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Keyword match types

Keyword match types are the setting on each Google Ads keyword that decides how far a search can differ from the keyword for your ad to still show.

How it works

Every keyword in a Search campaign has one of three match types, set by the way the keyword is written. None of them means “word for word”:

  • Exact match, [porcelain plates]: searches identical to the keyword, plus close variants such as a misspelling or the singular.
  • Phrase match, "porcelain plates": searches that contain the keyword, even with other words before, after or between its words. Word order counts where it changes the meaning.
  • Broad match, porcelain plates: the widest of the three. Google uses it to reach searches beyond the keyword’s own words.

When a search is identical to an exact match keyword, Google picks that keyword for the auction ahead of the account’s other keywords. When a Search keyword of any match type is identical to the search, Google doesn’t consider Performance Max for it. The one exception: if a Performance Max search theme is identical too and the keyword is phrase or broad, the higher Ad Rank wins.

Our guide to Search campaigns next to Performance Max explains which campaign gets a search in a store account.

Where you see it

The Google Ads search terms report records which match type caught each search and marks close variants. The Google Ads API labels such a search, for example, “Exact match (close variant)”.

Example

Example store, not client data.

The tableware shop adds the keyword porcelain plates to a Search campaign in all three match types:

Search[porcelain plates]"porcelain plates"porcelain plates
porcelain plateyes, close variantyesyes
white porcelain plates set of 6noyesyes
dinner set for 12nonopossible

Not to be confused with

  • Negative keywords — use the same three match types to block searches. They catch misspellings, but not the singular or plural: the negative porcelain plates doesn’t block “porcelain plate”.

Right and wrong readings

  • Wrong: “An exact match keyword shows the ad only for that exact search.” Right: exact match also covers close variants, such as “porcelain plate” in the example.
  • Wrong: “Our keywords are exact match, so AI Max cannot widen them.” Right: with AI Max on, Google treats every keyword as broad match unless you switch off search term matching for the ad group.

Sources