When managing a Google Ads campaign, one small but costly mistake many advertisers make is letting duplicate keywords pile up. At first glance, it might not seem like a big deal. After all, if the keyword works, why not use it in multiple places? But duplicate keywords can actually hurt your ad performance, inflate your costs, and make optimization unnecessarily complicated.
At Sierra Exclusive, a Google Ads company in Sacramento, we’ve seen firsthand how overlooked keyword duplication can lead to wasted ad spend and poor campaign structure. The good news? With the right tools and practices, you can fix it quickly.
In this post, we’ll explain what duplicate keywords are, why they matter, and most importantly, how to identify and remove them so your campaigns run efficiently.
What Are Duplicate Keywords?
A duplicate keyword happens when the same keyword is added multiple times across your account. Whether in the same ad group, across different ad groups, or even in multiple campaigns.
For example, if you’re targeting “buy shoes online” in two different ad groups (with the same match type), Google Ads doesn’t know which one should show. This causes your ads to compete against each other in the auction, driving up costs.
It’s a surprisingly common issue, especially for accounts with long keyword lists or multiple managers handling the campaigns. An ad agency finds this as one of the first cleanups needed when auditing a new client’s account.
Why Duplicate Keywords Hurt Campaigns
Leaving duplicates in your account can create several problems:
- Higher CPCs: Since your ads compete against each other, you may drive up your own cost-per-click.
- Lower Quality Scores: Splitting impressions and clicks between duplicates can reduce click-through rates (CTR), a major factor in Google’s Quality Score.
- Diluted performance data: Instead of one keyword gathering strong performance signals, the data is spread thin across duplicates.
As WordStream explains, duplicates don’t give you extra reach. Google only shows one ad per advertiser in the auction. This means duplicates add clutter without benefit.
How to Identify Duplicate Keywords
1. Manual Check with Spreadsheets
You can export your keyword list to Google Sheets or Excel, then use filters, sorting, or conditional formatting to highlight duplicates. While effective, this method can be time-consuming for large accounts.
2. Use Google Ads Editor
The easiest way is through Google Ads Editor, a free tool that allows offline bulk edits. It includes a “Find Duplicate Keywords” feature that quickly scans campaigns and flags duplicates for removal. You can filter by match type, location, and campaign/ad group scope.
Google provides a step-by-step guide on this in their official Ads Help article.
3. Third-Party Tools
Platforms like SEMrush, Optmyzr, or Ahrefs can help detect duplicates while offering broader account insights, such as keyword cannibalization and overlap. At Sierra Exclusive, we often combine Google’s tools with third-party platforms for a more thorough audit.
How to Remove or Fix Duplicate Keywords
Once you’ve identified the duplicates, you have a few options:
- Delete exact duplicates: If two ad groups contain the exact same keyword with the same match type, remove one.
- Consolidate: Keep the keyword in the campaign or ad group where it performs best, and remove it elsewhere.
- Use negative keywords: If you need a keyword in one campaign but not another, add it as a negative keyword to avoid internal competition.
- Reorganize campaigns by intent: Group keywords by user intent or product category to reduce overlap.
A practical approach is to follow keyword grouping strategies. This helps you maintain a cleaner account structure and prevents duplicates from creeping in again.
Best Practices to Avoid Future Duplicates
Prevention is always better than cleanup. Here are a few habits to keep duplicates out of your Google Ads account:
- Schedule regular audits: Check for duplicates monthly or quarterly.
- Keep a master keyword list: Store and update keywords in one central document before uploading them.
- Standardize your campaign structure: Use naming conventions and clear segmentation (e.g., by product line or funnel stage).
- Leverage automation: Consider using Google Ads scripts or alerts that flag duplicates automatically.
Final Thoughts
Duplicate keywords may seem harmless, but they drain ad spend, lower Quality Scores, and make your data messy. By regularly auditing your campaigns, using tools like Google Ads Editor, and adopting structured keyword management, you’ll save money and gain clearer insights into what’s really driving results.
Clean accounts perform better and removing duplicates is one of the simplest steps you can take today.
Ready to Optimize Your Google Ads?
If you suspect your campaigns are weighed down by duplicate keywords or other hidden inefficiencies, let us help. At Sierra Exclusive, we provide custom Google Ads audits, keyword management, and full-funnel ad strategies tailored to your business goals.
Contact us today to get started with a free consultation and discover how much more efficient your ad spend can be.
