Google AdWords “Opportunities” Tab / Advanced Location Targeting Options.
Sometimes the Opportunities tab in AdWords can come up with some half-decent keyword suggestions, but I find it very very hard to believe that it is beyond the realms of possibility that Google couldn’t improve this (in favour of the advertiser) a hell of a lot.
Example:-
I have a campaign for a client selling (lets call it) Blue Widgets. The campaign is set to target Northern Ireland only.
Here are some of the keyword ideas that Google give me for that campaign:-
Blue Widgets Hampshire
Blue Widgets York
Blue Widgets Leeds
Blue Widgets Leicester
etc. etc. etc.
Come on Google, I know that it is in your own best interests to suggest as many reasonably relevant keywords as possible – but this is really taking the Mickey!
Note – with the new(ish) ‘Advanced Location Options’, ‘Exclusion Method’ campaign settings – I *could* in theory add all these keywords and then use ‘exclude by physical location and search intent’, and specifically exclude GB in my campaigns geographic settings, so a search for blue widgets in Leeds would not show the ads from my N.Ireland campaign. Or would they? According to Google :-
These exclusion methods might conflict with location terms in keywords. You should use either the advanced targeting options or keywords to accomplish your campaign goals, but not both methods.
This isn’t very helpful. ‘Might Conflict’ – please tell us if it will or won’t! Also – there have to be hundreds of ambiguous place names in the world. It’s not clear if this exclusion method will exclude someone who lives in Northern Ireland, but has an IP address from outside N.I (quite common), who searches for “Blue Widgets Bangor” (which might be in Wales or Northern Ireland).
On balance – I prefer not to trust Google on this one – and will manually add only keywords I think are relevant.
Moral of the story – don’t just go with everything that Google suggests for you. Take some time and use some common sense in deciding what is suitable for your own campaigns…