Are keywords dead in 2025?

Since 2012, I’ve watched keyword strategy evolve in ways few of us could have predicted. The days of obsessing over exact match types and trying to control every single search term are largely behind us. With Google’s steady push toward automation—and the aggressive promotion of broad match—the rules have changed. But here’s the thing: while automation is reshaping how we manage campaigns, keywords still matter. They just matter differently now.