Google Ads keyword matching options

About keyword matching options:-

Using broad match:-

When you use broad match, your ads automatically run on relevant variations of your keywords, even if these terms aren't in your keyword lists. This helps you attract more visitors to your website, spend less time building keyword lists, and focus your spending on keywords that work.

Broad match is the default match type that all your keywords are assigned if you don't specify another match type (exact match, phrase match, or negative match). The Google Ads system automatically runs your ads on relevant variations of your keywords, including synonyms, singular and plural forms, possible misspellings, stemmings (such as floor and flooring), related searches, and other relevant variations. To help deliver relevant matches, this match type may also take the customer's recent search activities into account.

Example

Broad match keyword:	Ads may show on searches for:
low-carb diet plan	carb-free foods low-carb diets low calorie recipes Mediterranean diet plans low-carbohydrate dietary program

Using phrase match:-

With phrase match, you can show your ad to customers who are searching for your exact keyword and close variants of your exact keyword, with additional words before or after. Phrase match is more targeted than the default broad match, but more flexible than exact match. It gives you more control over how closely the keyword must match someone's search term so your ad can appear.

How phrase match works

With phrase match, your ad can appear when people search for your exact phrase, even if they include one or more words before or after it. We'll also show your ad when someone searches for a close variant of your phrase match keyword. Close variants include misspellings, singular and plural forms, acronyms, stemmings (such as floor and flooring), abbreviations, and accents. Word order is important with phrase match, meaning that your ad won’t appear if someone enters an additional word in the middle of your keyword.

Phrase match is more flexible than exact match, but is more targeted than the default broad match option. With phrase match, you can reach more customers, while still showing your ads to customers who are most likely searching for your product or service.

Example

Phrase match keyword:	Ads may show on searches for:	Ads won't show on searches for:
"tennis shoes"	red leather tennis shoes buy tennis shoes on sale red tenis shoes	shoes for tennis tennis sneakers laces

Using exact match:-

With exact match, you can show your ad to customers who are searching for your exact keyword, or close variants of your exact keyword. Close variants include searches for keywords with the same meaning as the exact keywords, regardless of spelling or grammar similarities between the query and the keyword. 

Whether someone is searching for “running shoes” or “shoes for running,” what they want remains the same; they’re looking for running shoes. Close variants of exact match keywords help you connect with people who are looking for your business—despite slight variations in the way they search—and reduces the need to build out exhaustive keyword lists to reach these customers.

Of the four keyword matching options, exact match gives you the most control over who sees your ad, and can result in a higher clickthrough rate (CTR).

How exact match works

With exact match, your ads may appear when the meaning of someone’s search matches the meaning of your keyword.

We'll show your ad when someone searches for your keyword or close variants of your keyword. Close variants may include:

• Misspellings
• Singular or plural forms
• Stemmings (for example, floor and flooring)
• Abbreviations
• Accents
• Reordered words with the same meaning (for example, [shoes mens] and [mens shoes])
• Addition or removal of function words. Function words are prepositions (like in or to), conjunctions (like for or but), articles (like a or the), and other words that don’t impact the intent of a search. For example, [shoes for men] is a close variant of [men shoes] with the function word “for” removed.
• Implied words (for example, if your exact match keyword is [daydream vr headset], your ads may show on searches for “daydream headset” since “vr” is implied)
• Synonyms and paraphrases (for example, if your exact match keyword is [bathing suits], ads may also show on searches for “swimming suits”)
• Same search intent (for example, if your exact match keyword is [images royalty free], ads may also show on searches for “free copyright images”)

Examples:-

Exact match keyword	Ads may show on searches for	Ads won't show on searches for
[shoes for men]	shoes men men shoes men shoe shoes for a man	red shoes for men buy men shoes
[bathing suits]	swimming suits	competition swimwear
[all inclusive aruba]	all inclusive vacations aruba	aruba holidays
[images royalty free]	free copyright images	stock images

About broad match modifiers

Broad match modifier gives you more control than standard broad match. This option ensures that your ads only show in searches that include the words you’ve marked with a plus sign, such as +red +shoes, or close variants of these terms.

Broad match modifier terms that you designate with “+” can match to any part of a search. Additional words may appear in the search before, after, or in between your “+” terms. For example, the broad match modified keywords +red +shoes can match a search for “shoes for sale that are red” or “red men’s shoes,” but not for “blue shoes” or “red hiking boots.” This extra degree of specificity can help increase how relevant searches are to your ads, and improve your clickthrough (CTR) and conversion rates.

Your ad may also show for close variations of the individual “+” terms or the combination of these terms into a single keyword.

This article explains what broad match modifiers are and how they can be used to help your ads reach more relevant customers.

How it works

By default, Google Ads uses the broad match option to target searches that include any combination of the words that comprise your keyword term, as well as searches containing close variations of these terms or combinations of these terms into a single keyword.

So although a broad match keyword like tennis shoes might send a lot of relevant click traffic to your site, you might reach more searches than you originally intended.

Broad match modifiers ensure that your ads will only show when someone’s search includes words you’ve marked with a plus sign, such as +quick +hardwood +flooring installation, or close variations of these terms. Close variants for broad match modifier include misspellings, singular and plural forms, abbreviations and acronyms, stemmings (like "floor" and "flooring"), implied terms, synonyms and paraphrases, and variants of your keyword terms that have the same meaning.

Broad match modifier is also eligible to serve on close variations of your individual search terms combined into a single keyword.

For example, +hiring +diesel +mechanic may match to a search for “diesel mechanic part time jobs.” This search is closely related to the whole keyword of “hiring diesel mechanic,” even though “hiring” and “part time jobs” aren’t direct synonyms. Your ad wouldn’t serve on searches for “part time jobs” on its own. Learn more About close variants.

Note: The + modifier can only be used with the broad match type. There’s no equivalent for exact and phrase match.

Examples

Broad match modifier keyword	Ads may show for these searches	Ads won't show for these searches
+mens +shoes	shoes sale for men footwear in style for men shoes for guys men’s socks and shoes	men’s socks kids trainers
+lawn +mowing +service	services to mow my lawn lawn mowing and edging service grass cutting and gardening services rates for services that cut your grass	lawn aerating service gardening services
+aruba +vacation	all inclusive vacations aruba vacation ideas in aruba	aruba cruises