When it comes to your marketing dollars, everything you do needs to be targeted and maximized. Google Ads is a valuable tool for your PPC strategy, but you need to employ the right strategies to get the highest return for your budget. Two of the PPC options, the phrase match capability and the broad match, can be incredibly confusing for business owners. Unless you have a comprehensive understanding of the different keyword strategies, establishing a plan is virtually impossible.
While these match types have similarities, knowing the differences can improve the campaign’s success overall. To get started, let’s uncover the similarities, differences, and how they compare overall.
Understanding the Phrase Match Functionality
The phrase match works by allowing your ads to display whenever the exact keyword phrase or close variations of the words. In order for the ad to show in the search engine’s paid positions, the exact phrase must be included for the ad to show. If additional words are added to the beginning of the chosen keyword or the end, the ad will still show. Likewise, the words can be rearranged if the meaning still stays the same.
How does the Phrase Match Help with Advertising?
As the phrase match is quite specific, it allows a targeted audience to see the ad. It lets users specify how their ad will appear, including slight variations to the term before or after the phrase. For example, if someone were using the keyword sugar daddy, a phrase match would allow the following terms:
-Sugar daddy online
-How to find a sugar daddy
It would not include search results like “sugar baby” or “sugar recipes for daddy” using the phrase matching function.
As long as the original keyword is included in the exact manner it was written, the ad will still appear.
Understanding the Broad Match Functionality
The broad match functionality on Google Ads allows your ad to show to the largest audience. It will enable exact searches (any keyword entered in precisely as written), as well as any variations, misspellings, synonyms, or alternative phrases that mean the same thing. The search doesn’t need to contain the exact term to show up in the results; it simply needs to have a related connection. This method of advertising match will also allow users to enter words in between the keyword phrase.
How does the Broad Match Help with Advertising?
If you’re looking to attract a high volume of traffic with your ad campaign, the broad search will appear in front of more people. This method is a generic and rather general approach to PPC keywords, meaning different variations (including misspellings) can be included. As such, you’ll have a more expansive “net” to catch new traffic to your website, depending on your campaign goals.
Comparing Broad Match and Phrase Match Methods
If you’re looking to uncover essential data with your ad campaigns (for instance, which keywords attract more clicks), the Phrase match may be too restrictive. It’s always better to use the broad match in this area as it will bring in higher levels of data to determine the best ad moving forward.
When trying to formulate an ad, the phrase match can be too restrictive for some industries. As variations are disqualified from appearing in results, many search terms won’t show your ad. It’s crucial to consider formal terms, jargon, industry terminology, and other slang dialogue that may attract viewers to your website. For example, a company selling electronic devices may find the phrase match too restrictive. “iPad for sale” would fail to show on any android keywords, despite interest in purchasing products overall.
Alternatively, the broad match functionality may bring in clicks from irrelevant search terms. These terms may be connected to similar industries, despite having nothing to do with your ad. For example, someone searching for women’s shoes will likely see your ad for women’s coats, despite the keyword being entirely different. Color variations are also acceptable for a broad search. Companies need to establish negative keywords for their broad search ad, particularly if they continue to attract irrelevant keywords throughout their PPC campaign.
If a company sells fireplaces online, they may want to add phrases like “free,” “cheap,” or “do-it-yourself” to the list of negative keywords for their search. They could also include specific locations, depending on their delivery system. A potential customer will leave the site after realizing your products don’t ship to their country, increasing your bounce rate (and hurting your overall ranking on search engines).
The Phrase match function is often important when the sequence of the phrase matters to the company. It’s also a more straightforward approach to websites wanting to attract lower clicks overall but higher quality leads. The smaller level of accessibility will also decrease the likelihood of adding negative search terms to your campaign overall.
Sometimes Trial and Error is Important
As you continue running your ad campaign, it’s crucial to review the analytics of your ad. You’ll want to look at the search terms of your clicks and how many impressions it received overall. A very restricted ad may not offer many details about the campaign but may perform well with the right audience. Likewise, a broad search may be costing you hundreds in unnecessary expenses with clicks that lead nowhere. Remember, every individual business and industry is unique. Where some will find success, others may struggle to achieve the same results.