Google Keyword Match Types: Exact Match, Phrase Match, and Broad Match Explained
Alex Fusco
April 15, 2025
If you are running Google Ads campaigns, understanding keyword match types is one of the most important ways to control your traffic quality and your budget. The three types are Exact Match, Phrase Match, and Broad Match. Each behaves a little differently, and using them wisely can make or break your campaign performance.
Let’s break it all down in simple terms.
What Are Keyword Match Types?
In Google Ads, match types tell Google how closely a search query needs to align with your keyword for your ad to show.
Think of them like different levels of flexibility:
Exact Match is the strictest.
Phrase Match gives a little more room.
Broad Match is the loosest, allowing Google to use its judgment.
Choosing the right match type is all about balancing reach and relevance.
Exact Match: Most Precise
How it works: Your ad will show only when someone searches for your keyword or a very close variation (think misspellings, singular/plural forms, or reordered words that don't change the meaning).
Example:
Keyword: [running shoes]
Possible search: "running shoes" or "shoes for running"
Your ad would not show for: "best trail running shoes" or "buy running sneakers"
When to use Exact Match:
You know exactly what your high-intent keywords are.
You want tight control over what triggers your ads.
You’re optimizing for maximum efficiency and conversion rate.
Pro tip: Exact match often drives the best quality leads, but it limits volume.
Phrase Match: A Little More Flexibility
How it works: Your ad will show when someone’s search includes the meaning of your keyword, even if there are other words before or after it.
Example:
Keyword: "running shoes"
Possible search: "best running shoes for women" or "cheap running shoes"
Your ad would not show for: "trail sneakers for hiking" (because it changes the meaning)
When to use Phrase Match:
You want to reach people searching around a concept you care about.
You still want relevance, but with slightly more reach than Exact Match.
You’re testing related variations people might search for.
Broad Match: Casting a Wide Net
How it works: Your ad may show for searches that relate to your keyword in any way Google thinks makes sense — synonyms, related ideas, and more.
Example:
Keyword: running shoes
Possible search: "best sneakers for marathons" or "how to start jogging"
When to use Broad Match:
You’re in discovery mode and want to find new audiences.
You trust Google's AI to figure out related intent.
You have strong conversion tracking in place to help Google optimize automatically.
Pro tip: Broad Match can drive great results if you're feeding it enough data (like conversions) for Smart Bidding to learn from. Otherwise, it can waste your budget fast.
Which Match Type Should You Use?
It depends on your goals, and your risk tolerance.
Recommended Match Type Maximize precision and efficiency | Exact Match Balance reach with relevance | Phrase Match Discover new audiences | Broad Match (with Smart Bidding)
In most cases, advertisers use a mix of match types to balance performance:
Start with Exact to capture high-intent traffic.
Layer in Broad Match once your campaign has enough data to optimize.
Final Thoughts: Match Type Strategy Matters
The days of manually controlling every keyword are fading. Google's AI is playing a bigger role in matching ads to searches. Still, understanding match types and using them strategically gives you more control over your ad budget and lead quality.
If you want smarter campaigns, start by asking yourself:
Am I being too restrictive with Exact Match?
Am I being too loose with Broad Match?
Could I test Phrase Match to find a happy medium?
The right mix can turn a decent campaign into a great one.
At the end of the day, quality always beats quantity. ThoughtMetric helps e-commerce brands understand the true value of the traffic their campaigns are driving. We recommend running a few tests before locking in your keyword match type. If a broad match campaign delivers strong revenue, stick with it. If you are paying for low-quality conversions, ThoughtMetric will help you spot the problem and adjust your strategy.
