Understanding Keyword Match Types in Google Ads

When you're setting up a Google Ads search campaign, you provide Google with a list of keywords that you want to target. But how does Google decide which specific user searches will trigger your ad?

The answer lies in keyword match types.

Keyword match types are settings that you apply to your keywords to give Google instructions on how closely a user's search query must match your keyword for your ad to be shown.

Understanding and using the correct match types is one of the most fundamental skills in managing a successful and cost-effective Google Ads campaign. It's the primary tool you have for controlling your targeting and for avoiding wasted ad spend on irrelevant clicks.

The Three Main Keyword Match Types

1. Broad Match

• What it is: This is the default and most flexible match type. If you just enter a keyword like women's hats, you are using broad match.
• How it works: Your ad is eligible to show for any search query that is even loosely related to your keyword. This can include synonyms, related topics, and other variations. For the keyword women's hats, your ad might show for searches like "ladies hats," "sun hats for women," or even "winter scarves."
• Pros: It gives you the widest possible reach and can help you to discover new keyword ideas.
• Cons: It is very imprecise and can lead to a lot of wasted money on irrelevant clicks from users who are not actually looking for your product.
• When to use it: Use it with extreme caution. It's best used for research purposes in a campaign with a small budget, or if you are using it in combination with a "Smart Bidding" strategy where you are optimizing for conversions.

2. Phrase Match

• What it is: This match type gives you a balance between the wide reach of broad match and the control of exact match. You designate a phrase match keyword by putting it in quotation marks: "women's hats".
• How it works: Your ad will show for searches that include the meaning of your keyword. The user's query can include words before or after your phrase, and Google's AI is smart enough to understand that the core meaning is the same.
• Examples: For the keyword "women's hats", your ad could show for:
  • "buy women's hats online"
  • "summer hats for women"
  • "women's hats for sale near me"
• Pros: It gives you much more control than broad match while still allowing you to reach a relevant audience. This is the workhorse match type for most campaigns.
• Cons: You still need to monitor your search terms to ensure you are not showing up for irrelevant variations.

3. Exact Match

• What it is: This is the most restrictive and precise match type. You designate an exact match keyword by putting it in square brackets: [women's hats].
• How it works: Your ad will only show for searches that have the same meaning or intent as your keyword. This includes very close variations like misspellings, plurals, and reordered words that do not change the meaning.
• Examples: For the keyword [women's hats], your ad could show for:
  • "women's hats"
  • "hats for women"
  • "womens hats" (a common misspelling)
• Pros: It gives you the most control over who sees your ad and generally results in the highest click-through rates and conversion rates.
• Cons: You will have a much lower reach and may miss out on some relevant long-tail searches.

Don't Forget About Negative Keywords

A negative keyword is a crucial part of controlling your targeting. It's a word or a phrase that you add to your campaign to prevent your ad from showing for any search query that contains that term.

• Example: If you sell high-end, premium hats, you would want to add negative keywords like free, cheap, and discount to your campaign to avoid showing your ads to people who are looking for a bargain.

The Recommended Strategy

For most small businesses, a good strategy is to:

1. Start with Phrase Match and Exact Match: Build your ad groups with a combination of phrase match and exact match keywords. This gives you a good balance of reach and control.
2. Regularly Review Your "Search Terms" Report: This report in Google Ads shows you the actual search queries that users typed to trigger your ads.
3. Add Negative Keywords: As you review your search terms report, you will find irrelevant queries. Add the irrelevant words from these queries to your negative keyword list to prevent your ads from showing for them in the future.

Conclusion

Understanding and using keyword match types correctly is fundamental to success in Google Ads. It's the primary way you control your ad spend and ensure that you are only paying for clicks from users who are actually looking for what you offer. By focusing on phrase and exact match keywords and by diligently using negative keywords, you can create a highly targeted and profitable search ad campaign.