The fifth Ads match type: the broad match modifier

Until recently, Google AdWords offered four keyword match types: phrase match, exact match, broad match, and negative match. However, to create more optimized ads and impact conversion rates, it was sometimes necessary to combine phrase match and exact match in a single keyword. Let's take, as an example, a transportation company that offers trips only from Barcelona to Madrid and for which a keyword pattern was established that matched the following searches:

• Barcelona to Madrid by bus
• Bus from Barcelona to Madrid

Since the search results for trips from Madrid to Barcelona aren't relevant, we should find a way to avoid matching the following searches:

• Madrid to Barcelona by bus
• Bus from Madrid to Barcelona

But even though the ideal formula for this case was "Madrid to Barcelona" + "bus," using different match types within the same keywords wasn't possible. Instead, it was only possible to include the exact match type in all existing combinations of the query, resulting in endless lists and a lot of time wasted. Solution: The AdWords broad match modifier

The AdWords match modifier is a powerful tool that allows you to combine phrase match, exact match, and broad match into a single keyword.

This wonder allows us to achieve much greater reach than exact match, but with greater control than broad match. How does it work? The AdWords broad match modifier is very simple; it simply involves adding the + symbol to a word accompanied by other words already in broad match. Whereas, if we add a period between words that begin with the + symbol, they will appear in the matching results in that same order. In other words, it works as a phrase match within the general keyword. This Google AdWords system is especially useful when the specific order of the words completely changes the meaning of the search, as we showed in the example: "Bus Madrid to Barcelona/Bus Barcelona to Madrid." Let's look at other examples and ways to use the broad match modifier:

In conclusion, AdWords experts attest to the benefits of the broad match modifier, especially when analyzing click-through rates (CTR) and conversions. This system can be very effective for optimizing keywords and being more selective with matches, especially when the specific order of words has a significant impact on results. Are you up for trying it? If you'd also like to learn about the most common Google AdWords errors, you can do so by visiting this link .