“There is your audience. There is the language. There are the words that they use”. – Eugene Schwartz
If you are in the digital marketing world, then you definitely know that “Keywords” are the most crucial tool in your bag of tricks, and keywords are the backbone of your digital marketing strategy.
They have the power to make or break your campaigns. They’re what generate clicks and what pushes your ad to the top of their search results.
However, knowing how to use the right keywords is more crucial than just having the right keywords. It’s what separates a good ad campaign from one that had great potential but fell short.
So, let’s start and dive deeper into the world of keywords.
What are keyword match types?
The easiest way to understand the Keyword Match type is to see it as the parameter used to establish limits. What Keyword triggers your ads is affected by what Match Type you use.
We all want our ads to appear on top of a search engine results page (SERP) when a customer searches for a selected term. Using the suitable match types increases the likelihood that a related search keyword will trigger your ad.
There are 4 kinds of keyword match types, and next, we’ll go through each one:
4 Kinds of Keyword Match Types
1. Broad Match Keywords
Broad match is the most common match type and reaches the most people. When you use broad match, your ad can display whenever a user’s search query contains any word in your key phrase, in any sequence.
For example, if you use a broad match on “women’s hats” your ad may appear when someone types “buy ladies hats,” “women’s apparel,” or “winter headwear for women.” Google may also show your ad when someone searches for “ladies headgear,” which does not contain any of the terms in your keyword.
Because the broad match is the default match type, it’s crucial to be careful. Broad match keywords are an excellent method to get a good amount of clicks, but marketers should watch their search query data to make sure they aren’t paying for non-converting traffic.
2. Phrase Match Keywords
A phrase match has the same flexibility as a broad match but with more control. Your ad will only appear if a person searches for your key phrase
Google expanded phrase match in 2019 to include queries with synonyms, plurals, or near variants of your keyword. So, if you use “dentist service” as your key term, it may now also return results for dentist services near me, or best dental hospital or dental service prices, etc.
Google in 2021 took off ‘modified broad match type’ and replaced it with ‘phrase match.’ As a result, phrase match keywords will now match a larger number of inquiries.
If your phrase match keyword is “holidays in Texas,” your ad may appear in searches for Texas holiday places or holiday spots in Texas.
3. Exact Match Keywords
The exact match keyword match type is the most precise and restricted of the keyword match type. Previously, with this match type, users would only see your ad if they typed your exact keyword phrase. If your keyword phrase were “black cocktail dress,” for example, your ad would only appear when someone searched for “black cocktail dress” (those words in that exact sequence), not “cocktail dress,” “black dress,” or “expensive black cocktail dress.”
However, Google recently changed the exact match type, so your advertisements may now match searches containing synonyms, plurals, or other variations on your phrase, even if you’re using exact match keywords.
On the bright side, individuals who click on your ad while searching for that exact term are more likely to be interested in your product or service; thus exact match can help you save money while keeping high conversion rates.
But on the downside, because these more narrow search queries have lower search volume, you will receive less traffic due to your filters, and you will receive fewer overall impressions. Exact match, like phrase match, has been upgraded to incorporate synonyms and close variants, giving you a little more versatility with this match type today.
4. Negative Match Keywords
A Negative match keyword stops a specific word or phrase from triggering your ad, and your ads aren’t displayed to anyone looking for that phrase. A negative match is another term for this.
Let’s assume you’re in the business of selling interior paints. You’ll market your products to consumers who are looking for paints, finishes, enamels, oil-based paints, and other similar items. However, you do not want your advertising to appear in searches for art paints such as gouache, watercolor, tempera, etc.
This issue can be solved by using negative match keywords. You can use this keyword type to prevent your advertising from appearing for particular search queries.
Pro Tip: When adding negatives, you can use all of the match types stated above to figure out how rigid the restriction should be.
How do match types affect your ad results?
