Last week, our Austin SEO Company listened into WordStreams webinar called, “How to Get an A+ in PPC: Using Lessons Learned in 2019 to Ace Google & Facebook Ads in 2020.”

You should really give it a listen because the 2018 update of close variants is not going anywhere and marketers need to readapt a bit, but there is a bright side to this. 

Furthermore, what’s the biggest take away? 

“Just because a click does not convert does not mean it is a waste.” How is close variant targeting a larger audience but maybe not getting as many leads? 

What are close variants? 

Close variants are variations of keywords that have been put into the ad. These variations are triggered by an update that happened at the end of 2018 with Google Ads. Google Ads had a rebrand and close variant update in 2018, it was a tough year for marketers. 

Back to close variants, if an ad is for “lawn mowing services” this will show a number of close variants that consumers could also be searching for. Google has based this on the relevance of the words and how similar they are. 

What would the variants be for this keyword? 

• Grass cutting services
• Lawn cutting near me
• Fertilizing companies (location)
• Landscaping services

Are these variants the exact same? No, but are they relevant? Yes. This is because the keyword, “lawn mowing services” can be triggered by grass cutting services and lawn cutting. 

The overall consensus? At first, close variants were a concern for marketers and any Austin SEO company out there. Would this close variant hurt overall performance on the ad and target the wrong audience? 

The research is showing that close variants are improving most businesses PPC ads and reducing costs! 

Search Engine Land states that close cariant click shares increased from 26 percent to 35 percent in one quarter with no chance of slowing down.However, with any update, there is some decline. 

Screenshot from Search Engine Land 

Search Engine Land noticed a 13 percent decrease in one month from this new update and it affected brand keywords in PPC ads as well. The consensus? It can lower conversion rate but target a smaller pool of audiences. 

The benefits 

The main benefit of close variants is that it has reduced the overall price of the PPC ad. Yes, a simple close variant can reduce the overall cost for businesses. An advertisement that would be about $5 per click could now be as low as $2! 

What business do you work for that is not constantly trying to optimize their ads and reduce costs? None. 

Retargets and optimizes target audiences. This means your keywords have relevant phrases and keywords being searched, which means a larger target audience is reached. Why not spend less money to reach a larger audience. 

Copywriting can all blend together in a PPC ad. Where is the keyword? Why would I click on this ad? While it is imperative for ALL the keywords to be integrated and close variants, why would a consumer click on your ad. Just remember that. It is not always about keywords without the right copy.

As an Austin SEO Company, our experts are constantly learning and optimizing for our clients. For more information or help with PPC ads, give us a call.