One of the best Google Ads search campaign strategies is Single Keyword Ad Groups (SKAGs). It can be a major challenge creating high-quality search campaigns that drive conversions. You need to keep your Ad Groups organized and drive traffic to relevant pages. How do we solve for search intent when we are bidding on hundreds of keywords?
In the video and the article below, I will show you how to create Single Keyword Ad Groups for your Google Ads campaigns. The Google Ads SKAGs strategy has been very popular for years with PPC Advertisers. Since our job as advertisers is organization and optimization, Single Keyword Ad Groups make our life easier in the long run.
What Are Single Keyword Ad Groups (SKAGs)?
The practice of bidding on one keyword per Ad Group in a Google Ads campaign. Each Ad Group would have one targeted keyword, responsive search ads that are relevant for that keyword, and a landing page that is relevant to the keyword as well. SKAGs help advertisers optimize for quality score by providing a targeted experience.
Rather than bidding on 5, 10, or even more keywords in your Ad Groups, you can literally just bid on one keyword and focus on optimizing results.
Single Keyword Ad Groups Video
You can watch the embedded video below or you can watch it on YouTube.
How Do I Set-Up Google Ads SKAGs?
Let’s say you have 100 different keywords that you are bidding on. Each keyword will represent an Ad Group. Within each Ad Group you should create 2 responsive search ads. Therefore, when you build your campaign, you need to create 100 ad groups, 1 for each keyword. In addition, you should use negative keywords as well to make sure your ads are always relevant to search intent.
Create Separate Ad Groups For Separate Keywords
Your Ad Group should essentially just be named the same keyword you are bidding on. You can also incorporate the match type you are using for the keyword in your Ad Group.
Bid on 1 Keyword in Each Ad Group
Then, all you need to do is choose 1 keyword in the match type of your choice. I prefer using phrase match keywords, but you can choose to use broad match or exact match keywords as well depending on your budget and your goals.
Should You Use SKAGs?
Yes, most Google Ads advertisers should utilize Single Keyword Ad Groups. When it comes to improving your CTR, creating a relevant ad experience, creating relevant assets, and improving your ad quality, you can’t go wrong with this campaign set-up. They can help with your keyword quality scores and ad rank so you can optimize your website for the Google Ads auction.
Benefits of Single Keyword Ad Groups
There are plenty of reasons to use SKAGs, but I outline 3 different benefits below.
- Improved Ad Relevance
- Improved Landing Page Experience
- Higher CTR – Lower CPC
If you only have to create ads for 1 keyword then it is very easy to create relevant advertisements. Rather than creating responsive search ads for different keyword themes, you can focus on the search intent for your targeted keyword.
When someone is searching for your targeted keyword, you can build a custom landing page for it. For example, if someone is searching for red running shoes, you can create a landing page on your website that only lists red running shoes for sale. Ultimately, you are trying to give a great user experience to potential customers so they convert.
Google Ads rewards advertisers who give a seamless and relevant user experience.
The best way to improve your Google Ads click-through rate and lower cpc in Google Ads is to organize your campaigns. The better your quality score factors are (expected CTR, ad relevance, and landing page experience) the better your ad rank. When you have a high ad rank, you spend less on clicks on your advertisements.
In Summary
You need to focus on relevancy and targeting when it comes to Google Ads. If you can create an organized campaign with organized Ad Groups, you can drive the conversion and ROAS results you are looking for. Keep it simple and use Single Keyword Ad Groups for your next search campaign. All you need to do is follow the strategy above where we create Ad Groups by theme and bid on 1 keyword in each Ad Group.
