How to Find the Right Keywords for Your eCommerce Paid Search Campaigns

Paid search keyword research in 2026 is not the same as SEO keyword research. You are not trying to rank for everything — you are buying conversion intent: the terms buyers use when they are ready to purchase, and the structure that lets Smart Bidding work.

The three layers of purchase intent

High intent (buy now)

Examples: “buy women's trail shoes,” model + size queries, “best price” + product. Highest CPCs, often highest CVR — prioritize budget and tight ad-to-page match here.

Medium intent (research)

Comparisons, reviews, “vs” queries. Can work with controlled budgets and strong landing pages; watch ROAS closely.

Low intent (awareness)

Educational “what is / how to choose” queries rarely pay off in cold Search without a funnel and remarketing — usually better owned by SEO or Demand Gen.

Research tools (2026)

Google Keyword Planner — Free, in-account volume, competition, bid ranges.
Google Search Console — Organic queries that already convert on your site are prime paid targets.
Search terms reports — The richest source: real queries that fired your ads plus conversion data. Mine weekly.
SEMrush / Ahrefs / SpyFu — Competitor spend and copy gaps.

Match types in 2026

Match	How it works	Best use
Broad	AI-expanded related queries	Discovery with Smart Bidding + strong conversion data
Phrase	Meaningful phrase retained	Moderate control
Exact	Tightest query match	Brand and proven converters

With Smart Bidding and Customer Match, many accounts default to broad match + strong signals instead of exact-only sculpting.

Building negative keyword lists

Negatives are as important as targets. Start with account-level lists covering: free, DIY, used, wholesale, jobs, career, wikipedia, definition, plus category-mismatch terms. Review search terms weekly.