@Justin Gil that's quite a meaty answer! 'Negative keywords' is something I had never thought about and it makes SO much sense after you mention it. Thanks for sharing this!

I confess I have a couple of "beginner" questions reading your thoughts:
- What are some examples of "branded keywords"?
- What is "click fraud"? 

I've also seen @Daniella Pozzolungo @Shoaib Mughal @Eduardo Forti share great insights on Google Ads before! Curious how each of you are cutting down on Google Ad spend!

Great question.

I covered this in a recent article on "The Cost of Google Ad Spend," so the answers to this are still fresh! 

Here are the six best tips on how to cut costs on Google Ads:

1. Focus on Intent.

Understanding where potential customers are at in the buying stage will allow you to align different parts of your sales funnel to relevant users at each level. Targeting customers at different stages and creating relevant customer journeys is one of the best ways to increase conversions and produce more conversions.

2. Win your brand keywords.

 It's so dangerous to allow a competitor to take control of brand-name keywords! They're relatively inexpensive, have super high-quality scores, and users searching for brand terms are more likely to convert. 

Branded keywords will most likely cost a fraction of your total PPC budget, and not taking control of them can be catastrophic.

So make sure you do!

3. Be aware of the differences between "Broad Match" and "Exact Match."

The default setting for Google Ads keywords is broad match. This means your ads will be shown for searches related to your keywords, but not JUST the precise keywords.

This is good when you want to increase brand awareness; however, this approach costs more and isn't the best option for converting leads optimally.

Unlike broad match, with exact match, your ads only appear when your keywords are an exact match with a user's search.

Exact match might not provide you with as much visibility, but the more targeted effort will lead to higher conversions.
 

4. Implement negative keywords. 

You know who you don't want to target. Understanding and implementing into Google Ads who you don't want seeing your ad is a great way to slash wasted spend and eliminate unwanted traffic.

An example of a business correctly using negative keywords would be a coffee machine company implementing negative keywords such as coffee shops or cafes.

While this proves to be highly effective, it's still one of the most commonly neglected areas in paid search.
 

5. Check the metrics.

Maybe the best way to waste ad spend is by ignoring the results of campaigns. 

Staying on top of your metrics will allow you to learn from campaigns so that you can improve and optimize them over time. Failing to do so will result in wasted money, time, and a plateau in online business.
 

6. Cut down on click fraud. 
 Click fraud can ruin a business. 

According to a 2021 study in Search Engine Journal, the average SMB loses close to $15,000 every year, while the average digital agency loses $207,000 a year. So while search engines are doing their best against click fraud, it's still quite widespread.

An excellent way to crack down on this is by using click fraud software that protects against fraud PPC clicks; some quality brands are:

• AppsFlyer

• PPC Protect

• ClickCease

• Adjust

• ClickGUARD 

Cutting out costly mistakes, constantly staying diligent, and optimizing campaigns allow you to get the best ROI (Return on Investment) and reduce wasted ad spend on Google Ads.

Are there any ways you cut down on Google Ad spend that I missed?