Match types for your Search campaign keywords

When creating ad text for your Search campaign, you need to choose the right match type to control which searches trigger your ads to appear. When using Google Ads, there are 4 different match types you can use and how well you understand and use them can make a difference to the success of your campaign.

Broad match

Good news! Broad match is the keyword match type that lets you to reach the widest audience. If you use a keyword in broad match, your ads can appear whenever a user searches any words in your key phrase no matter what the order.  The not so good news is that although you can increase the number of clicks on your ads, a lot of those clicks may be coming from irrelevant traffic. This can also be due to the fact that broad match allows misspellings and synonyms to trigger your ads to appear too! But who doesn’t want to reach as many users as possible? You need to be smart with it because remember, broad match is the default keyword match type and when the clicks roll in, it won’t take long for the costs to add up. Keep a close eye on your search query reports to make sure that you’re not paying for users who don’t convert.

Broad match modifier

All hail broad match modifier! This match type is great because it allows you to reach a wide audience but give you better control over who sees your ad by being more restrictive around the specific queries that will trigger them. By locking in individual words in a key phrase, this tells Google that the search query has to include that term. It doesn’t matter what order the query is in but at least that word has to exist within it somewhere.

Phrase match

We like phrase match! As an advertiser you have so much more control over your ad reach by using this match type. Whatever your key phrase, your ad will only appear when a user searches for your exact keyword phrase in the exact order but the beauty of it is that words can be added before or after that phrase. You are able to hone in on a more targeted audience as well as having some flexibility within your key phrases.

Exact match

When using exact match, your ads will appear to customers who are searching for your exact keyword phrase or close variants of said exact keyword phrase. This match type gives you the most control over who sees your ad and, ultimately, can give you a higher click through rate. Your number of clicks and impressions may not be as high as if you were to use other match types but you will find you have better quality leads because those who see your ads are already searching for terms almost exactly related to your product.

Now you’re more clued up on match types, it’s important that you optimise your match types within your campaigns so that you reach the correct audience and avoid blowing unnecessary dough on irrelevant clicks. Also, try reviewing your search query report often so you can see which match types work well for certain keywords and searches so that you can refine match types for all of your keywords, then only the right searches will allow your ads to show.

Match types are like people,

Everyone has a type,

Some work better than others.

So find what works for you 

And make it a success!