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What’s the difference between broad match, phrase match, and exact match keywords? How do you decide which to use?

The differences between broad match, phrase match, and exact match keywords lie in how closely a user’s search query must match your keyword for your ad to show. Here's a breakdown:

What’s the difference between broad match, phrase match, and exact match keywords? How do you decide which to use?

✅ 1. Broad Match

  • Trigger: Ads can show for searches that include any word in your keyword phrase, in any order, including synonyms or related terms.

  • Example keyword: women's running shoes

  • Can match: “ladies jogging sneakers”, “buy shoes for running women”, “female athletic footwear”

  • Best for: Reach and discovery—finding new search terms, especially in early stages of a campaign.

Pros:

  • Maximizes visibility

  • Captures long-tail queries

Cons:

  • Can show for irrelevant searches

  • Lower conversion rate if not controlled with negative keywords

✅ 2. Phrase Match (" " around keywords)

  • Trigger: Ads show for searches that include your keyword phrase in order, possibly with other words before or after.

  • Example keyword: "women's running shoes"

  • Can match: “cheap women's running shoes”, “buy women's running shoes online”

  • Won’t match: “running shoes for women” (wrong order), “women jogging shoes” (different wording)

Best for: Balancing reach and control—more targeted than broad, but still flexible.

✅ 3. Exact Match ([ ] around keywords)

  • Trigger: Ads show only when the exact keyword or very close variants (e.g., plurals, misspellings) are searched.

  • Example keyword: [women's running shoes]

  • Can match: “women's running shoes”, “womens running shoe”

  • Won’t match: “buy women's running shoes”, “cheap running shoes for women”

Best for: Precision—when you know exactly what high-intent terms convert.

🎯 How to Decide Which to Use

GoalUse This Match Type
Maximize reachBroad Match (with negatives)
Balanced targetingPhrase Match
Maximize ROI and relevanceExact Match
Testing new markets/keywordsStart with Broad or Phrase
Branded campaignsExact or Phrase Match

🔁 Pro Tip: Many successful campaigns use a mixed strategy:

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