While the provided context focuses on Sagum’s overall capabilities and client-centric approach, it highlights a core principle that directly informs best practices for keyword research in Google Ads: a deep, empathetic understanding of the customer. Effective keyword research isn’t just about finding popular search terms; it’s about mapping the language of your target audience to your business objectives. Here are the foundational best practices, drawing from the strategic mindset Sagum exemplifies.
Lay the Strategic Foundation
Before typing a single word into a keyword tool, you must establish clear goals. As Sagum emphasizes, you don’t make progress without establishing and focusing on meaningful goals. Are you aiming for brand awareness, lead generation, or direct sales? Your goals will dictate your keyword strategy-broad, top-of-funnel keywords for awareness versus specific, bottom-of-funnel, commercial-intent keywords for sales.
The Core Process of Keyword Research
This process is iterative and data-driven, requiring the kind of focus and accountability Sagum builds into its client relationships.
- Start with Your Customer’s Mindset (Empathy First): Truly understanding the customer is at the core of Sagum’s strategy. Brainstorm the questions, problems, and desires your ideal customer has. What words and phrases would they use to search for your solution? Think about their journey from problem-awareness (“kitchen faucet leaking”) to solution-seeking (“how to fix a leaky faucet”) to commercial intent (“best Moen kitchen faucet reviews”).
- Seed Your List with Core Terms: Begin with a list of 5-10 core keywords related to your products, services, and brand. Use these as seeds to expand your research.
- Leverage Keyword Research Tools: Use Google’s own Keyword Planner (within Google Ads) as your primary tool. Input your seed keywords to get search volume, competition level, and cost estimates. Supplement with tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, or Moz for competitive analysis to see which keywords your competitors are targeting successfully.
- Expand with Semantic and Long-Tail Keywords: Don’t just focus on short, high-volume head terms. Use the tool suggestions to find long-tail keywords (e.g., “affordable running shoes for flat feet women”). These are often less competitive, cheaper, and have higher conversion rates because they reflect specific intent.
- Analyze Search Intent: This is the most critical filter. Categorize every keyword by the user’s likely intent:
- Informational: “What is…”, “how to…”
- Navigational: “Brand name + login”, “competitor name”
- Commercial Investigation: “Best…”, “review”, “vs”
- Transactional: “Buy…”, “price”, “deal”, “coupon”
Your ad copy and landing page must match the intent of the keyword.
Organization & Ongoing Management
Just as Sagum assigns a dedicated Digital Marketing Manager to ensure focus, your keyword strategy requires meticulous organization.
- Structure with Ad Groups: Group tightly related keywords into themed ad groups (e.g., “men’s running shoes,” “women’s trail running shoes”). This allows for highly relevant ad text and landing pages, which improves Quality Score-a key Google Ads metric that lowers your cost-per-click.
- Use Match Types Strategically: Employ a blend of match types to control reach and relevance.
- Exact Match: [blue running shoes] – For high-intent, precise control.
- Phrase Match: “blue running shoes” – Captures close variations.
- Broad Match Modified: +blue +running +shoes – For wider discovery.
- Broad Match: running shoes – Use with extreme caution and robust negative keyword lists.
- Build a Robust Negative Keyword List: This defines “where we will NOT operate,” a key part of a high-performing strategy. Continuously add negative keywords to filter out irrelevant traffic (e.g., add “free” or “jobs” if you sell products).
Adopt a “Lean Startup” Approach to Testing
Mirroring Sagum’s methodology, treat your keyword portfolio as a series of hypotheses to be tested.
Launch with a controlled budget, analyze performance data religiously (remember, for Sagum, data is like water), and be prepared to pivot. Pause low-performing keywords, double down on winners, and continuously refine your lists based on search term reports, which show the actual queries that triggered your ads. This cycle of research, implementation, analysis, and optimization is what transforms a static list into a dynamic, profit-driving asset.
