Refine or expand your reach with keyword match types
Use keyword match types to narrow or broaden your reach to achieve your advertising goals.
What are keyword match types?
Keyword match types dictate how closely your keywords need to match with a user’s search in order for your ad to be considered for the ad auction.
How to use match types
You can select a match type for each keyword on your list. Depending on your goals, you may want to use a mix of match types to tailor your reach. Let’s say you’re a landscaping company using the keyword “lawn mowing service”:
- Exact match gives you the most control over who views your ad, but has the smallest reach. With exact match, only a search for “lawn mowing service” would show your ad.
- Phrase match ensures the meaning of your keyword is present while allowing you to reach more potential customers than exact match. With phrase match, your ad could show in searches like “lawn mowing service near me” or “hire company to mow lawn.”
- Broad match provides the most opportunities for your ad to show, but can use your budget the fastest. Here, your ad might show in searches related to your keyword like “lawn aeration price.”
You can change match types in the Keywords tab in your account, or use notations when adding keywords: [lawn mowing service] for exact match, “lawn mowing service” for phrase match, and no formatting for broad match.
Ready to take action?
Get a better understanding of how your match types are performing by reviewing your search terms report. Then update your match types so you can reach the right customers and use your budget more effectively.
