How to Add Keywords in Google Ads: A Step-by-Step Guide for Better Campaign Performance

Most Google Ads managers I talk to know how to click the plus button and type in keywords. That's the easy part. What usually trips people up is everything around that click—choosing the right match types, organizing keywords so they actually improve Quality Score, and avoiding the classic mistake of dumping 100 loosely related keywords into one ad group and wondering why performance tanks.

Adding keywords in Google Ads is technically simple: navigate to your ad group, hit the blue plus button, type your keywords with the correct formatting, and save. But doing it in a way that drives conversions without bleeding budget? That takes understanding match types, keyword organization, and how to use the Search Terms Report to refine your list over time.

This guide walks through the entire process—from logging into your account to monitoring performance after your keywords go live. Whether you're launching your first campaign or optimizing an existing one, you'll learn exactly how to add keywords the right way, plus the tactical steps most advertisers skip that make the difference between profitable campaigns and money pits.

Step 1: Access Your Google Ads Account and Navigate to Keywords

Start by logging into ads.google.com. If you manage multiple accounts—whether you're an agency or just handling several businesses—make sure you select the correct account from the account picker in the top right corner. Sounds obvious, but I've seen people accidentally add keywords to the wrong client account more times than I'd like to admit.

Once you're in the right account, click on "Campaigns" in the left sidebar. You'll see a list of all your campaigns. Select the campaign you want to work with, then drill down into the specific ad group where you want to add keywords. This is important: keywords live at the ad group level, not the campaign level. Each ad group should have its own set of tightly themed keywords that match the ad copy and landing page for that group.

After selecting your ad group, look for "Keywords" in the left sidebar menu. Click it, then make sure you're viewing "Search keywords" (not "Negative keywords"—that's a different section). You'll see your existing keyword list if you've already added any, or an empty state with a prompt to add your first keywords. If you need help understanding where to add keywords in Google Ads, the navigation structure becomes second nature after a few sessions.

Understanding this navigation structure matters because proper keyword organization starts here. Campaign-level settings control budget, location targeting, and bidding strategy. Ad group-level is where keywords, ads, and landing pages align. Mixing up these levels leads to messy account structure that's harder to optimize later.

Step 2: Click the Plus Button and Open the Keyword Addition Interface

Look for the blue "+" button above your keyword list. It's usually in the top left area of the keyword table. Click it, and you'll see two options: "Add keywords" for manual entry, or "Get keyword suggestions" to see Google's recommendations based on your landing page and existing keywords.

Most experienced advertisers start with manual entry because they already know which keywords they want to target. The suggestions feature can be useful for discovery, but it often recommends keywords that are too broad or tangentially related. Use it as a starting point if you're stuck, but don't blindly add everything Google suggests.

When you click "Add keywords," you'll see a text box where you can enter keywords one per line. This is where you'll apply match type formatting, which we'll cover in the next step. The interface also shows estimated search volume and competition level for keywords you enter, though these metrics update after you type, not in real time.

You can add keywords individually or in bulk. For bulk entry, just paste a list with one keyword per line. If you're adding dozens of keywords at once, make sure they all belong in the same ad group—remember, tight thematic relevance is the goal. What usually happens here is people get excited and dump every variation they can think of into one group, which dilutes relevance and hurts Quality Score.

Step 3: Enter Your Keywords with the Correct Match Types

This is where most mistakes happen. Google Ads uses three match types as of 2026: Broad Match, Phrase Match, and Exact Match. Each controls how closely a user's search query needs to match your keyword before your ad can show. Understanding how keyword match type affects your Google Ads performance is essential before you start adding terms.

Broad Match: This is the default if you don't use any special formatting. Just type the keyword as-is, like running shoes. Broad Match gives you the widest reach—your ad can show for searches that include your keyword, related variations, synonyms, and searches Google thinks are relevant. The upside is more traffic. The downside is you'll get a lot of junk searches that waste spend if you're not actively managing your negative keyword list.

Phrase Match: Wrap your keyword in quotation marks, like "running shoes". Your ad will show for searches that contain your phrase in the same order, but can include additional words before or after. For example, "running shoes" could match "best running shoes for marathons" or "buy running shoes online," but not "shoes for running" because the word order changed. Phrase Match gives you more control than Broad while still allowing some flexibility.

Exact Match: Wrap your keyword in brackets, like [running shoes]. Your ad will show for searches that match the exact meaning of your keyword, including close variations like plurals, misspellings, and searches with the same intent. For example, [running shoes] could match "running shoe" (singular) or "shoes for running" (same intent, different phrasing), but not "trail running shoes" because that's more specific. Exact Match gives you the most control and typically the highest conversion rates, but limits your reach.

In most accounts I audit, I see people defaulting to Broad Match for everything because it's easier. That's fine if you're using Smart Bidding and actively monitoring your Search Terms Report, but if you're running manual CPC or just starting out, lean toward Phrase and Exact to keep your traffic relevant. You can always expand to Broad Match later once you've identified which keywords actually convert.

Format matters here. If you type running shoes without any symbols, Google treats it as Broad Match. If you want Phrase Match, you must include the quotation marks. If you want Exact Match, you must include the brackets. The interface won't correct this for you, so double-check your formatting before saving.

Step 4: Review Keyword Suggestions and Refine Your List

If you clicked "Get keyword suggestions" instead of manual entry, or if you're using the suggestions panel that appears alongside the manual entry box, take a moment to evaluate what Google recommends. The algorithm pulls suggestions based on your landing page content, existing keywords in the ad group, and related searches from Google's database.

Here's the thing: Google's suggestions optimize for reach, not necessarily for conversion. You'll often see high-volume keywords that are only loosely related to what you're actually selling. For example, if you're selling premium running shoes, Google might suggest "cheap running shoes" or "running shoes under $50" because those have high search volume. But if your product doesn't fit that intent, those keywords will just burn budget.

Evaluate each suggested keyword by asking: Does this match the intent of my ad copy and landing page? Would someone searching this term actually want what I'm offering? If the answer is no, skip it. Learning how to choose Google Ads keywords strategically will save you thousands in wasted spend.

The interface shows estimated metrics like average monthly searches, competition level, and suggested bid ranges. These are helpful for prioritization, but they're estimates based on historical data and broad trends. Low search volume keywords might still convert well if they're highly specific to your offer. High competition doesn't mean you can't win—it just means you need strong ad copy and a relevant landing page to compete on Quality Score, not just bid.

Before moving to the next step, scan your list and remove anything that feels like a stretch. It's better to start with 10 highly relevant keywords than 50 mediocre ones. You can always add more later based on what you learn from the Search Terms Report.

Step 5: Set Bids and Save Your Keywords

Once your keywords are entered and formatted correctly, you'll need to decide on bidding. You have two main options: use the ad group's default bid for all keywords, or set custom bids at the keyword level.

If you're using a Smart Bidding strategy like Target CPA or Target ROAS, Google will automatically adjust your bids based on conversion likelihood, so you don't need to obsess over individual keyword bids. Just set a reasonable starting point and let the algorithm optimize. In this case, using the ad group default bid is fine for most keywords.

If you're running manual CPC, you might want to set custom bids for high-value keywords or those with different conversion potential. For example, if you know [buy running shoes online] converts better than "running shoes reviews," you might bid higher on the former. To set a custom bid, you'll do that after saving the keywords by clicking into the keyword row and editing the bid column.

Click "Save" to add your keywords to the ad group. The interface will process your list and show a confirmation message. Your keywords should now appear in the keyword table with status indicators next to each one.

Check the status column. You'll see indicators like "Eligible" (good—your keyword can trigger ads), "Low search volume" (Google won't show ads for this keyword because it doesn't get enough searches), or "Below first page bid" (your bid might be too low to show on the first page of search results, though this is less relevant with Smart Bidding). If you see "Low search volume," don't panic—it just means that specific keyword doesn't get many searches. You can leave it in your account; Google will automatically start showing ads if search volume picks up.

The mistake most agencies make here is setting bids too conservatively at the start, then wondering why they're not getting impressions. If you're using manual CPC, check Google's suggested bid range and start somewhere in the middle. You can always adjust down if you're overpaying, but starting too low means you won't gather enough data to optimize effectively. For more guidance on this, check out how to improve your Google Ads Quality Score quickly.

Step 6: Organize Keywords into Tightly Themed Ad Groups

This step is where good account structure separates high-performing campaigns from mediocre ones. Google's Quality Score—which directly impacts your ad rank and cost-per-click—is heavily influenced by how relevant your keywords are to your ad copy and landing page. Dumping 50 loosely related keywords into one ad group makes it nearly impossible to write ads that feel relevant to every search.

Best practice: keep each ad group focused on 10-20 closely related keywords. For example, if you sell running shoes, you might have one ad group for "marathon running shoes" with variations like [marathon running shoes], "best marathon running shoes", and "marathon shoes for men". Then create a separate ad group for "trail running shoes" with its own set of keyword variations and ad copy tailored to trail runners.

If you realize you've added keywords that don't quite fit the theme of your current ad group, you can move them. Click the checkbox next to the keywords you want to move, then click "Edit" in the toolbar and select "Move to another ad group." You can choose an existing ad group or create a new one on the fly. Mastering the best way to manage Google Ads keywords will make this reorganization process much smoother.

Creating new ad groups for distinct keyword themes is better than forcing everything into one bucket. Yes, it means writing more ads, but those ads will be more relevant, which improves click-through rate and Quality Score. In most accounts I audit, the biggest quick win is simply reorganizing keywords into tighter ad groups and rewriting ads to match.

Think of it this way: each ad group should have a clear, singular intent. If you can't write one ad that feels perfectly relevant to every keyword in the group, split it up. Your future self will thank you when you're analyzing performance and don't have to untangle a mess of unrelated keywords competing for budget.

Step 7: Monitor Performance and Optimize Your Keyword List

Adding keywords is just the beginning. The real work—and where most of the value comes from—happens after your keywords start running. This is where you'll use the Search Terms Report to see what actual queries are triggering your ads, then refine your keyword list based on performance data.

To access the Search Terms Report, click on "Insights and reports" in the left sidebar, then select "Search terms." This report shows every search query that triggered your ad, along with metrics like impressions, clicks, conversions, and cost. It's the single most important report for keyword optimization because it reveals the gap between what you think people are searching and what they're actually searching. Understanding the difference between search terms vs keywords in Google Ads is crucial for this analysis.

Scan the report for high-performing search terms that aren't already in your keyword list. If you see a query that's driving conversions at a good cost, add it as an exact or phrase match keyword so you have more control over bids and can ensure your ad shows for that specific search. This is how you expand your keyword list strategically based on real data, not guesses.

Just as important: identify low-performing or irrelevant search terms. If you're running Broad Match keywords, you'll inevitably get some junk traffic—searches that are technically related but don't match your offer. For example, if you sell premium running shoes and your ad is showing for "free running shoes" or "running shoes donation," those searches are wasting your budget. Add them as negative keywords to filter them out.

To add negative keywords, click the checkbox next to the irrelevant search term in the Search Terms Report, then click "Add as negative keyword." You can add it at the ad group level (blocks it only for that ad group) or campaign level (blocks it across the entire campaign). Most of the time, campaign-level negatives make sense for broadly irrelevant terms like "free" or "cheap" if you're selling premium products. For a deeper dive, learn how to add negative keywords in Google Ads effectively.

This process of reviewing search terms, adding winners as keywords, and blocking losers as negatives is ongoing. Set a reminder to check your Search Terms Report weekly when you're starting out, then monthly once your campaigns stabilize. What usually happens here is advertisers set up their keywords once and never look back, then wonder why their cost-per-conversion keeps creeping up. The answer is almost always junk search terms they're not filtering out.

Using tools that integrate directly into the Google Ads interface can speed up this optimization process dramatically. Instead of exporting search terms to a spreadsheet, manually formatting match types, and re-uploading, you can handle everything in a few clicks without leaving the platform. This is especially valuable if you're managing multiple accounts or ad groups—what takes 30 minutes manually can take 3 minutes with the right workflow.

Putting It All Together

Here's your quick checklist for adding keywords in Google Ads: Navigate to your ad group's keyword section, click the blue plus button, enter keywords with proper match type formatting (quotation marks for Phrase, brackets for Exact, nothing for Broad), review any suggestions Google offers and remove irrelevant ones, set appropriate bids or use your ad group default, save and verify the status shows as "Eligible," then organize keywords into tightly themed ad groups of 10-20 related terms each.

The real work begins after you add keywords. The Search Terms Report is where you'll discover what's actually working and what's draining budget. Monitor it regularly, add high-performing search terms as new keywords, and ruthlessly block irrelevant queries with negative keywords. This continuous refinement is what separates profitable campaigns from money pits.

Start with a focused set of keywords—better to launch with 20 highly relevant terms than 100 loosely related ones. Watch what actually converts over the first few weeks, then iterate from there. Expand into Broad Match only after you've built a solid negative keyword list and have conversion data to guide Smart Bidding. Your future self (and your ad budget) will thank you.

If you're managing multiple campaigns or just want to move faster, consider tools that streamline the optimization process. Start your free 7-day trial of Keywordme to remove junk search terms, build high-intent keyword lists, and apply match types instantly—right inside Google Ads. No spreadsheets, no switching tabs, just quick, seamless optimization for $12/month after your trial. Take your Google Ads game to the next level without the manual busywork.