News

A quick post to outline the current keyword match types in Google AdWords' paid search programme and how they work. We'll discuss the modified broad match that's currently in beta in the UK and Canada and how the effects your keyword matching strategy.

Why are keyword match types important?

Supply & demand - fewer advertisers bidding for the keyword slot means the costs will be lower. Google uses broad match by default therefore adding specificity to your keyword matching often reduces costs because the pool competitors is reduced.

Relevance & quality score - being specific with your keyword matching means your more likely to match your keyword to the users intent - search queries often contain words that are homonyms or ambiguous phrases that can be interpreted in different ways - so more specific keyword matching helps tie searcher intent with relevant ads and landing pages.

Exclude unwanted impressions - by filtering out ambiguous or irrelevant search queries your advert is just shown for relevant searches - and therefore, it is more likely to receive click-throughs from relevant searches. The click-though-rate (CTR) has an important effect on quality score and the cost of PPC advertising. So keeping ad display impressions to more relevant search queries will reduce your CPC prices and increase conversion rates - ideal!

Let's take a quick look through the match types:-

[Exact Match]

Google signifies exact matches using [square brackets]. Exact match does what it says on the tin - in order to trigger a keyword match, the user's search query must match exactly the keyword string's characters. Examples:-

Keyword	Search Query	Match?
[green apple]	green apple
[green apple]	red apple
[green apple]	green apples

The first example match because it is exactly the same as the characters between the [square brackets] - the next two examples do not match as the search query is different (the first has red rather than green, the second is pluralised).

"Phrase Match"

Google signifies phrase matches using "quote marks". Phrase match search queries must contain the keyword in its entirety (as is appears) within the search query - effectively the keyword can have prefixed words, suffix words or both, but the phrase must appear as it is within the search query.

Keyword	Search Query	Match?
"green apple"	red and green apple
"green apple"	al green apple itunes
"green apple"	green juicy apple

The first and second examples match because "green apple" appears as it is within these search queries. In the third example the word juicy splits the phrase so no match occurs.

Broad Match

Google signifies broad match keyword by leaving them unadorned. Broad match allows the keywords to appear in any order. It also allows Google to match related keywords. This means the scope for broad matching is pretty... err, broad!!

Keyword	Search Query	Match?
green apple	green apples
green apple	red apple and green banana
green apple	green fruit
green apple	green bike

The first example matches as pluralisations are usually matched in broad match. The second example is matched because the keywords appear within the search query (in a different order). The third example is matched because Google might determine that fruit is a related term to apple and therefore green fruit is relevant for green apples - so take care broad match can scoop up a host of unwanted search queries if you don't apply better matching strategies. The fourth example is not matched as bike and apple would be unlikely related terms.

The really broad nature of broad match is one of the reasons Google AdWords are testing the modified broad match in the UK at present.

Modified +Broad +Match

Google signifies modified broad match with the +plus +sign. Modified broad match words preceded by a + have to appear in the search query, either exactly or as a close variant.

Close variants include misspellings, singular or plural forms, abbreviations and acronyms and stemming ("like", "liked" and "liking").

Synonyms ("rich" and "wealthy") and related searches ("apples" and "fruit") are not considered close variants within modified broad match.

Keyword	Search Query	Match?
+green +apple	green apples
+green +apple	red apple and green banana
+green +apple	red apple and yellow banana
+green +apple	green fruit
+green +apple	green bike

The first example is a match because green and the plural apples appear in the search query. The second example is a match because both green and apple appear in the search query (although not in the same order). The third example is not a match because the word green does not appear in the search query. The fourth example is not a match because fruit is a related search to apple and not considered a match within modified broad match. The fifth example is not a match because apple is not present in the search query.

-Negative -Match

Google signifies negative match with the -minus -sign. Negative matching is used to exclude keywords; so any search query containing the negative keyword is not shown your ad. This is great for keeping a range of irrelevant search queries from triggering your ads and protecting your account's and campaign's quality score via CTRs.

Keyword	Search Query	Match?
-iphone	apple sellers
-iphone	apple iphone

In the first example we are trying to prevent searches for Apple Inc and their products triggering our greengrocer shop ads as we're selling eating and cooking apples. If a user searches for apple sellers our negative matching is not triggered and our ads can appear (assuming we have relevant matched keywords for the search query). In the second example because the search query contains a word we can positively identify as being irrelevant (our negative match keyword -iphone) the negative match would be triggered and our greengrocer business would not end up trying to sell fruit & veg to someone after a smart phone!

Do make use of AdWords' standard Search Query Performance Report to analyse how your match types are performing.

Work Smart & Fast - Kenshoo's Keyword Tracking Insight

Ideally if you are able to use a third party PPC tracking and management solution such as Kenshoo - using their keyword "tracking" function you will very easily be able see:-

1. what actual search queries resulted in user clicks
2. against which keywords
3. Kenshoo will also create a list of all converting search terms that you currently do not have a keyword for - so keyword gap analysis and optimisation becomes much more effiicient.

This allows you to quickly and easily rationalise your matching because you can see what terms broad matches, phrase matches and modified broad matches are throwing up as matches and then add keywords as required (including negatives).

That's it really. As with many things in paid search it is relatively simple but there are a lot of moving parts to consider with match types and you must plan your strategy accordingly.