Is the phrase “less is more” familiar to you? This principle holds incredibly true when it comes to the keywords in your pay-per-click (PPC) account. The ideal number of keywords in a Google Ads account is a topic of much debate. However, a common recommendation for ad groups is to aim for 20-25 keywords, with a maximum of 30. Remember that this is a general guideline, not a strict rule. The crucial factor is ensuring that the keywords within each ad group are closely related, allowing for the creation of highly targeted ad copy.

Let me emphasize that overwhelming your PPC account with an excessive number of keywords is counterproductive. Don’t pressure yourself to reach that 30-keyword threshold in every ad group; having fewer than 30 keywords is perfectly acceptable. In fact, if your campaigns already consist of ad groups with less than 30 keywords, it indicates efficient account organization, enabling you to craft that essential relevant ad copy. In my experience, numerous clients have achieved impressive results with ad groups containing as few as four or five keywords.

Consistently, having an excessive number of keywords in your PPC account is cited as one of the most common PPC mistakes. It’s true! A simple PPC research confirmed that too many keywords per ad group is among the most frequent PPC errors.

The Unattractive Consequences of Keyword Bloat: Picture Violet Beauregarde There are three compelling reasons why I advise against overloading your PPC account with too many keywords.

#1. Insufficient Daily Budget Allocation

Imagine running a campaign with a $25 daily budget. If the campaign has 25 keywords, each with an average cost-per-click (CPC) of $1, you can expect around 25 clicks per day. Let’s assume your keywords are performing well, maintaining a competitive average position, and you’re satisfied with your daily budget allocation.

Now, suppose you discover 15 promising new keywords through keyword research, all with an average CPC of $1. Unsure which keywords will yield the best results, you decide to add all 15. Suddenly, you have 40 keywords competing for your $25 daily budget. To receive one click per keyword daily, you’d need a $40 budget. Clearly, your current budget can’t keep up with the increased demand from your expanded keyword list, and this presents a significant problem!

Overstretching Your Budget: Bilbo Baggins Can Relate

#2. Campaign Deactivation Due to Budget Exhaustion

This point directly relates to the first reason. When a campaign’s daily budget is depleted, Google pauses it until the next day. This means your keywords won’t be eligible to trigger ads once the budget is exhausted for the day, potentially harming their performance.

Returning to our example campaign, if one of your 40 keywords typically converts well in the evening but your campaign is paused around noon due to clicks from other keywords, that high-performing keyword loses the opportunity to generate conversions. It won’t even participate in the ad auction – a concerning situation.

Several options exist to mitigate these issues if you want to experiment with new keywords, even for a short period. The most straightforward solution is to increase your daily budget. However, this isn’t always advisable if you aim to maintain profitability and a strong return on ad spend, or if you lack the necessary funds. You could also reduce your keyword bids to free up some budget, but this is risky as it might jeopardize your competitive ad rank.

The Gamble of Reduced Keyword Bids: Ask Professor Moriarty

#3. The Sheer Difficulty of Managing a Large Account

Managing a Google Ads (previously Google AdWords) account is time-intensive, regardless of its size. Optimizing ad copy, adding negative keywords, and managing bids and budgets are just a few ongoing tasks. Adding more keywords only compounds the workload. Eventually, something will slip through the cracks, negatively impacting your account’s performance.

Testing New Keywords: A Recommended Practice

Don’t misunderstand – testing new keywords is crucial. However, maintaining a healthy balance of keywords in your campaigns is equally important. When introducing new keywords, make space by removing underperforming ones. This strategy allows you to experiment without increasing your budget if that’s not feasible.

Your search query data is an invaluable resource for identifying keyword opportunities. While keyword research tools offer helpful estimates for average CPC, total cost, and search volume, your search query data provides actual data points for these metrics, along with other valuable insights. For a comprehensive search query report strategy, take a look at my colleague Phil Kowalski’s blog post.

The Enduring Relevance of the 80/20 Rule When optimizing my keyword list, I often leverage the 80/20 rule. This rule suggests that approximately 80% of effects stem from 20% of causes. In the context of your PPC account, this translates to roughly 80% of your results originating from about 20% of your keywords. You can keep adding keywords, but ultimately, a small portion will likely drive the majority of your results. Therefore, while testing new keywords is beneficial, remember the power of a streamlined keyword list. Less is often more.