You can update your keyword list at any time. Just be aware that changing the keyword itself or the keyword match type is the same as deleting the original keyword and creating a new one, so after
editing the keyword, its statistics will be reset to zero. The same is true when you move a keyword to another ad group.
You can make bulk edits or inline edits. Both ways are described below.
Editing more than one keyword at a time (bulk edits)
- Sign in to your AdWords account at http://adwords.google.com.
- Navigate to the ad group or campaign you want to work with.
- Select the Keywords tab.
At the top of your keywords table, you'll see an set of buttons and drop-down menus.
- + Add keywords: Click to add your keywords in a field provided. Add them one per line or separate them with commas.
Click Save. The first time you add keywords, you'll be prompted to set a Search default bid for when you keywords trigger your ads on the Search Network and an automatic
placement default bid for when your keyword triggers your ad on the Content Network. You can also use the keyword tool to find and add new keywords.
- Edit: Select the keywords you'd like to edit, and click this button. You'll be able to edit the keywords and their settings (paused or enabled status, match type, unique bid, and
destination URL).
- Change status: Select the keywords you'd like to pause, enable, or delete, and choose the relevant option in the "Change status" drop-down.
- Show query report: Click to see a list of search queries that match your keywords and are therefore triggering your ad. Then, you can choose to add query terms to your
keyword list or add it as a negative keyword if you like. This drop-down lets you see search terms for all of your keywords or just keywords you select.
- More actions: This drop-down offers several other options for your keyword table. For example, "Copy...": select the keywords you'd like to copy to another ad group, and click
this button. You'll be prompted to select the destination campaign and ad group. This menu also offers the option for "Spreadsheet edit," which allows you to edit within an embedded spreadsheet.
Editing inline
This option lets you quickly edit a single keyword, its match type, and bid.
- Keyword and match type: From the "Keywords" tab at either the campaign or ad group level, just click on the keywords you'd like to edit. This will enable inline
editing so you can edit the keyword or its match type. Remember that editing a keyword or its match type will delete the original keyword and create a new keyword with none of the historical statistics
that were associated with the original keyword.
- Bid: In the Keywords table, click on the bid, and you'll be able to edit it right there. You may want to raise the bid for a particular keyword if it's performing well for you and you'd like
to be more competitive. On the other hand, you may want to reduce the default bid for any keyword that isn't performing well but you don't want to get rid of.
A couple of notes on editing keyword bids:
- If you don't set a keyword-specific bid, the ad group default bid will apply. That bid amount is listed in gray in the bid column of your keyword table.
- If you do set a keyword-specific bid but want to revert to the ad group default bid, delete the bid amount from the field. Then, click "Save."
- If you've turned on the automatic bidding feature, you won't be able to edit your bids. However, the maximum amount we'll auto bid for you will show in the bid column with the label "auto."
