Clicks and Clarity with Claire
If you’re spending real money on Google Ads and still asking, “Why isn’t this working?”—this podcast is for you.
I’m Claire Jarrett, Google Ads strategist and founder of Jarrett Digital. Each week, I break down what’s actually going on behind the numbers—so you can stop wasting ad spend, start attracting qualified leads, and scale with confidence.
No fluff. No jargon. Just clear advice, real audits, and proven strategies from accounts managing four to six figures in monthly ad spend.
Whether you're DIY-ing your ads or working with an agency, this is the clarity you've been missing.
Clicks and Clarity with Claire
How To Use Google Ads Dynamic Keyword Insertion
In this episode of Clicks & Clarity with Claire, Claire Jarrett demystifies one of Google Ads' most powerful tools—Dynamic Keyword Insertion (DKI). Learn how DKI can save you time, increase ad relevance, and boost click-through rates by automatically tailoring your ads to match search queries. Claire walks you through how to set it up, when to use it, and the common mistakes that could cost you clicks—or worse, land you in legal hot water. Whether you're new to DKI or looking to refine your strategy, this episode offers practical tips, real-world examples, and expert insights to help you get it right. Tune in for clarity that converts!
Welcome to Clicks & Clarity with Claire, where we turn Google Ads confusion into conversion. I'm Claire Jarrett, and today we're diving into a Google Ads feature that promises to save you time and boost your click-through rates—Dynamic Keyword Insertion, or "DKI". If you've ever struggled to keep your ads relevant to every single search query, you're not alone. Imagine you're selling iPhone cases. Creating separate ads for every single model—marble, leather, silicone—would be a never-ending task. That's where DKI steps in. It automatically updates your ad text to match exactly what your potential customers are searching for. So, if someone searches for "marble iPhone case," your ad dynamically updates to say exactly that—even if you didn't manually create an ad for it. Sounds great, right? But before you rush off to set it up, let's talk about how it works, why it's useful, and—most importantly—the pitfalls you need to avoid. First, let's quickly cover how to set up DKI. Inside your Google Ads account, navigate to your chosen campaign and ad group. When creating or editing your ad, type a brace—those curly brackets—and select "Keyword insertion" from the dropdown. You'll then enter default text—this is what appears if the keyword can't be dynamically inserted. For example, if you're selling coffee beans, your default might simply be "coffee beans". Capitalisation matters here. You can choose title case, sentence case, or lowercase. Title case capitalises every word, sentence case just the first word, and lowercase—well, you get the idea. So, if your headline reads "Buy {KeyWord:Coffee Beans} Online" and someone searches "fair trade coffee," your ad dynamically becomes "Buy Fair Trade Coffee Online". Instant relevance, instant attention. But—and this is a big "but"—DKI isn't foolproof. Let's talk about the caveats. First, broad match keywords can spell trouble. If you're using broad match, your ads might trigger for loosely related searches. Imagine you're selling premium smartphones, but your broad match keywords trigger your ad for "affordable phones". Suddenly, your sleek, high-end ad says "Buy Affordable Phones Online". You've got a click—but zero chance of conversion. Second, your ad creatives and dynamically inserted keywords can clash. This mismatch confuses potential customers and wastes your budget. Third—and this one's critical—DKI can inadvertently violate trademarks. Let's say you're selling generic athletic shoes, and your broad match keywords include popular brands like Nike. Your ad could dynamically insert "Nike Running Shoes," even though you're not affiliated with Nike. This isn't just misleading—it could land you in legal trouble or even get your Google Ads account suspended. So, how do you avoid these pitfalls? Here are my best practices: First, group your keywords logically within tightly themed ad groups. This ensures your dynamically inserted keywords always align with your ad's message. Second, always pair DKI with a strong brand message and clear call to action. DKI boosts relevance, but your overall message must remain compelling. Third, double-check your ad character limits. Headlines can't exceed thirty characters, descriptions ninety, and URL paths fifteen. We want clarity, not ellipses. Finally, ensure your landing pages support dynamic text insertion if you're using it in URLs. If you're unsure, stick to static URLs to avoid technical headaches. Now, if you're intrigued by DKI but wary of costly mistakes, that's perfectly understandable. Automation is powerful—but only when combined with your strategic oversight. If you're not ready for DKI, manual keyword insertion remains a reliable alternative, giving you complete control over your messaging. As you gain confidence, you can explore DKI at your own pace. And if you're looking to sharpen your Google Ads skills further, my book "Rapid Google Ads Success" distils seventeen years of PPC expertise into actionable insights. Or, if you'd prefer personalised guidance, let's chat about how I can help your business thrive with PPC. That's all for today's episode of Clicks & Clarity with Claire. Remember, clarity leads to clicks, and clicks lead to customers. Until next time, goodbye for now!