?
Search intent is often broken down into three categories:
| Category | User goal | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Informational | Find something out | "How e-bikes work" |
| Navigational | Find something specific | "E-bike course providers" |
| Transactional | Do something (inquiry or purchase) | "Buy e-bike" |
Keyword tools like Semrush often even indicate which category a keyword falls into. But most of the time, common sense is enough to understand what a user is trying to achieve with a search query. You can then additionally filter keywords by where they sit in the sales funnel.
Top-of-funnel and bottom-of-funnel keywords
Not every informational keyword is unsuitable for SEA. Even a user who is “just” researching can be close to making a decision. That’s why, in addition to search intent, keywords are also classified by their position in the funnel:
- Top-of-funnel keywords: General keywords for the first touchpoints
- Bottom-of-funnel keywords: Specific keywords with strong “purchase intent”
A user searching for “garden redesign ideas” is still at the very beginning and likely weeks or months away from submitting an inquiry. Someone searching for “garden redesign permaculture”, however, already has a clear idea and may only need a few more days. A user searching for “permaculture landscaper Bern”, on the other hand, is close to sending an inquiry – provided they find the right provider.
Please note: keyword match types
Once the right bottom-of-funnel keywords are found, there’s one more important thing to keep in mind: match types. Google offers three different ways for your keywords to influence ad delivery: “Broad match”, “phrase match” and “exact match”. And they’re controlled by how we enter our keywords into the campaign.
Without adjustments, Google will automatically choose “broad match”. This means that ads can also show for related search queries. If our broad match keyword is “sports shoes”, our ad might also show for queries like “tennis shoes” or “hiking boots”.
With phrase match (by putting the keyword in quotation marks, e.g. "sports shoes"), targeting becomes more precise. Here, ads only appear for search queries that contain the keyword or close variants. In the past, broad match would only trigger ads if the exact word appeared in the query, but those days are (unfortunately) over: Google has significantly loosened this option over the last two years. With phrase match, we’re now also shown for queries where someone searches for red sports shoes or sneakers.
If you want the highest possible control, you should use exact match keywords. To do that, you simply put the keyword in square brackets (e.g. [sports shoes]). Then the ad is only shown for that exact keyword. Even if a user searches for “red sports shoes” or “buy sports shoes”, your ad won’t be shown.
My tip: I usually work with phrase match. Exact match keywords often have too little search volume to generate enough clicks and conversions. Broad match is mostly useful for discovering new keyword ideas – but you absolutely need to work with negative keywords to avoid wasted spend. And even with phrase match, it’s increasingly worth using negative keywords to stay in control.
The ad copy is also a filter
Fair warning: Even with the right keywords and audience settings, you won’t reach only ready-to-convert users in your target audience. That’s why it’s a good idea to continue filtering – using your ad copy.
Of course, your ad text should generate a high click-through rate (CTR). That’s important for your quality score. But if you’ve already narrowed out as many unqualified users as possible through audience settings and keywords, you can afford to use the ad text to actively discourage the least relevant users. Every click costs money – and your ad performance gives the algorithm better signals about who is genuinely interested.
Example: A landscaper who only works in the canton of Zurich should make that clear in the text: “Landscaper in Zurich”. This filters out people who, for example, work in Zurich and therefore see the ad but actually live in Aargau.
You can apply the same logic to other dealbreakers: A cleaning service that only handles commercial properties can avoid clicks from private households by using a headline like “Cleaning service for businesses”, instead of attracting people looking for someone to clean their single-family home.
And a clear call-to-action (CTA) like “Request a quote now”, “Order a sample” or including a price in the text can also help deter unqualified users – and that’s exactly what we want here.
Qualifying leads with the landing page
If everything goes well, users who land on your landing page should already be a great fit for your target audience. Still, you can add another layer of control to avoid the last bits of wasted spend.
All dealbreakers you mentioned in the ad should also appear on the landing page. Here you have more room and can highlight them even more clearly: If you only work in the canton of Zurich, for instance, you can visually underline that with a small map and clearly highlighted boundaries of your service area.
Your contact form is also a great way to filter out unqualified leads. For example, if you only accept orders of 1,000 units or more, you can add a question like: “What quantities are you interested in?” Answer options like “1000–5000”, “5000–10000” and “10000+” prevent users with small-volume requests from submitting the form in the first place.
This isn’t just more efficient for you – it also matters for campaign performance: Conversions are sent back to Google as signals and influence who sees your ads in the future. By deliberately preventing some conversions, you actually make your campaign more effective and successful in the long run.
The right audience = a successful campaign
Reaching the right audience with Google Ads takes more than just the right settings. By carefully choosing keywords based on search intent and funnel position, using your ad copy as an additional filter, and minimizing wasted spend on the landing page, you can not only save costs (here’s my article on Google Ads costs), but also significantly increase your conversion rate. With this holistic approach, you’re not just optimizing campaign performance – you’re making sure every click is as close to your real goal as possible: qualified leads and more sales.
Need help implementing this? I’d be happy to advise you in a non-binding initial consultation on ads, audiences, and qualifying leads through targeting.
