Keyword Searching Algorithm — How to Take Your Keyword Refinement to Next Level?

If you manage a pay-per-click (PPC) campaign, keyword research will be one of the most critical aspects. Keyword research involves looking for common phrases and terms specific to your market that can drive traffic to your website or application.

Uncovering popular and relevant terms that users are searching for in Google — and to a smaller degree, other search engines — can increase the rank (position) of your advertisements and increase the number of qualified visitors you have.

However, the world of PPC keywords is vast and complex. You need high-quality tools and services to help you achieve success. That is why we are introducing a powerful tool called PPCexpo Keyword Planner into the mix. And you can directly install your chrome extension of this tool from here.

In this article, we’ll discuss the importance of keyword research and leveraging machine learning with PPCexpo to create more profitable campaigns:

Why is Keyword Research Important in Digital Marketing?

Keyword research has a direct impact on every aspect of your digital marketing. Every PPC and search engine optimization (SEO) task you perform should be done through the lens of putting a relevant message in front of the right market.

After all, when people search for something online, they have a certain intent. The content they interact with needs to match this intent to have enough conversions to justify your marketing budget.

Otherwise, you simply waste your budget on the wrong audience or fail to lead them through your marketing funnel. That’s why you hear many marketers talk about using a keyword searching algorithm.

How Does Google Account for Keywords?

In the last several years, search engines have changed a great deal. You need to have a solid understanding of how they work to succeed with SEO and PPC.

For instance, Google does not rank pages based on pure keyword density any longer. Instead, Google’s algorithm has evolved to understand the intent of the searcher better.

Google will display both paid and organic results to a searcher based on their perceived intent, using historical behavior and other metrics to achieve better relevancy.

Understanding Google’s Algorithm

The sheer amount of data that Google must process makes it impossible to do manually. Therefore, Google has been a pioneer in the arena of artificial intelligence (AI) as it relates to search queries.

Google’s RankBrain has been a major step toward AI-powered ranking. In essence, Google has moved away from mere keyword volume toward a focus on topical authority instead. The precursor to this was Natural Language Processing (NLP) which tallied keywords, which dominated the SEO industry at first.

Now Google’s AI-backed algorithm can understand how different topics are related on a much deeper level. In short, Google now provides more relevant search results, and marketers must create their campaigns with an authentic goal in mind.

A Look at the History of Google’s Algorithms

Google is always looking to improve the user experience. After all, the more that people trust and use Google, the more advertisements they can sell.

However, Google is known to come out with updates that can be frustrating for brands. One day, you might wake up to find that your traffic has dropped off a cliff because of a new algorithm update.

Here is a look at notable algorithm updates over the years:

Panda

Panda was released in 2011. It disrupted the SEO and PPC industry a great deal, affecting numerous brands and marketers. The intent behind Panda was to penalize sites for exploiting keyword volume, duplicate content, and other spam.

However, these questionable “content mills” were not the only ones affected. Even larger, legitimate websites like eBay found themselves falling out of the top results for their primary keywords.

Hummingbird

Hummingbird came along in 2013, further weakening the correlation between keywords and rankings. After this, pages began to reach the top of search results even if they did not contain words typed into the search bar.

Through enough data analysis, Google’s algorithm now had enough insight to determine what users wanted, even without specific terms. This was when Google started to provide long, detailed answers to queries at the top of search results.

RankBrain

RankBrain is an AI system that is based on machine learning. Launched in 2015, it has become a major part of Google’s ranking algorithm. If RankBrain comes across a brand new query, it can use AI to guess the meaning and filter search results accordingly. It will present results estimated to have a similar meaning, making results more relevant than ever.

BERT

BERT (Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers) is a natural language processing approach to handling data. It looks at large amounts of text and categorizes speech into different entities.

It was developed in 20018 so that Google could further understand user queries. It also created a unique need for brands to better understand keyword possibilities that go beyond exact matches, using innovative tools like keyword searching algorithms.

How Intelligent is Google’s  Algorithm Today?

We’ve seen how the algorithm has evolved and improved over the years. But just how smart is Google’s technology today? Let’s look at some of the more impressive features of Google’s algorithm as of mid-2020:

• Google Equates Singular and Plural Forms – Let’s imagine you want to buy a new kitchen knife. If you happen to type in “kitchen knife,” Google will also show you results for “kitchen knives” because obviously, those results would also be relevant for such a shopper.
• Google Takes Into Account Only the Word Root – Let’s say you are installing an antenna, using the query “antenna install.” Google is smart enough to include search results with variations of the root word “install,” such as “installing” and “installation.”
• Google Know what Acronym stands for – Google attempts to serve search results that match user intent. That means the results should include abbreviations that real people use. For instance, searching for “LA barbeque” will yield results for barbeque restaurants in Los Angeles, instead of the algorithm getting confused.
• Google Understands Synonyms – Certain words and phrases are synonymous and almost perfectly interchangeable. For instance, there is no significant difference between “sports gear” and “sports equipment,” and Google knows this.
• Google Interprets Concepts – People phrase concepts in different ways. For instance, searching for “number of Google employees” and “how many employees does Google have” both have the same intent and will yield similar results.

Tactics for Keyword Research

Although it is only part of the online marketing equation, keyword research is essential. Aside from using a tool that incorporates a keyword searching algorithm, here are some tried and true tactics to use in your SEO and PPC campaigns:

• Make a List of Important, Relevant Topics – Think about what you already know about your business and the customers you serve. Then, place keywords into general buckets. Once you have 5-10 buckets, you can refine them further to include more specific keywords.
• Research Related Search Terms – You might struggle at first to come up with related search terms to include. Luckily, if you browse Google’s search, you can see suggested searches. Use these as a jumping-off point for additional terms.
• Research Your Target Audience – In any business, most of the work revolves around developing an in-depth understanding of your market. Think about the actual needs, wants, and questions that your market has. Look to answer these questions first instead of keyword stuffing.
• Use Long-Tail Keywords – This is one of the most important aspects of optimizing your campaigns. First of all, long-tail keywords cost less to bid on than shorter keywords. Secondly, you may even rank in comparable positions to more common keywords with your long-tail keywords. Finally, the more specific the query, the more it attracts users further down the funnel.
• Create Relevant Content – Keywords are not the be-all-end-all of digital marketing. Google now places much more emphasis on content engagement than it did before. Make sure to explore video, text, photos, and audio content to keep people glued to your site when they arrive.
• Optimize Title Tags and Descriptions – Aim to include your keywords in your title tag and other headers and descriptions. Don’t leave the “alt” attribute text value for images as images are searchable on Google. This catches the eye of your target market while also boosting your SEO from an algorithmic point of view. Just because keywords have become somewhat less important than in years past, they are still a vital part of a smart approach to online marketing.

How Google Uses Machine Learning to Categorize Keywords at Scale?

Machine learning is making a splash in many different industries. However, due to the data-heavy nature of digital marketing, it promises to change the landscape even more. That’s why piggybacking off of Google’s keyword-searching algorithm is a smart move.

This is particularly true for e-commerce selling physical products, where there is a near-infinite amount of combinations for queries regarding product sizes and models.

To keep up, Google leverages natural language processing and machine learning. First, they use a training set of thousands of manually labeled keywords. From here, Google created a classifier that separates keywords with great accuracy.

In this process, search queries are refined to their root, and common words are ignored (“and, that, is, the,” etc.). Furthermore, the sequence of words is used to determine different categories.

Google uses three top-level categories, eleven subcategories, and fifty-two individual product classes to categorize keywords. This allows Google to provide incredible insights.

For example, they combine search demand data for specific keywords with clickthrough rate (CTR) and search position data to determine how much traffic you are capturing in a particular product category.

Google also understands that certain purchases involve different consumer behaviors. Thus, their analysis considers that a user is more likely to scroll further down when shopping for a relatively pricey item, such as a laptop compared to a pair of shoes.

From this perspective, Google’s keyword searching algorithm is an excellent source of intel for uncovering new approaches to your market and understanding reasonable metrics to expect based on your product type.

How do Match Types Impact Keywords?

Keyword match types are useful parameters in Google Ads that allow you to determine which keywords will trigger your ads or not. There are four match types: broad match, broad match modifier, phrase match, and exact match.

Google’s latest algorithm update will impact exact match keywords because now close variants are included. This could be beneficial by allowing you to discover close variants that users are searching for.

On the other hand, you need to be diligent. Always keep in mind that Google’s primary focus is to make as much money as possible. This is why they decided to take away the ability for you to bid on keywords that are truly exact matches because it expands the number of searches they can profit from.

Of course, your goal is to maintain profitability for your company. Therefore, you need to pay close attention to determine negative keywords if you find that Google is forcing you to bid on irrelevant keywords.

As you may have noticed, there are many changes and specific situations to navigate regarding Google Ads. Many brands find it more effective to team up with an experienced advertising agency that maximizes their ad spend instead of doing it themselves.

Choosing a Keyword Tool

In the PPC bidding world, the winner of the auction gets the top spot (and therefore typically the most clicks). Whether or not the top spot is cost-effective for your brand depends on your product.

You need to match your keyword bidding with the level of competition and your internal profitability from each click. Having a solid list of primary and secondary keywords to bid on is of the utmost importance.

That’s why you need a keyword tool that provides both of these crucial functions. And it should be built with a well-thought-out keyword searching algorithm.

PPCexpo Keyword Planner helps you find relevant keywords with the right volume. It provides quality data to determine the level of competition you are facing and the average cost-per-click (CPC) you can expect.

Consider the example below. If you type in “Blue Jeans,” you will be presented with a list of keywords and their relative competitiveness:

As you will notice above, “Blue Jeans” and its semantic keywords are quite competitive. With this data in mind, you can create a feasible bidding strategy and design your content around it to promote your product or service.

There are various tools in the marketplace today. But the keyword tool you use should use the right keyword searching algorithm to offer relevant suggestions and give you and your team the knowledge you need to bid on your market’s most important terms confidently.

The PPCexpo Keyword Planner Tool – Take Advantage of the Best Keyword Searching Algorithm

The screenshot pictured in the previous section offers only a glimpse of what PPCexpo Keyword Planner can do for your online advertising. To begin using PCexpo, you can enable it on Google Chrome. Try PPCexpo Keyword Planner now.

This powerful tool uses Google Autocomplete to find hundreds of keywords for any topic. Google Autocomplete is used by Google to help searchers find the best results for their intent. It uses various factors to determine this.

For instance, a user’s search history is taken into account. This means that autocomplete is potentially different and customized for each person.

PPCexpo also incorporates Google Suggest. In doing this, keyword suggestions are extracted and shown to you in an easily digestible way. As you can see, PPCexpo’s keyword searching algorithm is composed of best-in-class data sets.

PPCexpo’s interface is intuitive and empowers you to do all of the following and more:

• Choose the Most Relevant Keywords with a Powerful Keyword Searching Algorithm – Analyzing thousands of relevant keywords can be time-consuming, confusing, and exhausting. PPCexpo automates part of this process for you. This means you can identify the right keywords faster and create excellent content relevant to your marketing goals. That way, you put the right ads in front of the right customers.
• Get Estimated Keyword Search Volume – Easily discover the monthly search volume for a given keyphrase. Want to know how many people in USA search for “Blue Jeans” in a given month? PPCexpo can help. From this, you can gauge market interest and develop your budget and ad strategy around this.
• Get Estimated CPC – Paying too much for a keyword is a major mistake for marketers in the PPC world. Knowing your CPC for target keywords is an essential step in ensuring profitability for your campaigns. PPCexpo allows you to estimate the CPC of any keyword that you type into the planner.
• Get Related Searches Data – You can’t predict all of the possible relevant keywords for your market the first time. It takes time, experience, and tools. PPCexpo can be the tool you rely on to find valuable terms that you might not have thought of before.
• Get The Percentage of Similarity of Search Data – Gain deeper insights into your keywords with PPCexpo’s keyword similarity feature. You’ll quickly assess how relevant a new phrase or query might be to your overall advertising strategy.

Wrap Up

Have you installed the PPCexpo Keyword Planner? It’s great! if you have done, now you need to make sure that you have the right quantity, price, and relevance to your campaign.

Luckily, it is much easier when you have the right tool at hand. PPCexpo Keyword Planner is one such tool that gives you valuable insights for your keyword research process.

Once you have the right keywords in place, you will be in a position to write excellent ad copy and design your web pages with the right ideas in mind. That way, your campaigns will bring in more profit and fewer headaches for you and your entire organization.