but it can’t do much about relevance problems, so focusing on relevant ads will improve your performance further.
The bid strategies will work as hard as they can do decide which auctions to enter and how much to bid. It's our job to ensure the strat has relevant ads that are closely related to the KW and that we drop the user on the right page.
Organize campaigns around specific goals, products, or audience segments
Campaigns should have as little overlap as possible to ensure they're targeting different users and not competing against each other
Schedule monthly or quarterly reviews to identify keyword overlap using Google Ads tools or third-party software. Pay special attention to broad match keywords.
Preventing Geographic Keyword Cannibalization in Google Ads
udit your keyword lists regularly and identify duplications. Apply negative keywords in less important campaigns to prevent self-competition
Google Ads takes several forms, each creating unique challenges for your campaigns.
Keyword overlap occurs when different parts of your account target the same or similar keywords.
When identical keywords exist across multiple ad groups, your ads bid against each other in Google’s mini-auctions. This means you’re not just competing with other advertisers—you’re competing with yourself, needlessly inflating costs. Over time, this internal bidding war can lead to wasted budget allocations, especially if high-volume keywords are involved. Each bid siphons away funds that could have been allocated to more strategic, unique campaigns, ultimately diminishing your ROI.
They aren't LITERALLY competing against each other in the auction. It's not that each is setting a bid and then trying to one up each other. It's that if one KW has weaker relevance it might bid really high, resulting in a higher ad rank & winning the same click for a more expensive price, just because the structure wasn't clean enough. We also run the risk of Google favoring click heavy, but low CvR ad ad group placements.
Google will only show one ad per keyword from your account. Duplicate keywords limit your visibility, preventing you from reaching your audience effectively. Imagine crafting compelling ads, only to have them buried because of internal keyword competition. By restricting your ability to appear in diverse search queries, duplicate keywords act as a self-imposed cap on your potential reach. This not only stifles visibility but also curbs the growth of your brand in competitive markets.