All About Google Ads Broad Match Keywords

If you are just getting started with Google Ads, you probably have a lot of questions. Conducting keyword research is crucial at this stage to identify relevant keywords and optimize your campaigns effectively. One of the main things you need to learn about are the different keyword match types for search campaigns. Broad match keywords are one of the main match types.

What are Google Ads Broad Match Keywords?

Google Ads broad match keywords are one of the keywords used in a Google Ads campaign. You target keywords with different match types to determine which search queries will trigger your ads. Google’s Keyword Planner is a helpful tool for researching broad match keywords. Broad match keywords are the most general type of keyword, and they can match a wide variety of search queries related to your chosen keyword. This means that your ads may be shown to users searching for terms slightly different from your chosen keyword but still somewhat related to it.

The two other match types are phrase match keywords and exact match keywords.

Broad Match Keywords Video

In this video, I answer the question: Should You Upgrade Existing Google Ads Keywords to Broad Match? You can watch the video directly on YouTube here.

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How do I Target Broad Match Keywords?

When creating Ad Groups for your search campaign, it is crucial to organize keywords effectively within each ad group to optimize ad performance. For broad matches, you target keywords with no identifiers. For example, phrase match keywords have quotes around them, and exact match keywords have brackets around them.

For example, if I am targeting the keyword books for sale, here is how you would target it with different match types:

• books for sale – Broad Match

• “books for sale” – Phrase Match

• “books for sale” – Exact Match

Broad Match Keywords and Long Tail Keywords Example

For example, if you were running a Google Ads campaign for a bookstore, you might use the broad match keyword books to trigger your ads to be displayed whenever someone searches for something related to books. Exploring keyword ideas for relevant topics within the book industry can help you discover new keywords related to specific genres or categories, ensuring you attract product-focused and informative traffic. This could include searches for “best books to read,” “children’s books,” or even “bookstore near me.” However, it may also include searches like “how to write books” and “pictures of books,” which aren’t likely to drive conversions for book sales. Therefore, managing search terms is crucial to optimize ad performance and effectively utilize negative keywords to filter unwanted search queries.

Search Terms Example for Broad Match Keywords

Why You Shouldn’t Target Broad Match Keywords Without Negative Keywords

The best keyword match type for relevancy and volume is phrase match. When targeting broad match keywords, it is crucial to consider search volume using keyword research tools like Google’s Keyword Planner. The issue with targeting broad match keywords is that your ads will show for search queries that are unlikely to convert. This will waste more of your budget as you test, and your ROAS will take longer to optimize. To have success with broad match keywords in Google Ads, you will require a great negative keyword strategy.

Why You Should Use Broad Match Keywords

You will get access to more volume and search queries that your ad wouldn’t otherwise show for. It’s worth testing broad match keywords if you have a large budget. Including long-tail keywords in your product titles can significantly improve ad targeting, especially for niche products. As you can see, these keywords are broad and general, and they could match a wide variety of search queries that are related to the keyword. This is why broad match keywords are often a good starting point for a Google Ads campaign, as they can help you to get a sense of which search queries are relevant to your business and what kind of ads are performing well.

Google Ads Keyword Match Types

If you’re interested in all of the keyword match types in Google Ads, the video below will be helpful. I go over broad match, phrase match, and exact match keywords. You can learn when to use them and some best practices as well.

Google Ads Keyword Targeting

I can talk about keyword targeting for hours. If you’re interested in a full guide to Google Ads keyword targeting, the video below will be very useful for you. I go over keyword research, keyword search intent, targeting keywords, negative keywords, and more. Since keywords are a major aspect of a Google Ads campaign, it’s important to have an effective strategy.

Final Takeaways

Broad Match keywords are the default match type used in Google Ads and have improved over the years. However, as the name suggests, they can be too broad when you want your ads to show for relevant searches. Managing multiple keywords allows you to track their performance over time, providing valuable insights for effective campaign planning. Personally, I prefer phrase-match keywords, and they generally give me better performance.