Add and manage keywords

Keywords include categories and phrases and can be used in search results campaigns to help you determine the searches that your ad gets matched with. You can choose keywords on your own, you can use Search Match, or you can do a combination of both.

When you choose keywords on your own, Apple Ads can help by providing a list of keyword recommendations for both categories and phrases to help you add relevant keywords to a search results ad group. You can use a total of 1,000 keywords per ad group.

When you use Search Match, it will automatically match your ad to relevant searches on Maps, using details you entered about your business and information about similar businesses.

Categories in search
results campaigns

Categories describe the type of business you have or the goods and services it provides. You can include general categories, like Dining or Shopping, to cover a broad range of user searches related to your business. Or you can select more specific subcategories like Peruvian Restaurant or Pet Store to narrow the searches you’d like to be matched with.

There are multiple levels of subcategories to choose from, so you can be as specific as you’d like with categories. When you choose a category or subcategory, all of the terms below that level will be included, unless you exclude terms individually. If you want the category name included as a term, find it listed as a subcategory and select it.

Phrases in search
results campaigns

Phrases are words or groups of words someone may use when searching for a business on Maps. You can bid on phrases to include your ad within relevant Maps search results. Your ad will be matched based on the meaning of the phrase and its relevance to your business. You might select phrases that include the name of your business, the neighborhood it’s in, or a specific offering that your business provides.

How to add keywords to an existing ad group

Go to the Keywords dashboard and click Add. From the dropdown menu, choose Phrase or Category. Choose the brand, campaign, and ad group that you want to add keywords to.

When you choose Category, you’ll be able to:

  • View recommended categories and subcategories that are related to your business.
  • View the popularity of each category and subcategory.
  • Add a recommended category by clicking the Add button next to it. Or, add all recommended categories by clicking Add All at the bottom of the list.
  • Search for more categories by clicking Category and entering a search term in the search field.
  • If it’s a Manage Bids ad group, you’ll be able to add bids for each category.

When you choose Phrase, you’ll be able to:

  • View recommended phrases that are related to your business.
  • View the popularity of each phrase.
  • Add a recommended phrase by clicking the Add button next to it. Or, add all recommended phrases by clicking Add All at the bottom of the list.
  • Search for more phrases by clicking Explore and entering a search term in the search field.
  • Add your own phrases by clicking Phrase. If your phrase includes a special character, it might not appear as an option. To type an alternate version of a character, press and hold the key until its alternate characters are displayed. Then either click the one you want to use, or type the number that appears underneath.
  • If it’s a Manage Bids ad group, you’ll be able to add bids for each phrase.

How to remove
existing keywords

Go to the Keywords dashboard, select one or more keywords that you want to remove, and click Remove in the toolbar. Once you remove the keyword, it won’t be used in your campaigns or ad groups anymore. You can see historical data for it in the Removed view of your Keyword dashboard.