PPC is getting more complex, and so is paid search terminology.
Consider the change from “audiences” to “segments,” which has a much broader definition.
We also have “Segment” as a segmentation feature to analyze more data sets by devices, conversion actions, networks and the like.
Google then brought back the terminology for “audiences” to describe the target groups for top-performing campaigns. Insert spiral eyes emoji here.
The most frustrating thing for me is taking “ad extensions”, a perfectly acceptable and understandable concept, and changing it to “ad assets”. To make matters worse, Performance Max was implemented and their version of ad groups became “ad assets” as well.
The ones that confuse everyone, however, are the terms that have been around forever: search keywords, search terms, and search queries.
Let’s leave this confusion because we have to live with everyone else.
Paid search terminology defined
Confused about how keywords, search terms, and search queries differ? Here’s what each one means for paid search.
Key search
A search keyword is a targeting tool used to tell advertising platforms, such as Google and Microsoft, to show your ads.
An example of a search keyword would be “fluoridated water filters”.
Search term
Search terms are reported to you in the ad platform (if they meet privacy standards) when your ad was shown for a search on Google.
Some examples of search terms for the keyword above are:
“best fluoride water filter” “water filters that remove fluoride” “fluoride water filter shower head”.
Search partners’ search terms will also be reported. These may be formatted differently or appear longer than normal search terms.
Search Query
Search queries are the typed, spoken or tapped phrases that a user gives Google to return search results.
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Improve your search keyword for search query relevance
Understanding the difference between these phrases is crucial.
The better you match keywords to search queries, the better your Quality Score, click-through rates and conversion performance will be.
Relevance has always been the name of the game in PPC advertising, and it starts with matching keywords and search queries.
Search terms are useful for knowing which search queries are eligible to trigger your ad and how those search queries perform.
In addition to finding new words for negative keyword exclusions, use these learnings to create new keywords, new ads, and landing pages to better match what your customers are searching for.
Match type
How can we discuss keywords and search queries and not talk about match types?
Since I started running Google Ads in 2004, I’ve seen match types come and go and morph into what we have today, which differs significantly from its predecessors.
Let’s clear up the confusion and clarify how match types work today with your search keywords to target search queries.
exact match
Google claims that exact match keywords still give you the most control over who your ad is served to. This also makes it the most restrictive.
However, instead of matching a user’s search query exactly, the exact match will be expanded to searches that have the same meaning or intent as your keyword.
Google uses natural language understanding technologies such as BERT to understand the intent of a search query.
Exact match keywords are designated with square brackets, such as [fluoride water filter]. They will match search queries that match the exact match keyword words along with:
Misspellings (“fluoride water filter”)
Singular or plural forms (“fluoride water filters”)
Way out such as soil and soil (“filter fluoride out of water”)
Abbreviations (“NaF Water Filters”)
Exact match keywords will also be displayed for similar variants. Close variants are search queries that are similar but not identical to the search keywords. There is no option to turn off close variant matching.
Examples of similar variants for exact match keywords are:
Rearranged sentence (“fluoride water filter”)
Add or remove function words (“filters fluoride from water”)
Implied words (“fluoride filter” – involves water)
Synonyms and paraphrases (“pitchers that remove monofluorophosphate”)
The same search intent (“removal of fluoride”)
Years ago, you had to create exhaustive keyword lists for exact matching. Today, this has become unnecessary.
Sentence agreement
When you use a phrase match type, you specify the meaning of the search queries you want to target based on the order of the words used.
For example, Google understands that if the phrase match keyword is “fluoridated water filter”, the intended meaning is not “remove fluoride from water” (even if that were a real thing), from so it won’t show your ad for it.
Google gives the example of a moving service with the search keyword “Moving services NYC to Boston”. Google understands that the intended meaning does not match “move services from Boston to New York City”.
Phrase match keywords are enclosed in quotation marks and will be displayed for similar exact match variants.
Examples of suitable search queries to match the search keyword “fluoride water filter” include:
Fluoride Water Purification Stations Near Me Commercial Fluoride Filtration Products Home Fluoride Removal Shower Filters That Remove Chemicals
Wide match
Broad match keywords match your broad match definition. They may show your ads for search queries that do not contain the direct meaning of your search keyword.
Broad match uses signals that other match types don’t understand, such as past searches, user location, landing page content, and other keywords.
Simply put, broad match keywords will match the same search queries as exact match and phrase match, but they can also match phrases that don’t contain the keyword terms.
Examples of search terms for the broad match keyword “fluoridated water filter” include:
Heart Water Filtration Activated Alumina Water Filter Reverse Osmosis Bone Charcoal Filter Cleaning
Broad match keywords are expected to help improve Smart Bidding due to increased flexibility to optimize your goals and the ability to find additional conversion opportunities.
Stay up to date with keyword match type changes
If you’re still using multiple match types or segmenting match types into separate campaigns, I recommend reading Google’s Search Automation Technical Guide, Unlock the power of search. Contains information and case studies about the benefits of supporting Google’s capability for signals and smart offers. It also makes a strong case for why there is no performance benefit to using multiple match types for the same keyword if you’re using Smart Bidding.
Your best strategy is to monitor your search terms closely. This will help you evaluate their performance and take action. Add negative keywords for irrelevant queries and adjust match types as needed.
The views expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily Search Engine Land. Staff authors are listed here.
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