PPC Keyword Matching Options
There are 4 keyword matching options that you can use to qualify the keywords in your Adwords campaigns. Using these options correctly can often be the difference between a profitable and a loss making campaign.
The broad match (keyword) option will result in the highest number of impressions, it can result in your advert being displayed when your keywords are searched for in any order. For example the broad match keyword phrase ‘boat trip’ may result in your advert being shown for ‘trip boat’ or ‘boat fishing trip’.
When using phrase match (“keyword”) your advert will only be displayed if the keyword phrase is used in order. For example, the phrase match option for ‘boat trip’ could lead to your advert being displayed for ‘long boat trip’ or ‘boat trip gear’ but not for ’boat fishing trip’.
The exact phrase match option ([keyword]) will only display your advert when the exact phrase is used – ‘boat trip’. This option results in the fewest impressions but can bring in the most relevant visitors to your site.
Negative keyword matching (-keyword) prevents your advert from showing for the negative keyword and can be applied at both the ad group and campaign level. If you are using broad match keywords it is important to look for negative keywords to use. For example, if you use the broad match keyword ‘boat trip’ your advert could display for the search ‘fishing boat trip’. If you do not run fishing trips and this is a high search term you should include this on your negative keyword list, -fishing.
A good way to find high search, negative keyword terms for your campaign is to use the Adwords keyword research tool. Enter the broad match phrase you are using and look for any keywords with high levels of search that would not bring relevant traffic to your site.
If your market has a high search volume, you may be best off starting out with phrase and exact match keywords only. If your sector is relatively low in search traffic you could start with all 3 keyword matching options along with any appropriate negative keywords.
