When to Use Broad Match vs. Phrase Match vs. Exact match in Google Ads

What are Match Types?

Before diving in, it’s important to understand the different keyword match types in Google Ads. Match types—Broad Match, Phrase Match, and Exact Match—determine how closely a search query needs to align with your chosen keywords to trigger your ad. Choosing the right match type depends on your marketing goals. You can also use these keyword match types for negative keywords, which are words and phrases that you tell Google to never trigger your ads. Whether you choose one match type over the other, it will affect the potential reach and relevance of your paid search results. Choosing the right match type is crucial to reaching your target audience as well as avoiding spending unnecessary budget on irrelevant clicks.

What is Broad Match in Google Ads?

Broad Match is the default match type. It allows flexibility and provides the widest reach of all match types by focusing on synonyms and related terms for your keywords. When your ads appear on the search results page, they are triggered by various keyword variations. This approach casts a wide net, helping you reach users who may be interested in your product or service through a broader range of search queries.

However, the downside of Broad Match type keywords is that it may not target your ideal audience, leading to less qualified leads. To use Broad Match effectively, monitor its performance and refine it over time to avoid negatively impacting your budget.

Google recommends pairing Broad Match keywords with Smart Bidding. This feature automatically adjusts your bids based on the likelihood of conversions, making Broad Match more efficient. Google’s machine learning algorithms analyze large-scale data to provide more accurate predictions across your account, estimating how different bid amounts could influence conversions or conversion value. Leveraging this tool can significantly save you time and help improve your campaign’s performance.

Lastly, you can also use Broad Match Modifiers (BMM) to improve your targeting. Broad match modifiers  offer a more refined approach than standard Broad Match while still providing broad reach. By adding a “+” symbol in front of specific keywords, you ensure that those words or close variations must appear in the search query for your ad to trigger. This helps improve relevance, providing a better balance between reach and precisely targeting the audience that you’re looking for.

For Example: We have a client that’s a divorce attorney in North Carolina. Due to their larger budget, we are bidding on broad keywords to increase their reach. As you can see below, the keyword “divorce attorney” set to broad match triggers our ads to show up when searchers type in various queries related to divorce, including spanish queries related to divorce, names of other divorce attorneys nearby, and even family law courts in the area.

Broad Match Triggers Example

What is Exact Match in Google Ads?

Exact Match type keywords do precisely what its name implies. Your ads will only appear when users type in the exact keyword or a close variant (i.e. misspellings, singular or plural forms, stemmings, abbreviations, accents, reordered words, etc.) of the exact term that you are targeting. As long as the search intent matches your keyword, this match type ensures you’re reaching your intended audience.

Because Exact Match narrows down searches to specific keywords, the users who see your ads are more likely to click, engage, and convert. While it offers limited reach, this match type is ideal for targeting high-intent users searching for precisely what you offer.

For Example: for another client, we selected “Exact Match” with “offshore recruitment” as the keyword. As you can see below, this keyword triggered our client’s ads to show up for various searches related to offshore recruitment, even when the searcher did not type in that exact word. Google determined that these close variants were similar enough to the keyword we bid on. 

Exact Match Search Terms Example

What is Phrase Match in Google Ads?

Phrase Match is a middle ground between Broad Match and Exact Match, offering a balance of reach and relevance. Ads with phrase match type will appear in search queries that include your keyword or close variations within a phrase. Additional words may appear before or after your keyword, as well as close variants. 

Similar to Broad Match, Phrase Match provides some flexibility. However, one major difference is that it maintains a higher level of relevance, making it a great option for capturing users searching for products or services closely related to your keywords.

For example: for a client who sells wood and lumber to construction workers, the keyword “hardwood flooring” set to phrase match triggered our ads to show up for searches that not only included additional words before and after the keyword phrase, but also close variants that included different types of hardwood, as well as some misspellings. 

Phrase Match Examples

What to Consider When Choosing Keyword Match Types

When setting up your campaigns, consider the following questions:

  1. What is your goal? Are you aiming to maximize reach or target a specific audience?
  2. What is your budget? How much are you willing to spend on your campaigns? For example: Broader match types may require a larger budget due to potentially irrelevant clicks.
  3. What does your industry require? Does your industry demand precise targeting, or is broader exposure more valuable?

Other things to consider are how your keywords have performed in the past, which will give you historical insight on which match type will offer the best return on your investment. You can also see how you stack up against your competitors by paying close attention to your impression share. A low impression share may indicate that you should adjust your budget, bidding, and/or match types. Lastly, bids have a significant effect on your cost-per-click and cost-per-conversion. You may implement a more or less aggressive bidding tactic depending on the match type. These adjustments can greatly impact which match type is most suitable for your goals.

By aligning your match type with your goals and resources, you can create a strategy that maximizes results.

Want to Combine Match Types? Strategies to Optimize Your Campaign

Combining Exact and Broad Match Keywords

Using both Exact and Broad Match keywords allows you to achieve two goals: targeting highly specific searches while reaching a broader audience. This strategy works well if you want to balance precision with exposure.

Combining Broad and Phrase Match Keywords

Pairing Broad and Phrase Match keywords lets you capture a wide range of search queries while maintaining some level of targeting. This approach helps you expand your reach without sacrificing relevance.

Using Exact and Phrase Match Keywords Together

Combining Exact and Phrase Match keywords increases your chances of attracting high-quality traffic that is more likely to convert. This strategy blends precision and flexibility, ensuring you reach relevant users while still broadening your scope.

How to Find Relevant Keywords for Google Ads

Some helpful tools for finding relevant keywords are Semrush, Ahrefs, or Google Keyword Planner. These tools allow you to explore keywords, making it easier to identify the most relevant options for your product or service. As you’re developing your target keyword list, here are some other recommendations to finding new keywords that are relevant to your business:

  1. Think like your customer and how they would search for your product 
  2. Be specific (for example: beach vacation spots vs. vacation)
  3. Be descriptive, using adjectives sparingly (avoid: best, favorite, etc.)
  4. Use locations wisely, and only include it in keywords if you’re targeting a local audience

FAQs about Phrase, Exact, and Broad Match Types

Can I use multiple match types for the same keyword?

Yes, but it’s generally not recommended because it can make it harder to analyze performance data, reduce your budget and control. Combining broad match with Smart Bidding should be sufficient to optimize your campaign. This also applies when determining if you should use multiple match types in the same ad campaign.

Why is it a good idea to separate your keyword match types into different ad groups?

Advertisers will ensure maximum control across their campaigns, bidding strategy and optimize each match type independently.

How do you see what competitors are bidding on keywords?

There are several tools you can use to see what your competitors are bidding on to help with your bidding strategy, such as SEMrush, Ahrefs, Google Ads Transparency Center and the Auction Insights Report.

Can I use match types with negative keywords?

Yes, you can use any match types with negative keywords depending on your campaign goals. You want to implement this to ensure your ads are not showing in the search results for irrelevant queries, which in turn harm your ad’s click-through rates (CTR) and conversion rates. 

What is considered a close variant in a keyword?

Close variants are words that are similar but not identical to the targeted keyword you’re bidding on. It not only allows your ads to show up for more searches, but it also reduces the need to build out a robust keyword list to reach every potential customer. Some examples include but are not limited to words that are misspelled, in a different order, abbreviated, or synonyms of that keyword. 

Choosing the Right Keyword Match Types for Your Campaigns

Choosing the right keyword match type is a critical step in optimizing your Google Ads campaigns. Broad Match offers extensive reach, Exact Match keywords target high-intent users, and Phrase Match strikes a balance between flexibility and relevance. By understanding these match types and aligning them with your goals, budget, and industry requirements, you can develop a strategy that maximizes performance and minimizes wasted spend.

Remember, combining match types strategically, monitoring performance, and leveraging tools like Smart Bidding or keyword research platforms can significantly improve your results. As you refine your approach, stay adaptable, analyze data, and adjust your campaigns to ensure you’re reaching the right audience at the right time.

Mastering match types isn’t just about clicks—it’s about driving meaningful conversions and achieving long-term success in your advertising efforts. If you’re looking for a PPC agency to help you out, give us a call!

About the Author:

Picture of Adam Garrett

Adam Garrett

Adam Garrett is the co-founder and CEO of Metapixel LLC, a digital marketing and SEO firm based in Boise, Idaho. With a career in SEO that began in 2013, Adam's expertise was first developed during a college internship while pursuing a degree in Business Administration, with an emphasis in Marketing. Following this early introduction, Adam committed to SEO as his professional path, advancing through several SEO specialist roles before co-founding his own agency. Over the years, he has deepened his expertise and built a team of seasoned SEO professionals. Under Adam’s leadership, Metapixel has successfully addressed complex SEO challenges across diverse industries, establishing itself as a leading agency known for delivering results.

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