The Google AdWords Broad Match Modifier

A couple of months ago, Google added a modifier option for the Broad Match type. This option basically allows you to control which words must appear in exact or synonymous form within the search phrase.

For the record, I have always disliked the Broad matching option. Especially since Google introduced Expanded Broad matching where Google shows you ads for every word they deem close enough to the actual word you bid on, not just the exact word.

Ever since they did that, it's become very difficult to control Adwords campaigns because the search phrases you bid on become much less targeted and cost you many irrelevant click$.

The new Broad match modifier is a step in the right direction as it allows you to better control the phrases that bring up your ad.

Let's say you bid on the phrase: Banana Cake Recipe
Setting this phrase to Broad matching, will show your ad to surfers searching for Chocolate Cake Store and Growing Bananas in Brazil which may be irrelevant to what you're advertising.

If you use the new modifier like so: +Banana +Cake +Recipe
Your ad will show only to phrases that contain some variation of all three words. That means that the search phrase must contain all three words, or whichever word Google decide is synonymous to the each of the words you specified. They may, for example, bring your ad up to someone searching for Banana Muffin Recipe. You may like that or you may not.

You can also choose to apply this modifier to only a subset of the words in the phrase, but then you need to determine whether it's worth your while to split the phrase into two separate ones.

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By: Elad Israeli | The ElastiCube Chronicles - Business Intelligence Blog