How would you analyze SEM data to identify underperforming keywords for optimization?

Review metrics such as click-through rates (CTR), conversion rates, and cost-per-click (CPC). Use these insights to spot keywords with low performance. Adjust bids, refine targeting, or rewrite ad copy to improve relevance and effectiveness, optimizing for better ROI.

To identify underperforming keywords for optimization in SEM, gather data from platforms like Google Ads, focusing on metrics such as impressions, clicks, CTR, conversion rates, CPC, CPA, and quality scores. Segment the data by device type, location, time of day, and demographics. Identify keywords with high impressions but low CTR, high CTR but low conversions, and high CPC or CPA. Examine keywords with low-quality scores and improve ad relevance and landing page experience. Use search term reports to add negative keywords and prevent irrelevant queries. Compare performance against benchmarks and historical data. Run A/B tests on ads and landing pages, and utilize automated tools for ongoing optimization.

If your Analytics data is properly set-up as per the campaign you're running and with necessary filters then it will be easy to check the data stats as per the campaign sets and ad groups. Look for the numbers that are declining and filter those keywords whose ctr is very low. This can be applicable for both organic search and paid search. Try to find the possible reason of low conversion. It can be anything from low quality content, high bounce rate, page loading speed issue, so on and many more. Enhance the text content and media for those pages. Make it clear and concise. Once content optimization is done on those pages, look for the aspects on the technical side like UI/UX which can aid to get more visibility and dwel time. Good to go..

Collect CTR Data Ad Platforms: Gather CTR data from your ad platforms like Google Ads. Look at CTR for each keyword over a significant period (e.g., the past 3-6 months) to get a reliable data set. Segment Data: Segment the data by device (desktop, mobile, tablet), location, and ad position to identify patterns and areas where CTR is particularly low. Identify Low CTR Keywords Benchmarking: Compare the CTR of each keyword against the campaign or industry average. Identify keywords that fall significantly below this benchmark. Historical Performance: Examine the historical performance of keywords to see if the CTR has consistently been low or if it has declined recently.

Collect data from SEM platforms, focusing on impressions, clicks, CTR, CPC, conversion rate, cost per conversion, quality score, and bounce rate. Identify underperforming keywords with low CTR, high CPC, and low conversion rates. Optimize ad copy and landing pages, adjust bids, and use negative keywords. Conduct A/B testing for ads and landing pages. Regularly monitor and adjust strategies, using tools like Google Ads Keyword Planner and SEMrush for insights.

Remember the following fact: Good-looking things can't stay the same forever. The same applies to the keywords/search terms in a campaign. Monitor your campaign keywords and their performance every day (when the campaigns are new) and make it weekly for old campaigns. You can use 2-3 filters to find the best and worst performing keywords. Filter by cost, conversions, and cost/conversions. Some keywords may be more relevant, but it's not necessary that they will help increase conversions. Remove keywords that are not generating conversions or have a very high cost/conversion. Also, remove informational searches because they only increase website traffic, not conversions. Add the best performing search terms to your keyword list.

Conversions are the actions we want users to take e.g., purchases, Book a Call, Website Visit, sign-ups, etc. Track Keyword Conversions: Monitor which keywords drive the most conversions. Identify Low-Converting Keywords: Keywords with high impressions but low conversions might need attention. Refine Keyword Targeting: Adjust keywords or use negative keywords to improve relevance. Optimize Landing Pages: Ensure landing pages align with keyword intent and offer clear conversion paths. Focus on keywords that deliver valuable conversions to maximize your ROI.

To analyze SEM data and identify underperforming keywords for optimization, I start by checking conversion metrics. I review data on keywords that have high click-through rates but low conversion rates. These keywords may be driving traffic but failing to convert effectively. I analyze factors such as landing page relevance, ad copy alignment, and user intent. By identifying keywords with poor conversion performance, I can make data-driven decisions to adjust bids, refine targeting, or update ad copy and landing pages to improve overall campaign effectiveness.

Conversions are the desired actions you want users to take after clicking on your ad. This could be making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, downloading a resource, or completing a contact form. When analyzing your SEM campaign data, it's crucial to identify which keywords are driving conversions and at what rate. Keywords with high impression numbers but low conversions might not be as effective as you initially thought. These keywords might be attracting irrelevant traffic.

Very crucial as this is one area not a lot of your competitors putting efforts. Most of the brands focus on the CTRs, CPCs etc and leaving QS out. Focus on this and work with the SEO team and the clients to have a strategic combined SEO/SEM front to gain efficiency and effectiveness. Maximize your effort in this area to reap long-term rewards.

Quality Score is a Google Ads metric that reflects the overall quality of your ad, keyword relevance, and landing page experience. A higher Quality Score can lead to lower costs per click (CPC), better ad positions, and increased ad visibility. Key factors influencing Quality Score: Expected CTR: This is Google's prediction of how often your ad will be clicked when it's shown. Ad relevance: How closely your ad matches the search query. Landing page experience: How relevant and useful your landing page is to users.

I've found that understanding cost metrics like CPC and cost per conversion is crucial for making the most of our SEM campaigns. For instance, I once noticed we were spending a lot on a particular keyword that had a high CPC but wasn't converting well. It was eating up our budget without much return. So, we decided to reduce the bid and shift our focus to more profitable keywords. It was a game-changer! By reallocating our budget, we improved overall performance and got better bang for our buck. It's all about being smart with your spend and making every click count!

By continually analyzing and optimizing SEM data, A person can significantly boost campaign performance and ensure efficient budget allocation. Ongoing analysis allows him/her to pinpoint underperforming keywords, adjust bids, refine ad copy, and enhance landing pages. These efforts ultimately lead to better ROI and more effective utilization of the clients advertising budget.

To analyze SEM data and identify underperforming keywords for optimization, I monitor search queries to gain insights into user behavior and keyword performance. By examining the search terms report, I identify queries that are leading to clicks but not converting. I assess the relevance of these search queries to the ad copy and landing pages. If the queries are not aligning with the campaign’s goals or targeting, I adjust keyword match types, refine negative keyword lists, or optimize ad copy to better match user intent and improve overall performance.

I really like to download an Excel report to analyse in detail each keyword: - Create a pivot table - Add search term and keywords as your rows - Add some of the metrics you want to check (I'd normally go for impr/clicks, costs, ROAS, conversions) - Add some filters like match type, campaign name... Check for all the underperforming keyords with high costs attributed, see what keywords triggered this and if there are any similarities between all the low-performing ones. Build a negative list with this or pause anything you don't want to continue bidding for.

Filter out the search terms which has cost greater than 20€ with no conversion and put them as negative repeat the process 2-3 times per week

Multiple ways to optimize this section. Essentially, establish benchmarks and work bottom-up to max out spending against the most impactful keywords and eliminate the ones with the least impact.

Remember not all audiences are searching to convert at that moment, few of them might be in a research phase etc. Split the keywords into strategic groups based on the user intent & the role it plays. One focuses on direct bottom line performance (ROAS), another is to focus on impression share (read EOSV), and the third one is to focus on prospecting where the clicks are valued vs conversion or SOV.