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2 Comments Written by Atila on September 8, 2008 – 10:48 pm

As discussed in the previous article, Google offers three match types that you can use when you create keyword lists.

You can use these match types to show your ad when people search for keywords or phrases that you have not included in your ad groups. These match types are called broad, phrase, and exact. Broad matched keywords can generate ads when users search for any variation of that keyword, even synonyms of that keyword.

Phrase matched keywords generate ads as long as the search query contains that phrase. For example, if your ad group contains the phrase matched keyword “red shoes,” your ad may be trigged when someone searches for “size 11 red shoes.” Exact matches keywords can only generate an ad when someone searches for that exact keyword or phrase.

Different match types perform in different ways, and each can have a unique effect on your PPC budget, clickthrough rates, and conversion rates. You may find that broad keywords generate too many clicks that never convert.

You may also find that exact matched keywords have a better conversion rate, but that you are just not getting the number of clicks that you expected to see. An advanced tactic used to optimize based on keyword match types is to separate your keywords based on match type.

Take a set of keywords and clone them across three separate ad groups, one for each match type. Monitor these keyword match types, and make adjustments to your bids and ad copy depending on how each perform. Although a broad matched keyword may not be profitable, that same keyword may be one of your best performers when given a different match type.

Other times, a broad matched keyword can outperform the more specific match types. These differences play an important role in the performance of your campaigns, and it is in your best interest to examine the metrics associated with each match type and make intelligent decisions based upon those metrics.

Remember that when you use broad and phrase match-type keywords, any extra words a searcher enters into the query box along with that particular keyword can still trigger your text ad, even it is something that you do not offer on your site.

For example, if you are running the keyword “shoes” as a broad match type and somebody searches for the phrase “free shoes,” your ad appears. In this case, people may visit your site expecting to see a free shoe offer and experience disappointment when they realize no such offer exists. As a matter of fact, Google has expanded the broad match type, and someone searching for “boots” may also see an ad triggered by your keyword “shoes.”

Use negative keywords liberally in ad groups that contain broad matched keywords. Words such as “free” usually do not lead to a sale or lead and should be entered into the ad group as a negative keyword to prevent your ads from showing any time the word “free” is attached to a search query. Adding negative keywords to these ad groups also cuts down on wasted impressions and improves the overall quality score of the ad group by increasing click-through rates.