Keyword Bid / SEO Terms Keyword Bid A keyword bid is the maximum amount an advertiser is willing to pay for a click on their ad when a user searches for a specific keyword in a pay-per-click (PPC) advertising platform, such as Google Ads or Microsoft Ads. Bidding on keywords allows advertisers to compete for ad placement in search engine results. The amount you bid, along with your ad quality score and expected performance, influences whether your ad is shown and where it appears. There are several types of keyword bidding strategies, including manual bidding, where advertisers set individual bids for each keyword, and automated bidding, where the platform adjusts bids to meet specific goals such as maximising conversions or targeting a desired cost-per-acquisition. Some campaigns use enhanced cost-per-click (ECPC), which allows the system to raise or lower bids slightly based on the likelihood of a conversion. Keyword bids can be adjusted based on match type, audience segments, device type, or geographic location. Managing keyword bids strategically helps control ad spend, improve return on investment and ensure your ads appear in relevant searches. A higher bid does not always guarantee top placement, as ad relevance and landing page experience also play key roles. Regular bid adjustments, informed by performance data, can improve visibility for high-intent keywords and reduce wasted spend on underperforming terms. For nonprofits, keyword bidding might focus on branded search or donation-related phrases. For B2B and SaaS brands, it often targets competitive solution-based queries.