How do I use keyword and location insertion in Google Ads?

The short answer is to use curly brackets with the words ‘key’ and ‘location’ inside them. This simple syntax allows Google Ads to automatically insert the user’s search term as the keyword and their geographic location based on their IP address directly into your ad text.

Full Explanation

To enable keyword and location insertion in your Google Ads, you need to include curly brackets in your ad copy. Inside these brackets, enter the terms ‘key’ and ‘location.’ When a user performs a search, Google Ads detects the keyword they entered as well as their location from their IP address. It then automatically pulls this information and inserts it into your advertisement where you placed the bracketed terms.

This feature ensures that your ads dynamically reflect the user’s actual search query and current location, making your ads more relevant and personalized without manual updating.

Step-by-Step Breakdown

Open the text section of your Google Ads ad where you want to include customized information.
Type curly brackets { } at the places where you want automatic insertion.
Inside the curly brackets, write key to insert the search term (keyword).
Similarly, inside the curly brackets, write location to insert the user’s detected location.
Save your ad. When it runs, Google Ads will automatically fill in these fields based on each user’s search term and location.

Real Examples

While specific ad examples aren’t provided, the concept works as follows: if your ad text includes {key}, Google Ads replaces that placeholder with the user’s search keyword. Likewise, {location} is replaced with the user’s geographic location based on their IP address, enhancing ad relevance.

Common Mistakes

Forgetting to use curly brackets around ‘key’ and ‘location’ will stop the automatic insertion from working.
Placing incorrect or misspelled keywords inside the brackets means Google won’t recognize them for insertion.
Not understanding that location is derived from the user’s IP address may lead to confusion about why location data updates dynamically.

FAQs

Q: What exactly does Google pull for keyword insertion?
Google uses the actual search term entered by the user to replace the {key} placeholder.

Q: How does Google determine the user’s location?
Google detects the location by using the user’s IP address to replace the {location} placeholder.

Q: Do I need to add anything else besides curly brackets and the words ‘key’ and ‘location’?
No, just placing the terms inside curly brackets is sufficient for Google Ads to perform dynamic insertion.

Key Takeaways

Use curly brackets {} in your ad text to enable dynamic insertion.
Place key inside brackets to insert the user’s search keyword.
Place location inside brackets to insert the user’s geographic location from their IP address.
This method personalizes ads automatically without manual edits.