When it comes to a successful Google Adwords PPC campaign, the keywords are the foundation on which everything else is built. Using a lot of the keyword research tools available from Google and others, it’s fairly simple to come up with a list of keywords that relate to the products or services you provide. One of the most important aspects of keywords that a majority of advertisers miss is Keyword Match Types.

When it comes to PPC, there are three types Keword Match Types that you can use to tailor your keyword bids. Having an eye for the details can mean the difference between success and throwing your money down the drain. The three match types are “Broad”, “Phrase”, and “Exact”. What is each match type, and how can you use each to your advantage in your pay-per-click campaigns?

1. Broad Match Type – For broad keyword matching, the search engines make assumptions about the intent of the searcher. Let?s illustrate the broad match strategy using the keyword ?buy furniture?. Your ad could be triggered by a search for “bedroom furniture”, “furniture repair”, or “furniture store” for example. However, a search for “Dining Room Table” or “Free Sofa” could also trigger your ad because the search engines know that these terms are related to the term furniture. In summary, Broad Match Keywords can be costly and ineffective if they aren’t closely monitored and managed. When you add keywords into your Google account, they are automatically classified as Broad Match unless you specify otherwise.

2. Match Type: Phrase – For phrase matching, the terms being searched must contain your keywords to trigger your ads. As a result, far fewer assumptions are made by the search engines and the clicks you receive are usually more relevant. Using the “buy furniture” example above, phrase matching would trigger your ad if the term “where to buy furniture” or “buy furniture repair business” were searched. Your keywords must appear in the search, but additional words can be placed before or after your phrase. Phrase Match keywords generate fewer impressions, but in general, produce more relevant results. When you add keywords into your Google account enclosed by “quotes” they are classified as Phrase Match.

3. Exact Match Type – Exact Matching is by far the most precise strategy for keyword bidding purposes. With exact matching, the phrase being searched must match your keyword phrase precisely and cannot contain any additional keywords before or after your phrase. For the “buy furniture” example, your ads would only be triggered if that exact term were searched upon. Exact match generates far fewer impressions but the results are almost perfectly matched to your intent. When you add keywords into your Google account enclosed by [brackets] they are classified as Exact Match.

As you can now see, keyword research involves more than simply looking up successful keywords. Careful consideration of the mindset of your target audience can help you determine the Keyword Match Type that best fits your goals.

The advice I recommend to anyone starting an Adwords campaign is to do your homework. Don?t just ?wing it?. Do your research and learn as much as you can about online advertising specifically money management and using negative keywords.

Tags: pay per click|ppc|Google Adwords|Keyword Research|Online Advertising

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009 at 2:45 pm and is filed under Online Marketing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.