Google Ads, also known as “pay-per-click advertising,” and formerly known as “Adwords”) is used by millions of websites and companies to sell products and services, raise awareness, and increase traffic to websites.
While Google Ads remains one of the most popular and effective forms of online advertising, the vast amount of moving parts required combined with Google’s frequent changes to their platform are enough to make anyone’s head spin, most especially when it comes to keyword research.
Google Keywords Types
Keywords utilized in Google Ads encompass carefully selected words or phrases that align your advertisements with the precise queries users are actively seeking. These Google keywords are thoughtfully categorized into four distinct match types, each serving a unique purpose in optimizing the relevance and effectiveness of your online promotions.
- Broad match: The broad match option allows your keyword to encompass exact matches, close variations, and tangentially related subjects, without any specific order requirement. However, it is advisable to exercise caution while utilizing this match type and diligently track its performance to prevent unnecessary expenditure on irrelevant searches for your business.
- Exact Match: The term “Exact match” signifies that your chosen Google keyword will exclusively correspond to searches that precisely match the keyword or phrase, along with closely related variations. This classification is indicated by the use of brackets.
- Phrase Match: The phrase match feature ensures that your keyword aligns with search queries that possess the same word order, allowing for the inclusion of preceding or subsequent words. Additionally, it encompasses searches that share a similar “intent.” To illustrate, a search for “cooking classes near me” would encompass “cooking courses near me” as both queries convey the same underlying intent. The phrase match functionality is denoted by the utilization of quotation marks.
