Google Ads basics

How to Choose Keywords for a First Campaign

A first campaign should prioritize commercial intent, service fit, location relevance, and enough focus to make the data readable.

Start with buyer intent

Searches that include a service, location, urgency, or action often show stronger intent than broad informational searches. A first campaign usually benefits from staying close to purchase intent.

Avoid every possible keyword

More keywords do not automatically mean more opportunity. A broad list can spend money on searches that are hard to interpret or too far from the offer.

Group similar intent

Keywords in the same ad group should be similar enough that the ad and landing page can speak directly to the searcher.

Review real search terms

Keyword planning is only a starting point. Search term reports show what people actually typed and help refine the account.

Start narrower than you think

A first campaign does not need to cover every possible service. Pick a small set of high-intent keywords that match the landing page and budget. Narrow campaigns are easier to diagnose when the first data arrives.

Consider match types

Exact and phrase match can help keep early traffic focused. Broad match may be useful later, but it usually needs strong conversion tracking, negative keywords, and enough budget to learn safely.

Use the landing page as a filter

If a keyword does not match the landing page, it may not belong in the first campaign. The page should be able to answer the searcher's need directly, without forcing them to hunt for the relevant service.

Avoid research-heavy terms

Early campaigns usually perform better when they avoid broad informational searches. Terms like "how to," "ideas," "salary," or "training" may be useful for content, but they often waste lead-generation budget.

Review after the first spend

The first keyword list is a hypothesis. Search term reports show whether the market uses the same language you expected. Use those reports to refine, not to defend the original list.

Start with commercial intent, not a list of topics

Build the first list from the exact service a customer can buy, the location served, and the problem that makes the search urgent. A plumber might separate “emergency plumber”, “water heater repair”, and “drain cleaning” because the page, call handling, and value of each enquiry differ. “Plumbing tips” may be relevant to the subject but usually signals research rather than a service request.

For every candidate keyword, write down the likely next action: call now, request an estimate, compare providers, or learn. Do not place those actions in one ad group merely because the words share a noun. The useful unit is a coherent promise between the search, ad, and landing page.

Use a simple qualification table

Before adding a term, score it against four checks: the business actually offers it, the searcher is in the target area, the landing page can answer the request, and the team can handle the resulting lead. A term that fails one check belongs on a later test list, not in the first launch.

For example, an HVAC company that only installs systems should not bid on “portable AC repair” just because it has volume. The expected click may be cheap, but the enquiry is not a route to the service being sold.

Validate assumptions with Keyword Planner

Keyword Planner can suggest related terms and forecasts, but its estimates are planning inputs—not a revenue forecast. Set the intended country, city or service area before interpreting volume or cost; broad national estimates are not a local demand estimate. Google documents the available keyword ideas, search-volume estimates and forecasts here: https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/7337243

Start with a small, auditable list. Add the strongest terms, record the match type, and note why each term is included. After launch, search-term data and lead-quality notes should determine the next additions.

First-campaign keyword checklist

• Each keyword maps to one offered service and one usable landing page.
• Location and language settings match the customers the business can serve.
• Research-only, job-seeking, DIY, supplier, free, and irrelevant product terms are considered for negatives.
• The landing-page headline repeats the service and location implied by the ad.
• Someone will review search terms and qualified leads after the first meaningful sample, rather than judging only click-through rate.