Keyword match types: broad, phrase and exact

Every keyword in a Search campaign has a match type. It decides how closely someone's search has to match your keyword before your ad can show. Get it right and you pay for the searches you want. Get it wrong and you either pay for irrelevant clicks or barely show at all.

New to keywords? Start with Keywords: how search ads find the right people.

The three match types at a glance

Using the keyword emergency plumber sutton as an example:

• Broad match (no symbols): emergency plumber sutton. Your ad can show for searches related to your keyword, even if they don't contain its words. It might show for "burst pipe help", "boiler repair near me" or "plumbers in Cheam". The widest reach, and the least control.
• Phrase match (quotation marks): "emergency plumber sutton". Your ad can show for searches that include the meaning of your keyword, often with extra words. It might show for "24 hour emergency plumber in sutton" or "emergency plumbers sutton surrey", but not "plumbing courses sutton".
• Exact match (square brackets): [emergency plumber sutton]. Your ad can show for searches with the same meaning or intent as your keyword. It might show for "emergency plumbers sutton" or "sutton emergency plumber", but usually not "emergency plumber sutton prices". The most control, and the smallest reach.

Each match type covers everything the narrower types cover, plus more. Broad match includes all your phrase and exact matches, and phrase match includes all your exact matches.

Matching is about meaning, not exact words

None of the match types are literal any more. Google and Microsoft match on meaning, so all three can pick up:

• plurals and misspellings ("plumbers", "plumer")
• words in a different order, where that doesn't change the meaning
• synonyms and paraphrases ("urgent plumber")
• searches that leave out a word but mean the same thing

This is why exact match can show your ad for a search that isn't word for word your keyword. Check your search terms report to see what people actually typed.

Broad match: powerful, but it needs good data

Broad match is Google's default. As well as the keyword, Google looks at what the person searched for recently, your landing page and your other keywords. Google recommends using it with Smart Bidding (automated bidding such as Maximise conversions), which decides how much each individual search is worth.

That only works if the platform knows what a good result looks like. Before you lean on broad match, make sure:

• conversion tracking is set up and recording real results (see Conversion actions: what they are and how to set them up)
• your campaign isn't limited by budget
• you'll check the search terms report regularly and add negative keywords

On a small budget with little conversion data, broad match can spend money on loosely related searches before it learns. Phrase and exact are usually safer starting points.

AI Max for Search

AI Max is an optional setting Google has added to Search campaigns. It isn't a new campaign type. It builds on broad match and can also match searches that none of your keywords cover, using your ads and landing pages to work out what's relevant. It can also adapt your ad text and send people to a more relevant page on your site. In reports, these matches show under their own "AI Max" match type.

It's opt-in. Treat it like broad match: useful once your tracking is solid, risky without it.

Microsoft Advertising

Microsoft Advertising uses the same three match types and the same symbols, across Bing, Yahoo and partner sites. One difference worth knowing: phrase match respects word order, so "chocolate milk" won't match a search for "milk chocolate". Microsoft retired broad match modifier (keywords with a + sign) in 2021, and any left over now behave as phrase match.

When more than one keyword matches

If a search is identical to one of your keywords, Google prefers that keyword, whatever its match type. Otherwise it picks the keyword with the best Ad Rank. A Search campaign also takes priority over Performance Max when the search is identical to one of its keywords.

Avoid adding the same keyword twice in different ad groups. Google only uses one of them, and it makes your reports harder to read.

Which should you use?

• Small budget, or no conversion data yet: mostly phrase and exact match, plus a solid list of negative keywords.
• Tracking in place and a steady flow of conversions: test broad match with Smart Bidding on your best keywords, and watch the search terms report closely for the first few weeks.
• Your own brand name: exact or phrase match, so you capture people looking for you specifically.
• Searches you can't afford to miss: add them as exact match, so they're never left to chance.

Whatever you choose, review the search terms report weekly at first. Add anything irrelevant as a negative keyword, and anything that's working well as a keyword of its own.

In Snifferdog

Snifferdog builds your keyword list and negative keywords from your brief. Review them under Keywords in your brief analysis before you approve the plan, and be specific in your brief about what you do and don't offer. That's what keeps loose matches out.

Read more: Google's guides, About keyword matching options and AI Max for Search campaigns.