Mastering Google Ads Match Types: Get More Control Over Your Budget

If you're a small business running Google Ads, one of the key components of a successful campaign is not only picking the right keywords but also making sure you're using the right match types.

In this article, I'm going to explain keyword match types, what they are, and how they work, so by the end, you'll have a clearer understanding of when and how to use them.

Table of Contents

1. What Are Match Types and Why Do They Matter?
2. The Three Google Ads Match Types
   • Exact Match
   • Phrase Match
   • Broad Match
3. Choosing the Right Match Type for Your Campaign
4. When Would You Use Broad Match?
5. Final Thoughts

What Are Match Types and Why Do They Matter?

Before diving into each match type, let's first discuss their purpose. The simple answer is control. Within your Google Ads campaign, you provide a list of keywords that you want your ads to appear for when someone searches. But Google adds another layer of control with match types, which determine how much flexibility Google has when deciding which searches to show your ads for.

Some match types give Google free rein to loosely interpret your keyword, while others restrict it to very specific searches. In the following sections, I'll break these down and explain how they work.

The Three Google Ads Match Types

At the time of writing, Google offers three match types: broad match, phrase match, and exact match. To make this easier to follow, I'm going to start with exact match and work backwards.

1. Exact Match

The exact match type gives you the most control, telling Google that you want your ad to show only when someone searches for your keyword or very close variants. Exact match keywords are placed in square brackets (e.g., [pineapple leather purse]).

For example, let’s say you sell purses made from recycled pineapple leaf fibre (yes, that’s a real thing!). You want to reach people searching specifically for "pineapple leather purse" because you know they are highly likely to buy. If you set this keyword as exact match, Google will only show your ad when a search is very close to this term.

However, Google does allow some leeway with something called exact match variant, meaning your ad might still appear for slightly different searches. In theory, this sounds helpful, but in practice, it’s not always accurate. From managing hundreds of accounts, I’ve seen Google match exact keywords with irrelevant searches. So even with exact match, it’s crucial to regularly check your search terms report and add negative keywords to prevent wasted spend. (See my blog post on negative keywords for more details.)

2. Phrase Match

Phrase match gives Google a bit more flexibility while still keeping some control. It’s written in speech marks (e.g., "pineapple leather purse").

Using phrase match, Google can show your ad for searches that include your keyword but with additional words before or after. For example, it might show for "buy pineapple leather purse online" or "best pineapple leather purse." However, it could also match to "pineapple leather bag," which might not be ideal if you only sell purses.

If someone clicks your ad thinking you sell bags, they’ll land on your site, realise you don’t have what they want, and leave - wasting your ad spend. This is why it's important to keep an eye on your search terms report and refine your negative keywords.

3. Broad Match

Broad match is the least restrictive and, therefore, the least controlled. It doesn’t require any special formatting (e.g., just typing pineapple leather purse). Google automatically applies broad match unless you specify otherwise.

Google claims broad match helps advertisers capture all possible relevant searches. In theory, it should understand the intent behind your keyword and match it to appropriate searches. In reality, however, broad match often results in a lot of wasted ad spend.

For example, if your keyword is pineapple leather purse, broad match might trigger ads for "leather handbags" or even just "leather wallets." If your business only sells pineapple leather purses, this lack of precision can drain your budget quickly. While Google provides a search terms report to see what searches triggered your ads, it doesn’t show 100% of them, citing privacy reasons.

If you do use broad match, it's essential to have a strong negative keyword list to filter out irrelevant searches.

Choosing the Right Match Type for Your Campaign

Now that we’ve covered what each match type does, let’s discuss when you might use them. Using our example keyword pineapple leather purse, the best match type depends on several factors:

1. Budget – If your budget is tight and you want high-quality traffic, exact match is usually the safest option.
2. Search Volume – If there’s low search volume for your keyword, phrase match may help capture more relevant traffic.
3. Expansion Strategy – If your campaign is already performing well, you might test broad match in a separate campaign with a controlled budget.

A quick look at Google Keyword Planner shows that pineapple leather purses have low search volume, but leather purses have a lot more traffic. If you were to use broad match, Google might start showing your ad for "leather purses" without focusing on "pineapple leather." That means your budget could be spent on people looking for generic leather purses rather than ethical, sustainable ones.

That said, there could be a strategy where you target "leather purses" but use your ad copy to highlight the eco-friendly benefits of pineapple leather. If that’s the case, you might want to test phrase match instead of broad.

When Would You Use Broad Match?

While broad match is risky, there are times when it makes sense:

• If your exact match and phrase match keywords are already performing well and you want to expand.
• If you’re doing brand awareness and want to reach a wider audience.
• If you have a strong negative keyword list to minimise wasted spend.

I’d recommend running broad match in a separate campaign with a controlled budget so it doesn’t drain your main campaign’s performance.

Final Thoughts

To summarise:

• Exact match gives you the most control, but Google may still match close variants.
• Phrase match offers a balance of control and flexibility but requires monitoring.
• Broad match gives Google free rein but can lead to wasted spend if not managed properly.

Google refers to broad match as "comprehensive matching", but in my experience, that’s debatable. While it may work for some advertisers, I wouldn’t rely on it without strong negative keyword lists.

If you’re unsure which match type is best for your campaign or want to refine your current setup, I offer Google Ads power hours where we can analyse your keywords and match types together. Get in touch if you’d like to book one!