Keyword Match Types: How Important Is It?

By SSMD Piloto | Posted on February 26, 2024

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Keyword Match Types: How Important Is It?

Keyword match types in Google are related to the Google campaigns, and it clearly defines that the spending on your Google ad campaigns is worth spending. Google keyword match types allow us to use the relevant keywords that can drive relatable traffic to your website.

Keyword match types are used in online advertising platforms. They are used as parameters to closely control the search query and ensure that it matches the relevant keyword to make an ad campaign successful.

Why are Keyword Match Types Essential?

Keyword match types are important as they can have an absolute impact on your campaigns. Three types of matches help advertisers strategically control the relevancy and reach of their ads based on their campaign goals.

When using keyword match type, it’s vital to be strategic and intentional.

If you say “Halloween LED lights,” what do you want to show up in searches?

“Halloween lights,” “outdoor lights for Halloween,” or only “Halloween LED lights”? It’s possible that if you only sell LED lights, most users are looking for “outdoor Halloween lights” and only want lower-cost options; you’re going to show up in a ton of irrelevant searches, lowering your CTR as a result.

Even a small change in phrase could create the difference between losing or capturing a sale.

If you want to widen up your reach or to get more specific about the placement of the search terms, the keyword match type is the best. All keyword match types can be involved in an advertiser’s strategy if you know how to use them.

Three distinct keyword match types include broad match, phrase match, and exact match keywords.

Broad Match

Broad match keywords give more flexibility to Google over which search terms your ad can be placed for. With broad match keyword type, your ads will show up for queries relatable to the keyword meaning but it may include synonyms, related searches, and other terms.

For example, if your keyword is “SEO specialist,” your ad might show up in searches like,

Search engine specialist

SSMD Marketing Specialist

Best SEO Specialist

Top SEO Specialist

SEO Consultant

SEO expert

So, some of the terms may relate to your services, and others may not. A direct keyword will not be included at all. Broad Match Keyword type may take the user’s search activities, multiple keywords in the ad group, or the content of your landing page into consideration.

The advertisers use broad match types to increase visibility and capture a broader set of user queries.

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Broad Match Keywords

Pros and Cons are an inevitable part of every keyword type; let’s explore below

Advantages

  • Broad-match keywords can increase visibility and allow your ads to reach a broader audience.
  • The broad match type helps you explore relevant and new keywords.
  • The broad keywords are flexible enough to capture diverse search queries by accommodating variations like synonyms or misspellings.
  • A campaign setup can be managed quickly, and a comprehensive list of specific keywords is not required.

Disadvantages

  • There are higher chances of getting queries that are not related to your business, as a broad reach may lead to less relevant clicks.
  • With broad keyword match keyword type, advertisers have lesser control over the queries that trigger their ads, and this makes it quite daunting to manage the targeting.
  • The broad keyword match type has a wider audience that may incur higher costs and reduced conversion rates.
  • With broad keyword match type, there are higher chances of irrelevant ads, that may result in a negative user experience.

Phrase Match

Next in line is the phrase match keyword!

Phrase match keyword type is the balance between broad and exact match keywords.

With the phrase-match keywords, your ads appear for the searches that include the exact phrase or a close variation of the phrase inclusive of other words preceding and succeeding the phrase. But none of the words should be in between the keyword.

Let’s take the same example of“SEO specialist” keyword. With phrase match keywords, the following searches may show up:

SEO specialist

SEO specialist skills

SEO specialist job

Best SEO specialist

While entering the phrase match keyword in your ad group, you can format the keyword with quotation marks.

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Phrase Match Keywords

Phrase match keyword type has benefits and disadvantages like other keyword types. So, let’s explore,

Advantages of Phrase Match Keywords

  • Phrase Match Keywords are more flexible and provides you a more targeted reach.
  • With phrase match keywords, you can easily create relevant landing pages, and ad copies, and increase your click-through rates.

Disadvantages of Phrase Match Keywords

  • If we compare phrase match with broad match keyword type, it has more limited reach. So, the chances of a reduction in the potential clients are more.
  • As phrase match is more restrictive than broad match keyword type, but it offers less control than the exact match, s the chances of relevancy are there that can adversely impact your ads.
  • The problem of irrelevant clicks may arise because your ads can show the queries that are inclusive of additional words that can change the entire meaning of the keyword.

Exact Match

Last but not least is the exact match keywords.

As the same suggests, exact match keywords show up the same searches as the keyword is. The exact match helps your ads to show up in searches that contain the exact or intended meaning as the keyword.

Let’s explore with the same example of the “SEO specialist” keyword. So, how it will go with the exact match keyword? Let’s see,

⦋SEO Specialist⦌

⦋SEO expert⦌

⦋Search Engine Optimization Specialist⦌

⦋Professional SEO Consultants⦌

Note: Exact match requires brackets around the keywords.

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Exact Match Keywords

Exact Match Keyword type has its own advantages and disadvantages. Let’s know about some of the benefits and disadvantages of the same below,

Advantages of Exact Match Keywords

  • With exact match keywords, your ads can be triggered with the exact keywords someone has specified. So, this showcases higher relevancy and precision.
  • Control over the search queries is more in exact match keywords so there is a relatively low risk of irrelevant clicks.
  • You are more likely to reach your specific targeted audience, so, exact match keywords prove to be cost-friendly.

Disadvantages

  • Using exact match keyword may reduce the opportunity of discovering new keywords.
  • Bid costs may be higher in exact match keyword due to precise targeting.
  • Due to lack of synonyms and variations in the keywords, you may face limited reach, and lack of potential clients.

So, if you are interested in getting more insights on keyword match types, connect with me now, and get brilliant SEO solutions!