One of the main tasks of Google is to display ads that are most relevant to user requests. To solve it, the system provides several tools. This article will focus on one of them – the dynamic insertion of keywords in Google Ads.
An advanced AdWords feature, dynamic keyword insertion into ads, gives you the ability to increase ad relevancy. Briefly, the tool can be described as follows: it makes it possible to automatically insert words from the search query into the advertising text. This has a positive effect on the click-through rate of the ad and, as a result, in many cases increases the return of the campaign for the advertiser.
The principle of dynamic substitution is simple: the engine automatically selects and adds the appropriate keywords to the title or ad text (at the choice of the PPC specialist). A high level of ad relevance has a positive effect on CTR and quality indicators. The consequence of this is an increase in conversion and a drop in the cost per click.
Let’s see how to set up this feature, what keywords will be added, and what the user will see in the search results.
How does dynamic keyword insertion work in Google Ads?
A classic mistake of new advertisers is to create multiple ads with identical texts and different keywords. As a result, no matter what the user enters into the search box, he will see the same ad. This is due to laziness or ignorance of how important it is to write unique text for any request.
At the same time, the number of clicks to the site is usually directly proportional to the correspondence of the ad title to the request. Using dynamic keyword insertion in Google Ads greatly simplifies the task, allowing you to automatically perform the desired substitution. If the campaign advertises different models of the same product group, the effect of this tool increases significantly.
For example, for an online store selling watches, the main keyword would be “Swiss watches”. But a user who searches for “Swiss Tissot Watches” will see the following content:
Anyone who enters “Swiss watches” into the search box will see exactly the same ad, but adjusted depending on their search query:
And all this happens without the participation of the advertiser in automatic mode!
Match can be broader. For example, hundreds of manufacturers can be substituted into the “Watch” template.
For companies selling on the Internet, such a tool is simply indispensable. It is convenient to use when working with household appliances, automotive parts, food, clothes, shoes, etc.
An example! Dress in an online clothing store for women. Model options are countless. They differ in color, style, brand, purpose, length. Just one common keyword “Blue dress” can have over two dozen combinations, each of which can be a good headline for a high CTR ad.
How do I set up auto-suggestion of keywords in an ad?
When setting up dynamic insertion of keywords in Google Ads, you need to add a certain combination to the selected place in the title or body text of the advertisement, including in the link to the site: {Keyword:default text}.
As an example:
Order {keyword:smartphones} | Official Online Store | Warranty
All models. Delivery in Kiev in one day
site.com.ua/{keyword:smartphones}
If the keys “Honor Smartphones” and “Huawei Smartphones” are used, and the user specifies one of the options in the search, the ad will look like this:
Until the amount of characters reaches the maximum allowed, the user’s request can be supplemented. For example, after the user enters “Honor smartphones price” into the search bar, he will see:
AdWords additionally has case management:
{keyword:} – all uppercase letters for each word;
{KeyWord:} – all query words begin with a capital letter;
{Keyword:} – the first word in the text is capitalized.
Benefits of dynamic keyword insertion
Dynamic keyword insertion in Google AdWords, when used correctly, can have amazing results in improving account performance. Consider the main arguments in favor of its use.
Significantly saves PPC specialist time
The use of this tool will be a real help for those whose working day is scheduled by the minute. Put yourself in the shoes of a businessman who needs to set up ads for an online printer ink store. When searching, his client most often indicates the model of the device and the name of the paint suitable for it. The user in this case has an extra-specific need, so he will respond to an extra-specific result in the issuance. Such a client will respond less willingly to the general wording of typical ads. But if an online store specialist sets up a separate ad for each combination of thousands of paint colors and device models, then the task will become almost impossible.
The words from the query in the ad are in bold
The system highlights the words from the query in the ad text in bold. For those who are looking, this is convenient – they immediately see exactly the piece of information that answers the request. But advertisers also win – even ads that are positioned quite low in the search results get additional attention.
Ads with dynamic insertion can be longer than normal
If the maximum allowed title length is slightly exceeded, the system does not block such ads. As a result, the ad may take up more viewable screen space than allowed by the rules.
Information! Google is loyal to ads that use the keyword auto-substitution tool, which allows you to stand out from the competition and get more clicks.
Are there any downsides to dynamically inserting keywords into ads?
The advantages of the dynamic search word substitution tool are convincing, it really helps to save both time and money. But you should also consider the pitfalls that you sometimes have to step on when using this method.
Not suitable for long queries
If the keywords are characterized by a “long tail”, then the use of templates and dynamics is not recommended. If the maximum length is significantly exceeded, the system will substitute alt text. Those auto-substitution will not work, the user will see the general text.
Spam ad text
The idea of using a convenient substitution option not only in the title of the ad, but also in the template of its text seems attractive at first glance. Google provides such an opportunity. But saturation with key ad requests sometimes leads to hyper-personalization of the ad. It becomes like spam and looks unnatural.
Popular mistakes when working with dynamic insertion
The dynamic insertion tool works flawlessly with the right settings. But if you make mistakes in customizing templates, you can get a disastrous result. Here are a few examples that advertisers who decided to use auto-substitution had to deal with.
Error in writing autosubstitution code
Surprisingly, this error is quite popular among advertisers. When setting up dynamic keyword insertion correctly, it is extremely important to use the correct spelling: {Keyword: Default text}.
The use of any other brackets ([], (), <>) to isolate the key query is not allowed. You cannot add any characters, including spaces, between the keyword and the colon. Such errors become critical for the entire advertising campaign.
Usage for requests with errors
It’s not only possible, but necessary, to participate in an auction for a misspelled keyword. Such requests are cheaper, and the competition for them is much lower than for phrases that do not contain errors. But you should not include keys that are obviously written with typos in advertising texts with dynamic insertion. They will appear in the text of the advertisement, and this will negatively affect the first opinion of the client about the company:
Where does autosubstitution work well?
As the examples described earlier showed, the dynamic auto-insert tool should be enabled to promote online stores according to the “product + model” scheme.
Another way to use the option is to insert the form {KeyWord:Buy_online!} into the displayed link. Naturally, the additional part can look like anything. The attractiveness of the ad is increased by repeating the key query not only in the text, but also in the link.
If the word form exceeds the character limit, only “Buy Online!” is displayed. The product itself is not shown. Many who use this option report an almost five percent increase in CTR.
Advice! It is also convenient to use the tool in the case of geoqueries. You can easily and quickly launch an online campaign for several cities or regions.
When should you not use dynamic keyword insertion?
In the case of using tweeters consisting of 1-2 words, and enabling dynamic auto-insert for the entire title. This mistake is often made even by experienced professionals;
When there is a need to set up AC for competitors. Especially if they have a registered TM. Inserting the name of their company into the text is prohibited by the legislation of Ukraine;
For keywords that are known to contain misspellings or slang word forms. In this case, it will be incorrect to include auto-insert;
If there is a need to apply a query with an unnatural sequence of words. An example is “tour to buy Turkey cheap”;
When promoting products from brands that have restricted the use of their brand names in AdWords campaigns (Michelin, Nokia). The exact brand name will not show ads. But you can advertise on request with Cyrillic. It is not forbidden to add the brand name to the URL of the landing page;
Autofill should not be used on ads promoting products and content for an 18+ audience.
Summary
Despite all the advantages of automatic substitution, we recommend showing at least two ads for each block. Test which ad performs best with A/B testing.
After the end of the test period, you can measure the main indicators (conversion, CTR, etc.) for each of the options and find out how well the dynamic insert works for your business.
