Keyword match types
Match types control how closely a search must match your keyword to trigger your ad: broad, phrase or exact. They decide how wide your net is.
In the platformSearch
Match types
Match types control how closely a search must match your keyword to trigger your ad: broad, phrase or exact. They decide how wide your net is.
| Match type | How you write it |
|---|---|
| Broad | keyword |
| Phrase | "keyword" |
| Exact | [keyword] |
The trade-off is reach against control: broader types find more searches, including ones you never thought of, while tighter types spend only where you are confident. All three now match on meaning, so even exact match covers close variants such as plurals, misspellings and same-intent rewordings.
Where you'll see it
In Google Ads, go to Campaigns > Audiences, keywords and content > Search keywords. The "Match type" column shows each keyword's type; edit the keyword to change it. The search terms report (Insights and reports > Search terms) shows which keyword and match type triggered each search. Meta and TikTok have no keyword match types; targeting there is audience-based.
Worked exampleemergency plumber, three ways, one month
| Match type | Spend | Leads | CPA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broad | $1,200 | 20 | $60 |
| Phrase | $700 | 14 | $50 |
| Exact | $400 | 10 | $40 |
Broad brings the most leads, but each costs $20 more than exact. The real question: are broad's extra leads worth $60 each to the business?
Do
- Check the search terms report before changing match types
- Pair broad match with negative keywords
Don't
- Assume exact means only that exact phrase
- Add one keyword in all three types to one ad group and expect Google to pick the cheapest