Match types control how closely someone's search must match your keyword for your ad to appear. Google Ads has three: broad match, phrase match and exact match.
Our rule of thumb: start new or small-budget accounts on exact and phrase match, so every ringgit goes to searches we've chosen. We only test broad match once the account has reliable conversion tracking and a steady flow of leads, because broad match with Smart Bidding learns from conversions. Without good data it mostly finds expensive, loosely related searches.
When we test broad match, we run it as an experiment against the existing setup and compare cost per lead, not clicks.
— Kok Han, Founder, OneStopMaker (Google Partner agency)
| Match type | How you write it | Your ad can show for |
|---|---|---|
| Broad | office cleaning | Searches related to the meaning, e.g. "commercial cleaners near me", "janitorial services" |
| Phrase | "office cleaning" | Searches that include the meaning of the phrase, e.g. "office cleaning company Singapore" |
| Exact | [office cleaning] | Searches with the same meaning, e.g. "office cleaning", "cleaning offices" |
All three now match on meaning rather than exact words, and include close variants like plurals, misspellings and synonyms. Exact match is the tightest; broad match reaches furthest.
Exact match gives you the most control. It's ideal for your proven, high-value keywords and for smaller budgets, where every click needs to count.
Phrase match is a good middle ground: it captures longer searches like "office cleaning company in Petaling Jaya" without straying too far.
Broad match finds searches you'd never think of, but it needs guard rails. Google recommends pairing it with Smart Bidding (such as Target CPA or Target ROAS) and good conversion tracking, so the system learns which searches actually convert. Without those, broad match can spend quickly on loosely related searches.
Broad match modifier (+keyword) was retired in 2021. Its behaviour was folded into phrase match, which is why phrase match is now looser than it used to be.
Performance Max doesn't use keywords in the same way. It uses your assets, audience signals and optional search themes to decide when to show. Keyword match types apply to Search campaigns.
Negative Keyword List Builder › Pair your match types with a solid negative list to stop irrelevant searches.
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