General Terms On a cost per click model, it is best to pre-qualify the click-through. Targeted text ads that speak directly to our demographic but also exclude those outside of it can make general search terms an effective strategy, especially in noisy markets. General search terms are important, and we should bid for these terms but work to pre-qualify the click-throughs in our creative, so resultant visitors are those for whom is the right fit.
Brand Terms We should determine the current level of brand recognition in the marketplace and to build upon it. Even if the brand is not well known, brand terms should be included within our campaigns to establish market awareness and capitalize on any PR or other media channel promotions.
Long Tail Terms The more specific the search terms, the more qualified the visitor. We will look for 4+ keyword strings to test at this level. Impressions (number of searches) for these terms are quite low, but the resultant visitor should be a more likely conversion.
Non-Contextual Terms
We look for non-contextual placements to reach our target market where we have higher visibility and to ensure we are in front of them wherever they might be at any given time. We will build upon our personas and initiate paid search campaigns and develop keyword strings that reach them.