Keyword Match Types Overview in Google Ads – Everything You Need To Know



Access My Google Ads Course: https://surfsideppc.com/course/
Watch My Inbound Marketing Course: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CWGZGJZkKU
Join my FREE Newsletter For Bonus Content: https://surfsideppc.com/newsletter/ When running Google Ads, understanding keyword match types is crucial. They determine when your ads show up. Let's break down the three types you'll use: Broad Match This is the default and casts the widest net. Your ad might show for misspellings, related searches, and variations Google thinks are relevant. It's like casting a big fishing net – you'll catch a lot, but not everything will be what you want.
Pros: Great for discovering new keywords and reaching a wide audience.
Cons: Can waste budget on irrelevant clicks if not managed carefully.
Use it when: You're starting out and want to explore or have a broad product range. Phrase Match More targeted than broad match. Your ad appears for searches that include your keyword phrase in order, but can have words before or after. It's like telling Google, "Show my ad when these words appear in this order, but other stuff can be around them."
Pros: Balances reach and relevance. Catches variations while maintaining some control.
Cons: Might miss some relevant searches that rephrase your keywords.
Use it when: You want to target specific phrases but allow for some flexibility. Exact Match The most precise option. Despite its name, it's not exactly "exact" anymore. It shows ads for close variants and implies user intent. Think of it as telling Google, "Only show my ad for searches very, very close to this."
Pros: Gives you the most control. Great for targeting specific terms.
Cons: Limited reach. You might miss out on relevant searches.
Use it when: You want tight control over spending or are targeting very specific terms.
In practice, a mix of these often works best. Start broad, see what works, then refine with phrase and exact match. Keep an eye on your results and adjust. Remember, the right match types can make your budget go further and bring in more relevant clicks.
Experiment, track, and refine – that's the key to mastering Google Ads keyword match types.

Negative Keywords in Google Ads – Best Practices to Optimize Search, Shopping, & Performance Max



Access My Google Ads Course: https://surfsideppc.com/course/
Watch My Inbound Marketing Course: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CWGZGJZkKU
Join my FREE Newsletter For Bonus Content: https://surfsideppc.com/newsletter/ Negative Keywords in Google Ads: Best Practices to Optimize Search, Shopping, & Performance Max Reaching the right audience is crucial for maximizing your return on investment (ROI). While targeting the right keywords is important, knowing what to exclude can be equally vital. This is where negative keywords come into play. In this blog post, we'll explore the power of negative keywords in Google Ads and share best practices to optimize your Search, Shopping, and Performance Max campaigns.
Understanding Negative Keywords
Negative keywords are search terms that you don't want your ads to show for. They help you focus on only the keywords that matter to your customers, improving your targeting and potentially increasing your ROI.
For example, if you're an optometrist selling eyeglasses, you might want to add negative keywords like "wine glasses" or "drinking glasses" to avoid showing your ads to users searching for those unrelated products.
How Negative Keywords Work Search Campaigns: Negative keywords prevent your ads from showing on searches containing those terms.
Display and Video Campaigns: They help avoid targeting unrelated sites or videos, although they work slightly differently than in search campaigns.
Account-Level Negatives: You can create a global list of negative keywords that applies across all eligible search and shopping inventory in your account. Types of Negative Keywords Negative Broad Match: Your ad won't show if the search contains all your negative keyword terms, regardless of order.
Negative Phrase Match: Your ad won't show if the search contains the exact keyword terms in the same order.
Negative Exact Match: Your ad won't show if the search contains the exact keyword terms, in the same order, without extra words. Best Practices for Optimizing Your Campaigns Conduct Thorough Keyword Research: Identify terms similar to your keywords but irrelevant to your products or services.
Use Search Term Reports: Regularly review your search term reports to identify irrelevant queries triggering your ads.
Start Broad, Then Refine: Begin with broad match negative keywords, then refine with phrase and exact match as needed.
Create Negative Keyword Lists: Group common negative keywords into lists for easy application across multiple campaigns.
Consider Your Sales Funnel: Use negative keywords to guide users to the right stage of your funnel.
Be Cautious with Plurals and Variants: Remember that negative keywords don't match to close variants, so include singular, plural, and misspelled versions if necessary.
Regularly Review and Update: Keep your negative keyword list current as your business evolves and market trends change.
Use Account-Level Negative Keywords: For terms that should never trigger your ads, use account-level negative keywords.
Balance Reach and Relevance: While negative keywords are powerful, be careful not to over-restrict your reach.
Customize for Each Campaign Type: Adjust your approach for Search, Shopping, and Performance Max campaigns, as negative keywords work differently across these formats. Optimizing Performance Max with Negative Keywords
While Performance Max campaigns use automation to optimize performance, you can still use negative keywords to guide the algorithm: Brand Protection: Use negative keywords to prevent your ads from showing for competitor brand terms.
Audience Refinement: Exclude irrelevant audience segments to focus on your target market.
Channel Optimization: If certain channels aren't performing well, use negative keywords to reduce exposure on those platforms. Conclusion
Negative keywords are a powerful tool in your Google Ads arsenal. By effectively using them across your Search, Shopping, and Performance Max campaigns, you can improve ad relevance, reduce wasted spend, and ultimately drive better results for your business. Remember to regularly review and refine your negative keyword strategy as part of your ongoing campaign optimization efforts.

Should You Target Phrase Match Keywords in Google Ads



Access My Google Ads Course: https://surfsideppc.com/course/
Watch My Inbound Marketing Course: • Surfside Inbound Marketing Course 2024 Discover whether or not you should use Phrase Match keywords for your Google Ads campaigns. There are 3 keyword match types in Google Ads and your keyword targeting is one of the most important factors when it comes to your Google Ads success. Phrase Match keywords are my favorite match type and the one that I use most often.

Should You Target Exact Match Keywords in Google Ads



Access My Google Ads Course: https://surfsideppc.com/course/
Watch My Inbound Marketing Course: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CWGZGJZkKU Discover whether or not you should use Exact Match keywords for your Google Ads campaigns. There are 3 keyword match types in Google Ads and your keyword targeting is one of the most important factors when it comes to your Google Ads success.

Should You Target Broad Match Keywords in Google Ads



Access My Google Ads Course: https://surfsidecourses.com
Watch My Inbound Marketing Course: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CWGZGJZkKU Discover everything you need to know about broad match keywords in Google Ads, who they are good for, who should use them, and the pros and cons. Broad match keywords can be a great match type, but not everyone should use them. They should also be used more often in accounts with active management, good conversion data, large budgets, and a wide customer target market. For niche accounts, smaller budget accounts, and accounts that lack conversion data, broad match keywords are likely to waste your budget.