What is keyword harvesting?
Keyword harvesting is a process by which advertisers collect and analyze keywords that have proven effective in their online advertising campaigns, particularly in Search Engine Advertising(SEA). The goal of keyword harvesting is to discover new, valuable keywords that generate conversions, which can then be added to your campaign to further optimize it. By understanding which keywords actually produce results, you can make your campaigns more efficient and better utilize your ad budget.
The process of keyword harvesting often begins with analyzing reports on keywords in Google Ads or other advertising platforms. These reports show which keywords people used to find and click on your ads. Some of these keywords will have been chosen directly by you, while others were automatically generated by the platform, such as when using broad keywords. By studying these keywords carefully, you can discover new keywords that are performing well, and add them to your list of targeted keywords.
In practice, keyword harvesting is an ongoing process that should be performed regularly to ensure that your SEA campaigns remain up-to-date and responsive to changing search patterns. A best practice is to perform keyword harvesting at least once a month, not only adding new keywords, but also excluding keywords that turn out to be irrelevant (negative keywords). This helps to reduce irrelevant clicks and focus your ad budget on the keywords that really drive conversions. By applying keyword harvesting effectively, you can continually optimize your SEA campaigns, ultimately leading to better performance and a higher return on your investment.