Jamie Quella

It’s like this Wile E: Explaining Google AdWords Keyword Bidding Structure

August 27th, 2010 by Jamie Quella

When more than one keyword matches a search query, which keyword gets used?

Like many good campaign managers who follow best practices for a Google Search Network campaign on Google AdWords, you probably have the same keyword in all three match types (or four, since Google came out with a new match type recently).

So what happens when a search query matches more than one keyword in a campaign?

For queries that match more than one keyword in the same ad group:

Here’s the breakdown of the hierarchy of which keyword Google AdWords prefers in this scenario:

1. Use the keyword that exactly matches the search query. Example: Someone searches using the query “heavy anvil.” This query matches the broad match keyword “buy heavy anvil” as well as the phrase match keyword “heavy anvil.” Because the phrase-matched keyword matches the search query exactly, Google AdWords will use this keyword.
2. Use the keyword with the most restrictive match type if the keywords are the same. Example: Someone searches using the query “buy anvil,” which you have as broad, phrase and exact match keywords. Since exact match is the most restrictive match type, the keyword [buy anvil] will be the one used for bidding.



3. Use the keyword with the highest Ad Rank (remember, Ad Rank = Keyword Quality Score * max. cost-per-click bid). Example: The search query “get rid of road runner” triggers two possible keywords:
   • Keyword 1, “eliminate road runner”, which has an Ad Rank of 3.
   • Keyword 2, “destroy road runner”, which has an Ad Rank of 2.5.
   

   Keyword 1 Ad Rank = 6 * $0.50 = 3

   

   Keyword 2 Ad Rank = 5 * $0.50 = 2.5

In this instance, Keyword 1 will be used by Google AdWords because it has a higher Ad Rank.

For search queries that match more than one keyword across different ad groups:

The rules above apply for only keywords in the same ad group. What about a search query that matches multiple keywords across different ad groups? The preference order is listed as follows:

1. The first two rules are in exactly the same order as above. If a search query triggers keywords in two different ad groups, the same criteria as before apply, with the preference given in the exact same order as if they were in the same ad group.
2. Use the keyword from the campaign whose geographical location targeting is the most specific. Example: A search query of “buy heavy anvil” triggers keywords in two campaigns–one which geographically targets the state of Arizona, and one which targets a small custom area, part of the desert in southern Nevada. The keyword in the custom area campaign of the Nevada desert will be triggered because it is a more specific locational target than the entire state of Arizona.
   

   A more specific Custom Location Target triggers keyword over a wider general location

3. Use the keyword with the highest Ad Rank (remember, Ad Rank = Keyword Quality Score * max. cost-per-click bid). The same rules apply here as they did above, but this preference now comes after the geographical location targeting preference when the keywords triggered by the search query are in different ad groups.

Check back to the Lytiks blog next week when I will explore the few exceptions to these rules.

This entry was posted on Friday, August 27th, 2010 at 8:58 pm and is filed under Google AdWords. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.