If you run PPC ads on Google, you may have recently received an email from the company outlining its new policy regarding redundant keywords.
So, what’s changed?
Before, the “Remove redundant keywords” recommendations suggested redundant keywords within the same ad groups, allowing you to make improvements to your campaign. However, this change sees Google removing a phrase match or exact match keyword if a broad match keyword already covers it.
What should you do?
We recommend that you turn off auto-apply recommendations in both Editor and the Ads front end. You can do this by clicking the “disable” option within the recommendations section.
Why?
Google is making another another attempt to limit accounts to broad-match phrases only – meaning that your campaigns will perform less effectively but, most likely, spend more of your budget. Only after conducting extensive testing and determining that broad-match keywords are the most effective for your accounts should you make the switch to the recommendations.
Why Google is making the change to “Remove Redundant Keywords”?
In the email that they sent out, Google said:
Redundant keywords are equivalent to higher-performing keywords or keywords in broader match types. Removing these redundant keywords and consolidating your keywords across match types will help you manage your account more easily. It doesn’t negatively impact your performance, and still allows your ads to appear on the same searches.
