In the middle of 2005 Google began a new keyword status policy that put panic into the hearts of their advertisers. Now all of the keywords in Google's system had a required minimum bid. The bid could be anything from two cents all the way to 1 dollar or more.

For those not willing to put up the minimum bid for a specific keyword, Google simply flips your keyword to inactive and your ad won't show up when that term is used in a search. As long as you bid the minimum or more, they will show your ad.

Many watched as their precious five-cent minimum bids got jacked up to ten and twenty cents and more. Some who based their entire selling strategy on this minimum price thought it would kill their business.

It didn't. If Google deactivates keywords and demands higher bids for them, you've got two options, not just one: (1) Bid what Google asks, or (2) tweak the copy of your Google ad to convince Google's computers that the ad is relevant, thereby lowering the minimum required bid.

Before you choose the first option, you had better be sure that it's necessary, and that you can afford it. If you're going to choose the second option-and we strongly recommend that you do-then the trick that works best is this:

Take the keyword and stick it into the headline of your ad.

If doing that messes up your ad and creates havoc for all your other keywords in the ad group, then you can try 'peel and stick' Remove that keyword from your list and create a new ad group for that word alone and write an ad using that keyword in the headline.

In this manner you will be able to induce Google's computers into believing you have relevant ads. You will likely be given lower minimum bid prices also. An added advantage is that you are almost assured a higher CTR.

It's an unfortunate fact that you're not really being judged on relevance here, you're being judged on perceived relevance. Google's system won't necessarily offer you a lower minimum bid price because you've got a high CTR; the system will only do so if it sees that you're using your keyword in the ad.

It all boils down to whether the Google computers see you as relevant. It is not on any actuality of your ads being relevant.

Still, by setting up its system this way Google is now forcing you to do with your keywords and ad groups what successful advertisers already do: break everything down into small, tight groups.

You may be penalized by Google if you have keywords on your list that arent relevant to your ad. They will do this by making those keywords inactive.

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