How do Google Search campaigns work?
You choose keywords, write advertisements and send visitors to a suitable landing page. Google determines through the ad auction when your ad appears and how much you pay per click. Relevance between keyword, ad and page reduces waste.
What makes a strong search campaign?
A strong campaign is built around search intent, not around individual words.
| Part | Role |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Determine which intentions you want to show up for |
| Match types | Control how broadly Google can interpret searches |
| Exclusions | Prevent clicks from irrelevant searches |
| Advertisements | Translate search intent into a clear promise |
| Landing page | Delivers on the promise and converts visitors into leads |
| Conversion tracking | Measure which keywords really generate requests |
Which keywords do you use?
Be sure to use keywords with clear commercial intent. A search query such as "seo agency limburg" is closer to a request than a broad informative search. Broad terms can be useful, but only with good exclusions and clear goals.
In practice
Negative keywords are often the biggest savings. Without exclusions, you pay for searches that never become customers. We build that list from day one and expand it based on real search terms.
When does a search campaign not work well?
A search campaign does not work well when keywords are too broad, tracking is missing, ads are too general or the landing page does not match the search query. Then you buy traffic, but not reliable requests.
How does this fit into your Google Ads strategy?
Search campaigns form the basis. If you want a broader reach later, Performance Max campaigns can be supplemented. For budget and click prices, look at what does Google Ads cost. The conversion depends on having your landing page created.
Which match types do you use, and when?
Google interprets a keyword in three ways. The difference decides how much traffic you get and how much of it is usable.
| Type | What Google matches | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Exact | Only the query and very close variants | When you know which term converts |
| Phrase | Queries that contain the meaning | A middle ground at sufficient volume |
| Broad | Anything Google considers related | Only with conversion tracking and tight exclusions |
Broad without negatives is the most expensive mistake in a new account. You pay for queries Google thinks are related and your customer would never type.
Which negative keywords do you set up immediately?
A short list that saves money in almost any local service campaign. Add them before you start, not after your budget is gone.
- Words pointing at free or DIY, such as free, yourself, DIY and second hand.
- Words pointing at job hunting, such as vacancy, job, internship and training, unless you recruit.
- Competitor names, unless you target them deliberately and track the result.
- Place names outside your service area, even when you target by location.
- Brand names of products you do not supply.
Then read the search terms report weekly. It is the only place that shows what you actually paid for, and it is rarely the same as what you set up.