Great question – what you describe is probably one of the most challenging parts of Google AdWords management. As in your example, even though you might have a closer matching keyword, this does not necessarily mean it will always be triggered for a given search query.

You might find an article I wrote on The Google AdWords Trap useful.

It discusses the dynamics and implications of how different searches match to different keywords, and suggests a few strategies to avoid over broad-matching in your Google AdWords campaigns.

Cheers,
Alan

Yes, this can be a very useful strategy.

You may find the Broad Match Generator technique useful.

The Broad Match Generator keeps your exact and phrase match keywords separate (as you describe in your example), and uses your broad match keywords as a generator of new search queries for further campaign expansion and refinement.

Cheers,
Alan

Whats the best way to better control proper keyword/ad matching for a search query through using negatives with a BMM keyword strategy?

Let’s say your wanting to maximize your coverage by using 3 match types, having each match type in a separate adgroup (done to better control budget for each match type). Let’s use the search term: business loan online.

Example 1:
+business +loan +online -Adgroup 1
“business loan online” -Adgroup 2
[business loan online] -Adgroup 3

Would you add the keyword negatives “business loan online” and [business loan online] to the BMM ad group (adgroup 1)?

Lets say you throw a standard broad match in the mix. We now want to use 4 match types and 4 adgroups:

Example 2:
business loan online -Adgroup 1
+business +loan +online -Adgroup 2
“business loan online” -Adgroup 3
[business loan online] -Adgroup 4

In example 2, you’re using standard broad match in adgroup 1. So would it be best to add the adgroup level negatives of “business loan online” and [business loan online] to BOTH adgroup 1(standard broad match) and ad group 2(modified broad match)?

What are your thoughts?

Quality Scores are calculated for the exact match of a keyword only, so a broad match, phrase match, and exact match variation of the same keyword will all have the same Quality Scores. However, since Quality Scores don’t really sell anything, what is generally more important is using modified broad match to enable you to increase your control over the types of searches being matched to your keywords. This will allow you to be able to write more targeted and tailored ad messages, which will help you improve your visitor relevancy, increase your CTR, and hopefully raise your conversion rates.

Glad you found it helpful.

I’m doing great thanks, hope you are also!

Some good insights. On further experimentation with modified broad match over the last few months, I have also found that the best strategy is to ensure each word in your keyword is modified. Having certain unmodified words in the keyword just leaves it open to Google to determine the types of searches which can match to your keyword.

I would also agree that modified broad match should almost always be used in favour of the standard, unmodified broad match, unless your sole purpose of using standard broad match match is to generate new keywords: http://www.calculatemarketing.com/blog/techniques/google-adwords-broad-match-generator/

Hope you are well – great blog, sorry it has taken me this long to stumble across it but having done so, I naturally gravitated towards your BMM blog, a subject I find very interesting.

Have you looked much into the actual search queries generated by different levels of modification? I can’t say I have looked into the subject with the same scientific and detailed approach that you have but what I did notice for one of our accounts, was that partially modified broad match terms gave Google the excuse to focus matching you to these specific words.

For example, we tried bidding on ‘+(brand) travel insurance’ and also ‘(brand) +travel +insurance’. For the former, I had expected that Google would ensure the brand was in the query and that ‘travel’ and ‘insurance’ could be interchanged for synonyms, such as ‘holiday’ and ‘cover’. Not so, it matched us to exact variations of the brand (mainly misspells) and variations, dropping the ‘travel insurance’ part altogether in a lot of instances. So testing the latter, I had hoped that the brand would be included in some form with variations and it would always keep the product and slight misspells etc. Again, I was left frustrated, finding it dropping the brand altogether and matching to generic variations (not something we wanted given this was branded activity). This was also difficult to negative effectively against as it felt like we would fight a constant battle against searchers who continue to find new and interesting ways to misspell a search query and click on your ad.

I therefore came to the conclusion that fully modifying broad match keywords is the best solution. It certainly brings us closer to the standard broad match of old and I now advise on completely avoiding standard broad match these days in favour of control – and as an advertiser, that’s what you want.

The keyword +green +tea will naturally match to more search queries than +green mint +tea, since the latter is more specific.

Although you’re essentially right that both keywords could match to the same search queries, imagine the following scenario, where both keywords are standard broad match (i.e. no modified broad match):

green tea
green tea pots for sale australia

While both keywords could potentially match to the same search queries due to Google’s broad-match mechanism, if you looked at the search queries matching to the longer keyword, you will find that Google tends to match longer and more specific searches to longer and more specific keywords. Even with standard broad match, if a keyword is a closer match to a search query, then all other things equal, Google is more likely to match the search query to the longer keyword.

The same is true when combining standard broad match and modified broad match within a single keyword. By adding extra non-modified words, you are more likely to receive search queries which are more relevant to those extra words.

Cheers,
Alan

Because technically +green +tea and +green mint +tea will match all the same queries. So why include a non broadmatch-modified keyword in there?

Cheers,

Trev

Modified broad match really does help advertisers better target only highly-relevant words which are most likely to deliver the desired results. You can bid higher on modified broad match keywords, and lower on broad match keywords which aren’t modified, therefore maximising the chance of relevancy for your clicks budget.

Unless you have a valid reason for keeping match types separate (e.g. measurement or different ad messages), I would recommend keeping exact, phrase, and modified broad match types together. You’ll benefit from greater ad group data, and be able to make more informed decisions.

Cheers,
Alan

I agree – match type won’t directly affect Quality Score, but since different match types can have different CTRs, and CTR is an important component of Quality Score, then match type could indirectly affect Quality Score.

I guess the benefit of modified broad match is to better target and focus your keywords, while at the same time eliminating wastage, which will no doubt help to improve CTR, Quality Score, and conversion rate.

Cheers,
Alan

Great post. One thing I’d like to note is that matchtype shouldn’t have any impact on QS. So, for readers, if all you are doing is refining matchtypes, do not expect QS improvements.

I agree with you that match type doesn’t directly affect QS, but, in general, match type will often have an effect on CTR which does affect QS. It’s not perfect science, but typically I go for exact match when there’s plenty of impressions out there and I’m trying to increase CTR and eventually QS. Exact Match should give you more direct relevance to the query. Thoughts?

Great article and great comments!

Thanks,
Dana

You’re right – it isn’t possible to mix phrase and broad match as in your example, as keywords can only be set to either exact, phrase, or broad match. But I think the keyword…

+montreal +fresh +bagels

…would achieve very similar results to your broad/phrase combination, and I imagine it would be hard to distinguish between the two in terms of purchase intention and conversion rate.

Although that said, it would be nice to have an option to mix modified broad, exact, and phrase match, especially for highly-generic keywords of an ambiguous natuare where word ordering is important, such as ‘job management’ and ‘management job’.

Cheers,
Alan

IE: Montreal +”Fresh Bagels”

I don’t believe the above combination is allowed. Or am I incorrect?

You’re right – match type won’t have any impact over Quality Score, although there will naturally be variances in Quality Score when comparing one modified broad match keyword to another.

As detailed in the analysis above, I’ve generally found that the more specific (and usually longer) your keyword, the more control you have over displaying highly-targeted and tailored ads, so the more confident you can be that you will achieve a high Quality Score.

Cheers,
Alan

Great post. One thing I’d like to note is that matchtype shouldn’t have any impact on QS. So, for readers, if all you are doing is refining matchtypes, do not expect QS improvements.

We’ve outlined that here: http://www.rimmkaufman.com/rkgblog/2010/09/28/negative-keywords-do-not-affect-google-adwords-quality-score/

And Google created a help page that confirms: http://adwords.google.com/support/aw/bin/answer.py?hl=en&lev=+topic&cbid=xro0z0hlwy6k&answer=68095&src=cb

Thanks, Alan!

I guess we’ll have to wait and see what effect modified broad match has on competition and CPC prices. I imagine the greater control PPC advertisers now have (due to modified broad match) will see more advertisers going back to those slightly less relevant keywords (now this modifications), so we may see an increase in PPC expenditure on these mid tail keywords along with improvements in conversion rate.

Combining modified broad and phrase match would be a great addition, especially when the meaning of a search query depends closely on the word ordering. Although for the meantime, there is still a massive opportunity for most PPC advertisers to exploit modified broad match without the need for broad / phrase combination matching.

Cheers,
Alan

@ Frederik

As far as I’m aware, modified broad match should be available in every country. You won’t see a new match type in Google AdWords (you will still have only exact, phrase and broad match to choose from). You simply select broad match then add plus signs in front of the words in your keywords you want to modify.

@ Jason

You’re right, Quality Scores are always whole numbers, but the Quality Scores in my charts contain decimal points because they are weighted averages (by impressions).

@ Chad

Thanks for the tool, very useful!

I’m still sad that the modified broad match isn’t active in Denmark – looking forward to it!

http://www.chadsummerhill.com/broad-match-modifier-tool-updated/

Hope you like it.

Thanks,

Jason

@ Gary

The only difference is that words with a preceding + sign must be included somewhere within the user’s search query, whereas standard broad match (without any + signs) can match you to anything Google deems relevanct. Modified broad match therefore provides you with a much greater level of control over the types of searches which trigger your ads. And greater control usually means less wastage from irrelevant searches and better profitability from your campaigns.

Good luck!

Alan

The study seems to show that the more lenghty the keyword is, the more it seems profitable to use a modified broad match.

Will give it a try one day!