There are a couple different methods to group your keywords, but Excel is really the only place to do it. Once you have your keywords listed in Excel, one to each cell, you can sort them in a couple different ways: source-based, page-based, or theme-based. If you need help generating new keywords, check out my last blog post here.

Source-Based

If you, like many Search Marketers before you, have mined your Search Query Report for new keywords, this method is for you. All you need to do is add the search term as a keyword in the same ad group that triggered it. As with everything, this rule is not infallible. Occasionally, there will be another ad group that would be a better fit for your keyword than the one it originally showed up in. For example, a Personal Injury keyword could trigger a search term like “work injury lawyer.” In this circumstance, that keyword would best function in a Workers Compensation campaign instead of with the keyword that triggered it. If you’re at a loss, you can always make a single keyword ad group.

Page-Based

It’s possible you are just starting your account and have no pre-existing campaign to mine keywords from. Maybe you wrote your own keywords or scoured Google Keyword Planner to get your firm’s campaign started. In this case, try divvying up keywords based on which of your firm’s landing pages best correspond with them. With Personal Injury, this would look like dividing your keywords based on case types, like slip and falls, auto accidents, or general negligence. This method will benefit you additionally because of how Google monitors quality, which will be explained in a future article.

Theme-Based

This is my preferred method of keyword grouping, but it is the most time intensive. Sort your keywords alphabetically, but please do not make your ad groups solely based on which letter your keyword starts with. Ad groups should have some kind of theme or concept that ties the group of keywords together, be it a location, intent, or specific characteristic of your firm’s offering. Once your keywords are sorted, write down the general theme of the keyword in the column next to it. As you do this manually, you will begin to notice patterns emerging. Segment your keywords based on the natural divisions that arise. The most common may be sorting your keywords by area of law, especially if your firm handles multiple areas of law. If you only handle one area of law, you may want to segment your keywords by specific case types.

While keyword organization can seem like a small part of your campaign, I recommend taking your time with this, as it can greatly affect your firm’s campaign performance. If you’re unable to give your campaigns the attention they need to thrive, feel free to learn more about how lead generation can help your business grow.