What Is Keyword Match Types?
Also written as match types, keyword matching options, Google Ads match types.
Definition
Keyword match types are the settings that tell Google how close a search must be to your keyword before your ad can show. Google has three: broad, phrase and exact. If you sell ceramic vases, the match type decides whether you reach only vase shoppers or a much wider crowd.
Written by Christopher Krassnig, Founder & CEO of ZenoX Media. Written by the ZenoX team from the accounts we run. Definitions are general; the numbers in examples are maths, not client results.
Keyword Match Types, Explained
Every keyword in a Search campaign has a match type. Broad is the default, so a keyword you type with no marks is broad. Phrase goes in quotes, like "tennis shoes". Exact goes in square brackets, like [red shoe].
The names mislead people. Exact match does not mean the exact words only. Google says ads may show on searches with the same meaning or same intent as your keyword. Phrase match reaches searches that include the meaning of your keyword. Broad match reaches related searches, which is the widest net of the three.
You want sales, not reach. Say you sell linen bedding and buy the broad keyword "bedding". You can land on searches you never wanted to pay for. Start tighter. Open the search terms report each week. Add negative keywords for the junk and new keywords for what sells.
Performance Max and Standard Shopping do not use keywords like this. For a store, they match from your product feed. So match types matter most on Search.
How We Use It at ZenoX
Most of our spend runs on feed campaigns, so match types live in our Search campaigns. Brand Search runs on one exact brand keyword. Generic Search starts on exact match, built from search terms that already sold, never from very broad root keywords.
Questions People Ask About Keyword Match Types
What Are the Three Keyword Match Types in Google Ads?
Broad, phrase and exact. Broad reaches searches related to your keyword and is the default. Phrase reaches searches that include its meaning. Exact reaches searches with the same meaning or intent. Exact gives you the most control. It also reaches the fewest searches.
Does Exact Match Show My Ad Only for the Exact Words?
No. Google says exact match can show your ad on searches with the same meaning or same intent as your keyword. So [red shoe] can match other wording that means the same thing. Read your search terms report to see what you really paid for.
Related terms
- Exact MatchExact match is a Google Ads keyword match type that shows your ad on searches with the same meaning or same intent as your keyword.
- Phrase MatchPhrase match is a Google Ads keyword match type that shows your ad on searches that include the meaning of your keyword.
- Broad MatchBroad match is the Google Ads keyword setting that lets your ad show on searches related to your keyword, even without the same words.
- Negative KeywordA negative keyword is a word or phrase you tell Google never to match your ad against.
- Search Terms ReportThe search terms report is the list of actual queries people typed before they saw your ad.
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