Match types help control how shopping queries are matched with the keywords you are bidding on. They provide you with additional control to help you reach your campaign goals.
Each match type provides different opportunities for your ad to display when shoppers for an item. In general, the broader the match type, the higher the likelihood of matching customers’ shopping queries. The narrower, or more restrictive, the match type, the lower the likelihood of matching the customers’ shopping queries, but it has a higher likelihood of reaching relevant customers.
Broad Match
With broad match, the shopping query must contain all the keyword terms, or close variations. Words can be in any order and contain additional words.
Use broad match you are unuse of what keyphrases customers are searching on and want to cast a broad net. For example if an advertiser specifies the keyword “soft toy”, their product could be displayed when customers perform the following searches:
- Soft plush toy
- Red soft toy
But not
- Wooden toy
- Plastic toy
Phrase Match
With phrase match, if customers use the exact phrase, or close variations, and be in the same order as keyword term. The shopping query may contain words before or after keyword term phrase.
Use phrase match when you want your ads to appear for more specific searches. For example the phrased matched keyword “soft toy” would appear for
- Red soft toy
- Disney soft toy
But not:
- Soft plush toy
- Toy with soft fur
Exact Match
With exact match, the customers shopping query must be the exact word or phrase, or very close variations. The shopping query needs to be in the same order and cannot contain additional words.
Use exact match to advertise only on specific keyphrases.
Negative Match
Negative match types prevent an ad from being served if the customers look for the exact word or phrase or close variants. Negative phrase match reaches a broader audience by allowing additional words before and/or after. Negative exact match targets a very specific audience by targeting an exact phrase.
Use negative match to filter our non-performing keywords. If a negative phrase “soft toy” is specified then an ad will not appear for the following searches
- Red soft toy
- Soft toy for toddler
But it could appear for the following searches
- Soft plush toy
- Toy with soft fur
