What role do keywords play in Google Ads for not-for-profit organisations, and how should they be selected?

The short answer: keywords decide who sees your ads. For a not-for-profit using Google Ad Grants, they also decide whether the free US$10,000 a month keeps flowing. Choose specific, multi-word keywords that match what people search when they want your help, want to volunteer or want to give. Then send each group of keywords to the page that answers that search.

Start from the four audiences you need

• People who need your services: "free counselling for teenagers adelaide", "food relief near me".
• Volunteers: "volunteer opportunities sydney weekends", "volunteer with animals melbourne".
• Donors: "donate to children's cancer research", "tax deductible donation australia".
• People learning about your cause: "signs of elder financial abuse", "how to help someone with an eating disorder". These informational searches are where grant accounts find the most affordable volume.

The Ad Grants keyword rules

• No single-word keywords, except your own brand, recognised medical conditions and a short list of exceptions Google allows.
• No overly generic keywords such as "free videos" or "e-books".
• No keywords with a Quality Score of 1 or 2. Pause them or rebuild the ad group around them.
• A 5% click-through rate across the account every month, which is only possible with tightly matched keywords and ads.

How to choose and manage them

1. Research real searches in Google Keyword Planner and in your own Search Console data. The queries already bringing people to your site are the best starting point.
2. Group by intent and page. One ad group per theme, each pointing at the most relevant page. If a strong keyword has no matching page, write the page. Grant performance improves fastest when the site has helpful content to send people to.
3. Use phrase and exact match to keep spend on relevant searches, and only open up to broad match once conversion tracking is reliable.
4. Add negatives weekly from the search terms report.
5. Judge keywords on conversions, such as donations, volunteer sign-ups, enquiries and newsletter sign-ups, not just clicks.

Done well, this delivers real outcomes. One foundation client gave away 10,000 art packs within eight weeks at $1.04 per acquisition through a well-structured grant account.

New to the program? Start with who qualifies for Google Ad Grants and our full Ad Grants guide. Our not-for-profit ads service covers application, build and monthly compliance. For paid search beyond the grant's limits, see Google Search Ads.