Google Ads The Changes to Google Keywords Ads in 2023 with Imogen Collins (episode 135)
by April Buencamino-dyImogen Collins is Head of Delivery at Genie Goals, an award-winning agency driving results for ambitious eCommerce brands like mamas and papas, Smythson, Karl Lagerfeld, and Biscuiteers. Imogen has been helping brands improve their search engine marketing since 2013!
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Are Google keyword ads still relevant?
Imogen says keyword ads are still very relevant. There’s space for keyword ads in the journey where consumers are looking for category pages or a particular brand where they can buy the products they want.
And while more brands are spending on Performance Max, Pmax does include keyword searches. So there is a reason to expand your keyword search ads and not reduce them.
Changes to Match Types
Phrase and exact match can now appear for stuff they never would have before. An exact match used to mean it had to be that exact keyword, but now it can be anything that means the same thing as that keyword.
The search term and broad match get good results now, but based on testing, it has also become standard to include a broad match in campaigns. Additionally, broad match modification isn’t being used anymore.
Imogen says so long as you have bidding strategies and Google is bidding to get the results, you will be optimizing toward the same performance. And as long as you have a good negative keyword strategy, you can get really good results.
Changes to Ad Types
Imogen shares that there are no more expanded text ads. What’s new are responsive text ads that allow Google to simply swap and change the different assets you provide. However, if you just let Google do what it wants with it, it’s easy to get wrong.
A way to control this is through pinning, which lets you pin certain headlines and descriptions to make sure that everything is in the right place. You can also full stops at the end of one line so that it doesn’t get merged with the next one.
Performance Max and Keyword Ads
Performance Max is a shopping tool, but it uses a feed and has assets that can be used across the entire Google ecosystem.
Part of this is going to be in keyword search. With the broad match updates, you can move into search terms you might have not thought of before. But you also have to focus on your negative keywords and make sure you don’t appear on things you shouldn’t.
Working with Google Ads in 2023
Google is saying that automation is really good because it frees up your time, but while less time is going to be spent on building out campaigns early on, you still have to update and streamline old campaigns, optimize performance, and build scripts to understand your PMax performance.
There is also a lot to test, and on the strategy side, you can’t just automate that. So you still have work to do, especially in making sure you’re not appearing for keywords that are not aligned with your brand.
Insider Tips
If we’ve inspired someone to take their first step with Google Ads – what do they need to know to give themselves the best chance of success?
First, take the fundamental course and learn the basics, and get your AdWords exam.
Then, make sure your tracking or Google Analytics is set up properly. Also, get your remarketing working.
Finally, if it seems complicated, then find and pay someone else to do it for you.
Once you’ve started of course you’ve got to ‘keep optimising’! So what’s your favourite way to improve Google Ads performance?
Keep an eye on your ROAS and verify that against your Google Analytics data.
Find a balance between not tweaking too often but also making changes when nothing is happening.
If someone listening wants to learn more about Google Ads is there one cheap/free resource you’d recommend?
Imogen recommends the PPC Mastery Blog that provides useful and actionable items you can try on a regular basis.
Crystal ball time – what’s coming up in the next 6-12 months that we should be getting ready for in Google Ads?
Imogen gives us three things to watch out for:
- Universal analytics is going to be phased out in July, so make sure you have GA4 already set up.
- Phrase match is going to get phased out at some point this year.
- In terms of CPCs, they’re going to remain on the high side. This may mean a pullback in some marketing budgets, which will result in less competition.
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