SEM Keyword Research and Strategy 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does 'keyword cannibalization' mean in SEM?
- Two ads competing for the same auction slot
- Multiple pages on your site targeting the same keyword, splitting Quality Score and traffic (Correct answer)
- A competitor bidding on your brand keywords
- Overusing a keyword in ad copy beyond Google's character limits
Correct answer: Multiple pages on your site targeting the same keyword, splitting Quality Score and traffic
Keyword cannibalization occurs when multiple pages target identical or very similar keywords, causing them to compete against each other and dilute overall performance.
Question 2: A search query with 'buy,' a brand name, and a model number most likely indicates which stage of the buying funnel?
- Awareness
- Consideration
- Decision/Purchase (Correct answer)
- Post-purchase research
Correct answer: Decision/Purchase
Transactional modifiers like 'buy' combined with specific product identifiers signal high purchase intent at the bottom of the funnel.
Question 3: Which metric best measures how often your ad appears relative to the total eligible impressions in an auction?
- Click-Through Rate (CTR)
- Impression Share (Correct answer)
- Search Volume
- Keyword Reach
Correct answer: Impression Share
Impression Share shows the percentage of eligible impressions your ads received versus the total available, indicating how much opportunity remains.
Question 4: When should you use an 'exact match' keyword type instead of 'phrase match'?
- When you want maximum reach and traffic volume
- When you need tight control over which specific queries trigger your ad (Correct answer)
- When your Quality Score is below 5
- When targeting mobile users exclusively
Correct answer: When you need tight control over which specific queries trigger your ad
Exact match restricts triggering to queries that match the keyword's meaning very closely, giving advertisers precise control over traffic quality.
Question 5: What is a 'seed keyword' in the context of keyword research?
- A keyword with the highest CPC in your industry
- A broad, foundational term used as a starting point to discover related keywords (Correct answer)
- A keyword automatically generated by Google Ads
- A negative keyword added to prevent irrelevant traffic
Correct answer: A broad, foundational term used as a starting point to discover related keywords
Seed keywords are short, core terms that represent your product or service and serve as the foundation for expanding into longer, more specific keyword lists.
Question 6: Which of the following is NOT a factor Google Keyword Planner uses to estimate search volume?
- Geographic location
- Date range selected
- Advertiser's account Quality Score (Correct answer)
- Device type
Correct answer: Advertiser's account Quality Score
Google Keyword Planner estimates are based on historical search data segmented by location, time, and device—not an individual advertiser's Quality Score.
Question 7: What is the primary purpose of grouping keywords into tightly themed ad groups?
- To reduce the number of keywords you need to manage
- To improve ad relevance and Quality Score by aligning keywords, ads, and landing pages (Correct answer)
- To automatically increase your daily budget allocation
- To qualify for Google's broad match modifier discount
Correct answer: To improve ad relevance and Quality Score by aligning keywords, ads, and landing pages
Tight ad groups ensure that ads and landing pages are highly relevant to the keywords within them, boosting Quality Score and lowering CPC.
SEM Keyword Research and Strategy 2
What does 'keyword cannibalization' mean in SEM?