One of Google’s main tasks is to display the most relevant ads to users’ requests. There are several tools in the system to solve this task. In this article we will talk about one of them – dynamic keyword insertion into Google ads.
An advanced feature of AdWords, dynamic keyword insertion in ads allows you to increase the relevance of your ads. Briefly, the tool can be described as follows: it allows you to automatically insert words from a search query into your ad text. This has a positive effect on the clickability of the ad and, as a consequence, in many cases increases the impact of the campaign for the advertiser.
The principle of dynamic substitution is simple: the mechanism automatically selects and adds appropriate keys to the title or text of the ad (at the choice of the PPC specialist). A high level of ad relevance has a positive effect on CTR and quality scores. The consequence of this is an increase in conversions and a drop in click-through rates.
Below we’ll look at how to set up this feature, what keywords will be added, and what the user will see in the results.
How does dynamic keyword insertion in Google Ads work?
A classic mistake of novice advertisers is to create several ads with identical texts and different keys. As a result, no matter what the user enters into the search box, he will see the same ad. This happens because of laziness or ignorance of how important it is to write a unique text for any query.
At the same time, the number of clicks to the site is usually directly proportional to the relevance of the title of the ad to the query. The use of dynamic keyword insertion in Google Ads greatly simplifies the task, allowing you to automatically perform the necessary substitution. If a campaign advertises different models of the same product group, the effect of this tool increases many times over.
For example, for an online store selling watches, the main keyword combination would be “Swiss watches”. But a user who searches for “Swiss Tissot watches” will see the following content:
A user who has entered “Swiss watches Swiss” into the search box will see the exact same ad, but adjusted according to their search query:
And all this happens without the advertiser’s participation in automatic mode!
Matching can be more extensive. For example, hundreds of manufacturers can be matched in the “Wristwatch” template.
For companies selling on the Internet, such a tool is simply indispensable. It is convenient to use it when working with household appliances, car parts, food, clothes, shoes, etc.
Example! Dress in an online store for women’s clothing. Variants of models are innumerable. They differ in color, style, brand, purpose, length. Just one common keyword query “Blue dress” can have more than two dozen combinations, each of which can become a good headline for an ad with a high clickability rate.
How to set up auto keyword insertion in an ad?
When setting up dynamic keyword insertion in Google Ads ads, you need to add a specific combination in a selected place in the headline or main text of the ad message, including a link to the website: {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:
As long as the character count does not reach the maximum allowed, the user’s query can be supplemented. For example, after a user enters “Honor smartphones price” into the search bar, he will see:
In AdWords, there is additionally register management:
{keyword:} – All caps for each word;
{KeyWord:} – all query words begin with an uppercase;
{Keyword:} – the first word in the text is capitalized.
Benefits of Dynamic Keyword Insertion
Dynamic keyword insertion in Google AdWords, when used correctly, can show amazing results of increasing account efficiency. Let’s take a look at the main arguments in favor of using it.
Significantly saves time of a PPC specialist
Using this tool will be a real help for those whose workday is scheduled by the minute. Put yourself in the shoes of a businessman who needs to set up advertising for an online printer ink store. His customer, when searching, most often indicates the model of the device and the name of the appropriate ink for it. In this case, the user has an extra-concrete need, so he will respond to an extra-concrete result. Such a client will respond less readily to the general wording of generic ads. But if an online store specialist will customize a separate ad for each combination of thousands of paint colors and device models, the task will become almost insurmountable.
Words from the query in the ad are highlighted in bold
The system highlights words from the query in the text of the ad in bold. For those who are searching, this is convenient – they immediately see exactly the piece of information that answers the query. But advertisers benefit as well – even ads that are positioned quite low in the output attract additional attention.
Ads with dynamic insertion can be longer than regular ads
If the maximum allowable header length is slightly exceeded, the system does not block such ads. As a result, the ad may occupy more visible screen space than the rules stipulate.
Information! Google is loyal to ads that use the auto keyword insertion tool, it allows you to stand out from your competitors and get more clicks.
Are there any disadvantages to dynamic keyword insertion in ads?
The advantages of dynamic keyword insertion 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 keywords are characterized by a “long tail”, it is not recommended to use templates and dynamics. If the maximum length is exceeded significantly, the system will substitute a replacement text. I.e. auto substitution will not work, the user will see the total text.
Spammy ad texts
The idea of using a handy wildcard option not only in the title of the ad, but also in the template of its text seems, at first glance, attractive. Google provides such an opportunity. But saturating ads with keyword queries sometimes leads to hyper-personalization of the ad. It becomes spam-like and looks unnatural.
Popular mistakes when working with dynamic insertion
The dynamic insertion tool works flawlessly when the parameters are set correctly. But if you make mistakes in setting up templates, you can get disastrous results. Here are a few examples that advertisers who decided to use auto-substitution had to deal with.
An error in writing the autocomplete code
Surprisingly, this error is quite popular among advertisers. When correctly setting up dynamic keyword insertion, it is extremely important to use the correct spelling: {Keyword: Default text}.
Using any other brackets ([], (), <>) to isolate a keyword query is not allowed. You must not add any characters, including spaces, between the keyword and the colon. Such errors become critical for the entire ad campaign.
Use for queries with errors
Participate in the auction for a keyword written with a deliberate error, not only can, but also necessary. Such queries are cheaper, and the competition for them is much lower than for phrases that do not contain errors. But include in the advertising texts with dynamic insertion of keys, knowingly written with typos, should not. 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 auto-substitution work well?
As the examples described earlier have shown, the dynamic auto-insert tool should be included to promote online stores based on the “product + model” scheme.
Another way of using the option is to insert {KeyWord:Buy_online!} into the displayed link. Naturally, the add-on part can look any way you want. The attractiveness of the ad is increased by repeating the keyword 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 people who use this option note an almost five percent increase in CTR.
Tip! It is convenient to use the tool in case of geo-requests as well. You can easily and quickly launch an online campaign for several cities or regions.
When should I not use dynamic keyword insertion?
In the case of using high-frequency keywords consisting of 1-2 words and including dynamic auto-insertion for the entire headline. This mistake is often made even by experienced specialists;
When there is a need to customize the RC by competitors. Especially if they have a registered TM. Inserting their company name into the text is prohibited by the legislation of Ukraine;
For keywords that knowingly contain errors or slang word forms. In this case, it would be wrong to use auto-insert;
If there is a need to apply a query with an unnatural sequence of words. An example would be “buy tour Turkey cheap”;
When promoting products from brands that have restricted the use of their brand names in AdWords campaigns (Michelin, Nokia). Advertising will not be shown by the exact name of the brand. But it is possible to advertise on requests with Cyrillic characters. It is not prohibited to add the brand name to the URL of the landing page;
Auto-substitution should not be used in ads promoting products and materials for the 18+ audience.
Summary
Despite all the advantages of automatic substitution, we recommend showing at least two ads for each block. Check which ad performs better with the help of A/B testing.
After the test period is over, you can measure the key metrics (conversion, CTR, etc.) for each option and find out how well the dynamic insertion works for your business.
