When it comes to Pay-Per-Click advertising, there are three types of Keyword Match Types that you can use to tailor your keyword bids.  Understanding the details of these three match types can mean the difference between a profitable ad campaign and a waste of time & money.  The three match types are “Broad”, “Phrase”, and “Exact”.  What is each match type, and how can you use each to your advantage?

1. Broad Match Type – For broad keyword matching, the search engines make assumptions about the intent of the searcher. Let’s say you are bidding on the keyword “buy furniture” using broad match.  Your ad could be triggered by a search for “bedroom furniture”, “furniture repair”, or “furniture store” for example.  However, a search for “Dining Room Table” or “Free Sofa” could also trigger your ad because the search engines know that these terms are related to the term furniture.  In summary, Broad Match Keywords can be costly and ineffective if they aren’t closely monitored and managed. When you add keywords into your Google account, they are automatically classified as Broad Match unless you specify otherwise.
2. Phrase Match Type – For phrase matching, the terms being searched must contain your keywords to trigger your ads. As a result, far fewer assumptions are made by the search engines and the clicks you receive are usually more relevant.  Using the “buy furniture” example above, phrase matching would trigger your ad if the term “where to buy furniture” or “buy furniture repair business” were searched.  Your keywords must appear in the search, but additional words can be placed before or after your phrase.  Phrase Match keywords generate fewer impressions, but in general, produce more relevant results.  When you add keywords into your Google account enclosed by “quotes” they are classified as Phrase Match.
3. Exact Match Type – Exact match is the most precise method for bidding on keywords.  With exact matching, the phrase being searched must match your keyword phrase precisely and cannot contain any additional keywords before or after your phrase.  For the “buy furniture” example, your ads would only be triggered if that exact term were searched upon.  Exact match generates far fewer impressions but the results are almost perfectly matched to your intent.  When you add keywords into your Google account enclosed by [brackets] they are classified as Exact Match.

As you can see, keyword research involves much more than just generating lists of keyword phrases and running your ads.  Careful consideration of the mindset of your target audience can help you determine the Keyword Match Type that best fits your goals.

In my next post, I’ll talk about Negative Keywords and how you can use them to further customize your campaigns.

Steve Ulman

Mercury Leads, Inc.

Keyword Match Types Can Determine Pay-Per-Click Success is a post from: Lead Generation Strategies: No Longer A One-Hit Wonder!