Clicks and Clarity with Claire
If you’re spending real money on Google Ads and still asking, “Why isn’t this working?”—this podcast is for you.
I’m Claire Jarrett, Google Ads strategist and founder of Jarrett Digital. Each week, I break down what’s actually going on behind the numbers—so you can stop wasting ad spend, start attracting qualified leads, and scale with confidence.
No fluff. No jargon. Just clear advice, real audits, and proven strategies from accounts managing four to six figures in monthly ad spend.
Whether you're DIY-ing your ads or working with an agency, this is the clarity you've been missing.
Clicks and Clarity with Claire
Broad Match Blunders: Are You Throwing Money at the Wrong Keywords?
In this eye-opening episode of 'Clicks & Clarity with Claire', Claire Jarrett dives deep into the world of keyword targeting and exposes the costly mistakes many businesses make with broad match keywords. Learn why dumping hundreds of keywords into your campaigns isn't the answer and discover Claire's proven strategies for laser-focused targeting.
Claire reveals her secret weapon for campaign success: the power of negative keywords and how to use them effectively. She'll guide you through the process of aligning your keywords with your landing pages for maximum relevance and higher Quality Scores.
You'll also learn about the 'keyword funnel' approach, how to leverage competitor insights, and why Google's automated recommendations might be sabotaging your results. Plus, get insider tips on avoiding conversion tracking pitfalls that could be doubling your actual cost per lead.
Whether you're new to Google Ads or looking to optimize your existing campaigns, this episode is packed with actionable insights to help you stop wasting your ad budget and start attracting qualified leads. Don't miss Claire's expert advice on creating a Google Ads strategy that aligns with your business goals and delivers real ROI.
Welcome to 'Clicks & Clarity with Claire' with Claire Jarrett, where today we're decoding the strategy behind effective keyword targeting and avoiding broad match blunders.
Let's start with a common scenario: an account with hundreds of keywords but only a few hundred monthly clicks, mostly from branded terms - this is classic broad match gone wrong.
Broad match allows your ads to show for misspellings, synonyms, and related searches, but it can also show your ads for irrelevant searches, wasting your budget and tanking your click-through rates.
To fix this, first use broad match sparingly and strategically - don't throw every keyword into your campaign on broad match and hope for the best.
Second, become obsessive about negative keywords - I recommend adding at least one hundred negative keywords daily until Google really understands your campaign.
Review search terms for both clicked and shown impressions, and even if a term hasn't received clicks but has impressions, add it as a negative if it's irrelevant.
Next, let's talk about aligning your keywords with your landing pages - you can have the best keywords, but if they don't match your landing page content, you're wasting money.
Focus on specific keywords that align with your landing page content - this increases relevance and improves your Quality Score, lowering your cost per click and improving your ad position.
For example, if you're a divorce lawyer, don't just bid on 'lawyer' - use more specific terms like 'divorce lawyer near me' or 'best divorce attorney in [your city]'.
Remember, your headlines don't act as keywords themselves, but they do appear within the ad to increase your click-through rate.
Your ad copy should speak directly to the intent behind the search query - if someone searches for 'emergency plumber near me', your ad headline shouldn't be a generic 'Plumbing Services'.
Let's talk about the 'keyword funnel' - this involves targeting keywords at different stages of the buyer's journey.
At the top, you have broad, informational keywords; in the middle, more specific keywords related to your product or service; and at the bottom, high-intent keywords from people ready to buy.
Don't ignore low search volume keywords - these might not drive tons of traffic, but they often have very high conversion rates because they're so specific to what you're offering.
Consider using audience targeting in combination with keywords - this allows you to bid on broader keywords but only show your ads to specific audiences, like people who've visited your website before or people in certain age groups or with certain interests.
It's crucial to segment your keywords based on different themes or product types for better ad targeting.
Include keywords in your ad headings for higher click-through rates and quality scores.
Utilize exact match and phrase match keywords predominantly, with broad match used sparingly after adding many negative keywords.
Proper budget allocation is essential - put your budget towards high search volume areas to avoid running out quickly, but be ready to adjust based on performance metrics like conversions.
Be cautious of automated changes - I've seen accounts where Google added random keywords and changed bid strategies without permission, leading to poor performance.
Your ad strategy should be intentional, not automated guesswork.
When auditing your account, download and analyze your keyword list, categorizing them into buying and non-buying themes.
Focus your budget on those who are ready to buy to maximize its effectiveness.
Be wary of potential double-counting in conversions - I've seen cases where the actual cost per conversion was double what was displayed due to this issue.
Leverage competitor knowledge - focus on competitors consistently at the top of Google with successful ads and model your landing pages after theirs, but make them even better.
Remember, Google Ads is not a 'set it and forget it' platform - it requires ongoing attention, analysis, and adjustment.
Constantly monitor your campaigns, ensure accurate tracking, and focus on smarter spending to improve your ROI.
Your keyword strategy is not just about the keywords themselves - it's about understanding your audience, aligning with your business goals, crafting compelling ads, creating relevant landing pages, and continuously testing and optimizing.
That's all for today's episode of 'Clicks and Clarity with Claire' - I hope you've found this deep dive into keyword targeting strategies helpful.
Remember, if you're struggling with your Google Ads campaigns, don't hesitate to reach out - I offer personalized consultations and customized action plans to help you achieve your Google Ads goals.
Until next time, this is Claire Jarrett reminding you: in the world of Google Ads, the right keywords are your best friends - use them wisely, and they'll reward you handsomely.
Goodbye for now!