How Intent-Based Keyword Clustering Can Boost Your ROAS by 3x or More
Most accounts cluster by root word. The accounts that win cluster by intent. The difference shows up in ROAS within two weeks of restructuring.
Why intent beats root words
Two keywords with the same root can have wildly different intents. "Running shoes" and "best running shoes 2026" share a root but the second is much closer to a purchase decision. Group them together and you'll show buy-intent ads to research-intent traffic and waste budget.
The four intent types
- Informational — "what is", "how to", "why does"
- Commercial — "best", "review", "vs", "top 10"
- Transactional — "buy", "price", "discount", "near me"
- Navigational — branded queries
Cluster by these four buckets first, then sub-cluster by topic. ROAS lifts of 2–3x within a month are typical.