Remember when Google Ads was all about finding the perfect keywords?
Those days are over.
Google just rolled out changes that make traditional keyword research feel like using a flip phone in 2025. But here's the twist: brands embracing this shift are seeing 40%+ better performance.
The Keyword Obsession Problem
Most advertisers are still stuck in 2019:
Bidding on exact match keywords
Building massive negative keyword lists
Obsessing over Quality Scores
Meanwhile, Google's AI is already 10 steps ahead.
Example of Google’s keyword system.
Welcome to Intent-Based Advertising
🎯 Google's New Focus: Your landing page content matters more than your keywords User behavior signals trump keyword relevance AI matches intent, not just search terms
🎯 What This Means for You: Broad match keywords are outperforming exact match Smart campaigns are beating manual management Landing page relevance is the new Quality Score
The Beyond-Keywords Strategy
Step 1: Content-First Campaigns Build landing pages that clearly communicate who you serve Let Google's AI read your page and find relevant traffic Your page becomes your targeting specification
Step 2: Embrace Broad Match Evolution Test broad match keywords with strong negative lists Use Smart Bidding to let AI optimize for your goals Monitor search terms, but don't micro-manage
Step 3: Audience Layering Combine keyword themes with audience insights Use customer data to inform, not replace, keyword strategy Let multiple signals work together
Example of Google’s audience insights.
The Reality Check
One client fought this shift for months, manually managing 500+ exact match keywords. Performance: Declining Stress level: Maximum
We switched to 10 broad match keywords + Smart Bidding. Result: 35% lower CPA, 60% less management time.
Your choice: Adapt to Google's evolution or get left behind.
