In the multifamily industry, Google Ads search campaigns can be a powerful tool to drive targeted traffic and generate leads. However, there are some pitfalls to avoid with paid search and it is crucial to understand the importance of search queries so that you can make the most of your advertising budget.

Search Query vs Keyword Reports

There is often confusion where marketers using Google Ads believe that their keyword report is the most important report to analyze, and often do not prioritize the search queries report instead. Although the keyword report and search queries report are similar, I believe the search queries report provides a much clearer picture of whether your paid search campaign is optimized or not.

The difference between the two reports is that a keyword report shows what keywords you are bidding on and which of those keyword phrases received the most clicks. These results are showing you a broad representation of what someone actually searched for though, as Google will show your ads to a wide variety of search phrases that are loosely related to what you are intending to show up for.

For example, you could be bidding on the keyword phrase “apartments in Downtown Orlando for rent” but Google will use its liberty to show your ads for a “condos for sale in Downtown Orlando.” The intent and relevance is obviously much different from what you were trying to show up for in search. Google has expanded your reach so much just because both of the phrases are related to real estate.

If you just reviewed your Google Ads keyword report you would only see the clicks associated with the keyword phrases you are bidding on, but you wouldn’t know what the searcher actually typed in when they clicked your ad.

The search queries report on the other hand will show you exactly what searches were made that used up your budget. This allows you to use your logic to determine if the searches that you are spending the most of your budget on are targeted, or are they just wasting most of your budget and resulting in a low volume of quality traffic. You can now optimize your campaigns by allocating budget towards high-performing keywords.

Keyword Optimization

Analyzing search queries can help you identify new keywords relevant to your apartment community. By incorporating these keywords into your ad campaigns, you can expand your reach and attract more potential renters actively searching for properties like yours. More importantly you can add negative keywords to make sure you no longer use up valuable ad spend on non targeted clicks.

Here are a few recommendations on how to optimize your Google Ads paid search campaign keywords based off of your search queries report:

• Use match types: I can’t emphasize this enough, but Google will make it very easy for you to spend your budget on non targeted clicks. The first step to preventing wasted clicks is to make sure you set-up your campaign keywords by utilizing phrase or exact match targeting.
• In the past the “broad match modifier” match type was a solid option that would allow your ads to show for closely related searches based on your original keyword, but Google has now made that match type act the same as the default “broad match” setting. Using broad match gives you zero control over what Google shows your ads for and will quickly use up your budget without getting any quality traffic in return.
• Add negative keywords:Search queries can also help you identify negative keywords, which are terms you want to exclude from triggering your ads. By monitoring search queries regularly, you can identify irrelevant or non-converting keywords and add them as negative keywords to refine your targeting and improve campaign performance. Adding negative keywords is a must for ongoing optimization.
• Find new keywords:In addition to identifying keywords to exclude, regularly reviewing the search query report will help you find keywords that were not on your original list, but make sense to also show up for when someone does a search on Google. There is some debate on how far to go with adding new keywords to your ad groups, as Google seems to be moving towards penalizing you for having redundant keyword phrases that are too similar to each other.

In conclusion, search queries are an invaluable source of information for running effective Google Ads search campaigns in the multifamily industry. By understanding the relevance, intent, and performance behind search queries, you can optimize your campaigns, attract qualified traffic, and generate more leads for your apartment community. So, prioritize search query analysis, as it can be the key to your success in the competitive world of Google Ads. With the right approach to search query analysis, you can stay ahead of the competition, deliver targeted ads to the right audience, and ultimately drive more qualified leads and conversions for your property. Need support with your digital marketing strategy and implementation? Don’t hesitate to reach out for a free consultation.