Understanding how keyword matching works is an essential part of using Google Ads effectively. Keyword matching is how Google Ads matches the keywords in your ad with the search terms that people enter into Google's search bar. In this post, I cover how to use Google Ads' keyword matching process to optimise your ads and reach your target audience.
Broad Match Keywords
Broad match keywords are the default keyword match type in Google Ads. This means that your ads will show up for any search term that is related to your keyword, including synonyms, variations, and misspellings. This type of keyword matching is great for generating a high volume of traffic but may not be the most relevant to your business. To use broad match keywords, you simply add your keywords without any additional symbols, such as brackets or quotes. It’s important when testing this match type to use it along a Smart Bidding strategy since this match type may also take into account the following signals:
The user’s recent search activities
The content of the landing page
Other keywords in the ad group to better understand the intent
For example, if you are selling women's shoes, you might use broad match keywords such as ‘women's shoes’. With a broad match keyword like this, your ads may also show up for searches such as ‘women's sandals’ or ‘women's boots’.
Phrase Match Keywords
Phrase match keywords are a more targeted way to reach your audience. This type of keyword matching will show your ads for search terms that contain the exact phrase or a close variation of your phrase. To use phrase match keywords, you need to add your terms in quotation marks, such as "women's shoes."
For example, if you are using "women's shoes" as a phrase match keyword, your ad will show up for searches such as "buy women's shoes online" or "shoes for women" or “comfortable ladies shoes”. However, your ad will not show up for searches such as “women accessories and beautiful shoes” or “can women wear running shoes at gala”.
Exact Match Keywords
Exact match keywords are the most targeted way to reach your audience. This type of keyword matching will only show your ads for search terms that exactly match your keyword or a close variation of it. To use exact match keywords, you need to add your keyword phrase in brackets, such as [women's shoes].
For example, if you are using [women's shoes] as an exact match keyword, your ad will show up for searches such as "women shoes" or "ladies shoes" or “women's shoes”. Your ad will not show up for searches such as "women's sandals" or "shoes for girls."
In order to avoid wasting your ad spend on irrelevant clicks it is recommended to add negative keywords to exclude your ad from showing up for certain search terms.
For example, if you are using "women's shoes" as a phrase match keyword, but you do not want your ad to show up for searches for online purchases like the term: "buy women's shoes online" you can add "online" as a negative keyword. In contrast to positive keyword targeting, negative keyword match types work differently as it would be required to add synonyms, singular or plural versions, misspellings and any other close variations of the terms you need to exclude.
In conclusion, understanding the keyword matching process is crucial for creating effective Google Ads campaigns. By using the appropriate match type for your keywords, you can reach your target audience more effectively and avoid wasting your ad spend on irrelevant clicks. Broad match keywords generate a high volume of traffic but may not be the most relevant, while phrase match and exact match keywords are more targeted. Negative match keywords can help you exclude your ad from showing up for certain search terms. By optimising your keyword match types, you can improve the performance of your Google Ads campaigns and achieve better results for your business.
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