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SEO & SEM

SEM Campaign Structure Strategy

use this prompt when:

  • You need to reorganize underperforming SEM campaigns that aren’t delivering efficient ROAS
  • You’re launching a new product line requiring a fresh campaign structure
  • Your ad account has grown unwieldy with too many overlapping campaigns
  • You want to improve Quality Scores and reduce CPCs through better campaign organization
  • You’re transitioning from an agency-managed to an in-house SEM program

The prompt

Design a comprehensive SEM campaign structure strategy for <business name> promoting <products/services> to <target audience> in the <geographic markets>. Create a strategic framework for organizing campaigns, ad groups, and keywords that balances granularity with manageability based on our business model, budget of <budget>, and team resources. Include recommendations for campaign types (search, display, shopping, etc.), match type strategy, negative keyword approach, and audience targeting overlays. Provide bidding strategies aligned with our business objectives of <business objectives>, budget allocation frameworks across campaigns, and measurement approaches for tracking performance against goals. Focus particularly on designing a structure that effectively reaches our priority customer segments seeking <search themes> while addressing our current SEM challenges with <specific challenges>.

Copy prompt

How to customize

SEM Campaign Structure Strategy
Variables
Description
Variables
business name
Description
Enter your brand or company name that the campaigns will represent.
Variables
products/services
Description
Specify the exact products or service lines you're promoting through SEM.
Variables
target audience
Description
Define your ideal customer segments including demographics, behaviors, and purchasing intent.
Variables
geographic markets
Description
List the specific locations you're targeting (countries, states, cities, or radius targets).
Variables
budget
Description
Indicate your monthly SEM budget to ensure recommendations stay within realistic constraints.
Variables
business objectives
Description
Clarify your primary goals (e.g., ROAS targets, lead generation, brand awareness, market share).
Variables
search themes
Description
Identify the primary search intent categories your customers use when looking for your solutions.
Variables
specific challenges
Description
Describe current issues with your SEM program (e.g., high CPCs, poor quality scores, campaign bloat).

Example Output

SEM Campaign Structure Strategy for Ritual Clean (DTC Sustainable Cleaning Products)

 

Executive Summary Based on your business model, target audience, and objectives, we recommend a hybrid account structure that balances product-focused and intent-based campaigns. This approach will allow Ritual Clean to efficiently allocate your $50,000 monthly budget across high-performing segments while maintaining strong quality scores and preventing keyword cannibalization.

 

I. Recommended Campaign Structure

A. Search Campaigns (65% of Budget)

  1. Brand Protection Campaign (10% of search budget)
    • Ad Groups: Direct Brand Terms, Brand + Product Terms, Misspellings
    • Match Types: Exact and Phrase only
    • Bidding: Maximize Clicks with high bid caps to ensure position 1
  2. High-Intent Product Campaigns (40% of search budget)
    • Campaign 1: All-Purpose Cleaners (Eco-Conscious Segment)
      • Ad Groups: Ingredient-Focused (Plant-Based, Non-Toxic), Certification-Focused (EPA Certified, Green Seal), Problem-Focused (Pet-Safe, Allergy-Friendly)
    • Campaign 2: Laundry Detergents (Family Segment)
      • Ad Groups: Ingredient-Focused (Fragrance-Free, Hypoallergenic), Benefit-Focused (Stain-Fighting, Sensitive Skin)
    • Campaign 3: Dish Soaps (Value-Conscious Segment)
      • Ad Groups: Ingredient-Focused (Plant-Based, Biodegradable), Benefit-Focused (Grease-Cutting, Gentle on Hands)
    • Match Types: Tiered approach with Exact, Phrase, and Modified Broad
    • Bidding: Target ROAS of 3.5x with automated bidding
  3. Category Interest Campaigns (30% of search budget)
    • Campaign 1: Sustainable Cleaning Solutions
    • Campaign 2: Non-Toxic Home Products
    • Campaign 3: Eco-Friendly Household Essentials
    • Match Types: Phrase and Broad Match
    • Bidding: Maximize Conversions with CPA targets
  4. Competitor Campaign (20% of search budget)
    • Ad Groups organized by competitor brands (Method, Mrs. Meyer’s, Seventh Generation)
    • Match Types: Exact and Phrase only
    • Bidding: Target CPA with performance monitoring

 

B. Shopping Campaigns (25% of Budget)

  1. Product-Based Structure
    • Campaign 1: Best Sellers (ROAS focus)
    • Campaign 2: New Products (Growth focus)
    • Campaign 3: Gift Sets (Seasonal focus)
    • Bidding: Portfolio bid strategy with Target ROAS

 

C. Display & Video Campaigns (10% of Budget)

  1. Remarketing
    • Campaign 1: Cart Abandoners (High priority)
    • Campaign 2: Site Visitors (Medium priority)
    • Campaign 3: Engagement Audiences (Low priority)
    • Bidding: Target CPA with audience bid adjustments

 

II. Match Type Strategy

  • Implement a “waterfall” approach with strict negative keyword management
  • Layer audiences on broad match keywords to improve targeting
  • Reserve 15% of budget for testing new match type strategies

 

III. Negative Keyword Approach

  • Global negative list for non-purchase intent terms (e.g., “homemade,” “DIY”)
  • Campaign-specific negative lists to prevent overlap
  • Weekly negative keyword mining process based on search term reports

 

IV. Audience Strategy

  • Primary Audiences: In-market for household supplies, eco-conscious consumers, parents
  • Secondary Audiences: Competitor shoppers, sustainability enthusiasts
  • Exclusions: B2B purchasers, extreme coupon hunters

 

V. Measurement Framework

  • Primary KPIs: ROAS, CPA, New Customer Acquisition Cost
  • Secondary KPIs: CTR, Conversion Rate, Quality Score
  • Attribution Model: Data-driven with 30-day lookback window
  • Reporting Cadence: Weekly performance reviews, monthly strategic adjustments

 

VI. Implementation Roadmap

  • Week 1: Account restructure and initial campaign builds
  • Week 2: A/B testing for ad copy and landing page optimization
  • Week 3-4: Bid strategy refinement and search term analysis
  • Week 5-8: Audience expansion and performance optimization

 

VII. Budget Allocation

  • 65% Search (prioritizing high-ROAS product campaigns)
  • 25% Shopping (emphasis on best-selling products)
  • 10% Display/Video (remarketing focus)
  • Recommendation for incremental testing budget of $5,000/month

Pro tips

SEM Campaign Structure Strategy
  • Create a two-tiered campaign structure with “core” campaigns for your proven winners and “test” campaigns for new product lines or market expansion.
  • Use shared negative keyword lists across campaign types to prevent cannibalization and ensure traffic goes to the most appropriate campaigns.
  • Implement automated rules to shift budget between campaigns based on performance thresholds to maximize efficiency without manual adjustments.
  • For accounts with limited budgets, focus on building precise single-keyword ad groups (SKAGs) for your top-performing terms before expanding to broader themes.

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