The Paid Search Podcast – Episode 488

PPC Basics: How to Pick The Best Keywords
Host: Chris Schaeffer – Certified Google Ads Specialist
Date: November 17, 2025

Overview

In this episode, Chris Schaeffer breaks down the fundamentals of keyword selection in Google Ads campaigns. Using a local daycare as a running example, Chris walks listeners through how to identify which keywords are most likely to result in meaningful clicks and conversions. He explains the differences between high-volume/low-value and low-volume/high-value keywords, how to interpret user intent, and the practical application of match types (broad, phrase, exact). The episode is structured to help business owners, digital marketers, and freelancers eliminate wasted ad spend and maximize the effectiveness of their campaigns.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Importance of Excluding Bad Traffic

• Chris stresses the essential role of avoiding "the wrong traffic":

  "Not all traffic is the same. There is plenty of places in Google that you can get traffic from that is not going to succeed… It’s just not good traffic." – Chris [03:10]

• He mentions how tools like Opteo can help uncover and exclude poor-performing placements, mobile app traffic, and irrelevant categories.

2. Fundamentals: You Can’t Just Invent Keywords

• Chris emphasizes that keywords must map to real search behavior:

  "You can't just make up keywords. You can't just say, you know what, I want to advertise for people looking for this, and I'm just gonna make up a keyword… Whether you actually get traffic that reflects that keyword is the real question." – Chris [05:25]

• Example: A daycare wanting to target "afternoon daycare in Dallas" may find no one actually searches this phrase [07:00].

3. Volume vs. Value in Keywords – The ‘Ski Slope’ Analogy

• Chris uses a visual analogy to explain the keyword landscape:

  "Imagine you have an XY graph, right? And it's a slow descending line… This representation… is a good representation of high volume, low value and high value, low volume." – Chris [09:13]

High Volume, Low Value

• Keywords like “best daycare” or “average cost of daycare” are heavily searched but tend to be research-oriented and not purchase-ready.

  “They're just learning about what they think they might want and don't want… not ready to act at the moment.” – Chris [12:00] “You probably don’t want these high-volume [keywords] with low value.” – Chris [15:15]

Mid Volume, Moderate Value

• The “bunny slope” of keywords: e.g., just “daycare”

  "People just type in the word daycare. It's often a good place to start… there's usually a little bit higher volume here." – Chris [17:29]

High Value, Low Volume (Sweet Spot)

• Examples: “daycares in Dallas,” “daycares in Plano, Texas” – more location-specific, closer to purchase intent

  "Geographically, Plano's closer, so that's probably worth more now." – Chris [21:30]

  • Recommendation: Target with phrase match, not broad or exact.

Ultra-High Value, Niche Keywords

• Example: “Catholic daycare,” “infant daycare,” or “Catholic daycare Plano”

  "These are preferences that are specific and maybe they match exactly with the kind of clientele that you want." – Chris [26:50]

  • Advice: Use phrase match to maintain keyword intent but avoid filtering out all traffic with exact match.

4. Practical Advice on Match Types

• Exact Match: Use for broader yet relevant keywords (e.g., [daycare])
• Phrase Match: Ideal for most location or niche qualifiers (“daycares in Dallas”)
• Broad Match: Only consider when there's very limited volume and you’re ‘fishing’ for terms

  “Broad Match is… extremely broad and liberal… it will match things that are largely unrelated, honestly.” – Chris [29:00]

5. What to Do If Niche Keywords Don’t Exist

• For industries where “the ski slope is all at the top of the mountain and then it's just a drop off”—meaning you can't find low-volume, high-value keywords—Chris recommends:

  "You're going to have to play on the steep side of the slope… use exclusively broad match… and just try terms." – Chris [34:20]

• Use search term reports to discover unexpected queries and build new ad groups around them

6. Optimization Is Never Done

• Chris closes by underscoring the trial-and-error nature of PPC:

  "There's any true definition of what optimization looks like in Google Ads, it is the process of fishing for traffic… pulling that out, and building an idea around that… that's what optimization looks like." – Chris [38:50]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Realistic Expectations:

  “There’s a whole genre...of keywords that you’re dreaming up that are useless.” – Chris [08:05]

• On High Volume Terms:

  “Who wants to send their child to cheap daycare?... Cheap daycare buyers are probably very likely to hesitate on pulling the trigger.” – Chris [14:30]

• On Phrase Match Integrity:

  “If the term itself is important to keep the integrity and the intent of the term itself, then really I think it's going to be important that you use phrase match.” – Chris [30:15]

• On Finding Unexpected Value:

  “You might come across things that you never would have thought of... That is the ongoing optimization of Google Ads.” – Chris [36:10]

Timestamps of Important Segments

• [03:10] – The problem with bad traffic in Google Ads
• [05:25] – Why you can’t just invent keywords: the “afternoon daycare” example
• [09:13] – Introduction of the ‘ski slope’ analogy
• [12:00] – “Best daycare” searches and low-value volume
• [17:29] – The “bunny slope” – targeting keywords like “daycare” for balanced risk
• [21:30] – Geographic modifiers and their value; Plano vs. Dallas
• [26:50] – Niche-value keywords: religious or age-based modifiers
• [29:00] – Dangers of broad match for specialty keywords
• [34:20] – What to do when no valuable long-tail exists (broad match tactics)
• [38:50] – The never-ending process of optimization

Summary

Chris Schaeffer’s episode provides an accessible yet sophisticated blueprint for choosing Google Ads keywords, tailored for both beginners and seasoned marketers. He debunks common mistakes, clarifies the trade-off between keyword volume and value, and offers practical, industry-agnostic strategies. Listeners come away with clear guidance: avoid the allure of volume for its own sake, anchor your campaigns in real user behavior, choose the right match type, and be ready to adapt as new opportunities emerge from campaign data.

For personalized Google Ads coaching or campaign management, Chris invites listeners to reach out at ChrisSchaeffer.com.