Where Do I Add Keywords in Google Ads? A Step-by-Step Guide

You add keywords in Google Ads at the ad group level—not the campaign level. Navigate to your campaign, select an ad group, click the Keywords tab, hit the plus button, and enter your keywords with the appropriate match types. This guide walks you through the exact process, explains why ad group structure matters, and shows you how to organize keywords for better Quality Scores and lower costs.

Whether you're setting up your first campaign or cleaning up an existing account, knowing exactly where and how to add keywords is fundamental to running profitable Google Ads. The hierarchy matters more than most people realize: your account contains campaigns, campaigns contain ad groups, and ad groups contain keywords. Miss this structure, and you'll waste budget on irrelevant clicks.

Think of it like organizing a library. You wouldn't throw every book into one giant room and hope people find what they need. You create sections (campaigns), then subsections (ad groups), then individual items (keywords). When someone searches for "running shoes," your tightly themed ad group about running shoes should trigger—not a generic "all shoes" ad group that also covers hiking boots and sandals.

Here's what makes this process tricky for beginners: Google's interface doesn't always make the hierarchy obvious. You might think you're adding keywords to a campaign when you're actually adding them to an ad group. Or worse, you dump all your keywords into one ad group because it seems easier. Both mistakes tank your Quality Score and drive up costs.

This guide breaks down the exact location and process for adding keywords, explains why ad group structure directly impacts your cost-per-click, and shows you how to use match types correctly. By the end, you'll know not just where to add keywords, but how to organize them for maximum performance and minimum waste.

Step 1: Access Your Google Ads Account and Navigate to the Right Campaign

Log into ads.google.com and you'll land on the Overview dashboard. From here, you need to locate the specific campaign where you want to add keywords. Look at the left sidebar—you'll see options like Campaigns, Ad groups, Keywords, and Ads & assets. Click on "Campaigns" first.

This is where understanding the Google Ads hierarchy becomes critical. Your account structure looks like this: Account > Campaign > Ad Group > Keywords. Keywords don't live at the campaign level—they live inside ad groups, which live inside campaigns. This isn't just a technical detail. It's the foundation of how Google matches your ads to search queries.

Why does this matter? Because adding keywords to the wrong ad group means your ads won't match user intent. Let's say you run a shoe store and create one campaign called "Shoe Sales." Inside that campaign, you have separate ad groups for running shoes, dress shoes, and hiking boots. If you add "leather dress shoes" to your running shoes ad group, Google might show your running shoe ad to someone searching for dress shoes. The click costs you money, but the visitor bounces because they wanted dress shoes, not running shoes.

Once you're viewing your campaigns list, click on the name of the campaign you want to work with. The interface will drill down to show you the ad groups within that campaign. If you don't have a campaign yet, you'll need to create a search campaign in Google Ads first—but here's a pro tip: don't add keywords during the initial campaign setup wizard. Skip that step and add keywords afterward for more control over organization and match types.

Quick sanity check: Look at the breadcrumb navigation at the top of the screen. It should show something like "All campaigns > [Your Campaign Name]." This confirms you're in the right place and ready to select an ad group.

Step 2: Select the Ad Group Where Your Keywords Belong

Now that you're inside your campaign, you'll see a list of ad groups. Each ad group name should tell you exactly what theme it covers—"Running Shoes," "Trail Running Shoes," "Marathon Training Shoes," and so on. Click on the specific ad group where you want to add keywords.

Here's where most beginners make a costly mistake: they create one ad group and dump every keyword into it. This approach seems simpler, but it destroys your campaign performance. Why? Because Google's Quality Score system rewards relevance at the ad group level.

Think of it like this: When someone searches "best trail running shoes," Google looks at your ad group to see if your keywords, ad copy, and landing page all match that intent. If your ad group contains "trail running shoes," "marathon shoes," "casual sneakers," and "dress shoes," the theme is muddled. Your ad copy can't speak specifically to trail running, your landing page probably shows a generic shoe catalog, and Google sees this mismatch. Result? Lower Quality Score, higher cost-per-click, worse ad positions.

The right approach: Each ad group should contain tightly themed keywords that match a specific set of ads. Your "Trail Running Shoes" ad group should only contain keywords about trail running shoes—variations like "trail running shoes," "best trail running shoes," "waterproof trail running shoes," and "women's trail running shoes." Your ads should specifically mention trail running, and your landing page should show trail running shoes.

This tight theming creates a virtuous cycle. Relevant keywords trigger relevant ads, which get higher click-through rates, which signals to Google that your ad is useful, which improves your Quality Score, which lowers your cost-per-click and improves your ad position. Understanding keyword optimization in Google Ads is the single most important structural decision you'll make.

Red flag to watch for: If you're looking at your ad group and thinking "I could add hundreds of different keywords here," you probably need to split it into multiple ad groups. An ad group with 5-20 tightly related keywords performs better than one with 100 loosely related keywords.

Step 3: Open the Keywords Tab and Click the Plus Button

Once you're inside your chosen ad group, look at the left navigation menu. You'll see several tabs: Overview, Ads & assets, Keywords, Settings, and more. Click on "Keywords"—this is where you'll add, view, and manage all keywords for this specific ad group.

The Keywords tab shows you any existing keywords in this ad group, along with their performance data: impressions, clicks, cost, conversions, and more. If this is a new ad group, the list will be empty. That's fine—you're about to fill it.

Look for the blue plus (+) button near the top of the screen. It's usually positioned prominently and labeled something like "+ New keyword" or just "+". Click it, and a dialog box will open with the heading "Add keywords."

Here's an important distinction: You'll see options for "Search keywords" and "Negative keywords." These are completely different functions with different locations. Search keywords are what you're adding now—the terms you want to trigger your ads. Negative keywords are terms you want to exclude, and they're managed in a different section. If you need help with exclusions, check out this guide on where to add negative keywords in Google Ads.

The interface gives you two ways to add keywords: typing them one by one or pasting a bulk list. Both work fine. If you're adding just a few keywords, typing them directly works great. If you've prepared a list in a spreadsheet or document, you can copy-paste the entire list at once—just make sure each keyword is on its own line.

One thing to note: The interface might show you a text box with example keywords or suggestions. Ignore those for now. You want to add your own carefully chosen keywords, not whatever Google suggests by default. We'll look at suggestions in a later step, but start with your own keyword list first.

Step 4: Enter Your Keywords with the Correct Match Types

This is where keyword strategy gets real. Type or paste your keywords into the text box, with one keyword or phrase per line. But here's the critical part: you need to apply match types using specific syntax. Match types control how closely a user's search query must match your keyword before your ad shows.

Google Ads recognizes three main match types, each with its own syntax. Broad match uses no symbols—just type the keyword as-is, like "running shoes." Phrase match requires quotation marks around the keyword: "running shoes". Exact match uses square brackets: [running shoes].

Let's break down what each match type actually does, because this directly impacts your budget and relevance. Broad match casts the widest net. If you add "running shoes" as broad match, Google might show your ad for searches like "athletic footwear," "jogging sneakers," "trail running gear," or even "shoe store near me." Google uses machine learning to interpret intent, considering your landing page content, other keywords in your ad group, and user search behavior. This gets you more traffic but less control over exactly what triggers your ad.

Phrase match is the middle ground. "running shoes" in quotes means the user's search must include that phrase or close variations, in roughly that order. Your ad might show for "best running shoes," "running shoes for women," or "buy running shoes online," but not for "shoes for running marathons" where the phrase is split up.

Exact match is the most restrictive. [running shoes] means the search must match your keyword exactly, or be a very close variant—same meaning, same intent. Your ad shows for "running shoes," "running shoe," maybe "shoes for running," but not "best running shoes" or "trail running shoes." You get maximum control and relevance, but lower traffic volume. For a deeper dive, learn how phrase match and exact match differ in Google Ads.

Here's the strategy most experienced advertisers use: Start with phrase or exact match for new campaigns. This prevents you from burning budget on irrelevant searches while you're still learning what converts. Once you have data showing which keywords perform well, you can cautiously add broad match variations to scale traffic.

Pro tip: Mix match types strategically. You might add [running shoes] as exact match, "running shoes" as phrase match, and running shoes as broad match—all in the same ad group. This creates a layered approach where exact match captures the most relevant searches, phrase match expands your reach moderately, and broad match fills in gaps. Just watch your Search Terms Report closely to catch any irrelevant traffic.

One more thing: Don't forget about modified keywords within your phrases. If you're adding "women's trail running shoes," think about whether you want exact match on that specific phrase or if phrase match gives you enough control. The more specific your keywords, the more exact or phrase match makes sense.

Step 5: Review Keyword Suggestions and Save Your Keywords

After you enter your keywords, Google will show you keyword suggestions based on your entries. You'll see a list of related keywords with estimated search volume and competition indicators. This is Google's way of helping you discover keywords you might have missed.

Here's the thing: Don't blindly accept all suggestions. Google's algorithm is trying to maximize ad impressions, which isn't always the same as maximizing your ROI. Review each suggested keyword and ask yourself: Does this match my ad group theme? Will someone searching this term actually want what I'm offering? Learning how to pick the best keywords for Google Ads takes practice, but it's essential for campaign success.

Check the estimated search volume next to each suggestion. High search volume sounds great, but if the keyword is too broad, you'll get lots of irrelevant clicks. A keyword with 1,000 monthly searches that converts at 10% is way more valuable than a keyword with 10,000 monthly searches that converts at 0.5%.

Look at the competition indicator too. "Low," "Medium," or "High" competition tells you how many other advertisers are bidding on this keyword. High competition usually means higher costs per click. If you're on a tight budget, focusing on medium or low competition keywords can stretch your dollars further. Consider researching long tail keywords for Google Ads to find lower-cost opportunities with higher intent.

Once you've reviewed the suggestions and added any that make sense, click the "Save" button. Google will process your keywords and add them to the ad group. This usually happens instantly, though occasionally there's a brief delay if you're adding a large list.

Verify success by checking the Keywords tab. Your newly added keywords should appear in the list with an "Eligible" status. This means they're active and ready to trigger your ads when someone searches for them. If you see a different status like "Low search volume" or "Below first page bid," don't panic—these are common and can be addressed through bid adjustments or keyword refinement.

Step 6: Monitor and Optimize Your Keywords Using the Search Terms Report

Adding keywords is just the starting line. The real race happens in the Search Terms Report, where you see what people actually searched before clicking your ad. This is where most advertisers either win big or waste budget—and many skip it entirely.

Access the Search Terms Report by clicking "Keywords" in the left menu, then selecting "Search terms" from the submenu. You'll see a list of actual search queries that triggered your ads, along with performance data: impressions, clicks, cost, conversions, and which keyword matched each search. Understanding the difference between search terms vs keywords in Google Ads is crucial for effective optimization.

This report is gold because it shows the gap between your keyword strategy and real user behavior. You might have added "running shoes" as a phrase match keyword, thinking you'd attract people shopping for running shoes. Then you check the Search Terms Report and discover your ad showed for "running shoes repair," "running shoes donation," and "running shoes history"—none of which are relevant if you're selling shoes.

Use this report to find two critical opportunities. First, identify new high-performing keywords you didn't think to add. If you see a search term like "cushioned running shoes for beginners" that's getting clicks and conversions, add it as its own keyword with the appropriate match type. This gives you more control over bids and ad copy for that specific term.

Second, spot irrelevant search terms that are wasting your budget. When you find searches that don't match your intent—like "running shoes repair" when you sell shoes, not repair them—add those as negative keywords. This prevents your ad from showing for those searches in the future. Learn how to find negative keywords in Google Ads to systematically eliminate wasted spend.

Here's the brutal truth: Most advertisers set up keywords once and never look at the Search Terms Report. They wonder why their campaigns don't perform, while their budget slowly drains on irrelevant clicks. The advertisers who consistently check this report, add new keywords, and prune irrelevant terms are the ones who see their cost-per-acquisition drop and their ROI climb.

Make this a weekly habit. Spend 15 minutes reviewing your Search Terms Report, adding 2-3 new keywords based on what's working, and adding 5-10 negative keywords to block what's not. This ongoing optimization compounds over time, making your campaigns sharper and more profitable with each iteration.

Putting It All Together

Let's recap the exact process: Navigate to your campaign, select the right ad group, click the Keywords tab, hit the plus button, enter keywords with match types, save, and monitor. Each step matters because Google Ads rewards structure and relevance above almost everything else.

The key insight most beginners miss: keywords live at the ad group level, and keeping them tightly themed improves your Quality Score, lowers your cost-per-click, and makes your ads more relevant. A well-organized account with specific ad groups outperforms a messy account with the same budget every single time.

Think about match types strategically. Exact and phrase match give you control and relevance when you're starting out. Broad match can scale traffic once you know what converts. Mix them intelligently based on your goals and budget.

Once your keywords are running, the Search Terms Report becomes your optimization engine. Check it regularly to find new opportunities and cut wasted spend. For a comprehensive approach, review these best practices for managing Google Ads campaigns. This isn't a "set it and forget it" situation—it's an ongoing process of refinement that separates profitable campaigns from money pits.

One more thing: Don't be afraid to pause or remove keywords that aren't performing. If a keyword has spent $100 with zero conversions, it's okay to cut it and reallocate that budget to keywords that are working. Your account should evolve based on data, not gut feelings.

Tools like Keywordme can speed up this optimization process significantly by letting you add keywords and negatives directly from the Search Terms Report without jumping between screens. Instead of manually copying search terms, switching tabs, finding the right ad group, and pasting keywords, you can take action with a single click—right where you're already reviewing data.

Start your free 7-day trial and see how much faster you can optimize when you eliminate the busywork. Manage one campaign or hundreds and save hours while making smarter decisions. After the trial, it's just $12/month to keep the momentum going and take your Google Ads game to the next level.