Google assists billions of SERPs (search engine results pages) regularly and represents notable results to advertisers. Match types allow search marketers to target their ads better than ever. They have become a significant part of paid search over time. Before getting into detail, first of all, understand what are Google AdWords match types?
Google AdWords match types are phrases and words that match ads with relevant searches that users search in Google. As a prominent part of marketers’ search strategy, they command how appropriate the keyword matches the users’ search to show the results.
Types of Google AdWords Match Types
Many people don’t know that the keyword match types they select have a powerful impact on results. There are three types of Google AdWords match types such as broad match, phrase match, and exact match. You should understand each type in detail to make the right decision that which one you need to add to a campaign.
Broad Match Types
Broad match types show searches that are relevant to the keyword. They help you reach the maximum audience and drive traffic to the website. If you add keywords without special symbols such as + and (), Google shows ads for a wider range of search queries.
Broad match type keywords have the most downsides as compared to other options. Your website will receive unrefined traffic; most visitors will be random people who stumbled across your ad, and ads will be shown for irrelevant keywords. A broad match type may take into account the following factors for relevant matches: user’s recent search activities, landing page content, and other keywords in an ad group to know keyword intent.
The example of an exact match keyword is ‘Men’s shirts,’ and matches searches are:
- Buy gents shirts
- Men’s clothing
- Men’s jackets
- Apparel for men
Phrase Match Types
Phrase match types show searches that include the meaning of a keyword. They are more focused than broad match types but less than exact ones. They offer greater flexibility for getting visitors to your website. These match types have an option to add extra words either before or after, but not in the middle of any key phrase.
An example of phrase match keyword is ‘Men’s shirts,’ and matches searches are:
- Red men’s shirts
- Buy shirts for men
- Gents shirts on sale
Exact Match Types
Exact match types show searches with the same meaning as a keyword. These keywords are the opposite of broad keywords. As the name clearly states, they are based on exact search queries and terms. The search query matches the same keyword for the search engine to trigger your ad to show up. Moreover, the traffic obtained through exact match keywords is curated and easier to convert.
The possibility of an exact match is low. That’s why the traffic you get on your website will be lower as compared to broad or phrase matches. You will have to add more keywords to your campaign for improved traffic. The conversion chances are still higher, and even low traffic could boost your sales.
An example of the exact match keyword is ‘Men’s shirts,’ and matches searches are:
- Men’s shirts
- Gents shirts
- Shirts for men
- Shirts men
There are also negative match keywords that marketers can use to exclude keywords from showing on searches to improve the results. They help you focus on keywords that matter to your targeted audience most. Better targeting can bring your ad in front of relevant customers and improve return on investment (ROI).
Imperative Tips for Google AdWords Match Types Transitions
Here are some factors that Google recommends to follow to complete the match type changes transition:
Observe the Changes
The primary changes are assessed to take some weeks, and it highly recommends monitoring Google match type’s performance for upcoming weeks. It does not recommend changing match types until the changes are shown.
Check the Recommendations
Recommendations are a powerful tool within the native Google Ads platform that assists significant changes to your accounts.
Test Broad Match with Smart Bidding
Broad match smart bidding signals are now improved, and advertisers focus on testing broad match to drive a maximum reach for relevant searches. Now, you can reach the relevant queries that meet your performance objectives.
Consider Negative Keywords
In this step, exclude all matches you don’t want with negative keywords. With this keyword type, you can neglect your ads to show up for certain search terms.
What Does the Google AdWords Match Type Changes Mean?
While Google is opting for advanced changes, you may be focusing on why and how marketers can follow these changes. You should also know how these changes impact the future of search marketing and what their benefits are.
Specific Match Type Campaigns Aren’t Essential
Advertisers may no longer be required to build huge programs by breaching campaigns with google ads match type. Earlier, it was recommended as the best way to follow, but as exact matches will always have priority, there is less need for this structure. There are always exceptions to every rule. If your keyword still requires it, you may need to extend the specific strategy. However, this change will decrease the size and difficulties of search programs.
Smart Bidding Has Become More Significant
As Google continues to streamline and take away controls from advertisers, the use of smart bidding will become important to scale a program. By joining all Google AdWords match types in one Ad Group, the smart bidding procedures will have amplified data signals for smart bidding decisions.
Marketers Will Slightly Change Their Strategy
Negative keywords and search queries will always be an important factor for a program’s success. As the phrase matching behavior reduces, advertisers will evaluate search query reports to check whether the search terms are relevant or not. Advertisers should add here missing relevant terms as exact match keywords and use negative keywords to stop ads from showing on non-relevant searches.
