In the past, Google required advertisers to explicitly state the search terms that they’d like their ad to be displayed for and what type of match they would like. E.g in the form of exact match, phrase match and broad match. As the names suggest, the keyword matching type reflects the level of control that an advertiser has over the specific search queries that their ads are displayed for.
While most marketers prefer the control offered by exact match, at Traction we’ve found that there are plenty of situations in which it is beneficial to opt for broad match, and hand a bit of control over to Google’s smart algorithms since they have made a number of improvements.
But what are those situations? And when should you choose exact match and phrase match instead?
In this guide we’ll dig into broad match versus phrase match and exact match, to understand the whats, hows and whys of these different Google Ad keyword matching options.
Keyword match types
How closely related does a search need to be to your nominated keyword for your ad to be shown at the top of the search engine results page? The answer to this question comes in the form of Google’s three keyword matching types:
Exact match
Your ads will show on searches with the same or very similar wording or intent to your chosen keyword. If the exact match keyword is ‘Hotel booking software’, your ad might also display on searches like ‘booking software for hotels’ and ‘software for hotel bookings’. But it won’t show for related searches like ‘hotel booking tools’ or ‘accommodation booking platforms’.
To activate exact match, surround the keyword with [square brackets] when you type it in.
Phrase match
Your ads will show on searches that share the meaning of your keyword. Sticking with ‘hotel booking software’ as our chosen keyword, your ad might also come up for searches like ‘hotel booking tools’, ‘accommodation booking platforms’, ‘best hotel reservation software’, etc.
To activate phrase match, surround the keyword with “quotation marks” when you type it in.
Broad match
Your ads will show on searches related to your keyword, but that may not necessarily include the keywords you used. For ‘hotel booking software’, your ad might be displayed for searches like ‘property management system’, ‘hotel direct booking tools’, or ‘how to manage reservations’.
Broad match is the default keyword matching method, so you don’t need to surround the keyword with any characters to activate it.
Should I use broad match or exact match?
Broad match is not the default keyword matching option for most marketing professionals. Experts usually prefer exact match and phrase match, because these options give you more control over who sees your ad. By strategically targeting a specific audience, the thinking goes, you can get more bang for your marketing buck.
When to use broad match
At Traction we have found that broad match can be a very effective way to get in front of relevant audiences that you might not even realise exist. As an AI-powered tool, it takes into account considerations that lay beyond the usual scope of keyword research, including:
- The web page or landing page that your ad links to.
- How relevant the web page/landing page content is to the intent of the search.
- The other keywords that are being used in the campaign.
- Information about the searcher: demographics, location, search history, etc.
Based on all these inputs, broad match can be quite intelligent with where it places ads, and is only getting more so with time. Google does not take this into account if you are only exact or phrase match.
The important thing is to understand the strengths of broad match – the deep data analysis, uncovering new audiences and untapped markets – while avoiding its weaknesses, like the potential for wasted advertising spend.
With this in mind, we would recommend a/b testing in every instance comparing CTR, bounce rates, conversion rates and marketing-qualified and sales-qualified scores. Once you have landed on the best approach to then narrow in on this strategy with a repeat assessment if conversions decline or every 3-6 months depending on ad budgets.
Unlock the power of Google Ads
Keyword matching is a science. At Traction we’ve spent years testing and optimising our approach, using a combination of exact, phrase and broad match tactics to maximise the return on your marketing investment.
In some industries for some brands, broad match has been far more effective for New Zealand brands, while in other instances we have compromised the full value of Google’s AI research capability as exact and phrase match have delivered better results.
Ready to elevate your online presence? We’re ready to help. Get in touch with our friendly team today.
About the Author: Jordana Clarke
